ed and,
half a wineglassful of the spirit having been poured from the bottle, a
like quantity of the liquid from the phial was substituted for it, the
cork replaced, and the bottle well shaken. It was then sent forward to
the _empleados de la aduana_ for their especial use, with the
compliments of Don Hermoso, that they might drink his health and that of
his family, and wish them a pleasant voyage, on this their last night on
board, since the yacht would, weather permitting, go to sea some time on
the morrow. Half an hour later the steward, with a knowing grin,
reported to Milsom that the bottle was already three-parts empty.

"That is all right," commented Don Hermoso, when the statement was
passed on to him; "the gentlemen of the customs will not be troubled
with sleeplessness to-night!" Nor were they; for four bells in the
first watch had scarcely struck when, with many yawns, they retired
below and--those who were supposed to be on watch as well as those who
were off--in ten minutes were sleeping like logs.

"Now is our time, Phil, before the moon rises," exclaimed Jack, as soon
as the report of the custom-house officers' retirement had been brought
aft by the chief steward. "It is important to get the submarine into
the water unobserved; but, that done, we can wait until midnight, or
even later, before commencing operations. By that time everybody will
have turned in; and moreover we shall have the light of the moon to help
us."

Accordingly, the canvas cover was removed from the particular boat in
which the small submarine was hidden, and the mischievous little toy was
carefully hoisted out, lowered into the water, submerged until only the
top of her diminutive conning tower showed above water, and then
effectually concealed by being moored to the boat boom, between the gig
and the steam pinnace. Then advantage was taken of the darkness to pass
down into her everything that had been prepared for the success of the
forthcoming enterprise; after which everybody turned in, except Carlos,
who undertook to keep a watch on deck until everything should seem
sufficiently quiet in the harbour to admit of the adventurers beginning
their work without incurring undue risk of detection.

At length two bells in the middle watch (one o'clock) pealed out from
the various ships in the harbour; the moon, just past the full, was
riding high in the cloudless sky and affording quite as much light as
the adventurers desired;