-o'-war ensign while engaged upon the
service."

"Why do you attach that condition to your assent, Senor?" demanded the
General.

"Because," snapped Jack, who was now perilously near losing his temper,
"I neither can nor will do the work under the British flag!"

"I think, Excellency, Senor Singleton is justified in his demand,"
remarked the skipper of the cruiser, now speaking for the first time.
"The work that he has kindly undertaken to do is essentially Spanish
Government work, and can only be properly done under the Spanish flag.
I will bring you a Spanish ensign and pennant to hoist, Senor, when I
bring my men alongside," he added, turning to Jack.

"I shall be obliged, Senor, if you will," answered Jack; "for I will do
nothing without them."

"Then that is settled," exclaimed the General, rising to his feet.
"When will you be ready to leave the harbour, Senor Singleton?"

"As soon as Captain Morillo brings his men alongside," answered Jack.

"Then, to expedite matters, let us be going at once, Morillo," exclaimed
the General. Then, turning to Jack, he said: "Senor, permit me to
express to you the gratitude not only of myself, personally, but also of
the Spanish Government, for your courtesy in consenting to render us
this important service at an exceedingly critical moment, I fear that,
in my anxiety, I may have brought rather an unfair amount of pressure to
bear upon you in order to overcome your scruples; but I trust that you
will ultimately forgive me for that. And I am quite sure that if, as I
have understood, you intend to prolong your stay in Cuba, the time will
come when you will be glad to have placed us all under an obligation. I
offer you a thousand thanks, Senor, and have the honour to bid you good-
day!"

And thereupon, with many bows, his Excellency the Capitan-General of
Cuba followed the skipper of the cruiser to the gangway and thence down
into their boat.

"Well," exclaimed Milsom, who had contrived to follow the conversation
sufficiently to get a fairly accurate impression of what had transpired,
"you have managed to get us all fairly into the centre of a hobble by
consenting to run those men down to Mulata Bay! How the mischief do you
propose to get out of it again without putting all the fat in the fire?"

"Quite easily, my dear Phil, or you may bet your bottom dollar that I
would never have consented," answered Jack. "You see, the Spanish ships
have had their engines tampered