ong do
you suppose it will take you to effect the transmogrification of this
ship by means of that disguise of yours?"

"Well," answered Milsom, "seeing that I have never yet rigged the
arrangement, I am not prepared to say, to half an hour or so, just how
long it will take. I reckon that, under favourable conditions, it ought
to be done in about four hours; but, to make all certain, suppose we
call it twelve hours. That ought to suffice and at the same time leave
a sufficient margin for any small alterations that may be necessary.
You seem just a little bit inclined to sneer at my `wonderful' disguise,
Master Jack; but you had better wait until you have seen it before you
do that. I venture to remind you that I am a Navy man, and, as such, I
know a thing or two about disguising ships: I've had a little experience
in that direction during the carrying out of manoeuvres; and I am
prepared to make a bet that if you--not knowing anything about the
arrangement, mind you--were to pass this vessel, in her disguised
condition, within half a mile, you would never recognise her."

"All right, Phil, old chap, don't get your back up! I'll take your word
for it that the thing is all right," said Jack. "And if I seemed to
speak disparagingly of your contrivance, forgive me, old man, will you?
I've had a good deal to worry me lately, and I'm afraid that both my
nerves and my temper are a bit on edge; but I daresay I shall feel
better when we get to sea again and can start to circumvent the Spanish
Government, or at least that part of it which is responsible for the
misrule and shameful injustice which are rampant in Cuba. Now, I think
I understood you to say that you require quiet water to enable you to
rig this disguising arrangement, so I propose to go to sea to-morrow--
which will be Thursday--and run down the coast to the eastward in search
of a secluded spot in which we can effect our transformation without
being interfered with or overlooked by anybody. Now, let us have a look
at the chart."

"There ought not to be very much difficulty in finding a suitable spot,"
remarked Milsom, as the pair bent over the sheet. "Ah," he continued,
laying his finger upon the paper, "here we are! This should be a
perfectly ideal place; just sufficient water, a lee to shelter under,
and very little likelihood of being disturbed at our work. We can go in
here through the Boca de Sagua la Grande, haul up to the south-east, and
come to