who were to form Jack's boat's crew; these having
discarded their working slops and donned dungaree overalls, ancient
cloth trousers, rusty with salt-water stains, and stiff with tar and
grease, big thigh-boots, and worsted caps. A cutlass belted to the
waist, and a knife and brace of revolvers in the belt gave the finishing
touch of realism to the get-up, and obviated any possibility of doubt as
to the seriousness of their mission.

By this time the moment had arrived when, according to Milsom's
calculations, the yacht ought to be turned round to meet the _Maranon_,
now out of sight astern; the helm was accordingly put hard over, and the
nimble little craft swept round until she was heading direct for the
spot where it had been calculated that the two ships should meet. No
combination of circumstances could possibly have been more favourable
for the adventure than were those at that moment prevailing. There was
no craft of any description in sight as far as the eye could see; the
trade wind was blowing quite a moderate breeze; and the sea was not
sufficiently formidable to render the task of transferring the rescued
people from one ship to the other by means of an open boat at all
difficult or dangerous. Moreover, the sun, fast dropping toward the
horizon, was quickly losing his intensity of light, and as rapidly
plunging all objects into a delicious soft golden haze, in which all
detail was lost; it was therefore in the highest degree unlikely that
even the keenest eye on board the convict steamer would be able to
detect the imposition that was being practised upon them.

Presently, a smudge of brown smoke soaring above the horizon broad on
the port bow showed that the unsuspecting quarry was approaching; and a
minute or two later her masts, fine as spiders' webs, began to rise
against the warm, golden glow of the western sky, then her funnel
appeared, and finally her bridge and chart-house--appearing as
completely detached and isolated objects in the rarefied atmosphere--
suddenly showed themselves on the horizon, alternately appearing and
disappearing with the rise and fall of the ship over the swell. Then
Milsom rang down to the engine-room for half speed; and a little later,
when the _Maranon_ was hull-up and the two vessels were closing fast, he
ordered the forward port twelve-pound quick-firer to be loaded with a
blank charge. Then, when the two craft were about a mile apart, he
ordered the Cuban flag to