e golden
crescent, and immediately reported the fact, coming aft that he might do
so without raising his voice.

"A boat!" exclaimed Mendouca anxiously, when the man had told what he
had seen. "Are you _quite_ sure?"

"As sure as I am that I am now standing here speaking to you, senor,"
answered the man, in a tone of conviction. "Jose saw it also. We were
both watching the disappearing moon, and when she was about half-way
below the horizon we suddenly saw a large boat, pulling, I should say,
at least twelve oars, glide swiftly across her face, as though steering
to the southward on a line that would cross our course."

"Phew!" ejaculated Mendouca; "that looks serious. For it undoubtedly
means that the brig's people are by no means as fast asleep as you have
imagined them to be, Dugdale. How far off did you judge the boat to be
when you saw her?" he demanded, turning again to the seaman.

"A matter of a mile and a half, or perhaps a trifle more," was the
answer.

"Very well, then, that will do," answered Mendouca. "`Forewarned is
forearmed,' as the English say. As you go forward pass the word along
for the sweeps to be laid in and stowed away, and for the negroes to be
sent below, and the hatch gratings put on and secured. And, do you
hear, everything must be done as noiselessly as possible."

"Bueno, senor," answered the man, as he turned away to do Mendouca's
bidding; and in a few minutes the sweeps were laid in and stowed away,
and the brigantine's head gently turned more to the southward, in order
that she might drift in that direction as long as she retained her way.
Then, the slaves having been driven below and secured, the decks were
rapidly but noiselessly cleared for action, the guns were cast loose and
loaded, a liberal supply of grape and canister was passed on deck, arms
were served out to the men, and the boarding nettings were triced up all
round the ship. The whole of the work was executed so rapidly and
silently as to clearly demonstrate that the crew was a thoroughly
seasoned one, inured to fighting, and by no means averse to it when the
chances were in their favour, as they certainly were in the present
instance; and I was filled with chagrin and disgust at the thought of
how simple an accident had sufficed to mar and defeat what might
otherwise have proved a perfect surprise to Mendouca and his crew.
Still, although I could not conceal from myself the fact that this
apparently trivial