nchor in the port without arms, without crews, and
with their sails on shore. In all of these they discovered but a few
chests of reals and some bales of silk and linen. A thirteenth, called
by the seamen the Cacafuego, but christened in her baptism "Our Lady of
the Conception," had sailed for the Isthmus a few days before, taking
with her all the bullion which the mines had yielded for the season. She
had been literally ballasted with silver, and carried also several
precious boxes of gold and jewels.

Not a moment was lost. The cables of the ships at Lima were cut, and
they were left to drive on shore to prevent pursuit; and then away sped
the Pelican due north, with every stitch of her canvas spread. A gold
chain was promised to the first man who caught sight of the Cacafuego. A
sail was seen the second day of the chase: it was not the vessel which
they were in pursuit of, but the prize was worth the having. They took
eighty pounds' weight of gold in wedges, the purest which they yet had
seen.

For eight hundred miles the Pelican flew on. At length, one degree to
the north of the line, off Quito, and close to the shore, a look-out on
the mast-head cried out that he saw the chase and claimed the promised
chain; she was recognized by the peculiarities in her sails, of which
they had received exact information at Lima. There lay the Cacafuego; if
they could take her their work would be done, and they might go home in
triumph. She was several miles ahead of them; if she guessed their
character, she would run in under the land, and they might lose her. It
was afternoon: several hours remained of daylight, and Drake did not
wish to come up with her till dark.

The Pelican sailed two feet to the Cacafuego's one, and dreading that
her speed might rouse suspicion, he filled his empty wine casks with
water and trailed them astern. The chase meanwhile unsuspecting, and
glad of company on a lonely voyage, slackened sail and waited for her
slow pursuer. The sun sank low, and at last set into the ocean, and
then, when both ships had become invisible from the land, the casks were
hoisted in, the Pelican was restored to her speed, and shooting up
within a cable's length of the Cacafuego, hailed to her to run into the
wind. The Spanish commander, not understanding the meaning of such an
order, paid no attention to it. The next moment the corsair opened her
ports, fired a broadside, and brought his main-mast about his ears. His
dec