254 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



revolutions. Much of the private wealth of Lima, 

 together with quantities of church plate, was sent to 

 the fort at Callao for safety. When an attack on 

 the fort seemed imminent, and its impregnability 

 doubtful, the treasure, estimated in the millions, 

 was transferred to an English sloop that was at 

 anchor in the harbor. The temptation of such 

 riches between decks was too much for the captain 

 and crew ; during the night they killed the Peruvian 

 guards, slipped anchor and stole away. The cap- 

 tain's name was Thompson, and he is said to be the 

 same man who had sailed with Benito. A less 

 fitting name for the ship in which this piratical 

 deed was performed it would be hard to imagine; 

 she bore the demure title of the Mary Dear. 

 Whatever her nominal shortcomings, she was a 

 fast sailer, and outdistanced pursuit. There was 

 no port on the mainland for which they dared to 

 steer, so when they came, by chance or intention, 

 within sight of Cocos, it was determined to bmy 

 their loot till some more propitious time. 



This accomplished, they ran for Central Ameri- 

 can shores, but were captured and taken into 

 Panama Bay by a Peruvian ship. Here every man 

 aboard the Mary Dear was hanged on the spot, 

 except for Captain Thompson and one other. 

 They were spared to show the hiding-place of the 

 treasure, but they escaped by jumping overboard 

 in the night, and swimming to an English whaler 

 that lay at anchor. Here they concealed them- 

 selves until the whaler had been several days at 

 sea, and on emerging, were welcomed by her cap- 



