154 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



boatmen a couple of bottles of rum, and then, after 

 whispering for a few seconds in the ear of his mate, 

 he approached the cabin stairs. As he passed the 

 Columbian family, he said in a low voice, and without 

 looking at them, 



"Trust in Him who helps when need is at the greatest." 



Scarcely had he uttered the words, when the Spanish 

 officer sprang up the cabin stairs, and as soon as he 

 saw the prisoners, ordered them into the boat. Eeady, 

 however, interfered, and begged him to allow his un- 

 fortunate passenger to take a farewell glass before 

 he left the vessel. To this the young officer good- 

 naturedly consented, and himself led the way into 

 the cabin. 



They took their places at the table, and the captain 

 opened a fresh bottle, at the very first glass of which 

 the Spaniard's eye glistened, his lips smacked. The 

 conversation became more and more lively ; Eeady 

 spoke Spanish fluently, and gave proof of a joviality 

 which no one would have suspected to form a part of 

 his character, dry and saturnine as his manner usually 

 was. A quarter of an hour or more had passed in 

 this way, when the schooner gave a sudden lurch, 

 and the glasses and bottles jingled and clattered to- 

 gether on the table. The Spaniard started up. 



" Captain ! " cried he furiously, " the schooner is 

 sailing ! " 



" Certainly," replied the captain, very coolly. "You 



