156 TRAVEL, ADVENTUEE, AND SPORT. 



The officer looked around, and became speechless 

 when he beheld the soldiers' muskets piled upon the 

 deck, and guarded by two well-armed and determined- 

 looking sailors. 



" You would not dare ! " exclaimed he. 



" Indeed would I," replied Eeady ; " but I hope 

 you will not force me to it. You must remain a few 

 hours longer my guest, and then you can return to 

 port in your boat. You will get off with a month's 

 arrest, and as compensation, you will have the satis- 

 faction of having delivered a brave enemy from 

 despair and death." 



The officer ground his teeth together, but even yet 

 he did not give up all hopes of getting out of the 

 scrape. Resistance was evidently out of the ques- 

 tion, his men's muskets being in the power of the 

 Americans, who, with cocked pistols and naked cut- 

 lasses, stood on guard over them. The soldiers them- 

 selves did not seem very full of fight, and the boat- 

 men were negroes, and consequently non-combatants. 

 But there were several trincadores and armed cutters 

 cruising about, and if he could manage to hail or 

 make a signal to one of them, the schooner would be 

 brought to, and the tables turned. He gazed earn- 

 estly at a sloop that just then crossed them at 

 no great distance, staggering in towards the harbour 

 under press of sail The American seemed to read 

 his thoughts, 



" Do me the honour, Senor," said he, " to partake 



