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's taffrail, frantically waving a lighted lantern, and as he did so, he hailed:
"Do not fire upon us again, senor, for the love of God! We are busily engaged in clearing away the wreck of our foremast, and as soon as that is done and the ship is once more under command, I give you my word, upon the honour of a Spaniard, that we will return to the anchorage."
"The honour of a Spaniard!" retorted George, contemptuously. "How much is that worth, after the specimen of it which you have given me this night? However, you cannot possibly escape, so I will spare you for the present. Have you arrested the man who ordered your musketeers to fire upon us?"
"No, senor," was the answer. "Do you wish him to be put under arrest?"
"That was part of my order when I just now hailed you," retorted George. "But," he continued, "possibly you did not hear me; wherefore I repeat the order now."
"It shall be done," replied the stranger. "And, senor," he continued, "although the evidence against us be strong, I beg you not to think that all Spaniards are liars and faithless. There are some--of whom I am one--who know how to keep faith as well as an Englishman; and I will keep faith with you."
"See that you do so, senor," retorted George, as the ships again drew apart. "It will be better for you and those with you."
It was at this moment that the weather suddenly cleared, the clouds drove away to leeward, and the stars shone forth with that mellow lustre and brilliancy which renders a starlit night in the tropics so inexpressibly beautiful; in an instant the intense darkness which had hitherto enveloped the scene was rolled away like a curtain, and objects which a moment before had been invisible were now seen with comparatively perfect distinctness, the several ships which comprised the plate fleet--the whole of which were by this time under way--and even the wharves and houses of the town gleaming faintly and ghostly against the darker background of the country beyond and the blue-