Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1923-01-16

CONTINUED From Our Last Issue.)
What the devil does it mean7" he
asked.
None answered him. all being as
puzzled as he was himself
After a little while, Esteban, who
kept his eyes on the water. plucked
at his uncle's sleeve. There they
gol" he cried. and pointed.
And there, indeed, went the pira-
guas on their way back TO the ships.
But now Il was observed that they
were empty. save for the men who
rowed them. Their armed cargo
had been left ashore.
Back TO the ships they pulled, 10
return again presently with a fresh
load OF armed men. which similarly
they conveyed to Palomas. And at
last one OF the Spanish officers ven
tured an explanation.
They are going 10 attack us by
land-to attempt TO storm the fort"
"Of course" The Admiral smiled.
Il had guessed II. Whom the gods
would destroy they first make mad"
But by evening the Admirars
equanimity was not quite so perfect.
BY then the piraguas had made a
half-dozen journeys with their loads
OF men, and they had landed also
as Don Miguel had clearly observed
through his telescope-at least a
dozen guns.
His countenance no longer smiled;
Il was a little wrathful.
Who was thu fool who told me
that they number but three hundred
men in all? They have put a. least
twice that number ashore already"
Amazed as he was. his amazement
would have been deeper had he been
told the truth; that there was not a
single buccaneer or a single gun
ashore on Palomas. The deception
had been complete. Don Miguel
could not guess that the men he mad
beheld in those piraguas were AZ
ways the same: that on the JOURNEYS
70 the shore they sat and stood up
right in full view; and that on the
Journeys back TO the ships. :hey lay
Invisible at the bottom OF the boats.
which were thus made 20 appear
empty.
In the last hours OF fading day
light, the Spaniards did precisely
what Captain Blood so confidently
counted that they would do-pre-
cisely what they must do TO meet
the attack, preparations fo- which
had been so thoroughly simulated. .
They set themselves TO labor like the /
damned at those ponderous guns I
empiaced TO command the narrow I
passage out 10 sea.
Thus. when night fell they stood 1
10 their guns.
And whilst they waited thus |
under cover OF the darkness and as 4
the tide began to ebb. CAPTAIN /
Blood's fleet weighed anchor quiet-
ly; and. as once before. with no
more canvas spread than that which
their spirits could carry. so as TO
give them steering way-and even
these having been painted black
the four vessels, without a light
showing. .groped their way by
soundings TO the channel which led
TO that narrow passage out TO sea.
The Elizabeth and the Infanta,
leading side by side. were almost
abreast OF the fort before their
shadowy bulks and the soft gurgle
OF water at their prows were detect
ed by the Spaniards. whose atten-
tion until that moment had been
all on the other side. The Elizabeth
her larboard guns into the
fort as she was swept past on the
swift ebb.
Some slight damage was sustain
cd. But by the time the Spaniards
had resolved their confusion into
some order Of dangerous offense.
that fleet was through the narrows
and standing out to sea.
Thus was Don Miguel de Espinosa
eft to chew the bitter end OF a lost
On the coast of Oruba. at the