"What is to be done if we sink The Pizarro?" asked Jack, as he stood by Rafael, watching for the signal from The Iturbide.
"Quien sabe!" replied Maraquando, shrugging his shoulders, "I expect we will wait in the harbour till daylight, and then see if we can land our troops."
"There won't be much chance of that, my Comandante," said Duval, drily; "between us and Janjalla two thousand rebel troops lie encamped. We cannot break through that barrier."
"You forget, mi amigo, there are close on a thousand troops of the Junta in the town. By this time the reinforcements must have reached their destination, so that will make two thousand. If they attack the rebels from Janjalla, and we land our two hundred men under cover of The Iturbide's guns, who knows but what we may not be able to crush these scoundrels before their warships and transports arrive from Acauhtzin."
"Bueno! Always presuming that the reinforcements have arrived safely. I fear the Indians."
"Carambo! Surely a thousand well-armed soldiers are a match for a horde of naked savages. The reinforcements are safe in Janjalla by now. I am sure of it. Believe me, Don Juan, we shall exterminate the rebels."
"First we shall have to exterminate The Pizarro, and——"
"Hold!" interrupted Rafael joyfully, "the signal."
A rocket shot up from The Iturbide and scattered its fires in the dark air. The moon had entirely disappeared, and an intense gloom prevailed over land and sea.
Hardly had the rocket's trail of fire disappeared when The Iturbide's screw began to spin and followed by the torpederas she moved cautiously towards the harbour at half speed. At the end of an hour all three vessels were within sight of the town. Through the gloom sparkled the lights of Janjalla, and between them and the incoming vessels lay the huge bulk of The Pizarro, the glare of her search-lights shooting up into the dark like two gigantic swords of pale flame.