“Willingly,” said I, “but with this proviso, Don Luis: If the pirates conquer your countrymen and gain possession of the Santa Catalina, and we, after that, are able to recover her, I shall regard her as my prize and retain possession of her by every means in my power.”
Don Luis cogitated deeply for a full minute.
“Be it so,” he then said. “That was agreed upon between you and Don Felix, I remember; and after all it would be infinitely preferable that we should be your prisoners than that we should fall by the murderous hands of the pirates. Do you happen to know if there is any other means of gaining the deck above than the ladder by which we descended!”
“Yes,” said I; “there is another ladder abaft there which leads to the main and upper decks by way of the after hatchway.”
At this moment a muffled boom smote our ears, and a crash somewhere above us, which followed a second or two later, showed that the pirate had opened fire and was within range.
This was immediately succeeded by a confused discharge from the Santa Catalina of all the main-deck guns of the larboard broadside, one after the other.
“Don Luis,” said I, “for Heaven’s sake try to persuade Don Felix not to return the pirate’s fire. Those twelve-pounder carronades are of comparatively little use except at close quarters, and Merlani is not fool enough to give you the chance to use them to advantage; he will simply heave to out of range and blaze away with his long gun until more than half your crew are killed, when he will dash alongside and carry the ship without an effort. Tell Don Felix to double-shot his guns and to depress them as much as he can, but not to fire. Let the schooner come alongside—haul down your ensign if you cannot otherwise get him to come—and, when the schooner is close under the muzzles of your guns, fire, and your shot will go right through her bottom. The pirates will then be obliged to board, when, with the advantage afforded by the Catalina’s high sides, you ought to have things all your own way.”
“Thanks! thanks! I will see what I can do,” said Don Luis. “But now, come this way, and bring your men with you; I will take it upon myself to arm you, and then, if the worst comes to the worst, I shall look to you to save ay daughter.”
“And I will do it or perish!” I exclaimed fervently, as I beckoned the Dolphins to follow me and made sail in the wake of Don Luis.
He led us along until we reached the after hatchway, through which we ascended to the deck above, when we again turned aft until we reached a bulkhead inclosing a room beneath Don Felix’s cabin. Don Luis threw open a door in this bulkhead, and exclaiming: