Unable to conceal his anxiety, Cervillo entered the narrow door in the base of one of the tripods, and climbed inside the hollow mast till he stood beside the look-out in the fire-control platform.
For quite a minute Cervillo kept the two vessels under observation, then with a gesture of relief he returned the telescope to the seaman. Regaining the bridge he gave orders for the helm to be starboarded, so as to bring the Independencia on a converging course to that of the strange vessel and her tow.
This done he called Da Silva to his side.
"Now is our chance," he said, in an undertone. "Yonder ships are a disabled whaler and a steam yacht. We must capture both, place the crew of the yacht on board the whaler, and cut them adrift. Since these obstinate dogs will not let us have the gold we must be content with what is stored amidships."
"But we shall be very poorly off," objected the lieutenant.
"If we had to share with the whole of our crew," replied Juan Cervillo. "Listen, Da Silva; we must find a means of getting the booty that is still in our possession on board the yacht with all the officers and some of the men who are Spaniards by birth. The rest must shift for themselves."
Even Da Silva, hardened villain that he was, looked astounded at the calculated heartlessness of his superior.
"But how?" he whispered.
Cervillo placed his finger on his lips.
"Leave that to me," he replied. "Only see that my orders are properly carried out, and all will be plain sailing."