"We see later," chuckled Cervillo, for the double capture could not have better served his purpose. "Keep where you are till day come. No tricks, or I sink you."
Two hours later it was light enough to make out what the prizes were like. The Serena was a graceful-looking craft with a clipper stern and long, tapering counter. She had two light masts and a single funnel, and was one of many of a type of sea-going yachts that are to be found in every port of the civilised world. The whaler was also of a very ordinary though fast-disappearing type; bluff-bowed, wall-sided, and broad-sterned, and rigged as a brigantine with heavy, well-shrouded masts. Just before the mainmast was a small, black funnel—the only visible sign of the vessel's now useless auxiliary power.
Before taking possession of the two ships Juan Cervillo mustered his men aft.
"You must know, my lads," he began, "what I propose to do. The Independencia is no longer serviceable; her days are nearly finished. Yonder craft are the last prizes she will take. It only remains for us to save ourselves, and as much of the booty as we possibly can. The gold stowed away aft is, I am sorry to say, lost to us. We can only take revenge upon those who have cheated us out of our hard-earned riches. I therefore propose that we place the crew of the yacht on board the whaler. If they manage to fetch port, well and good, if not—that's not our concern. We will then tranship the amount of treasure that is left to us, scuttle the Independencia, and the English officer and his companions can keep guard over the gold at the bottom of the sea. With a nice little yacht like the one yonder we ought to steam southwards without exciting suspicion. Your shares in the spoil will not be as much as we hoped for, but enough to let you live a merry life for some time to come."
The pirates, although regretting the loss of the gold, were not sorry to see the way clear to escape the perils that awaited them, and for the next ten minutes the utmost activity prevailed. The three boats were hauled out, and Da Silva proceeded to board the Serena. It was significant that every man in the boats was a Spaniard, and that nearly all the officers formed part of the boarding-party.
Unceremoniously Mr. Rignold, his guests, and the crew of the yacht were dumped on board the Hetty, and the work of transporting the remainder of the booty from the cruiser to the yacht was put in hand, Cervillo personally superintending the operations. This done, enough provisions to keep the pirates in plenty for another month were added to the Serena's stores. In the midst of the activity some of the crew found time to taunt the captives on the half-deck, telling them gleefully that they were destined for a swift plunge to the bed of the ocean. Three of the Spaniards who had returned in one of the boats also found time for a little diversion. Under Da Silva's orders they moved unostentatiously from gun to gun, removing portions of the delicate mechanism so as to render the weapons harmless.
Everything was now ready for Juan Cervillo's coup.
Ordering a dozen men to maintain a watch over the closed hatchways above the half-deck, he bade the rest of the pirates go below and pack up their belongings.
"Have all your bags ready to lower into the boats by the time I return," he concluded. "I mean to tow the whaler a mile or so to leeward, so that she will not be able to give assistance to the prisoners below. Her boats have been stove in, so there is no chance of her putting off to the rescue of these obstinate dogs."
The men hastened to obey. The engineers, mostly Italians, were told off to get ready to open the sea-cocks and sink the cruiser. Cervillo went over the side, entered the waiting boat, and pulled off to the yacht.