of the nature of a vessel of war, or of the impropriety of unprotected females placing themselves on board of one; but gentlemen of character, like the officers of the ship in sight, could hardly be wanting in the feelings of their caste; and anything was better than to return voluntarily within the power of Spike.  She determined within her own mind that voluntarily she would not.  We shall leave this young girl, slowly wandering along the beach of her islet, musing on matters like these, while we return to the vessels and the mariners.

A good breeze had come in over the reef from the Gulf, throwing the sloop-of-war dead to leeward of the brigantine’s anchorage.  This was the reason that the former had closed so slowly.  Still the distance between the vessels was so small, that a swift cruiser, like the ship of war, would soon have been alongside of the wreckers, but for the intervening islets and the intricacies of their channels.  She had made sail on the wind, however, and was evidently disposed to come as near to the danger as her lead showed would be safe, even if she did not venture among them.

Spike noted all these movements, and he took his measures accordingly.  The pumping and bailing had been going on since the appearance of light, and the flour had been quite half removed from the schooner’s hold.  That vessel consequently floated with sufficient buoyancy, and no further anxiety was felt on account of her sinking.  Still, a great deal of water remained in her, the cabin itself being nearly half full.  Spike’s object was to reduce this water sufficiently to enable him to descend into the state-room which Senor Montefalderon had occupied, and bring away the doubloons that alone kept him in the vicinity of so ticklish a neighbour as the Poughkeepsie.  Escape was easy enough to one who knew the passages of the reef and islets; more especially since the wind had so fortunately brought the cruiser to leeward.  Spike most apprehended a movement upon him in the boats, and he had almost made up his mind, should such an enterprise be attempted, to try his hand in beating it off with his guns.  A good deal of uncertainty on the subject of Mulford’s consenting to resist the recognised authorities of the country, as well as some doubts of a similar nature in reference to two or three of the best of the foremast hands, alone left him at all in doubt as to the expediency of such a course.  As no boats were lowered from the cruiser, however, the necessity of resorting to so desperate a measure, did not occur, and the duty of lightening the schooner had proceeded without interruption.  As soon as the boatswain came off from the islet, he and the men with him were directed to take the hands and lift the anchors, of which it will be remembered the Swash had several down.  Even Mulford was shortly after set at work on the same duty; and these expert and ready seamen soon had the brig clear of the ground.  As the schooner was anchored, and floated without assistance, the Swash rode by her.