“What shall I do?” Phil asked himself. “I wish Captain Taylor were here; this situation is too deep for me to solve.” Then he thought with anxiety of the wounded man, an evidence of their expedition which could not be concealed. He was glad when Sydney, who had been attending the sailor, stood beside him on the captured launch. He tersely explained to him his discovery. “We must not set them free,” Sydney exclaimed immediately. “We have gone too far for that. You are confident that these same boxes ten hours ago were marked for our minister, and when we captured them they were nearly in the hands of the insurgents. There isn’t a doubt but that the boxes contain arms.” Picking up a hatchet lying on the deck of the launch, Phil with a few swift strokes bared the contents of the nearest box. Both lads peered in anxiously. “Colt automatic guns,” cried Phil, triumphantly. “Why, this shipment is worth more to the insurgents than ten thousand rifles. The side which has these guns will win the fight. There must be several batteries of them packed in these cases.” No longer in doubt, Phil ordered O’Neil to tow the launch back to the harbor of La Boca. They had been on the return but a short time, when O’Neil’s voice disturbed the lads deep in their own thoughts. “There is a launch heading this way, sir,” he reported; “it looks like one of our steamers.” Phil was on his feet instantly peering through the darkness ahead. “Ahoy, there,” from the approaching launch; “what launch is that?” “The ‘Vidette,’ sir,” Phil answered, greatly relieved. He recognized Captain Taylor’s voice and ordered O’Neil to stop and “lay to.” “Are you all right?” the captain hailed anxiously. Phil hesitated an instant, then he thought explanations could be made when he came on board. “Yes, sir,” he answered. The steamer sheered up alongside the “Vidette” and the captain stepped on board. “What have you done?” he inquired in alarm as he saw for the first time the launch in tow. “I felt uneasy after you had gone and followed you in one of the ship’s steamers. I heard the firing a few minutes ago and then sighted you coming back. What does it mean?” He stopped breathlessly in amazement. Phil was the first to speak. He quietly and laconically outlined the incident from the beginning, leaving out all that in any way concerned Lazar. “And now, sir,” he said in conclusion, “I am no longer in command. I am ready to receive your orders, sir.” Both lads saluted, and O’Neil seeing that something was going forward raised his hand also to his cap. “Bless me!” cried the captain, glancing at his piratical crew in the glimmer of the swinging lantern. They did look desperate; each of the three was plentifully sprinkled with the blood of the wounded man and Phil was bared to the waist, his shirt having gone to make a first-aid bandage. “What puzzled us,” began Phil, “is how we are going to dispose of these arms. Of course, we must set the launch free to-night.”