Nat immediately let go Etta in sheer astonishment, whilst Simon seized hold of the foremost man and asked him roughly what was the matter. ’I’faith, Captain, you may well ask; there’s not a minute to spare. There’s a great man-of-war flying the English colours bearing down on us and on the two ships in the bay, which have but some half-dozen men in them.’ ’Where’s the powder?’ cried another; ’the look-out man must have deserted. Gramercy! let’s get out of this gruesome hole, for the walls have never been rebuilt, and we handful of men can’t hold it.’ ’Then we’ll put you idle fellows to stop the breach,’ cried Simon, angrily. ’Here, Nat, haste and warn the rest of the garrison. We must get down to the beach and prevent their landing. The forts are useless, and that coxcomb Morgan dropped the guns into the sea before he left.’ In another moment all was confusion, and the men had scattered hither and thither. Etta had suddenly recovered her presence of mind as soon as her great pain had ceased; in a moment she understood the situation. She now ran as quickly as she could up another passage towards the sitting-room. On the way she met the two guards, who, having just heard the news, were running helter-skelter over each other to get down to the courtyard and join their companions. ’There’s a man-o’-war bearing down on us! Marry! there’ll not be a man Jack of us left alive!’ Etta found that the confusion had spread everywhere; for as she rushed into the dwelling-room no one prevented her. ’Catalina! Felipa! free me; prithee cut this dreadful rope. There’s an English man-of-war in sight; and if only it will put in we are saved.’ ’My poor child!’ said Doña Elena, with tears in her eyes; for, the rope being cut, the deep red gashes round Etta’s wrists told plainly what she had suffered. But Etta was now too much excited to feel any pain. She knew that immediate action was necessary; if only she could find Andreas perhaps he would put off to the ship in his canoe. But where was he? She went to the balcony, as no one was guarding it now, and whistled the Indian’s tune; but there was no answer. Catalina and Doña Elena, on their side, went to the window that commanded the bay; and there, sure enough, could be seen the big man-of-war slowly approaching, and so great was the panic among the pirates, who were only expecting Captain Morgan, that there was a furious rush for the boats; believing, as they did, that the Marquis was on board, and that on his landing not one of them would be spared. In the meanwhile Santa Teresa was almost deserted, except by the slaves; and to one of these Etta addressed herself as to where she could find Andreas, and was led to the black-hole, where the poor fellow lay only just conscious. ’Andreas! dear Andreas!’ sobbed Etta. ’Those cruel men--what have they done to you? But we are saved now. Catalina shall come and nurse you. Say you are not suffering! Lack-a-day!’