A short time longer he sat, and then rising, spoke aloud. “I cannot reform yet; one more voyage I must make—one more voyage in the slave-trade. I will use the old Spaniard’s money to buy a new cargo, sell it, and repay his doubloons; and with the capital remaining I will begin a new and honorable career, and win, spite of all opposition, the hand of Francisca.” CHAPTER VIII. Strange words, my lord, and most unmerited! I am no spy, and neither are we traitors. Byron. On the following morning the sentinel on the forecastle of the Scorpion was the first one who discovered the disappearance of the captured slaver. Looking in the direction the schooner had been the evening before, he missed her. As it was hardly light, he thought the fog must have hidden the vessel; but it cleared away, and still nothing was to be seen of her. Rubbing his eyes, to be sure he was awake, he took a long and careful survey of the harbor, but without finding any traces of the object of his search, and hastening to the officer of the deck, he reported the news of the Maraposa’s departure. The officer of the deck, equally astonished, hastened to let the first lieutenant know of the strange event; for they were all concerned in the loss of the schooner, as the price she would have sold for was to be divided amongst the brig’s crew as prize money. He had a boat called away, and getting into it, was rowed over to the castle, to see if he could hear any thing of the missing vessel there; but instead of getting information, found the whole garrison in a state of excitement at the unaccountable events of the night—Willis and the turnkey having just been missed. As soon as the lieutenant of the brig learned of Willis’s escape, he very readily and truly conjectured the whereabouts of the schooner; and knowing it would be useless to seek her in the harbor, went ashore to inform his captain that Willis and the Maraposa had both again escaped, and were probably on their way back to the coast. This intelligence, like that of the trial, affected the members of Don Manuel’s family differently. De Vere was very angry, and would have gone to sea at once, and chased Willis to Africa; but Clara made him promise he would not go more than fifty or sixty miles; and if he did not meet him, then to return, as it was not to be very long ere their nuptial day. De Vere agreed to gratify his lady love; and after taking a short cruise, returned without having seen any thing of the Maraposa.