"Well," answered Milsom, "seeing that I have never yet rigged the arrangement, I am not prepared to say, to half an hour or so, just how long it will take. I reckon that, under favourable conditions, it ought to be done in about four hours; but, to make all certain, suppose we call it twelve hours. That ought to suffice and at the same time leave a sufficient margin for any small alterations that may be necessary. You seem just a little bit inclined to sneer at my `wonderful' disguise, Master Jack; but you had better wait until you have seen it before you do that. I venture to remind you that I am a Navy man, and, as such, I know a thing or two about disguising ships: I've had a little experience in that direction during the carrying out of manoeuvres; and I am prepared to make a bet that if you--not knowing anything about the arrangement, mind you--were to pass this vessel, in her disguised condition, within half a mile, you would never recognise her." "All right, Phil, old chap, don't get your back up! I'll take your word for it that the thing is all right," said Jack. "And if I seemed to speak disparagingly of your contrivance, forgive me, old man, will you? I've had a good deal to worry me lately, and I'm afraid that both my nerves and my temper are a bit on edge; but I daresay I shall feel better when we get to sea again and can start to circumvent the Spanish Government, or at least that part of it which is responsible for the misrule and shameful injustice which are rampant in Cuba. Now, I think I understood you to say that you require quiet water to enable you to rig this disguising arrangement, so I propose to go to sea to-morrow-- which will be Thursday--and run down the coast to the eastward in search of a secluded spot in which we can effect our transformation without being interfered with or overlooked by anybody. Now, let us have a look at the chart."