"Yes," said Carlos, "and I shall not only rejoice to see her again, but to know that you are once more on the spot to look after her. In her last letter to me, received at Key West, she mentioned that Don Sebastian Alvaros has been a most persistent visitor to the house ever since we left Cuba, and I have my doubts of that man. I did not mention the matter to you when I received the letter, as I did not wish to make you feel uneasy; but now that we may hope to be at home to-night I think it only right that you should know." "Ah!" remarked Don Hermoso; "I will see that Don Sebastian's visits are discouraged henceforth. It is true that I know nothing against him-- indeed, he is spoken of as a very promising officer--still, like yourself, Carlos, I do not altogether trust him; he is not precisely a desirable acquaintance, and I will endeavour to make him understand that he is not wanted at the hacienda." At this moment the _Thetis_ passed Cape Frances and opened out into the Bay of Cortes. "There is our destination, gentlemen," said Milsom, pointing to a projecting bluff some eight or nine miles up the coast. "That bluff is Piedras Point; and beyond it is the Laguna de Cortes--or the Pirates' Lagoon as some people call it. And here we are at the edge of the Bank; from this point onward I intend to proceed very cautiously indeed." So saying, he laid his hand upon the handle of the engine-room telegraph and rang down for "Half speed", calling down the voice tube a moment later for the engines to be run dead slow. And as the yacht slowed up she passed from the dark blue of the deep water to the pale, whitish blue of the shallow water that covers the immense coral reef known locally as The Bank. "Mr Perkins," shouted Milsom, "I must have a man as lookout at the foremast-head, if you please. You had better bend a boatswain's chair on to the gaff-topsail halyards, and send him up in that, as I shall require him to stay there until we are safely at anchor. And when you have done that, rouse your cable on deck, and see everything ready for letting go. Jack, I can spare eyes for nothing but the ship just now, so oblige me, will you, by taking the glasses, and say whether you can see anything in the shape of a boat coming toward us with a flag flying. And, between whiles, you may just look carefully along the coast to see if you can spot a guarda-costa hovering about. We don't want to be caught napping in the act of landing this stuff."