"All your property has been placed in the boat I have ordered to be got ready, to convey you ashore. You will, therefore, lose nothing that belongs to you personally; if war has terrible claims, I have tried, as far as lay in my power, to spare you its bitterest conditions. If nothing retains you here, be kind enough to get ready to land." "Would it be indiscreet, Captain, to ask you whither you have given orders to have us taken?" Commandant Rodriguez asked. "Not at all, Commandant," the Captain replied; "you are about to be taken to the Port of the Point, whose walls will serve as your prison, until fresh orders." "What!" the old sailor exclaimed in astonishment; "The Fort of the Point?" "Yes," the Captain answered with a smile; "the fort which some of my friends seized, while I had the honour of boarding your fine corvette, Commandant." The Captain could have gone on talking thus for some time: the old officer, confounded by what he had just heard, was incapable of connecting two ideas. At length, he let his head fall wearily on his chest, and making his officers a sign to follow him, went on deck. A boat, with a crew of ten men, was balancing at the starboard accommodation ladder, which the Commandant, still silent, entered, and his staff followed his example. "Push off!" El Alferez ordered, who was holding the yoke lines. The boat started and speedily disappeared. For some minutes the cadenced sound of the oars dipping in the water could be heard, and then all became silent again. The Captain had watched the departure of his prisoners; when the boat had disappeared in the gloom, he gave Master Lovel orders to weigh and stand out to sea, and then returned to his cabin, where a man was waiting for him. It was Tranquil, the old Tigrero. "Well!" the hunter asked. "They have gone, thank Heaven!" the Captain said, as he sat down. "Then we are at liberty?" "Quite." "When shall we land?" "This night; but is your information positive?" "I believe so." "Well, we shall soon know how matters stand." "May Heaven grant that we succeed!" "Let us hope it. Do you think the coast is guarded?" "I fear it, for your vessel must have been signalled all along the shore." "Do you know whether the Mexicans have other ships observing the ports, in addition to the corvette we have captured?" "I think they have three more, but smaller than the _Libertad_." "Hang it all! We must act prudently, then; however, whatever may happen, I will not desert so old a friend as yourself when unfortunate. We have still three hours before us, so try and sleep a little, for we shall have a tough job." Tranquil smiled at this recommendation; but to please his friend, who had already laid himself down in his bunk, in the position of a man preparing to sleep, he wrapped himself in his zarapé, leant back in his chair, and closed his eyes.