"And what is the name of this craft of yours?" he asked, when they were
given to him.
"The _Black Swan_," was the answer.
"Well now, I shouldn't be surprised if you called her the _Caterina_,
you would be somewhere nearer the truth."
The captain started, but made no reply.
"Come, I am to take you on board our brig," continued Needham, making a
sign to the captain to get into the boat.
Jack, as soon as he could possibly be spared off the deck, went below to
ascertain how Don Lopez and his companions had made their escape from
the cabin. It was very evident that they had broken open the door, that
the sentry had been surprised and overpowered before he could use his
musket. Instead of murdering him, which it was a wonder they had not
done, they had gagged and put him into the irons from which they had
released one of their companions. He still sat in a corner of the
gunroom, looking very much alarmed, and not a little ashamed of himself.
In a short time the schooner and corvette, brought up by the freshening
breeze, were close to, and Murray at once came on board the
_Supplejack_.
"I heartily congratulate you on having captured the brig before I came
up," he exclaimed, as he and Jack shook hands; "I should have been sorry
to have deprived you of the honour which is your due."
"Thank you," answered Jack; "but I suspect that we should not have found
it so easy a matter to capture her, had you not made your appearance in
the nick of time. We were hard pressed I can assure you, for the Dons
fought well, and it was all we could do to drive them back when they
attempted to board us; besides which, our prisoners broke loose, and
would have given us a good deal of trouble, before we had knocked them
on the head. But how came you to arrive so opportunely?"
"I was sent by the admiral in quest of you, to direct you to return to
Port Royal, from whence we are to sail immediately in company for
Trinidad. We are not likely to remain there long, and are afterwards,
the admiral tells me, not a usual proceeding, to be placed under the
orders of the admiral on the South American station."
"For your sake I am sorry that you are to leave the West Indies, though
I shall not be sorry to visit fresh scenes, and get a little cooling
after a two years broiling in these seas," said Jack; "but how did you
leave your friends at Saint David's?"