Those on board the schooner looked on in surprise, unable to guess his meaning.
"There are two English cruisers, one coming round each end of the island!" he shouted as he approached the schooner.

"Get out again if you can, otherwise they must catch us all in here!" The captain in the schooner at once saw the emergency, and roared out orders.

The boats were all lowered at once, and the men tumbled on board.

Hawsers were lowered from the bows, and they began at once to tow her head round, for there was not a breath of wind in the land-locked harbor.
"How much time have we got ?" the captain asked as the schooner's head came slowly round.
"I don't know," the other captain replied.

"It's a question of minutes, anyhow.