Some one whispered, and Hillyard held up his hand for silence.
Thus they sat immobile as figures of wax for the space of ten minutes.
Then Hillyard relaxed from his attention.
"They must have got her plump with the first shot," he said; and, indeed, there was no other explanation for that boom of a solitary cannon across the midnight sea.
Jose Medina laughed.
"So the little Marteen had made his arrangements ?" "What else am I here for ?" retorted the little Marteen, and though he too laughed, a thrill of triumph ran through the laugh.

"It just needed that shot to round all off.

I was so afraid that we should not hear it, that it might never be fired.

Now it will never be known, if your men keep silent, whether they sunk their cargo or were sunk with it on board." The crew once more drove the blades of their oars through the water, and did not slacken till the shore was reached.

They clambered up the rocks to their camp bearing their treasure, and up from the camp again to the spot where Jose's motor-car was hidden.