For the first time since he obtained possession of the prizes, he had an opportunity to look them over, and collect his thoughts.

From the very beginning of the enterprise he had been extremely anxious in regard to the result.
His orders had been to obtain all the information he could in regard to the position of the vessels that were reported to be at this port, and to do anything the circumstances would permit without incurring too much risk.

The adventure had been full of surprises from first to last.
Something new and sometimes something strange had been continually exposed to him, and it looked to him just as though all the preparations to accomplish the result he had achieved had been made for his coming.
Before the boats went around into the bay, he had been satisfied with the finding and carrying off of the twelve-pounders.

He had hardly expected to do anything more, and he knew that Captain Blowitt would be amused as well as pleased at this rather singular feat.

The removal of the four field pieces had rendered the capture of the schooners possible and even easy, as it would not have been if the order of Captain Rowly to drag them over to the wharf could have been carried out.
The taking of the Havana had been rather a side incident, hardly connected with the rest of the affair.