Spike did not answer in words, but he leered upon his companion, and he winked.

“You mean to be understood that you are in intelligence with each other, I suppose, Don Esteban,” returned the Senor Montefalderon, who did not like the captain’s manner, and was willing to drop the discourse.

Spike then informed his companion, in confidence, that he and Rose were affianced, though without the aunt’s knowledge,—­that he intended to marry the niece the moment he reached a Mexican port with the brig, and that it was their joint intention to settle in the country.  He added that the affair required management, as his intended had property, and expected more, and he begged Don Juan to aid him, as things drew near to a crisis.  The Mexican evaded an answer, and the discourse dropped.

The moon was now shining, and would continue to throw its pale light over the scene for two or three hours longer.  Spike profited by the circumstance to continue the work of lightening the schooner.  One of the first things done next was to get up the dead, and to remove them to the boat.  This melancholy office occupied an hour, the bodies being landed on the islet, near the powder, and there interred in the sands.  Don Juan Montefalderon attended on this occasion, and repeated some prayers over the graves, as he had done in the morning, in the cases of the two who had been buried near the light-house.

While this melancholy duty was in the course of performance, that of pumping and bailing was continued, under the immediate personal superintendence of Mulford.  It would not be easy to define, with perfect clearness, the conflicting feelings by which the mate of the Swash was now impelled.  He had no longer any doubt on the subject of Spike’s treason, and had it not been for Rose, he would not have hesitated a moment about making off in the light-house boat for Key West, in order to report all that had passed to the authorities.  But not only Rose was there, and to be cared for, but what was far more difficult to get along with, her aunt was with her.  It is true, Mrs. Budd was no longer Spike’s dupe; but under any circumstances she was a difficult subject to manage, and most especially so in all matters that related to the sea.  Then the young man submitted, more or less, to the strange influence which a fine craft almost invariably obtains over those that belong to her.  He did not like the idea of deserting the Swash, at the very moment he would not have hesitated about punishing her owner for his many misdeeds.  In a word, Harry was too much of a tar not to feel a deep reluctance to turn against his cruise, or his voyage, however much either might be condemned by his judgment, or even by his principles.

It was quite nine o’clock when the Senor Montefalderon and Spike returned from burying the dead.  No sooner did the last put his foot on the deck of his own vessel, than he felt the fall of one of the purchases which had been employed in raising the schooner.  It was so far slack as to satisfy him that the latter now floated by her own buoyancy, though it might be well to let all stand until morning, for the purposes of security.  Thus apprised of the condition of the two vessels, he gave the welcome order to “knock off for the night.”