"Gentlemen, you will now get under way," ordered Lieutenant Cantor.
"You will remember each sentence of your instructions!"

Silently, two of the launches stole away into the night, bound
east and west, while the third launch awaited the time to start
shoreward.

On Darrin's launch there was little talking, and that in whispers.
Dave had made a most careful study of the map, and felt certain
that he could give the course straight into the lagoon on which
the Acunda mill stood.

"Coxswain Schmidt," said Ensign Darrin, in a low voice, when still
some four miles away from the proposed place of landing, "when you
are close enough to shore to signal the engineer, you will do so
by hand signal, not by use of the bell. Seaman Berne will watch
for your signals, and convey them to the engineer."

"Very good, sir," replied both coxswain and seaman.

"Probably it won't be my luck to find the American captives at
the Acunda plantation," murmured Darrin.

None the less, when he at last sighted the lagoon, his heart began
to beat excitedly.

Under reduced speed, now, the launch stole into the lagoon. Less
than a quarter of a mile from shore the sugar mill, deserted since
the rebellion first took acute form, stood out dimly against the