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Updated: May 2, 2025
For this circumstance Jim thanked his lucky stars, for there was the less likelihood of any men being on watch; while the noise they were making would prevent them from hearing, as a careful listener might have done, the throbbing of the Janequeo's engines and the churning of her propeller.
The Union was the next craft in line; she was a gunboat, and had already shewn herself capable of stinging pretty severely, but he promised himself to attend to her on the return journey, and pushed on still farther up the harbour. The ships were apparently all lying on the Janequeo's port side, so it became necessary to shift the bombs over.
She was gliding through the water at a speed of about five knots when, suddenly, there was a slight grating sound, the Janequeo's bows lifted out of the water, and the boat came to a dead stop, with her screw still slowly churning up the water astern.
Then a number of seamen took their places on the accommodation-ladder, one on every step, from the top to the bottom, and a group of Chilians likewise formed up on the Janequeo's deck. Then a man made his appearance at the Blanco's gangway, carrying something heavy, which he handled with quite exceptional care.
He could hear no sounds aboard the Peruvian warships; and there was no sign of any patrol launches being about. Having, therefore, taken all the precautions in his power, he started his engines once more and went ahead, dead slow, turning to starboard until the Janequeo's bows pointed straight for the harbour entrance.
"Now, men," he whispered excitedly to his delighted crew, "we will run down and attend to the only other ship of theirs which is of any use the Union. Hard over with your helm, quartermaster, and we will get down the harbour again." The wheel spun round in Pedro's sinewy grasp, and the Janequeo's nose was presently pointing down the harbour.
The flash of the great gun, fired at such close quarters, nearly blinded the Janequeo's crew, while they were dazed by the hurtling roar of the shell as it sped past, a few feet only above their heads.
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