I walked to the edge of the wharf and looked over.  The two gigs and the cutter of the _Barracouta_ were lying alongside each other at a flight of steps about half a dozen fathoms away, the only other boat which I could see afloat lying just astern of them.  But there were several boats hauled-up high and dry on the wharf, and these would need thinking about with reference to the scheme that I had in my mind.  Slipping down the landing steps, I cast adrift three out of the four boats, and re- moored them in a string, one to the stern of another, so that by manning the leading boat, we could tow the others after us.  Then I returned to the capstan-house and proceeded to look for a carpenter's maul, which I quickly found.  I was now ready for what I fondly hoped would prove to be the last act in our little drama, and was about to give the word to march, when Fonseca, who appeared to have been speaking to Jose, stayed me.