who was really ready to swallow any fresh
marvel, so many had he seen already.

"Why, how else would those two bronze statues dare to go to sea in such
a cockleshell, eh? Have I given you the dor now, master courtier!"

"I am long past dors, Will. But what noble creatures they are! and how
fearlessly they are coming alongside! Can they know that we are English,
and the avengers of the Indians?"

"I suspect they just take us for Spaniards, and want to sell their
cocoa-nuts. See, the canoe is laden with vegetables."

"Hail them, Yeo!" said Amyas. "You talk the best Spanish, and I want
speech of one of them."

Yeo did so; the canoe, without more ado, ran alongside, and lowered her
felucca sail, while a splendid Indian scrambled on board like a cat.

He was full six feet high, and as bold and graceful of bearing as Frank
or Amyas's self. He looked round for the first moment smilingly, showing
his white teeth; but the next, his countenance changed; and springing to
the side, he shouted to his comrade in Spanish--

"Treachery! No Spaniard," and would have leaped overboard, but a dozen
strong fellows caught him ere he could do so.

It required some trouble to master him, so strong was he, and so
slippery his naked limbs; Amyas, meanwhile, alternately entreated the
men not to hurt the Indian, and the Indian to be quiet, and no harm
should happen to him; and so, after five minutes' confusion, the
stranger gave in sulkily.

"Don't bind him. Let him loose, and make a ring round him. Now, my man,
there's a dollar for you."

The Indian's eyes glistened, and he took the coin.

"All I want of you is, first, to tell me what ships are in La Guayra,
and next, to go thither on board of me, and show me which is the
governor's house, and which the custom-house."

The Indian laid the coin down on the deck, and crossing himself, looked
Amyas in the face.

"No, senor! I am a freeman and a cavalier, a Christian Guayqueria,
whose forefathers, first of all the Indians, swore fealty to the King of
Spain, and whom he calls to this day in all his proclamations his most
faithful, loyal, and noble Guayquerias. God forbid, therefore, that I
should tell aught to his enemies, who are my enemies likewise."

A growl arose from those of the men who understood him; and more than
one hinted that a cord twined round the head, or a match put between the
fingers, would speedily extract the required information.

"God forbid!" said Amyas; "a br