ave and loyal man he is, and as such
will I treat him. Tell me, my brave fellow, how do you know us to be his
Catholic majesty's enemies?"

The Indian, with a shrewd smile, pointed to half-a-dozen different
objects, saying to each, "Not Spanish."

"Well, and what of that?"

"None but Spaniards and free Guayquerias have a right to sail these
seas."

Amyas laughed.

"Thou art a right valiant bit of copper. Pick up thy dollar, and go thy
way in peace. Make room for him, men. We can learn what we want without
his help."

The Indian paused, incredulous and astonished. "Overboard with you!"
quoth Amyas. "Don't you know when you are well off?"

"Most illustrious senor," began the Indian, in the drawling sententious
fashion of his race (when they take the trouble to talk at all), "I
have been deceived. I heard that you heretics roasted and ate all true
Catholics (as we Guayquerias are), and that all your padres had tails."

"Plague on you, sirrah!" squeaked Jack Brimblecombe. "Have I a tail?
Look here!"

"Quien sabe? Who knows?" quoth the Indian through his nose.

"How do you know we are heretics?" said Amyas.

"Humph! But in repayment for your kindness, I would warn you,
illustrious senor, not to go on to La Guayra. There are ships of war
there waiting for you; and moreover, the governor Don Guzman sailed to
the eastward only yesterday to look for you; and I wonder much that you
did not meet him."

"To look for us! On the watch for us!" said Cary. "Impossible; lies!
Amyas, this is some trick of the rascal's to frighten us away."

"Don Guzman came out but yesterday to look for us? Are you sure you
spoke truth?"

"As I live, senor, he and another ship, for which I took yours."

Amyas stamped upon the deck: that then was the ship which they had
passed!

"Fool that I was to have been close to my enemy, and let my opportunity
slip! If I had but done my duty, all would have gone right!"

But it was too late to repine; and after all, the Indian's story was
likely enough to be false.

"Off with you!" said he; and the Indian bounded over the side into his
canoe, leaving the whole crew wondering at the stateliness and courtesy
of this bold sea-cavalier.

So Westward-ho they ran, beneath the mighty northern wall, the highest
cliff on earth, some seven thousand feet of rock parted from the sea
by a narrow strip of bright green lowland. Here and there a patch of
sugar-cane, or a knot of cocoa-nut trees, close to t