said he, "and leave the
rest to me." A shipwrecked crew was being taken home in the steamer,
and these, together with her own crew, made the number look
formidable, and although they were never requested to give assistance,
they offered it in case of need. Undoubtedly the addition to the
ordinary crew had a moral effect upon the Spaniards.

The craft came alongside, and her crew jumped aboard and commenced to
handle the bales. They were peremptorily stopped by the captain
giving instructions that not a single bale was to be allowed to pass
into the lighters until the freight was paid and he had given orders.
Soon there was a carnival of foes. The captain called to the
interpreter to bring the man with the money to the saloon. The
interpreter came but not the man. The former said the money was coming
on the second lighter, but the one alongside must be loaded and sent
away first.

"No, no!" interposed the captain; "no money, no bales." He would wait
until the second lighter came, which could easily be placed alongside
astern of the first one. In a short time number two came, and was
moored as directed. A large number of men jumped aboard from both
craft. The captain again called out to bring the man with the money,
and again no one turned up but the interpreter. This time he was
defiant. He put his back against the saloon side, folded his arms and
began--

"Capitan, you see the number of people aboard your vessel. They can
take her from you, if they so wish it. I tell you frankly we have no
money; but, by God! we must and shall have the tobacco."

The captain had been reared amidst a race of men who had imbued him
with the importance of hitting decisively and with promptness, when
confronted with situations which demanded physical action. In an
instant he had hold of the scoundrel, who, he was convinced now, was
the leader of a plot to take the cargo by force. Under peremptory
compulsion, the Levantine was rushed on deck, informed that he had
miscalculated with whom he had to deal, and that any one who attempted
to carry out his threat would be fired upon.

"I give you fair warning there shall be no half measures, and I
command you to inform your friends what I have said; and also state to
them that as soon as I have been paid my freight, they will not only
be allowed to have the cargo, but I will instruct my crew to assist in
the transhipment."

It never will be known now what this plant of grace intimated
prec