enabled him eventually to wriggle his sheath-knife out of his
breast pocket, and he found no great difficulty then in freeing himself
from his bonds.

He stood now with his knife in his hand and listened.

Before long he heard the American's voice, with the police, and they
appeared to be searching. He shouted to them; and the next moment he was
released.

"He is one of our crew--belongs to the Stars and Stripes," said the
American, arresting Salve, who, as long as he got out of this accursed
town now, did not care in what capacity it might be, and offered no
opposition.

"You have not improved your beauty, my lad," said his rescuer,
derisively, as he held up the light to his face.

"I should like to have one word with the tavern-keeper before I go,"
said Salve.

"And that is what we have not the slightest inclination for," said the
American--who, it now appeared, was boatswain on board--in a dry tone of
authority. "We are not going larking with the police. Besides, having
once recovered that trifle of wages, I don't mean to risk losing it
again."

The Yankees made a close ring round their prisoner, and there was
nothing for it but to follow as he was directed. A look, however, at the
boatswain gave him to understand that that question of the wages would
be settled between them when they got on board.

CHAPTER XVI.

The Stars and Stripes lay in the roads with the Union flag at her gaff.
She was a long, black, and, at the water-line, well-shaped vessel, with
a crew of thirty-two men; and Salve was so taken with her appearance
that as they came alongside he silently congratulated himself on his
luck in getting a berth in her. They were so obliging, moreover, as to
give him a berth to himself in a separate cabin below. But, to his
intense indignation, no sooner had he entered it than the door was
latched on the outside, and when he tried to kick it open, it was
signified to him that during the short time they had still to be at Rio,
he was to remain in confinement, that they might be sure of him. The
heat was intolerable down there; and to add to that, there was incessant
crying and groaning going on in the hold beside him, as if it were full
of sick people. It was the vilest treatment he had ever been subjected
to.

The work of taking in the cargo went on uninterruptedly the whole night,
as if they were in a particular hurry to get out of the harbour, and
about noon the anchor was weighed while the c