t
a-throbbing powerfully. I lay out upon the branch to catch what might
follow, when smash went the frail timber, and, with a cry of terror,
down I rolled behind them. In a second every one was on his legs, while
a cry of "The jaguars! the jaguars!" resounded on all sides. The sudden
shock over, their discipline seemed perfect; for the whole party had
at once betaken themselves to their arms, and stood in a hollow square,
prepared to receive any attack. Meanwhile, the smoke and the falling
rubbish effectually shut me out from view. As these cleared away, they
caught sight of me, and truly never was a formidable file of musketry
directed upon a more pitiable object. Such seemed their own conviction;
for after a second or two passed in steady contemplation of me, the
whole group burst out into a roar of savage laughter. "What is't?"
"It's not human!" being the exclamations which, in more than one strange
tongue, were uttered.

Unable to speak, in part from terror, in part from shock, I sat up on
my knees, and, gesticulating with my hands, implored their mercy, and
bespoke my own defencelessness. I conclude that I made a very sorry
exhibition, for again the laughter burst forth in louder tones than
before, when one, taking a brand of the burning firewood, came nearer
to examine me. He threw down his torch, and, springing backward with
horror, screamed out, a "lepero!" a "lepero!" In a moment every musket
was again raised to the shoulder, and directed towards me.

"I'm not a lepero--never was!" cried I, in Spanish. "I'm a poor
Englishman who has made his escape from the Lazaretto." I could not
utter more, but fell powerless to the earth.

"I know him; we were messmates," cried a gruff voice. "Halt! avast
there! don't fire! I say, my lad, crawl over to leeward of the fire.
There, that will do. Dash a bucket of water over him, Perez."

Perez obeyed with a vengeance, for I was soaked to the skin, and at
the same time exposed to the scorching glare of the great fire, where I
steamed away like a swamp at sundown.

"A'n't you Cregan, I say?" cried the same English voice which spoke
before; "a'n't you little Con, as we used to call you?"

"Yes," said I, overjoyed by the recognition, without knowing by whom it
was made, "I am the little Con you speak of."

"Ah, I remembered your voice the moment I heard it," said he. "Don't you
remember me?"

"Caramba!" broke in a savage-looking Spaniard; "we 're not going to
catch a lepr