ho at the instant made a pass at me. I warded the thrust as
well as I could, but did not avoid getting nicely pricked in the left
shoulder; but, before my antagonist could recover himself, I gave him
such a wipe with my cane on his sword-arm that his wrist snapped, and
his sword dropped to the ground. Enraged at the sight of my own blood,
which now covered my clothes in front, I was not satisfied with this,
but applying my foot to his counter, two or three vigorous kicks
sufficed to send him sprawling into the street. Captain Hopkins
arrived just as the fracas was over, and instantly sent for a surgeon,
and in the meantime I received the congratulations of all present on
my victory. I learned that my man was a certain Don Carlos Alvarez, a
broken down hidalgo, who had formerly been the master of a piratical
schooner, at the time when Matanzas was the head-quarters of pirates,
before Commodore Porter in the Enterprise broke up the haunt. When the
surgeon arrived he pronounced my wound very slight, and a slip of
sticking-plaster and my arm in a sling was thought to be all that was
necessary. After Captain Hopkins and myself got on board that night,
he told me a story, the repetition of which may somewhat surprise you,
Frank. Do you remember of ever hearing that a sister of your father
married a Cubanos merchant, some thirty odd years ago?"

"I remember hearing of it when a child," I replied, "and father in his
last letter says that I have a cousin now in the nunnery at Matanzas.
I suppose she is a daughter of that sister."

"You are right," resumed the mate, sighing slightly. "Your grandfather
had only two children. When your father was but a small boy, the whole
family spent the winter in Havana, to recruit your grandmother's
health, while your grandfather collected some debts which were due
him. While there, a young Creole merchant, heavily concerned in the
slave-trade, became deeply enamored with your aunt, and solicited her
hand. The young lady herself was nothing loth, but the elders disliked
and opposed the match; the consequence was an elopement and private
marriage, at which your grandfather was so exceedingly incensed that
he disowned his daughter, and never afterward held any communication
with her. Your aunt had two children, and died some fifteen years ago.
Your father shortly after received this intelligence by means of a
letter from the son, and the correspondence thus begun was continued
in a very friendly