he friar and the Governor of San Augustin,
demanding our release on the ground that as peace was now subsisting
between the crowns of England and of Spain, and no act of hostility had
been committed by us, our capture was unwarrantable. But Padre Ignacio,
with his plausible tongue, had beguiled them ashore into his power.

"The man is a very devil for fair words and smooth deceits," declared
Mr. Collins. "In spite of all the warnings we had received, some of us
landed without first demanding hostages of the Indians; and when we
would have departed two of us were forcibly detained on pretence of our
lacking proper credentials to prove our honesty. In sooth he charged us
with piratical intentions, though we had not so much as cracked a pistol
or inveigled one barbarian aboard. The sloop lingered for three days,
but finally made off, leaving us in the hands of the padre. He
despatched us here in canoes, under a guard of some twenty half-naked
savages, with shaven crowns, who are no more converted Christians than
the fiends in hell!"

I asked, then, for news of my uncle, Dr. Scrivener, and Mr. Collins
assured me that he was most anxious for my safety, and would have come
back with them to demand us of the friar, but he had received a hurt in
the neck during the attack at Santa Catalina and was in no state to
travel, although the wound was healing well--for which God be thanked!

So far, all the prisoners, except Mr. Rivers, have the freedom of the
town; but Captain Baulk declared he would as lief be confined within the
fort.

"There be scarce two honest men--saving ourselves--in all San Augustin,"
he said. "The lodging-house where we sleep is crowded with dirty,
thieving half-breeds, who would as willingly slit a man's throat as a
pig's. Though they hold us as guests against our will, we must e'en pay
our own score; and some fine night--you mark me!--we shall find
ourselves lacking our purses."

"Then the Governor will be at the cost of our entertainment," said Mr.
Collins.

"'Twill be prison fare, sir," grunted the old sailor, "and we'll be
lucky if he doesn't find it cheaper to heave us overboard and be done
with it!"

"Tut! man,--hold your croaking tongue in the poor young lady's
presence," whispered Mr. Collins; but I heard what he said, and bade
him tell us our true case and what real hope there was of our
liberation.

"There is every certainty," he said. "When word reaches their Lordships
in England, they w