s, and then I ran down
to see what was the matter. It was no use thinking of any resistance.
Nothing we two could say availed with the officer, so I volunteered to
go up with a couple of soldiers and fetch down old Viola. He was sitting
at the foot of the bed, looking at his wife's face, and did not seem to
hear what I said; but after I had pulled the sheet over her head, he got
up and followed us downstairs quietly, in a sort of thoughtful way.
They marched us off along the road, leaving the door open and the candle
burning. The chief engineer strode on without a word, but I looked back
once or twice at the feeble gleam. After we had gone some considerable
distance, the Garibaldino, who was walking by my side, suddenly said, 'I
have buried many men on battlefields on this continent. The priests talk
of consecrated ground! Bah! All the earth made by God is holy; but
the sea, which knows nothing of kings and priests and tyrants, is
the holiest of all. Doctor! I should like to bury her in the sea. No
mummeries, candles, incense, no holy water mumbled over by priests. The
spirit of liberty is upon the waters.' . . . Amazing old man. He was
saying all this in an undertone as if talking to himself."

"Yes, yes," interrupted Captain Mitchell, impatiently. "Poor old chap!
But have you any idea how that ruffian Sotillo obtained his information?
He did not get hold of any of our Cargadores who helped with the truck,
did he? But no, it is impossible! These were picked men we've had in
our boats for these five years, and I paid them myself specially for the
job, with instructions to keep out of the way for twenty-four hours at
least. I saw them with my own eyes march on with the Italians to the
railway yards. The chief promised to give them rations as long as they
wanted to remain there."

"Well," said the doctor, slowly, "I can tell you that you may
say good-bye for ever to your best lighter, and to the Capataz of
Cargadores."

At this, Captain Mitchell scrambled up to his feet in the excess of
his excitement. The doctor, without giving him time to exclaim, stated
briefly the part played by Hirsch during the night.

Captain Mitchell was overcome. "Drowned!" he muttered, in a bewildered
and appalled whisper. "Drowned!" Afterwards he kept still, apparently
listening, but too absorbed in the news of the catastrophe to follow the
doctor's narrative with attention.

The doctor had taken up an attitude of perfect ignorance, till a