nd then gently but firmly withdrew myself from her
embraces, to meet the glance of Dona Antonia, who stood in the doorway
of the state-room, looking on with a curiously mingled expression of
fear, doubt, and amusement.

A few words sufficed to fully explain to her the state of affairs, and
then hastily enveloping her and old Dolores in the first wraps that came
to hand, I conveyed them with all speed on board the _Virginia_ and
presented them to Don Manuel.

My story is now ended, or nearly so; my adventures on the Congo and the
west coast terminating with the capture of the _Black Venus_; a few
additional words, therefore, will suffice to fittingly dismiss the
principal personages who have figured in this history, and to bring the
history itself to a symmetrical conclusion.

We returned with our prize to Banana Creek, on the morning following the
action, and there remained for a couple of days to bury the dead, and to
refit. Don Manuel embraced this opportunity to make a flying visit to
his house, from which he returned after an absence of a few hours only,
bringing with him a small but solidly constructed and extremely heavy
oak chest, which he explained to me in confidence contained his
daughter's dowry, and which eventually proved to be the receptacle of a
goodly store of Spanish dollars.

From Banana Creek the two brigs proceeded in company to Sierra Leone,
where the _Black Venus_ was soon afterwards adjudicated upon and
condemned as a pirate, my evidence and that of the other six survivors
from the _Daphne_ being accepted as conclusive of the fact that she had
been guilty of at least _one_ act of piracy; namely, in the case of the
_Highland Chieftain_. Her crew were committed to prison upon heavy
sentences, meted out in proportion to the comparative guilt of the
parties; but additional evidence shortly afterwards cropping up--that of
poor Richards of the _Juliet_ amongst it--additional charges were
preferred against them; and Madera, who proved to be the half-brother of
the fictitious Monsieur Le Breton, late of the _Virginia_, with his
officers and several of his men, suffered the penalty of death by
hanging.

Smellie's wound proving unexpectedly troublesome, he was ordered home
that he might have the benefit of a more temperate climate to assist his
recovery, and he accordingly took passage for London in a tidy little
barque, the _Lilian_, Don Manuel and his daughter, with old Dolores, all
of whom had go