trees loaded with luscious fruit, to
which we helped ourselves. After a time we turned into a bridle path and
rode some miles through a dense forest. We emerged upon the outskirts of
a coffee plantation, where the slaves were just on their way to dinner,
and another half mile brought us to the planter's residence. Thirty or
forty slaves of both sexes and all ages were grouped upon the grass,
engaged in eating a black-looking stew out of metal dishes, their
fingers serving for knives, forks and spoons. Seeing three horsemen ride
out of the forest, they stared in stupid wonder, until one more
intelligent than the others went in search of the overseer. Presently a
white man appeared, and, in response to Mac's "Parlate Italiano," came
the smiling answer, "Si, Signor," proving, as we wagered he would be, a
native of beggarly, sunny Italy.

The overseer showed us over the place, and explained all the processes
of preparing coffee for the market. In one corner of a large, unpainted
building was what he called the infirmary, and a comfortless looking
place it was. He said there was no doctor employed, and that he dealt
out medicine to the slaves himself. After being served with coffee we
thanked him for our entertainment and returned to Rio by an evening
train.

The mail steamer Ebro was advertised to leave Rio for Liverpool on
Wednesday of the week following the exciting events narrated in the last
chapter. This was the mail that would carry the draft for L10,000 on the
London and Westminster Bank, along with a letter from the Rio bank,
stating that they had cashed Mr. Gregory Morrison's draft upon the
letter issued by them.

Twenty-two or three days after the steamer left Rio the London bank
would know their correspondents in Rio had been victimized, but 8,000
miles of blue water was between them, with no way to bridge it but by
steam; so we had at least forty-four days more to gather in our harvest.
I ought to say, apparently forty-four more days, for by an amazing
blunder we were about to bring a storm upon our heads.

The steamer we purposed to load our money on and ourselves, too, was the
Chimborazo, advertised to arrive on Tuesday and to leave for the River
Plate and the west coast the next day. So it was agreed that on Monday
Mac should go to the bank and arrange to cash his letters for twenty or
thirty thousand pounds, and go the next day for the money. As soon as
Mac came from the bank and announced that all was w