and express your regrets that you cannot accommodate him."

During this time the baggage was being placed in the carriage, and as
soon as Mac had dismissed his "passenger," who for some reason did not
show himself, we started rapidly for the station. On the way I requested
him to avoid making any new friends until he should find himself well
out at sea. I said:

"It might be fatal to attract the attention of any one, or to let any
one see you leave the train. Of course, this new acquaintance of yours
is only a countryman, but it is not possible to foresee what disaster
the least mistake or want of caution might originate. These cars are on
the English system, divided into compartments. You must go into the
station, stand near the ticket office until your new acquaintance comes,
then observe if he buys a first-class; if so, you take a second, and
vice versa. Pay no attention to him, and let him see you get into your
compartment, but keep an eye on his movements. In case he comes to get
in where you are, despite the different class of the tickets, tell him
the compartment is engaged. Everything depends on how you carry yourself
through the next twenty minutes. A single false step, a word too little
or too much, will surely prove fatal to all, for if anything happens to
you, we remain in Brazil."

In accordance with our pre-arranged plan, I stopped the carriage
opposite the station, it being still dark. Mac alighted, went straight
inside, and in a few minutes saw his "passenger" come puffing in, nearly
out of breath. Unquestionably supposing Mac's baggage to be already on
the train, he purchased a ticket, and after seeing his intended victim
enter a compartment, got into another himself just as the train began to
move. This was the vital moment for which Mac had been waiting, and,
quickly opening the door on the opposite side, he stepped off on that
side, hastily crossed to the other platform of the dimly lighted
station, and made his way unnoticed into the street. While this was
passing, I sat in the carriage, and it was not many minutes before I had
the satisfaction of seeing Mac coming back. But for the benefit of the
driver we then had a dialogue somewhat as follows:

"It is too bad. Our friends have not arrived. What shall we do?"

"Well, I suppose we must go back to the hotel and wait for the afternoon
train," I answered.

"But I have paid my bill there," said Mac, "and do not care to go back."

"Then," I repl