rrender my sword to a stranger who declines to
give me his name, and produces no authority for his actions."

"This is my authority," exclaimed George, suddenly whipping out his
sword with a nourish. "Will you submit to it, or must I resort to
sterner measures?"

"I submit, of course," replied the Spaniard, "seeing that your party is
much the stronger of the two. But I do so under protest; and I warn
you, senor, that my Government will speedily avenge this outrage, which
is worthy only of-- Ha! now I know who you are. You are an Englishman--
possibly that thrice-accursed corsair, Drake, who, last year, at San
Juan de Ulua--"

"You are mistaken, senor; I am not Drake; nor does it matter who I am,"
retorted George. "Come, senors, your swords, if you please, for I have
little time to waste. Simons--and Way," to two of his men, "relieve
those gentlemen of their swords. A thousand thanks, gentlemen," as the
Spaniards surrendered their weapons. "Now do me the favour to accompany
me; and please remember that any man who attempts to escape will
instantly be shot down."

So saying, George, with his drawn sword in his right hand and his left
resting suggestively upon the butt of one of the pistols that adorned
his belt, led the way toward the little settlement, wondering meanwhile
what could possibly be the explanation of certain whiffs of a singularly
vile and offensive odour which now and then assailed his nostrils when
there occurred an occasional flaw in the trade-wind which was sweeping
briskly over the island. He might, of course, have asked, but the
thought occurred to him that by doing so he might perhaps be betraying
his ignorance, and so lay himself open to the chance of being misled
upon a matter that might very well be of importance. A little later on
he was very glad that he had held his peace.

A walk of a few minutes' duration brought the party to the settlement,
whereupon George called a halt and directed three of his men to follow
him into the first house they came to, and the rest to keep a wary eye
upon the prisoners. The building was a small wooden affair, consisting
of three rooms only, two of which were sleeping apartments, while the
third was furnished with a table, a sideboard, a couch, and a few
chairs, and was evidently used as a sitting-room. There was nobody in
the house, but upon passing through it to the rear they discovered a
small detached structure, the odours proceeding from which