f before his unwelcome visitor.

Entering the room with stately deliberation, he bowed to George in his
grandest manner, and said, as calmly as though interviewing English
raiders were an everyday occurrence with him:

"Good morning, senor! You have business with me?"

"I have, senor, if in you I have the honour to behold the Governor of
the city of Nombre de Dios," answered George, with a dignity of manner
at least equal to that of the Spaniard.

"Good!" returned Don Sebastian. "I have the honour to be the individual
you refer to."

"Then, in that case," said George, "I will proceed at once to explain my
business with your Excellency. In the first place, I have the honour to
inform you that your city is in my hands and at my mercy; and although
my followers who hold possession of the Grand Plaza are but a few in
number, they are so placed, and are so resolutely determined to hold
their positions, that they can only be displaced at the cost of great
loss of life to both sides. Also another party of my followers is in
possession of the shore battery, and their commander has instructions to
turn the guns of the place upon the town and open fire upon it at the
first signs of conflict which may reach his ears. In order, therefore,
to save the lives and property of the citizens from needless
destruction, I have first to request that your Excellency will at once
take such steps as may be necessary to prevent all possibility of an
attack upon my people by any soldiers who may happen to be in garrison
here, or by the citizens themselves. And when that has been done I
shall have the honour to explain to your Excellency the precise nature
of the business which has brought me to Nombre."

Don Sebastian bowed smilingly, displaying a very fine set of even, white
teeth, of which he was quite pardonably proud. This, however, was
merely a habit, for he was not thinking of his teeth just then. What he
was thinking was that it was an atrocious misfortune that the city of
which he had the honour to be Governor should have been selected for
attack by these truculent English, who were no doubt bent upon avenging
the reverse of their fellow-countrymen at San Juan during the previous
year. But if this were the case, why had they not attacked San Juan,
instead of coming to Nombre to make trouble and bring about his ruin?
For the statement which this great hulking boy captain had just made to
him showed clearly enough that he and