d clapping it to the seaman's
head, told him that he must enforce obedience.

"Must you, friend?" exclaimed Pedro, by a sudden movement of his arm
striking up the pistol; "then I must resist by force."

The official pulled the trigger, but the weapon had not often been used,
and the powder flashed in the pan. He was about to draw another, but
Pedro's quick eye saw the man's purpose. His own sword lay on the
table. He seized it with one hand, while with the other he grasped the
barrel of the pistol about to be turned towards him. At that instant
the official's foot slipped, and, as he fell heavily forward, the point
of the sword entered his throat and pierced through to the spine. Pedro
caught him as he fell, but the wound was mortal, and in another minute
he was dead.

Pedro Alvarez was as bold and brave a seaman as ever stepped; but he
knew full well that killing an official of the Inquisition in the
execution of his duty, would make the country too hot for him. The
instinct of self-preservation was as strong with him as with most men.
He considered how he could avoid the consequences of his act. There was
a large cupboard in the room. He dragged the body in, and locking the
door put the key in his pocket. The wound had not bled much, and he was
able to get rid of the traces without much difficulty. It just then
occurred to him that the owners of the house would get into trouble when
the body should be discovered; so he wrote on a piece of paper--"This
man attempted to kill me, and in self-defence, I, against my wish, slew
him.--Pedro Alvarez;" and, opening the door of the cupboard, pinned it
on the stranger's coat. He then put all the papers belonging to him
into his pocket, and deliberately walked down to the quays. His boat
was waiting for him. His heart beat much more regularly than it had
done for the last half hour, as he sprang on board and shoved off. His
crew gave way, and he soon stepped the deck of his beautiful little
brig, the "Veloz." The next instant the boats were hoisted in, the
anchor was weighed, the topsails were let fall and sheeted home, and the
brig, with a fine breeze from the southward, stood out of the harbour.
Every sail the brig could carry was pressed on her. The officers and
crew were delighted with the way she flew through the water. Her
captain turned his spyglass very often towards the town: he made out, at
last, a boat pulling off rapidly towards the brig, and shortl