and should hardly have gone round by Peru and returned here after a
journey that has occupied me some eighteen months. It was only after I
arrived at Barra that I learned that King John had left the country, and
that his son Dom Pedro had been appointed regent."

The officer looked doubtful. "Your story may be a true one," he said. "I
shall lay it before the authorities. Until you hear their decision you
will remain here in the hotel."

"I am quite willing to do so," Stephen said. "In the meantime, senor, you
will hear from the captain of the _Bahia_, now lying at the wharf, that I
have at least come five hundred miles down the Amazon to this place, and
there is one, Senor Vaquez, who is now in this hotel, or is at any rate
putting up here, who came down with me all the way from Barra."

The official at once sent upstairs for the trader, who was fortunately in
his room, and who at once confirmed Stephen's statement, that they had
travelled together from Barra, and had left there some nine weeks before.

"This must be taken, senor," the officer said, "to relieve you from any
suspicion of having come here from the insurgent provinces. At the same
time there remains the fact that you have entered Brazil without passports
or other necessary papers, a matter which will have to be considered by
the authorities. At the same time, pending their decision there will be no
occasion for you to confine yourself to the hotel, as the offence can
hardly be considered a very serious one."

Two hours later Stephen was sent for to the governor's. Here a few more
questions were put to him as to the absence of papers, and he was then
asked what were his intentions as to the future.

"By your own confession", the officer who interrogated him said, "you are
a fugitive from justice, and although we do not concern ourselves with
crimes committed beyond our frontiers, we must concern ourselves with the
movements of fugitives from justice who enter Portuguese territory without
proper papers."

"I intend to take ship to Europe," Stephen replied. "My family have
business connections there. I shall probably stay there until I hear that
I can return home."

"Very well, senor. So long as you remain here you will be under
surveillance, but otherwise your movements will not be interfered with."

Stephen bowed and withdrew. At the hotel that evening he learned news that
surprised him and altered his plans. Some officers who had dined there
wer