imself
for duty, you will find that he will not mind being disturbed."

The officer looked at him doubtfully. "You have neither the appearance of
an Englishman nor of a lieutenant," he said.

"That may be, sir, but it does not alter the fact."

At this moment the captain left the admiral's side and walked forward.

"What is it, Lieutenant Romoro?" he asked as he passed them.

"This gentleman," and he hesitated over the word, "says that he is
Lieutenant Embleton, and desires to speak to the admiral."

"Lieutenant Embleton!" the captain repeated in English; "not the admiral's
flag-lieutenant in Chili, surely? If so, Lord Cochrane will be delighted
to see you; he has spoken of you to me several times. He believed you to
be dead, and but yesterday he was saying how he missed your services."

"I am the man, sir," Stephen replied. "I have been eighteen months in
crossing the continent, and to get here from Para had to make the voyage
to the Cape de Verde and back again."

"I congratulate you on your escape," the captain said, shaking his hand
warmly. "My name is Crosbie, I am Lord Cochrane's flag-captain, I will
take you to him at once."

The admiral had left the deck and retired to his cabin. Captain Crosbie
took Stephen there, and at once knocked at the door and entered.

"Excuse my troubling you now, admiral," he said, "but my object will, I am
sure, excuse my intrusion. I have a gentleman here that you will, I know,
be glad to meet."

Lord Cochrane looked earnestly at Stephen; he had not seen him since he
had sent him down to Valparaiso after the capture of the _Esmeralda_. The
two years that had elapsed had greatly changed his appearance, and he had
grown from a tall lad of eighteen into a powerful young man. A flash of
recognition came into his face, he made a step forward and exclaimed:
"Good heavens, can it be--"

"Stephen Embleton, sir. I have come on board to report for duty."

"My dear boy, my dear boy," Lord Cochrane said, holding out both hands and
wringing those of Stephen, "I am glad to see you indeed. I thank God that
I see you alive and well again, which I never dreamt that I should do, for
I thought that you had died or had been tortured to death in the dungeons
of that accursed Inquisition at Callao. But where have you sprung from,
where have you been all this time, by what miracle are you here?"

[Illustration: "MY DEAR BOY", EXCLAIMED LORD COCHRANE, "THANK GOD INDEED
THAT I SEE YOU ALIVE."]