"I escaped the night before I was to be handed over to the Inquisition,"
Stephen replied, "then finding it impossible to make my way down to Chili
I crossed the Andes and have come down the Amazon. I had an unfortunate
adventure which detained me for eight months; at least, I thought it
unfortunate at the time, but I cannot think it so now, as I have just
arrived in time to join your lordship here."

"And now, admiral, if you will excuse me I will be off to my duties,"
Captain Crosbie put in. "I could not deny myself the pleasure of bringing
in Mr. Embleton, but his story will assuredly be a long one, and, as you
know, my hands are pretty full."

"Well now, lad," the admiral said when they were alone, "sit down and tell
me all about it. Here I am with my old worry again, but worse. I thought
the Chilians were as bad as could be in matters of business, but these
fellows are infinitely worse. I have had no end of trouble with them, and
have been obliged to threaten, three or four times already, to resign. As
it is, I have only been able to get four ships out of a dozen ready, and
even these, with the exception of this ship, are in a shameful state, and
deficient in every necessary. What is worse, I cannot even rely upon the
crews, which I always could do in the Chilian service. Well, before you
begin your story I must tell you that I did not forget you, but tried
every means in my power to effect your release. When I got a letter from
my wife mentioning that you had sailed in that store-ship that had been so
long missing, I set about making inquiries, and sent a boat ashore with a
white flag to inquire if any such ship had been wrecked on the coast, for
there had been a heavy gale at the time that she was making her passage. I
was informed that she and all hands had been lost.

"From some deserters, however, I learned that this was a lie; a few
sailors had got ashore and had been killed. I then sent a frigate down to
the place where the wreck had been and sent a letter ashore to the
governor. He replied that an English officer had been captured, and had
been sent to Callao and handed over to the authorities there. When the
frigate returned with the news I sent a furious letter ashore to the
governor. He replied that he was not before aware that the officer in
question had belonged to the ship that was wrecked, and that the person I
spoke of had escaped from prison and had not been recaptured. A few days
after this a