his accompanying her back
to the apartment of the stranger lady.

He looked very angry at first at being asked to go; but little Mila's
eloquence conquered, and she led him in triumph back, holding on by his
arm; but this time it was to prevent herself from being fairly lifted
off her feet, and blown along over the ground.

He made a somewhat unwilling salute to the two ladies, as he entered the
room, while Mila dragged him up to the window.

"Now tell these ladies what you think about that mistico there, which is
driving towards the shore--let me see, where is she? Alas! she has come
frightfully near."

"That mistico, why she must be a stranger to these parts, or she would
not venture near our shore; and she has a crew on board who know very
little about their calling, for they are going to wreck themselves as
clearly as possible, somewhere at the east end of the island. They
could not do it better if they were to try; and as there are only two
places on the whole coast where they have a chance of escaping, probably
in a few minutes they will have gone to the other world."

"Then you think that she is not my husband's mistico," said Nina.

"Think! why no, of course not; she is not unlike her either, lady,"
answered the old pirate. "They are strangers, who, as they are not
invited to come here, will probably have their throats cut for their
intrusion, if, by chance, they happen to get in shore alive."

"But your chief--what think you of your chief?" exclaimed Nina eagerly.

"He is safe enough under shelter of one of the islands, and will be back
here right enough to-morrow morning," answered the old man.

"Grant heaven it may be so," ejaculated Nina. "And now, Vlacco, you
must obey me in this. Collect all the men you can, and hasten along the
shore, to where that vessel will be wrecked. Remember, the life of your
chief was preserved in a similar manner, and it were impious to allow
any to perish whom we can save. Bring such as escape safe to my tower;
and beware that no one robs or injures them."

The old man, who had found that he had been very much too severe to Nina
during the last absence of Zappa, was glad of an opportunity of
regaining her favour, and accordingly promised to obey her directions.

In spite of the violence of the storm, he immediately set out to collect
some more youthful and active men to attend him; and he was soon again
seen crossing the causeway in the direction of the place t