ll.
Yes."

The admiral called a sudden order to his crew. The lithe, silent
Caribs made fast the sheets they held, and slipped down the hatchway
into the hold of the sloop. When the last one had disappeared, Don
Sabas, like a big, brown leopard, leaped forward, closed and fastened
the hatch and stood, smiling.

"No rifles, if you please, dear admiral," he said. "It was a whimsey
of mine once to compile a dictionary of the Carib _lengua_. So, I
understood your order. Perhaps now you will--"

He cut short his words, for he heard the dull "swish" of iron
scraping along tin. The admiral had drawn the cutlass of Pedro
Lafitte, and was darting upon him. The blade descended, and it was
only by a display of surprising agility that the large man escaped,
with only a bruised shoulder, the glancing weapon. He was drawing his
pistol as he sprang, and the next instant he shot the admiral down.

Don Sabas stooped over him, and rose again.

"In the heart," he said briefly. "_Senores_, the navy is abolished."

Colonel Rafael sprang to the helm, and the other officer hastened to
loose the mainsail sheets. The boom swung round; _El Nacional_ veered
and began to tack industriously for the _Salvador_.

"Strike that flag, senor," called Colonel Rafael. "Our friends on the
steamer will wonder why we are sailing under it."

"Well said," cried Don Sabas. Advancing to the mast he lowered the
flag to the deck, where lay its too loyal supporter. Thus ended the
Minister of War's little piece of after-dinner drollery, and by the
same hand that began it.

Suddenly Don Sabas gave a great cry of joy, and ran down the slanting
deck to the side of Colonel Rafael. Across his arm he carried the
flag of the extinguished navy.

"_Mire! mire! senor._ Ah, _Dios!_ Already can I hear that great bear
of an _Oestreicher_ shout, _'Du hast mein herz gebrochen!' Mire!_
Of my friend, Herr Grunitz, of Vienna, you have heard me relate.
That man has travelled to Ceylon for an orchid--to Patagonia for a
headdress--to Benares for a slipper--to Mozambique for a spearhead
to add to his famous collections. Thou knowest, also, _amigo_ Rafael,
that I have been a gatherer of curios. My collection of battle flags
of the world's navies was the most complete in existence until last
year. Then Herr Grunitz secured two, O! such rare specimens. One of a
Barbary state, and one of the Makarooroos, a tribe on the west coast
of Africa. I have not those, but they can be procu