amourous
with the strains of martial music and the incessant shouting of military
words of command; the Alameda was an armed camp; and the cafes and
restaurants were crowded with arrogant, boasting, posturing military and
naval officers, with a small sprinkling of civilians who were made to
clearly understand that they were there only on sufferance. Jack could
not help noticing the scowls with which the soldiery regarded him, and
many an insulting epithet and remark reached his ears; but he was not
such a fool as to permit himself to be provoked into a quarrel, single-
handed, with thousands, and he therefore went calmly and steadily on his
way, taking no more notice of the offensive words than if they had not
been spoken, and following the narrow side streets as much as possible.
In course of time he arrived at the office of the British Consul, and
turned in to pay a call upon that gentleman. He found the official in
question up to his eyes in business, but nevertheless received a very
cordial greeting, if not a particularly hearty welcome.

"Hillo, Singleton, what are you doing back here, and at this moment,
above all others?" exclaimed the Consul, rising and holding out his
hand. "I was in hopes that you were safely back in the old country long
ago."

"Indeed?" said Jack, taking the other's proffered hand. "Why safely
back? Is Cuba, then, an especially dangerous place for an Englishman
just now?"

"Well, I will not go so far as to give an unqualified answer in the
affirmative to that question," replied the Consul; "but this I will say,
that I would certainly not recommend any Englishman to remain on the
island at this juncture, unless he is fully prepared to prove to the
authorities that he has good and sufficient reasons for so doing. The
fact is that Cuba is the crater of a political volcano at the present
moment, and nobody quite knows what is going to happen. For some years
now, in fact ever since '68, the Cubans have been in a state of more or
less unrest, and in more or less open revolt against the Spanish rule;
and the indications have for some time past been that the events of '68
to '78 are about to be repeated, possibly in a more aggravated form. It
is well-known that large consignments of arms, ammunition, and military
stores have recently been smuggled into the country, yet, strangely
enough, so great has been the vacillation of the Government mind that,
although they have done their utmost to