lack blood in him; his nose alone--thin, shapely, and slightly
aquiline--was evidence enough of that. He was clad in the inevitable
suit of white drill, girt about the waist with a crimson cummerbund; his
head-covering was the equally inevitable Panama broad-brimmed hat, and
his otherwise naked feet were thrust into a pair of Turkish slippers of
red morocco, embroidered with gold thread. And, early as was the hour,
he held a half-smoked cigar between his large, even, white teeth. As I
emerged from the companion he was standing to windward, near the
helmsman, critically eyeing the set of the brigantine's beautifully cut
canvas; and upon seeing me he--without moving from his position or
offering me his hand--bowed with all the stately grace of a Spanish
hidalgo, and exclaimed in Spanish, in a firm, strong, and decidedly
musical voice--

"Good-morning, senor! I congratulate you upon being sufficiently
recovered to leave your cabin. I suppose I ought, by every rule of good
manners, to bid you welcome to my ship; but I have discarded
conventional forms of speech--among other things--and now make a
practice of speaking only the strict truth; and--as Pedro has probably
told you--I had little to do with your being here beyond the mere issue
of the order for your transfer from the deck of the French schooner.
But, if I cannot at this moment truthfully bid you welcome, I can at
least say that I sincerely hope we shall be good friends; and should
that come about, you shall be welcome not only to my ship, but, as we
Spaniards say, to my house and all that is in it."

"Thank you, Don Fernando," I answered. "I can easily understand that
you find it exceedingly difficult to regard me as a welcome guest, and
believe me, I am not going to be so foolish as to feel hurt at your
frankly telling me so. And I heartily unite with you in the hope that
as long as we may be compelled into intimate association with each
other, we shall be able to forget that our professions are antagonistic,
and that personally it may be quite possible for us to be good friends.
And now, senor, permit me to seize this, the first opportunity that has
presented itself, to express to you my most grateful thanks for having
saved my life yesterday--"

"Stop, senor, if you please," he interrupted, holding up his hand. "I
have already explained to you that I had absolutely nothing to do with
that beyond the mere issuing of an order. To be perfectly frank with