your opinion until you have mastered the whole story,"
was the unemotional comment. "Here is a more detailed message. It is
printed exactly as cabled. We have not added a syllable except the
interpolation of such words as 'that' and 'the.' You will find it
somewhat convincing, I imagine."

The shipowner grasped another printed slip. This time he was able to
read more lucidly:

"PERNAMBUCO, September 4th. Public interest in the abortive attempt to
reinstate Dom Corria De Sylva as President was waning rapidly when it
was fanned into fresh activity by news that reached this port to-day.
It appears that on the 31st ulto. a daring effort was made to free De
Sylva, who, with certain other ministers expelled by the successful
revolution of two years ago, is a prisoner on the island of Fernando do
Noronha. Lloyd's agent on that island reports that the British steamer
_Andromeda_, owned by David Verity & Co. of Liverpool, put into South
Bay, on the southeast side of Fernando do Noronha, early on the morning
of August 31st, and it is alleged that her mission was to take De Sylva
and his companions on board. The garrison, forewarned by the central
government, and already on the _qui vive_ owing to the disappearance of
their important prisoners from their usual quarters, opened fire on the
_Andromeda_ as soon as she revealed her purpose by lowering a boat.

"The steamer, being unarmed, made no attempt to defend herself, and was
speedily disabled. She sank, within five minutes, off the Grand-pere
rock, with all on board. With reckless bravado, her commander ran up
the vessel's code signals and house flag while she was actually going
down, thus establishing her identity beyond a shadow of doubt. A note
of pathos is added to the tragedy by the undoubted presence of a lady
on board--probably De Sylva's daughter, though it was believed here
that the ex-President's family were in Paris. Telegrams from the
island are strictly censored, and the foregoing statement is
unofficial, but your correspondent does not question its general
accuracy. Indeed, he has reason to credit a widespread rumor that the
island is still in a very disturbed condition. No one knows definitely
whether or not De Sylva has been recaptured. It is quite certain that
he has not landed in Brazil, but the reticence of the authorities as to
the state of affairs on Fernando Noronha leads to the assumption that
he and a few stanch adherents are still in h