n the veranda.'

"The first look which the woman gave me as the captain spoke made me
wish that instead of speaking to the captain I had lain down fasting
under a tree, there was so much contempt and horror in it; then, as I
suppose she saw I was but a boy, it changed, and it seemed to me that
she pitied me from her heart; however, she clapped her hands and a
negress entered. She said something to her in Spanish, and the old woman
beckoned me to follow her, and I was soon sitting in front of a better
meal than I had tasted for many a month, perhaps the best meal I had
tasted in my life.

"As she couldn't speak English there was no talking with the old woman.
She gave me a tumbler of stiff rum and water to drink with my supper,
and after I had done she handed me a blanket, took me out into the
veranda, pointed to the side where I should get the sea breeze, and left
me. I smoked a pipe or two and then went to sleep. I was awakened in the
morning by some one coming along the veranda, and, sitting up, saw the
lady I had seen the night before. 'So you are English?' she said. 'Yes,
ma'am,' says I, touching my hat sailor fashion. 'Are you lately from
home?' she asked. 'Not very late, ma'am,' says I; 'we went to Rio first,
and not filling up there were cruising about picking up a cargo when--'
and I stopped, not knowing, you see, how I should put it. 'Are there
any more of you?' she asked after awhile in a low sort of voice. 'No,
ma'am,' says I; 'I am the only one.' 'I did not ask,' she said almost
in a whisper, and I could see her face was 'most as white as a sheet, 'I
never ask. And so you have joined them?' 'Yes,' says I, 'I couldn't help
it, ma'am. I was the last, you see; if there had been any one else to
have encouraged me I should have said no, but being alone--' 'Don't
excuse yourself, poor boy,' she said; 'don't think I blame you. Who am
I that I should blame any one? It is little I can do for you, but if
you should want anything I will do my best to befriend you.' I heard the
captain's voice calling. Suddenly she put her finger to her lips, as a
hint to me to hold my tongue, and off she went.

"I don't know whether the captain's wife spoke to him about me or not,
but at any rate he didn't tell me off to any of the huts, but kept me
at the house. I used to go down in the day to work with the other men
unloading the ship and stowing away the stores, but they only worked for
a few hours morning and evening, lying in ha