he poor? Now then,
the fair is open. Who bids for the white girl Juanna? Thirty ounces is
offered. What advance, what advance?"

"Thirty-five," said a wizened little man with a hectic cough, who looked
fitter for a burial than a bridal.

"Forty!" cried another, a pure-bred Arab of stately appearance and
saturnine expression, who wished to add to his harem.

"Forty-five," answered the wizened man.

Then the Arab bid fifty, and for a while it seemed that these two alone
were competitors. When the bids had reached seventy ounces the Arab
muttered "Allah!" and gave up. He preferred to wait for the houris.

"Knock her down," said the wizened man, "she is mine."

"Hold on a bit, my little friend," said the great Portugee, Xavier, who
had passed the water-gate before Leonard and his companions. "I am going
to begin now. Seventy-five."

"Eighty," said the little man.

"Eighty-five," answered Xavier.

"Ninety," screamed the other.

"Ninety-five," said Xavier.

"A hundred," yelled the small man, snapping his fingers.

"A hundred and five," replied Xavier, triumphantly capping his bid.

Then with a curse his antagonist gave up also, and the mob shouted,
thinking that Xavier had won.

"Knock her down, Pereira," said Xavier in his turn, as he surveyed his
prize with affected nonchalance.

"Wait a moment," put in Leonard, speaking for the first time. "I am
going to begin now. A hundred and ten."

The multitude shouted again, the contest was growing exciting. Xavier
glared at Leonard and bit his fingers with rage. He was very near his
limit of possible expenditure.

"Now then," cried Pereira, licking his lips for joy, since the price
had already run twenty ounces higher than he expected, "Now then, friend
Xavier, am I to knock down this beauty to the stranger captain Pierre?
It sounds a lot, but she is cheap at the price, dirt cheap. Look at her
and bid up. But mind, it is cash down--no credit, no, not for an ounce."

"A hundred and fifteen," said Xavier, with the air of a man making his
last throw for fortune.

"A hundred and twenty," replied Leonard quietly.

He had bid to the last ounce in his possession, and if Xavier went
further he must give in, unless, indeed, he chose to offer Soa's ruby in
payment. This, needless to say, he was not anxious to do; moreover,
no one would believe a stone of that size to be genuine. Of all this,
however, Leonard showed nothing in his face, but turning coolly he
called to