a deal of difficulty the mutiny
was explained; and the crestfallen Brewster withdrew his forces,
followed by the mate, who conciliated his irate colleague, and gave
him an inkling as to the real name and character of the rescued
convict.

After the steward had cleared away the wreck of the breakfast things,
a conclave of the cabin-mess was called, to which the black steward
was _ex officio_ and _ex necessitate_ admitted; and it was determined,
after much debate, that the voyage should be continued, and that
during our stay in Matanzas my cousin Pedro should remain hidden on
board. The next mooted point was whether to conceal the matter from
the crew, and decided in the negative; so the men were called aft, and
the truth briefly stated to them. One and all swore to be faithful and
discreet--and so they proved. With one or two exceptions our crew were
Yankees, and of a far higher grade than the crews of merchantmen
generally.

During these proceedings the gale had rapidly abated, and at noon we
found ourselves rolling and pitching in a heavy sea, the sun shining
brightly over our heads, and not a breath of air stirring. The
skipper, mate, and Cousin Pedro were closeted together in the cabin
during the afternoon, while the second and third mates, and ship's
cousin, compared notes sitting under the awning on the booby-hatch. I
enlightened Brewster more fully as to Mr. Stewart's former adventures
in Cuba; and we finally concluded that our running down the Spanish
guarda-costa was the most lucky thing in the world.

"Half my plan is now accomplished to hand," said I; "we must now get
my Cousin Clara out of the nunnery."

"You hadn't better try that, Frank," interposed Mr. Brewster,
"because, for two reasons; in the first place, them Catholics are poor
benighted heathen, and she wouldn't get out if she could--for she is
a veiled nun; and the next place you'd get your neck into a certain
machine called a _garrote_, or else make your cousin's place good in
the chain-gang."

"Nevertheless, I shall try; and if she only is willing to run away,
there can some plan be contrived, I know."

"And my part shall be to run old Alvarez through the body, if the
devil hasn't taken him already," added Mr. William Langley.

"Boys will be boys, that's a fact, call 'em what you're a mind to,"
observed Mr. Brewster, very sapiently stroking his big red whiskers.

The calm continued, and by evening the swell had in a great degree
gone do