osy for the sake of your reminiscences. Tell the fellow to
move off, or I'll send a bullet through him."

"And I 'll follow you."

"And I; and I," cried two or three more, who, suiting the action to the
speech, threw back the pan of the flint-muskets to examine the priming.

"And shall I tell you what I 'll do?" said the Englishman. "I'll lay the
first fellow's skull open with this hanger that fires a shot at him."

"Will you so?" said a thin, athletic fellow, springing to his legs, and
drawing a long, narrow-bladed knife from his girdle.

"A truce there, Rivas," said another; "would you quarrel with the
Capitan for a miserable lepero?"

"He's not a Capitan of my making," said Rivas, sulkily.

"I don't care of whose making," said the Englishman, in his broken
Spanish; "I'm the leader of this expedition: if any one deny it, let him
stand out and say so. If half a dozen of you deny it, come out one by
one: I ask nothing better than to show you who's the best man here."

A low muttering followed this speech, but whether it were of admiration
or anger, I could not determine. Meanwhile my own resolve was formed,
as, gathering my limbs together, I rolled upon one knee and said,--

"Hear me for one instant, Senhors. It would be unworthy of you to
quarrel about an object so poor and worthless as I am. Although not a
lepero, I have made my escape from the Lazaretto, and travelled hither
on foot, with little clothing and less food: an hour or two more will
finish what fatigue and starving have all but accomplished. If you will
be kind enough to throw me a morsel of bread, and give me time to move
away, I'll try and do it; or, if you prefer doing the humane thing, you
'll come a few paces nearer and send a volley into me."

"I vote for the last," shouted one; but, strange to say, none
seconded his motion. A change had come over them, possibly by the very
recklessness of my own proposal. At last one called out, "Creep away
some fifty yards or so, and burn those rags of yours: we 'll give you
something to wear instead of them."

"Ay, just so," said another; "the poor devil doesn't deserve death for
what he's done."

"That's spoken like honest fellows and good comrades," said the
Englishman. "And now, my hearty, move down to leeward there, and put on
your new toggery, and we 'll see if a hot supper won't put some life in
you."

I could scarcely credit my own alacrity as this prospect of better
days inspired me with fre