easy Spanish, to all the courteous speeches of
Don Pedro.

Sometimes I think it would have been far better had he left me to follow
my own course. There are some men who need only a hint of rivalry to
spur them on where of their own choice they had never thought to
adventure. Melinza's attentions did not diminish, while his manner
toward Mr. Rivers lost in cordiality as time went on.

CHAPTER V.

Among the Spaniard's followers was a young mulatto whom he called
"Tomas." Very tall and slight of figure was he, yet sinewy and strong,
with corded muscles twining under the brown skin of his lean young
limbs. He wore a loose shirt, open at the throat, with sleeves uprolled
to the shoulder; and his short, full trousers reached barely to the
knee.

I was admiring the agile grace of the lad as he bestirred himself upon
the deck the last morning of our voyage. With him young Poole (clothed
once more like a Christian, in borrowed garments) was engaged in the
task of shifting a great coil of rope; and the sturdy, fair-skinned
English youth was a pretty contrast to the other.

Don Pedro was standing near to Mr. Rivers and myself, and his eyes took
the same direction as our own.

"They are well matched in size," said he, pointing to the lads. "Let us
see which can bear off the palm for strength." He called out a few words
in Spanish to the young mulatto, who raised his dark head--curled over
with shiny rings of coal-black hair--and showed a gleaming row of white
teeth as he turned his smiling face toward his master.

Mr. Rivers spoke a word to Poole, and the boy blushed from brow to neck,
and his blue eyes fell sheepishly; but he stood up against the other
with a right good will, and there was not a hair's difference in their
height.

At a signal from Don Pedro the lads grappled with each other; the brown
and ruddy limbs were close entwined, and with bare feet gripping the
decks they swayed back and forth like twin saplings caught in a gale.

In the first onset the mulatto had the best of it; his lithe dark limbs
coiled about his adversary with paralyzing force: but soon the greater
weight of the English youth began to tell; his young, well-knit figure
straightened and grew tense.

I saw a sudden snarl upon the other's upturned face. His short, thick
upper lip curled back upon his teeth as a dog's will when in anger. He
rolled his eyes in the direction of his master, who threw him a
contemptuous curse. Stung into