rove of your sentiments, Senor Don Juan! you are doubly estimable
on account of your sorrow, and as to your _savings_--Notary! Senor
Cagatinta!" cried the alcalde, suddenly raising his voice so as to be
heard by all present, "Make out a _proces verbal_--that the Senor Don
Juan Dios Canelo, here present, will become prosecutor in this case. It
cannot be doubted that a crime has been committed; and it is a duty we
owe to ourselves as well as to this respectable man, to seek out and
punish the authors of it."

"But, senor alcalde!" interposed the steward, perfectly stupefied with
this unexpected declaration, "I did not say--I have no intention to
become _prosecutor_."

"Take care, old man!" cried Don Ramon, in a solemn tone; "if you deny
what you have already confided to me, grievous charges may be brought
against you. As friend Cagatinta has just this minute observed to me,
the ladder by which you scaled the balcony might prove sinister designs.
But I know you are incapable of such. Rest contented, then, at being
the accuser in place of the accused. Come, gentlemen! our duty calls us
outside. Perhaps underneath the balcony we may find some traces of this
most mysterious matter."

So saying, the alcalde left the chamber, followed by the crowd.

Poor Don Juan found himself thus unexpectedly between two horns of a
dilemma, the result in either case being the same--that is, the
spoliation of the little _pecadillo_ he had put away against old age.
He shook his head, and with a sublime resignation accepted the voice of
iniquity for that of God--consoling himself with the reflection, that
this last sacrifice might be of some service to the family whose bread
he had so long eaten.

No trace was found under the balcony. As already stated the waves must
have obliterated any footmarks or other vestiges that may have been
left.

It was believed for a while that an important capture had been made, in
the person of a man found lying in a crevice among the rocks. This
proved to be Pepe the Sleeper. Suddenly aroused, the coast-guard was
asked if he had seen or heard anything? No, was the reply, nothing.
But Pepe remembered his full pockets; and fearing that the alcalde might
take a fancy to search him, saw that some _ruse_ was necessary to put an
end to the scene. This he succeeded in doing, by begging the alcalde
for a _real_ to buy bread with!

What was to be done with this droll fellow? The alcalde felt no
inclina