something more substantial. On both occasions I pressed him with questions
as to when I was to be examined, and what they were going to do with me,
to all of which he answered "_No se_" ("I don't know"), and, probably
enough, he told the truth. However, I was not kept long in suspense. Later
on in the afternoon the door opened for the third time, and the officer
who had arrested me, followed by his alguazils, appeared at the threshold
and announced that he had been ordered to escort me to the tribunal.

We went in the same order as before; and a walk of less than fifteen
minutes brought us to another tumble-down building, which appeared to have
been once a court-house. Only the lower rooms were habitable, and at a
door, on either side of which stood a sentry, my conductor respectfully
knocked.

"_Adelante!_" said a rough voice; and we entered accordingly.

Before a long table at the upper end of a large, barely-furnished room,
with rough walls and a cracked ceiling, sat three men in uniform. The one
who occupied the chief seat, and seemed to be the president, was old and
gray, with hard, suspicious eyes, and a long, typical Spanish face, in
every line of which I read cruelty and ruthless determination. His
colleagues, who called him "marquis," treated him with great deference,
and his breast was covered with orders.

It was evident that on this man would depend my fate. The others were
there merely to register his decrees.

After leading me to the table and saluting the tribunal, the officer of
police, whose sword was still drawn, placed himself in a convenient
position for running me through, in the event of my behaving
disrespectfully to the tribunal or attempting to escape.

The president, who had before him the letter to Senor Ulloa, my passport,
and a document that looked like a brief, demanded my name and quality.

I told him.

"What was your purpose in coming to Caracas?" he asked.

"Simply to see the country."

He laughed scornfully.

"To see the country! What nonsense is this? How can anybody see a country
which is ravaged by brigands and convulsed with civil war? And where is
your authority?"

"My passport."

"A passport such as this is only available in a time of peace. No stranger
unprovided with a safe conduct from the _capitan-general_ is allowed to
travel in the province of Caracas. It is useless trying to deceive us,
senor. Your purpose is to carry information to the rebels, probably to