l, I detailed my day's doings, and apprised
Smellie of the important fact that the _Daphne_ was in the offing.

"This is momentous news, indeed," remarked Smellie when I had finished.
"We must leave you to-night, I fear, Don Manuel, reluctant as we both
must be to cut short so very agreeable an acquaintance. But I trust we
shall have many opportunities of visiting you again, and so keeping
alive the friendship established between us; and as to Senor Madera--if
Hawkesley is only correct in his conjectures as to the schooner he saw--
why, I trust we may be able to effectually and permanently relieve you
of his disagreeable attentions before twenty-four hours have passed over
our heads."

Don Manuel bowed. "If Senor Madera is indeed the captain of a slave-
ship, as I have sometimes felt inclined to believe he is," said he, "I
beg that you will not permit the accident of having encountered him
under my roof to influence you in any way in his favour. As I have
already said, he is only an acquaintance--not a friend of mine--and if
he is a transgressor against the laws relating to the slave-trade, make
him suffer for it, if you can lay hands upon him. With regard to your
proposed attempt to rejoin your ship to-night, I very much regret that I
am only able to offer you the most meagre assistance; such as it is,
however, you are heartily welcome to it. I have a canoe down in the
creek yonder, and you are very welcome to take her; but she is only a
small affair, and as I presume you are not very much accustomed to the
handling of canoes, you will have to be exceedingly careful or you may
meet with an upset. And that, let me tell you, may possibly prove a
very serious affair, since the creek, ay, and the river itself, swarms
with crocodiles."

Smellie duly expressed his thankful acceptance of Don Manuel's kind
offer, and the conversation then became general. At the conclusion of
the meal Smellie requested the favour of a few minutes' private
conversation with Don Manuel; and that gentleman, with a somewhat
questioning and surprised look, bowed an affirmative and at once led the
way to his own especial sanctum.

I never actually heard what was the nature of the momentous
communication which the gallant second lieutenant wished so suddenly to
make to his host; but from the length of time that they remained
closeted together, and the remark of Don Manuel when they at length
reappeared--"Very well, my dear sir, then that is