cigarettes for us, and, in consideration of our
helpless condition, even places them in our mouths.

It is Sunday morning, and when we reach the town all good Catholics have
been to high mass, and are parading the narrow thoroughfare dressed in
fashionable attire. Crowds gather around us and speculate as to the
particular crime we are guilty of; and, to tell the truth, our
appearance is by no means respectable. Have we shot the commandant?
Undermined the Morro? Poisoned the garrison? Have we headed a negro
conspiracy, or joined a gang of pirates? Friends whom we recognise on
our way endeavour to interrogate us, but are interrupted by the
sergeant. We halt before the governor's house; but his excellency is not
yet out of bed, and may not be disturbed. So we proceed to the town
jail, where everybody is stirring and where they are happy to see us,
and receive us with open doors. A dozen policemen, dressed in
brown-holland coats, trimmed with yellow braid and silver buttons, with
panama hats, revolvers, and short Roman swords, are seated on benches at
the prison entrance. Passing them, we are hurried into a white-washed
chamber, where a frowning functionary, in brown-holland and silver lace,
with a panama on his head, and a long cigar in his mouth, sits at a desk
scribbling something on stamped paper. He pauses to examine and peruse
a large letter which our sergeant hands him, and which contains a
statement of our arrest, with full particulars of our misdeeds. The
document is folded in official fashion, is written, regardless of
economy, with any quantity of margin, and is terminated by a tremendous
signature, accompanied by an elaborate flourish, which occupies exactly
half a page. The gentleman in brown-holland casts a look of suspicion at
us, and directs a couple of policemen to search us, 'registrar' us, as
he calls it, which they accordingly do; but nothing that we could
dispense with is found on our persons, except the grime upon our hands
and faces, and a pearl button, which has strayed during the journey, and
somehow found its way into my boot.

Nothing further being required of us for the present, we are conducted
into the centre of the jail to an extensive court-yard, where a crowd of
prisoners of all shades and castes lie basking in the sun. We are led to
one of the galleries which surround the patio, our arms are untied, and
we are introduced into three different chambers.

The apartment alloted to me is spaci