the night air, and the shot splashed into the water close astern
of us.

"A miss is as good as a mile," said the skipper, who was at the helm, in
his usual quiet tone. "We will not give in, though a dozen such popguns
as she carries should be fired at us."

Another shot came whistling past our quarter, and dropped alongside; a
third came, and that fell astern.

"We passed over some shallow water just now," said Peter, who was
sounding with a pole.

"Ah, and the Spaniard too has found out that the water is shallow. See!
see! she's on shore!" exclaimed the skipper.

As we looked astern we saw that the vessel chasing us had let all her
sails fly. On we glided. She grew fainter and fainter, till we could
barely distinguish her outline. We all began to breathe more freely.
In less than half an hour we could no longer discern her. We stood on,
and when the sun rose right ahead no sail was in sight.

The weather continued fine, and in a few days the _Good Hope_ was rising
buoyantly on the ocean wave, her head directed to the southward.

Stabroek was soon reached, and our brave skipper, who was well-known
there, introduced us to his friends, to whom he recounted our
adventures, and secured us a warm reception.

I must not stop to describe our stay at the capital of the then Dutch
colony of Guiana. My father at length received news from Trinidad which
once more raised his drooping spirits. An enlightened naval officer,
Don Josef Chacon, had been appointed governor. He had expelled the
dissolute monks, and abolished the Inquisition; besides granting fertile
lands to new colonists, assisting them with cattle and implements of
husbandry, and providing for the free exercise of mercantile affairs.
We might return in safety. We accordingly forthwith embarked on board a
vessel commanded by our good friend Captain van Dunk, and arrived safely
in the colony. Doctor Antonio had administered my father's affairs with
honesty and wisdom, and at once delivered over his estate to him,
refusing to receive more than a very moderate recompense for the
services he had rendered.

Our affairs flourished, but my father never entirely recovered his
health. In a very few years he died, and was buried by the side of our
poor mother. Uncle Paul had never lost his affection for our beloved
Pennsylvania, nor had Arthur or I; so at my father's death we disposed
of our property in Trinidad, which realised not only sufficient to pay
of