way of excuse for, or justification of, your
treachery, I am willing to hear it and give it my most careful
consideration."

Again silence, tense and electric, prevailed in the cabin at the
conclusion of the young English captain's indictment, the alcalde and
his companions staring helplessly at one another as each groped for
something, some sign or suggestion, upon which to frame a reply to the
charges which they knew only too well to be true. At length one of the
party, seemingly unable to any longer endure the tension, rose slowly to
his feet and, addressing George, said:

"Senor Capitano, it is not possible for us to deny the truth of the
charges which you have brought against us; to our shame and sorrow we
are obliged to admit that all you have said is only too true. Yet,
senor, in self-defence, I submit that, individually, none of us who are
here assembled is to blame for the occurrence to which you have
referred, and therefore I contend that you cannot, in justice, hold us,
or any one of us, responsible for it. We, who now sit here in the cabin
of your ship, were all present in San Juan de Ulua when the attack upon
your countrymen took place, and I am confident that I am expressing the
opinion of my fellow-citizens as well as of myself in saying that we one
and all deplored and were ashamed of it, and would have prevented it,
had it been possible. But, senor, the citizens of San Juan had no voice
in the matter; we were not consulted; we were not even informed of what
was about to happen; the whole affair was the conception of his
Excellency the Viceroy, and the attack was organised and carried out at
his instigation and order by the military and naval forces under his
command; the citizens took no part in it, so far as I am aware; or, if
any of them did so, it was only the comparatively few lawless ones who
are to be found in every community. Therefore, senor, I contend that
your quarrel, which I admit to be just, is not with the peaceful and
law-abiding citizens of San Juan, but with his Excellency the Viceroy,
who ordered the attack, and the military and naval officials who carried
it out."

A low murmur of approval and agreement ran round the assembly as the
speaker resumed his seat, and then there ensued a pause while George
waited to see whether anyone else had anything to say. Presently, in
response to the glance of inquiry with which he regarded the various
members of the assemblage, first one an