ucted the little
party of Englishmen, and which he entered alone, after apologising
elaborately for doing so, upon the plea that it would greatly facilitate
matters if he were permitted to first see Don Manuel Rebiera, the acting
Commandant, and explain to him the situation. George agreed with him
that this might be so, and patiently took up his stand outside, waiting,
in company with Basset and his squad of soldiers, in the shadow of the
building until he should be summoned to enter. And meanwhile the party
became objects of curiosity and by no means friendly comment to a
rapidly increasing crowd, chiefly of men of the labouring class, who
came to gaze curiously upon the little knot of resolute-looking
Englishmen who returned their gaze so fearlessly, blowing their lighted
matches occasionally and handling their muskets in significant fashion
when the mob showed signs of becoming rather too demonstrative.

At length, after an absence of nearly twenty minutes, the alcalde re-
appeared and, with further apologies, this time for his prolonged
absence, invited George to accompany him into the building for the
purpose of being presented to Don Manuel Rebiera, the acting Commandant.
This gentleman was found installed in a room which partook, in about
equal proportions, of the characteristics of an office and a barrack-
room, with a sentry outside the door, who stolidly saluted the pair as
they passed in.

Captain Rebiera proved to be a typical Spanish soldier of the period,
bluff and hearty, but exceedingly courteous in manner, with, according
to his own account, a profound respect and admiration for the English,
so far as his knowledge of them extended, yet George quickly came to the
conclusion that the good man was suffering from a certain feeling of
soreness at the idea of the city, for the safety of which he was
responsible, being to all intents and purposes in the power and at the
mercy of the exceedingly young man to whom he was introduced. He
greeted George courteously, yet with a certain suggestion of restrained
antagonism, and then said:

"Senor, my friend, Don Juan Alvarez, has very briefly acquainted me with
the extraordinary circumstances of your visit to our port, and of the
still more extraordinary demands which you have seen fit to make. Now,
I may as well mention that, so far as those demands are concerned, it
will be quite impossible for me to concede them without first
consulting--"

"Pardon me, Do