ation. The crew sat
clustered about on the forecastle with their arms folded in a listless,
inactive way--some asleep--others smoking cigarillos or playing games of
chance between the guns, while a few were disputing on some trivial
points with a vehemence which proved the fiery tempers hidden under
those calm exteriors. The officers lolled against the bulwarks, sat on
the guns, or paced slowly backwards and forwards; but rather more
etiquette was kept up on the quarter deck than appeared to be the case
among the men forward. The captain walked backwards and forwards with
his first lieutenant on the starboard side; they crossed occasionally,
and lifted their hands to their eyes to watch the land just sighted as
the ship approached and glided by it at the distance of two or three
miles. The captain's appearance was in his favour. He was tall and
graceful, with the clear olive-complexion, the pointed beard, the thin
moustache, and the large pensive eyes, so frequently seen in portraits
of high-born Spaniards. Still, though his features were handsome and
very intelligent, there was an expression in them not altogether
satisfactory. His companion was a short, thick-set man, dark and
bearded, with a daring look in his countenance and a firmness in his
month which might raise a suspicion that in cases of emergency he would
be likely to take the command in the place of his superior.

"That land out there should be of some interest to us, Alvarez," said
the captain, pointing to the little conical-shaped islets the ship was
passing. "It was there, so history tells us, that one of the grandees
of Spain, the great Duke of Medina Sidonia, was wrecked when he sailed
in command of that mighty Armada which would have assuredly crushed the
power of England had it not been so completely baffled by the wonderful
opposition of the elements. Many of his crew after being saved from the
fury of the tempest were cruelly murdered by the barbarous inhabitants,
and he and a small remnant only escaped to the main island of Shetland,
whither we are bound."

"Ah! I have heard say that the people in those parts are little better
than cannibals," answered the lieutenant; "we may as well, at all
events, keep our guns run out and double-shotted while we lie here, that
we may be prepared for them should they attempt to play us any tricks."

"Oh! they are tolerably civilised now, I fancy," answered the captain.
"I myself have some Shetland bl