ave been exceptionally
fortunate in the matter of prizes since your arrival in these waters,
and I feel convinced that in prize money alone you must now have a very
handsome sum standing to your credit. Then, if I am correctly informed,
you have made many friends. You are, for instance, a great favourite
with the admiral, who would doubtless be willing to advance a very
considerable sum to help you out of your present exceedingly
disagreeable predicament; and I have no doubt there are others who would
be equally willing to help you if your position were clearly laid before
them."

"But, man alive, I cannot do it," I exclaimed angrily. "So far as prize
money is concerned, I suppose three thousand pounds is the very utmost
that I possess. And as for the admiral, I am no more to him than any
other officer, and I am certain that he would absolutely refuse to
advance a single penny-piece for such a purpose as you suggest; to do so
would simply be offering an inducement to you--and others like you--to
kidnap officers, and then hold them to ransom. But I tell you what it
is," I continued; "you may rest assured of this, that if any harm
befalls me,--if, in short, you deliver me into Morillo's power,--the
admiral will make you suffer as severely for it as Morillo himself could
possibly do. So there you are, between two fires; and, if you care for
my opinion, it is that the admiral is likely to prove a worse enemy to
you than even Morillo over this business."

"That, possibly, might be the case if the admiral happened to discover
that I have been implicated in it," replied my companion, with
exasperating composure. "But then, you see, he never will! I have
taken every possible precaution against that."

"How about Caesar and Peter, the two negroes who brought me aboard
here?" I inquired.

"Pshaw!" answered Dominguez impatiently, "do you suppose they would
inform against me? Not they. Why, they are both--well, never mind what
they are, except that I feel perfectly safe, so far as they are
concerned."

"Very well," I retorted, "time will show whether your confidence in them
is well founded or not. Meanwhile, my position is such that three
thousand pounds is the outside figure I can offer you as my ransom, and
you may take it or leave it as you please."

"Then I fear, amigo, that your days are numbered," replied Dominguez
composedly, as he rose from his seat preparatory to returning on deck.
"I am sorry for you,"