their oars as
before.

"Hallo! the boat ahoy!" hailed Bascomb. "What does this mean, senor?
Why have you not brought off our Captain? Are the people ashore aware
that within five minutes the bombardment of the town will begin?"

"Alas! yes, most illustrious senors," answered the interpreter, "unless
I should prove fortunate enough to be successful in the mission that has
been entrusted to me--that of pleading with your excellencies for a
further extension of time."

"Upon what grounds, senor?" demanded Bascomb. "I have already granted
an extension of six hours--without result, it would appear. Why should
I grant another moment?"

"Because, Excellency, it is now believed that a clue to the whereabouts
of your Capitan has at last been found, and it is hoped that in the
course of another hour or two his freedom may be obtained," answered the
interpreter.

"Ah!" returned Bascomb, with a sigh of relief. "So our Captain has been
found at last, has he? And where is he thought to be?"

"In the Inquisition, senor," answered the interpreter.

"The Inquisition!" interrupted Bascomb. "Odds bodikins! didn't I say
so? And how long has he been there, friend?"

"If the clue which has been obtained proves to be a true one, your
Capitan will have been there close upon four days," was the reply. "The
man whom we believe to be he was noticed in a small posada four evenings
ago, and the landlord of the house is of opinion that someone must have
suspected and informed upon him, for during the evening four familiars
of the Inquisition called at the house and, in spite of his violent
resistance, took him and carried him away."

"They did, did they?" retorted Bascomb. "If I can lay my hand upon
those four familiars I'll make them wish their hands had withered rather
than that they had laid them upon an Englishman! But there seems to be
a good deal of uncertainty even now about this story of yours, senor
interpreter, and I think our best plan will be to take up and
investigate the matter ourselves. What say you, gentles? Four days!
Why, they will have had time to maim the man for life in those four
days! But if they have--! Well, what say ye, my masters; shall us take
a strong party of men, go ashore, make our way to their Inquisition, and
see for ourselves whether or not Captain Marshall is there? And if he
is there, and they have mis-used him, we shall be able to take vengeance
upon the evildoers themselves instead o