y boys, gave back sullenly and scowlingly with a few low-muttered
threats and an occasional hissing gibe of _hereticos_! But there was no
attempt at violence except when some half-dozen boys began to throw
stones. But the stringing of the Englishmen's bows, and the fitting of
a few arrows to the strings, sent the mischievous young urchins to the
right-about in double-quick time, and within a minute the landing had
been accomplished and the march begun.

Pacheco, with his hands lashed behind him and a halter round his neck,
the end of which was in Dick's hand, led the way, marching between
Chichester and Stukely, the latter having come ashore in Bascomb's boat,
bringing his case of instruments and a pocket case of drugs with him.
The road lay, for a short distance, along the water front, and they had
not been marching two minutes before they came to a wide and busy street
which seemed to run right through the very heart of the town to its
farther end.

"That," remarked Pacheco, "is the direct road to the Inquisition, and it
is for your excellencies to decide whether you will choose it, or
whether you will go on and take the longer and narrower road to the same
place."

"Which road do you recommend, senor?" demanded Bascomb.

"Nay, most illustrious, it is not for me to recommend either," answered
the Spaniard; "the responsibility is far too great for me--for if
disaster were to overtake you after you had accepted my advice, I should
be blamed for it. I can only repeat what I have already said, that this
is the direct road to the Inquisition, and the road which the
authorities will naturally expect you to take if they have any suspicion
as to your destination."

"Then in that case," decided Bascomb, "we will take the other one.
Forward!"

The march was thereupon resumed, the little band of Englishmen being
followed, at a respectful distance, by a rapidly increasing mob which
seemed, from its appearance, to be composed of all the ruffians and
cut-throats of the city. But they did not offer to molest the invaders,
beyond occasionally shouting insulting epithets at them, of which the
English took no notice. The mob seemed simply to follow out of
curiosity, and possibly with the hope of witnessing some interesting
developments later on.

A quarter of a mile farther on they came to another street, not nearly
so wide as the first--a street of lofty, more or less dilapidated
houses, with narrow, cage-like balconies