Paris, gained over Captain Alphonse; while Madame Boisson
declared the whole episode truly charming, her fat husband, who was
entirely under her thumb, shrugging his shoulders and giving them both
encouragement and a welcome.

"These charming compatriots of theirs, therefore, being allowed to take
us by storm without let or hindrance, now advanced aft, when their
ringleader, a plausible scoundrel who described himself as the `Marquis
de Pomme-Rose,' or some other similar shoddy title belonging to the
black peerage of Hayti, to which I did not give heed at the time, beyond
in my own mind thinking it ridiculous and that it was probably a name
made up for the occasion, this man came up to Captain Alphonse with a
smile on his black face and told a wonderful story which he had
calculated would excite our pity while allaying our fears.

"There had been another revolution at Port au Prince, he said, as
Captain Alphonse had surmised. A band of patriots, of whom he, the
speaker, had the honour to be the chief, had attempted to depose the
reigning despot Salomon from his post of president, but that that astute
gentleman got wind of the conspiracy in time, and as he had a very
efficacious mode of quickly dealing with those opposed to him in
political matters, the nigger marquis and his fellow-plotters thought it
best to seek refuge in flight.

"Salomon, of course, at once despatched his myrmidons after them, but
having a few hours' start of the pursuers the runaway revolutionists
contrived to clear off from Port au Prince, concealing themselves in the
mountain fastnesses at the eastern end of the island.

"Here, while in hiding, they saw the _Saint Pierre_ rounding Cape San
Engano. Subsequently observing that she was becalmed, they waited for
nightfall, when they stole a boat that lay on the shore and pulled out
towards our ship, just avoiding capture in the nick of time; the
regiment of black soldiers Salomon had sent after them having hit upon
their trail and being so close up behind that they were able to open
fire on them ere the boat got into deep water, two of the fugitive
patriots being struck by the bullets that came whistling in their rear.

"The `marquis' was of the belief that we were bound for Cuba, so he
declared at all events at the moment, and he asked Captain Alphonse with
the utmost indifference to give him and his companions a passage
thither, assuring him that he would be handsomely rewarded for so doing