he sleepers on deck, would only result in making me a butt
for ridicule. It appeared safe enough for me to adventure alone, and I
was at least determined to assure myself as to the identity of these
strangers. If they had actually landed it would require only a few
moments to ascertain the truth, and I could accomplish this fully as
well by myself, as though accompanied by others--indeed with less
danger of discovery. I quietly lowered my body over the rail, and
found footing on the wharf.

My knowledge of the path to be pursued was extremely vague, for our
arrival had been in the dusk of the evening, so that any observation
of the shore lines had been quite casual. I merely remembered that the
bluff rose rather steeply from the water's edge, the path leading
upward toward the house crowning the summit, turning and twisting in
order to render the climb easier, and finally vanishing entirely as it
approached the crest. Beside this, leading downward straight to the
shore end of the wharf, was the broad slide, along which the bales and
hogsheads of tobacco were sent hurtling on their way to market. My
impression remained that the strip of beach was decidedly narrow, and
generally bordered by a rather thick growth of dwarfed shrub. The
point of land beyond clung dimly in my memory as sparsely wooded,
tapering at its outer extremity into a sand bar against which the
restless waves of the Bay broke in lines of foam. The only feasible
method of approach to the spot I now sought would be by following this
narrow strip of beach, yet this might be attempted safely, as my
movements would be concealed by the darker background of the high
bluff at the left.

In spite of the unfamiliarity of this passage, I succeeded in making
excellent progress, advancing silently along the soft sand, assured I
was safe from observation by reason of the intense darkness. The waves
lapping the beach helped muffle my footsteps, but no other sound
reached my ears, nor could my eyes perceive the slightest movement
along the water surface within reach of vision. The distance proved
somewhat greater than anticipated, because of the deep curve in the
shore, and I had nearly reached the conclusion that the boat must have
rounded the point and gone on, when suddenly I was brought to a halt
by a voice speaking in Spanish--one of those harsh, croaking voices,
never to be reduced to a whisper. Imperfect as was my knowledge of the
tongue, I yet managed a fair