also sent out a gunboat which--quite unlawfully, in my
opinion--stopped us on the high seas, and informed us that we were all
prisoners." Then Jack went on to relate in full detail all the
occurrences of that afternoon--how Milsom had refused to surrender the
yacht, and had threatened to sink the gunboat if force were attempted,
and how he, Jack, had subsequently insisted upon the yacht being
searched, and how nothing had been found, to the intense disappointment
and chagrin of the Spanish officers, from whom he had exacted an ample
apology.

The Consul's brow cleared, and he laughed heartily as Jack described in
graphic language the entire incident, from beginning to end; and when
the story was ended he was pleased to express a somewhat qualified
approval of the Englishmen's behaviour.

"As a matter of fact," he said, "the whole affair was in the highest
degree irregular. On the one hand, the Spaniards had no business to
stop you on the high seas, whatever their suspicions may have been; and
in so doing they exceeded their rights and laid themselves open to the
rebuff which you gave them. On the other hand, although I do not blame
you altogether for your somewhat high-handed action in offering
resistance to their attempted seizure of your vessel, it would have been
more politic on your part to have submitted, and then placed the whole
affair in my hands. I would have seen to it that no harm befell you;
and I would also have exacted from the Government an ample apology and
adequate compensation for the outrage. However, that is all past and
done with; but I have no doubt you will be quite able to follow me when
I point out to you that such an incident is, in itself, quite sufficient
to render you a somewhat unpopular personage with the Spanish officials,
and to cause them to regard with scarcely veiled disapproval your avowed
intention to prolong your visit to the island. I tell you candidly that
you must be quite prepared to have your stay in Cuba rendered as
unpleasant as it can possibly be made; and I ought to advise you to make
that stay as brief as possible. But if you choose to remain I will do
my utmost to protect you; and I can guarantee you freedom from official
interference so long as you abstain from meddling with politics. But of
course I cannot insure you against private malignity, such as that of
this fellow Alvaros; the utmost that I can promise is that, should
anything untoward happen to you, I