mising
refusal; whereupon Alvaros fell into a paroxysm of rage and swore that
he would either compel Don Hermoso to give his consent, or certain very
dreadful things would happen to every member of the family, Dona Isolda
included. And certain very dreadful things had happened, among which
floggings and starvation might be mentioned, the whole culminating in
their condemnation to transportation for life to the horrors of the
penal settlement of Fernando Po, when Don Hermoso persisted in his
refusal and declared that he would rather see his daughter dead than
wedded to such a scoundrel as Don Sebastian Alvaros. These were the
bare outlines of the story, as told by Don Hermoso, but there were
details of words said and deeds done that caused Jack Singleton to "see
red", and to wonder how it was that a man, made in God's image, could
ever become degraded to a condition so much lower than that of the
beasts that perish; and how it was that such fiends in human form were
permitted to live and to work their wicked will upon others. "However,"
he comforted himself by saying, "such atrocities as Senor Alvaros has
committed do not go unpunished, and the time will come when he will wish
that he had shot himself rather than yield to the suggestions of his own
evil heart!" How truly he prophesied, and how awful was the retribution
that was to fall upon Don Sebastian Alvaros, Jack little knew, otherwise
it is possible that even his righteous anger might have been mitigated,
his craving for vengeance drowned in the fountain of pity!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

RETRIBUTION.

It was a trifle over thirty-six hours from the moment of the deliverance
of Don Hermoso and his wife and son when the _Thetis_, brilliant in all
the bravery of white enamel paint, gilt figurehead and ornamental
scroll-work, freshly varnished boats, and scintillating brasswork,
steamed into Guantanamo harbour and let go her anchor off the little
town--or village, for it is scarcely more--of Caimamera. The visit of
the yacht to this out-of-the-way spot was ostensibly for the purpose of
enabling that erratic and irresponsible young Englishman, her owner, to
enjoy a day or two's fishing, Guantanamo harbour being noted for the
variety of fish with which its waters teem, and the excellent sport
which they afford; but Jack's first act was to go ashore and pay an
early visit to the telegraph office, from which he dispatched a cipher
wire to Don Ramon Bergera, briefly ac