t the loss of a single man."

"Then it will fail."

"No, it can't. Its success is certain. Don't look so surprised, Juan.
Have I a reputation for good sense or not? I'm telling you no fairy
tale."

"From anybody but yourself, Manuel, if such a story came I should laugh
in their faces."

"You won't laugh at me."

"Perhaps."

"Not when you've heard me through."

"Proceed, proceed."

"I weary you. Well, to the point as you say. You know when we handed up
our swords we surrendered the ship, don't you?"

"Why ask foolish questions or recall what pains me?"

"But did we hand over everything?"

"Surely."

"There you're wrong."

"I'm a very patient man, as you know, Manuel, but a little more of this
talk and I shall be getting up and leaving you."

"I'm leading up to my story. No, Juan, we did not hand over everything.
Shall I tell you what was kept back?"

"If you please."

"The key of the forward magazine!"

"Ha!"

Juan was excited now. That was clear by the exclamation he had uttered.

So was another listener, Young Glory. He kept as still as death, not
wishing to lose one syllable that was said, and waiting eagerly for the
talk to proceed.

"Yes," continued Manuel, after what seemed a long silence, "we kept back
the key of the forward magazine, and those fools are ignorant of it."

"But the keys were handed over?"

"There are duplicates."

"Go on! Go on!" exclaimed Juan, hastily. He was as excited now as he had
been indifferent before.

"Now, Juan, to get into that magazine is quite an easy matter."

"There are sentries!"

"Who can be overpowered."

"By whom?"

"You, I, if necessary. We walk about the ship as we please, so do a few
of our sailors, who are kept at work. What's to prevent us from seizing
the sentries posted near the magazine, and stabbing them to death?"

"You might leave the stabbing out."

"Certainly, if it's not necessary."

"Having got rid of the sentries, Manuel, what follows?"

"We enter the magazine."

"I suppose so; I'm still wandering in the dark."

"But surely you understand what will happen."

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"We shall be in a position, Juan, to blow up the ship."

"Folly! Folly!"

"You speak hastily," cried Manuel, angrily.

"I speak sensibly; what good will it do to you or me if the ship is
blown up? Four hundred of our nation, you and I included, will visit the
next world, taking, say, one hundred Americans with us. A heavy p