ned ship, six soldiers conveyed it to
the little chapel, and during the pause, the new comers looked around
them.

The fort was built of brick, and was in a very dilapidated condition.
Situated on the right bank of the Zambesi, the river rolled its waters
under the walls, and seemed a large stream, dotted with reed-covered
islands.

"Captain Weber, you can spare your men a toilsome row; his Excellency
will arrive either this night or to-morrow from Tete _en route_ for
Quillimane. Gentlemen," continued the Portuguese, "you are welcome; you
will meet with scant hospitality here, but we will do our best."

Don Mujao took off his black broad-brimmed hat as he spoke, bowing low.

"Ay, ay, then I have not much time to lose. I say, Don," exclaimed the
sailor, "this is the Senhor Wyzinski, a missionary, on the loose, and
whom we found in a fair way to make a grill for Davy Jones; look at his
singed hair and whiskers; and this is an old friend, Captain Hughes,
150th Regiment, who looks half dead with fever."

Again the formal Portuguese raised his hat, bowing first to one and then
to the other.

"Roderigues," he said, beckoning to a soldier who stood near, "show the
Senhors to the only room we can give them. Once more I ask your
consideration for our shortcomings, Senhors."

"Come, make sail!" cried the skipper; "don't be all day backing and
filling here."

The gate opened, then swung to again, as passing the Governor, who stood
with his hat raised from his head, and preceded by the very questionable
individual who had been called Roderigues, Hughes and the missionary,
literally worn out with fatigue and excitement, the one wounded in the
shoulder, the other his face blistered with burns, and hardly able to
walk from the effects of the tightly bound palmyra rope, took their way
up a narrow, winding staircase, turning out of a landing into a large
room, lighted by two barred windows looking over the Zambesi and the
plain beyond.

Two rude stretcher beds placed at opposite sides of the room, two large
horse buckets, evidently intended for washing purposes, a coil of
palmyra rope, to haul up water from the river below, and a couple of
rude chairs, formed the furniture. The roof of the chamber was vaulted,
and the floor was of red brick. Such was the room into which the
soldier ushered the two travel-worn men, and to them it seemed a palace.
Standing at attention as they passed, the Portuguese spoke some words
in hi