“You have had hard work within these last two days?”

“Yes, indeed! signor.”

“The natives forced us to join the expedition, and we escaped.”

“So I heard you say, signor.”

“They lost nearly a thousand men,” said Krantz.

“Holy St Francis!  I am glad of it.”

“They will be careful how they attack Portuguese in a hurry, I expect,” rejoined Krantz.

“I think so,” replied the soldier.

“Did you lose many men?” ventured Philip, perceiving that the man was loquacious.

“Not ten of our own people.  In the factory there were about a hundred of the natives, with some women and children; but that is of no consequence.”

“You had a young European woman here, I understand,” said Philip with anxiety; “one who was wrecked in a vessel—­was she among those who were lost?”

“Young woman!—­Holy St Francis.  Yes, now I recollect.  Why the fact is—­”

“Pedro!” called a voice from above; the man stopped, put his fingers to his lips, went out, and locked the door.

“God of Heaven! give me patience,” cried Philip; “but this is too trying.”

“He will be down here again to-morrow morning,” observed Krantz.

“Yes! to-morrow morning; but what an endless time will suspense make of the intervening hours.”

“I feel for you,” replied Krantz; “but what can be done?  The hours must pass, though suspense draws them out into interminable years; but I hear footsteps.”

Again the door was unlocked, and the first soldier made his appearance.  “Follow me—­the Commandant would speak with you.”

This unexpected summons was cheerfully complied with by Philip and his companion.  They walked up the narrow stone steps, and at last found themselves in a small room, in presence of the Commandant, with whom our readers have been already made acquainted.  He was lolling on a small sofa, his long sword lay on the table before him, and two young native women were fanning him, one at his head, and the other at his feet.

“Where did you get those dresses?” was the first interrogatory.

“The natives, when they brought us prisoners from the island on which we had saved ourselves, took away our clothes, and gave us these as a present from their king.”

“And engaged you to serve in their fleet, in the attack on this fort?”

“They forced us,” replied Krantz; “for as there was no war between our nations, we objected to this service:  notwithstanding which, they put us on board, to make the common people believe that they were assisted by Europeans.”

“How am I to know the truth of this?”

“You have our word in the first place, and our escape from them in the second.”

“You belonged to a Dutch East-Indiaman.  Are you officers or common seamen?”

Krantz, who considered that they were less likely to be detained if they concealed their rank on board, gave Philip a slight touch with his finger as he replied, “We are inferior officers.  I was third mate, and this man was pilot.”