“‘Decoy,’” said Perkins, in gentle deprecation, “‘decoy’ is hardly the word I expected from a gentleman who has been so unfortunate as to take, unsolicited and of his own free will, another person’s place in a boat.  But,” he continued, assuming an easy argumentative attitude, “let us look at it from your view-point.  Let us imagine that your ship had anticipated mine, and that my messenger had unwittingly gone on board of her.  What do you think they would have done to him?”

“They would have hung him at the yard-arm, as he deserved,” said Hurlstone unflinchingly.

“You are wrong,” said Perkins gently.  “They would have given him the alternative of betraying his trust, and confessing everything—­which he would probably have accepted.  Pardon me!—­this is no insinuation against you,” he interrupted,—­“but I regret to say that my experience with the effete Latin races of this continent has not inspired me with confidence in their loyalty to trust.  Let me give you an instance,” he continued, smiling:  “the ship you are expecting is supposed to be an inviolable secret of the Church, but it is known to me—­to my friends ashore—­and even to you, my poor friend, a heretic!  More than that, I am told that the Comandante, the Padre, and Alcalde are actually arranging to deport some of the American women by this vessel, which has been hitherto sacred to the emissaries of the Church alone.  But you probably know this—­it is doubtless part of your errand.  I only mention it to convince you that I have certainly no need either to know your secrets, to hang you from the yard-arm if you refused to give them up, or to hold you as hostage for my messenger, who, as I have shown you, can take care of himself.  I shall not ask you for that secret despatch you undoubtedly carry next your heart, because I don’t want it.  You are at liberty to keep it until you can deliver it, or drop it out of that port-hole into the sea—­as you choose.  But I hear the boat returning,” continued Perkins, rising gently from his seat as the sound of oars came faintly alongside, “and no doubt with Winslow’s messenger.  I am sorry you won’t let me bring you together.  I dare say he knows all about you, and it really need not alter your opinions.”

“One moment,” said Hurlstone, stunned, yet incredulous of Perkins’s revelations.  “You said that both the Comandante and Alcalde had arranged to send away certain ladies—­are you not mistaken?”

“I think not,” said Perkins quietly, looking over a pile of papers on the table before him.  “Yes, here it is,” he continued, reading from a memorandum:  “’Don Ramon Ramirez arranged with Pepe for the secret carrying off of Dona Barbara Brimmer.’  Why, that was six weeks ago, and here we have the Comandante suborning one Marcia, a dragoon, to abduct Mrs. Markham—­by Jove, my old friend!—­and Dona Leonor—­our beauty, was she not?  Yes, here it is:  in black and white.  Read it, if you like,—­and pardon me for one moment, while I receive this unlucky messenger.”