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than the idea of having left the poor doctor in peril flashed on him.

"I must return-I must return! If the river rises, the body will be drowned out and out."

And notwithstanding our entreaties, he did return as he came, and descending the tree, began apparently to argue with the little Medico, and to endeavour to persuade him to ascend, and make his escape as the Captain himself had done; but it would not do. Pavo Real—as brave a little man as ever was seen-made many salams and obeisances, but move he would not. He shook his head repeatedly, in a very solemn way, as if he had said, " My very excellent friends, I am much obliged to you, but it is impossible; my dignity would be compromised by such a proceeding."

Presently Nappeared to wax very emphatic, and pointed to a pinnacle of limestone rock, which had stood out like a small steeple above the surface of the flashing, dark red eddies, when we first arrived on the spot, but now only stopped the water with a loud gurgle, the top rising and disappearing as the stream surged past, like a buoy jaugling in a tideway. The small man shook his head, but the water now rose so rapidly, that there was scarcely dry standing room for the two poor devils of mules, while the Doctor and the skipper had the greatest difficulty in finding a footing for themselves.

Time and circumstances began to press, and N-, after another unavailing attempt to persuade the Doctor, began apparently to rouse himself, and muster his energies. He first drove the mules forcibly into the stream at the side opposite where we stood, which was the deepest water, and least broken by rocks and stones, and we had the pleasure to see them scramble out safe and sound; he then put his hand to his mouth, and hailed us to throw him a rope-it was done-he caught it, and then by a significant gesture to Campana, gave him to understand that now was the time. The Don, comprehending him, hove his noose with great precision, right over the little doctor's head, and before he recovered from his surprise, the Captain slipped it under his arms, and signed to haul taught, while the Medico

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"Look out there," sung out Campana sharply. Time indeed, thought I, for right a-head of us, as if an invisible gigantic ploughshare had passed over the woods, a valley or chasm was suddenly opened down the hillside with a noise like thunder, and branches and whole limbs of trees were instantly torn away, and tossed into the air like straws. "Down on your noses, my fine fellows," cried the skipper. We were all flat in an instant except the Medico, the stubborn little brute, who stood until the tornado reached him, when in a twinkling he was cast on his back, with a violence, as I thought, to have driven his breath for ever and aye out of his body. While we lay we heard all kinds of things hurtle past us through the air, pieces of timber, branches of trees, coffee bushes, and even stones. Presently it lulled again, and we got upright to look round us.

"How will the old house stand all this, Don Ricardo?" said the drenched skipper. He had to shout to be heard." The Don was too busy to answer, but once more strode on towards the dwelling, as if he expect ed something even worse than we had experienced to be still awaiting us. By the time we reached it, it was full of negroes, men, women, and children, whose huts had already been destroyed, poor, drenched, miserable devils, with scarcely any clothing; and to crown our comfort, we found the roof leaking in many places. By this time the night began to fall, and our prospects were far from flattering. The rain had

entirely ceased, nor was there any lightning, but the storm was most tremendous, blowing in gusts, and veering round from east to north with the speed of thought. The force of the gale, however, gradually declined, until the wind subsided altogether, and every thing was still. The low murmured conversation of the poor negroes who environed us, was heard distinctly; the hard breathing of the sleeping children could even be distinguished. But I was by no means sure that the hurricane was over, and Don Ricardo and the rest seemed to think as I did, for there was not a word interchan ged between us for some time.

"Do you hear that?" at length said Aaron Bang, as a low moaning sound rose wailing into the night air. It approached and grew louder.

"The voice of the approaching tempest amongst the higher branches of the trees," said the Captain. The rushing noise overhead increased, but still all was so calm where we sat, that you could have heard a pin drop. Poo, thought I, it has passed over us after all-no fear now, when one reflects how completely sheltered we are. Suddenly, however, the lights in the room where the body lay were blown out, and the roof groaned and creaked as it had been the bulkheads of a ship in a tempestuous sea.

"We shall have to cut and run from this anchorage presently, after all," said I; "the house will never hold on till morning."

The words were scarcely out of my mouth, when, as if a thunderbolt had struck it, one of the windows in the hall was driven in with a roar, as if the Falls of Niagara had been pouring overhead, and the tempest having thus forced an entrance, the roof of that part of the house where we sat was blown up, as if by gunpowder-ay, in the twinkling of an eye; and there we were with the bare walls, and the angry heaven overhead, and the rain descending in bucketsful. Fortunately, two large joists or couples, being deeply embedded in the substance of the walls, remained, when the rafters and ridgepole were torn away, or we must have been crushed in the ruins.

sough amongst the tree-tops, but as before, where we sat, there was not a breath stirring. So complete was the calm now, that after a light had been struck, and placed on the floor in the middle of the room, shewing the surrounding group of shivering halfnaked savages, with fearful distinctness, the flame shot up straight as an arrow, clear and bright, although we heard the distant roar of the storm as it rushed over the moun

tain above us.

There was again a deathlike lull, the wind fell to a small melancholy

This unexpected stillness frightened the women more than the fierceness of the gale at the loudest had done.

"We must go forth," said Señora Campana; "the elements are only gathering themselves for a more dreadful hurricane than what we have already experienced. We must go forth to the little chapel in the wood, or the next burst may, and will, bury us under the walls;" and she moved towards Maria's room, where, by this time, lights had again been placed. “We must move the body," we could hear her say; "we must all proceed to the chapel; in a few minutes the storm will be raging again as loud as ever."

"And my wife is very right," said Don Ricardo; "so, Gaspar, call the other people; have some mats, and quatres, and mattresses carried down to the chapel, and we shall all remove, for, with half of the roof gone, it is but tempting the Almighty to remain here longer."

The word was passed, and we were soon under weigh, four negroes leading the van, carrying the uncoffined body of the poor girl on a sofa; while two servants, with large splinters of a sort of resinous wood for flambeaux, walked by the side of it. Next followed the women of the family, covered up with all the cloaks and spare garments that could be collected; then Don Picador Cangrejo, with Ricardo Campana, the skipper, Aaron Bang, and myself; the procession being closed by the household negroes, with more lights, which all burned steadily and clear.

We descended through a magnificent natural avenue of lofty trees (whose brown moss-grown trunks and fantastic boughs were strongly lit up by the blaze of the resinous torches; and the fresh white splinter

entirely ceased, nor was there any lightning, but the storm was most tremendous, blowing in gusts, and veering round from east to north with the speed of thought. The force of the gale, however, gradually declined, until the wind subsided altogether, and every thing was still. The low murmured conversation of the poor negroes who environed us, was heard distinctly; the hard breathing of the sleeping children could even be distinguished. But I was by no means sure that the hurricane was over, and Don Ricardo and the rest seemed to think as I did, for there was not a word interchan ged between us for some time.

"Do you hear that?" at length said Aaron Bang, as a low moaning sound rose wailing into the night air. It approached and grew louder.

"The voice of the approaching tempest amongst the higher branches of the trees," said the Captain. The rushing noise overhead increased, but still all was so calm where we sat, that you could have heard a pin drop. Poo, thought I, it has passed over us after all-no fear now, when one reflects how completely sheltered we are. Suddenly, however, the lights in the room where the body lay were blown out, and the roof groaned and creaked as it had been the bulkheads of a ship in a tempestuous sea.

"We shall have to cut and run from this anchorage presently, after all," said I; "the house will never hold on till morning."

The words were scarcely out of my mouth, when, as if a thunderbolt had struck it, one of the windows in the hall was driven in with a roar, as if the Falls of Niagara had been pouring overhead, and the tempest having thus forced an entrance, the roof of that part of the house where we sat was blown up, as if by gunpowder-ay, in the twinkling of an eye; and there we were with the bare walls, and the angry heaven overhead, and the rain descending in bucketsful. Fortunately, two large joists or couples, being deeply embedded in the substance of the walls, remained, when the rafters and ridgepole were torn away, or we must have been crushed in the ruins. There was again a deathlike lull, ind fell to a small melancholy

sough amongst the tree-tops, but as
before, where we sat, there was not a
breath stirring. So complete was the
calm now, that after a light had been
struck, and placed on the floor in the
middle of the room, shewing the sur-
rounding group of shivering half-
naked savages, with fearful distinct
ness, the flame shot up straight as
an arrow, clear and bright, although
we heard the distant roar of the
storm as it rushed over the moun-
tain above us.

This unexpected stillness frightened the women more than the fierceness of the gale at the loudest had done.

"We must go forth," said Señora
Campana; "the elements are only
gathering themselves for a more
dreadful hurricane than what we
have already experienced. We must
go forth to the little chapel in the
wood, or the next burst may, and will,
bury us under the walls;" and she
moved towards Maria's room, where,
by this time, lights had again been
placed. "We must move the body,"
we could hear her say;
all proceed to the chapel; in a few
minutes the storm will be raging
again as loud as ever."

66

we must

"And my wife is very right," said
Don Ricardo; "so, Gaspar, call the
other people; have some mats, and
to the chapel, and we shall all re
quatres, and mattresses carried down
move, for, with half of the roof gone,
it is but tempting the Almighty to re-
main here longer."

The word was passed, and we
were soon under weigh, four negroes
leading the van, carrying the un
coffined body of the poor girl on a
sofa; while two servants, with large
splinters of a sort of resinous wood
for flambeaux, walked by the side of
it. Next followed the women of the
family, covered up with all the cloaks
and spare garments that could be
collected; then Don Picador Can-
grejo, with Ricardo Campana, the
skipper, Aaron Bang, and myself;
the procession being closed by the
which all burned steadily and clear.
household negroes, with more lights,

We descended through a magnifi-
cent natural avenue of lofty trees
and fantastic boughs were strongly
(whose brown moss-grown trunks
lit up by the blaze of the resinous
torches; and the fresh white splinter-

marks where the branches had been torn off by the storm, glanced bright and clear, and the rain-drops on the dark leaves sparkled like diamonds) towards the river, along whose brink the brimful red-foaming waters rushed past us, close by the edge of the path. After walking about four hundred yards, we came to a small but massive chapel, fronting the river, the back part resting against a rocky bank, with two superb cypress-trees growing, one on each side of the door; we entered, Padre Carera leading the way. The whole area of the interior of the building did not exceed a parallelogram of twenty feet by twelve. At the eastern end, fronting the door, there was a small altarpiece of hard wood, richly ornamented with silver, and there was one or two bare wooden benches standing on the tiled floor; but the chief security we had that the building would withstand the storm, consisted in its having no window or aperture whatsoever, excepting two small ports, one on each side of the altarpiece, and the door, which was a massive frame of hardwood planking. The body was deposited at the foot of the altar, and the ladies, having been wrapped up in cloaks and blankets, were safely lodged in quatres, while we, the gentlemen of the comfortless party, seated ourselves, disconsolately enough, on the wooden benches. The door was made fast, after the servants had kindled a blazing woodfire on the floor; and although the flickering light cast by the wax tapers in the six large silver candlesticks which were planted beside the bier, as it blended with the red glare of the fire, and fell strong on the pale uncovered features of the corpse, and on the anxious faces of the women, was often startling enough, yet being conscious of a certain degree of security, from the thickness of the walls, we made up our minds, as well as we could, to spend the night where we were.

"I say, Tom Cringle," said Aaron Bang, "all the females are snug there, you see; we have a blazing fire on the hearth, and here is some comfort for we men slaves;" whereupon he produced two bottles of brandy. Don Ricardo Campana, with whom Bang seemed now to be absolutely in league, or,in vulgar phrase, as thick

of water, and a small sil as pickpockets, had bro ture round, and tried all cup, with him, so we pas while away the tedious had been a calm for a this time, and the Capta ped out to reconnoitre, swollen stream had ver return he had reporte sided.

"Well, we shall get a pered Bang. to-morrow morning, afte

began to pelt and rain a He had scarcely spok waterspout had burst ov there was no wind.

66

it," said Cloche.
Come, that is the cle

At this precise momen was sitting with folded ar little alcove or recess w the body, on a stool or tr Right overhead was one chapel, which, opening o round apertures in the appeared to the eye a bright wax-lights shed a s spot in the white-washed and fine bald head which on the worthy Clerico's silver, while the deeper ruby tints from the large s embers on the floor was fix that hung at his waist. ing of the swollen river to me, once or twice, tha me hearing distinctly, but gurgling sound proceede aforesaid round aperture. and then he looked up, a dre seemed to hear it als rose, but apparently unab guish any thing, he sat d However, my attention ha glimmering in the direct cited, and half asleep as I Clerico.

The Captain's deep sno for his forgetfulness, and dually lengthened out, so and the ladies, had all sul Don Ricardo, and the Dr the most perfect quietud noticed, and I quaked and like an aspen leaf as I did black paw, thrust through, from the dark aperture i ly over Padre Carera's h it reached it, when, whate it appeared to scratch hi

and then giving him a smart cuff, vanished. The Priest started, put up his hand, rubbed his head, and seeing nothing, again leant back, and was about departing to the land of nod, like the others, once more. But in a few minutes the same black paw was again protruded, and this time a peering black snout was thrust through the hole after it, with two glancing eyes, and the paw, after swinging about like a pendulum for a few seconds, was suddenly thrust into the Padre's open mouth as he lay back asleep; and then giving him another smart crack, vanished as before.

"Hobble, gobble," gurgled the Priest, nearly choked.

"C

"Ave Maria purissima," ejaculated Carera, que Bocado-what a mouthful!-What can that be?"

This was more than I knew, I must confess, and altogether I was consumedly puzzled, but, from a disinclination to alarm the women, I held my tongue. The Priest this time moved away to the other side from beneath the hole, but still within two feet of it-in fact, he could not get in this direction farther for the altar piece-and being half asleep, he lay back once more against the wall to take his seat, taking the precaution, however, to clap on his long shovel hat, shaped like a small canoe, crosswise, with the peaks standing out from each side of his head, in place of being worn fore and aft, as usual. Well, thought I, a strange party certainly; but drowsiness was fast settling down on me also, when the same black paw was again thrust through the hole, and I distinctly heard a nuzzling, whining, short bark. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, but before I was quite awake, the head and neck of a large Newfoundland dog was shoved into the chapel through the round aperture, and making a long stretch, the black paws, thrust down and resting on the wall, supporting the creature, the animal snatched the Padre's hat off his head, and giving it an angry worry, as much as to say, Confound it-I had hoped to have had the head in it-it dropped it on the floor, and with a loud yell, Sneezer, my own old dear Sneezer,leaped into the midst of us, floundering amongst the sleeping women, and kicking the firebrands about,

making them hiss again with the water he shook from his shaggy coat, and frightening all hands like the very devil.

"Sneezer, you villain, how came you here!" I exclaimed, in great amazement-" How came you here, sir?" The dog knew me, I was persuaded, for when benches were reared against him, after the women had huddled into a corner, and every thing was in sad confusion, he ran to me, and leaped on my neck, gasping and yelping, but finding that I was angry, and in no mood for toying, he planted himself on end so suddenly, in the middle of the floor close by the fire, that all our hands were stayed, and no one could find in his heart to strike the poor dumb brute, he sat so quiet and motionless. "Sneezer, my boy, what have you to saywhere have you come from?" He looked towards the door, and then walked deliberately towards it, and tried to open it with his paws.

66

Now," "said the Captain, "that little scamp, who would insist on riding with me to St Jago, to see, as he said, if he might not be of use, in fetching the surgeon from the ship in case I could not find Dr Bergara, has returned, although I desired him to stay on board. The puppy has returned in his cursed troublesome zeal, for no otherwise could your dog be here. Certainly, however, he did not know that I had fallen in with Dr Pavo Real;" and the kind-hearted fellow's heart melted, as he continued-" Returned— why, he may be drowned-Cringle, take care little Reefpoint be not drowned."

Sneezer lowered his black snout, and for a moment poked it into the white ashes of the fire, and then raising it and stretching his neck upwards to its full length, he gave a short bark, and then a long loud howl.

"My life upon it, the poor boy is gone," said I.

"But what can we do?" said Don Ricardo; " it is as dark as pitch."

And we again set ourselves to have a small rally at the brandy and water, as a resolver of our doubts, whether we should sit still till daybreak, or sally forth now and run the chance of being drowned, with but small hope of doing any good; and the old

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priest having left the other end of the chapel, where the ladies were once more reposing, now came in for his share.

The noise of the rain increased, and there was still a little puff of wind now and then, so that the Padre, taking an alformbra, or small mat, used to kneel on, and placing it on the step where the folding-doors opened inwards, took a cloak on his shoulders, and sat himself down with his back against the leaves, to keep them closed, as the lock or bolt was broken, and was in the act of swigging off his cupful of comfort, when The midshipman looked nonplusa strong gust drove the door open, sed. "Why, Captain, I forgot to take as if the devil himself had kicked it, my clothes with me, and-and-in capsized the Padre, blew out the truth, sir, I thought our surgeon lights once more, and scattered the would be of more use than any outbrands of the fire all about us. N-landish Gallipot that you could carry and I started up, the women shrieked, but before we could get the door to again, in rode little Reefpoint on a mule, with Doctor Plaget of the Firebrand behind him, bound, or lashed, as we call it, to him by a strong thong. The black servants and the females took them for incarnate fiends, I fancy, for the yells and shrieks that were set up were tremendous.

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thrown in the stream, lashed together as you are, you would have been drowned to a certainty," said the Captain.

"Oh," said little Reefy, "the Doctor was not on the mule in crossing -no, no, Captain, I knew better-Ï had him in tow, sir; but after we crossed he was so faint and chill, that I had to lash myself to him to keep him from sliding over the animal's counter, and walk he could not."

But, bless me, if you had been

VOL. XXXIII. NO. CCIII.

"But, Master Reefpoint, why came you back? did I not desire you to remain in the Firebrand, sir ?"

back.”

The good intentions of the lad saved him farther reproof, although I could not help smiling at his coming back for his clothes, when his whole wardrobe on starting was confined to the two false collars and a toothbrush.

"But where is the young lady ?" said the Doctor.

"C

'Beyond your help, my dear Doctor," said the skipper; " she is dead all that remains of her you see within that small railing there."

"Ah, indeed!" quoth the Medico, "poor girl-poor girl-deep decline

wasted, terribly wasted," said he, as he returned from the railing of the altar-piece, where he had been to look down upon the body; and then, as if there never had been such a being as poor Maria Olivera in existence, he continued, "Pray, Mr Bang, what may you have in that bottle?"

"Brandy, to be sure, Doctor," said Bang.

"Å thimbleful then, if you please." "By all means"-and the planting attorney handed the black bottle to the surgeon, who applied it to his lips, without more circumlocution. "Lord love us !-poisoned-Oh, gemini!"

"what

"Why, Doctor," said Nhas come over you?" "Poisoned, Captain-only taste." The bottle contained soy. It was some time before we could get the poor man quieted; and when at length he was stretched along a bench, and the fire was stirred up,

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