Without waiting for my thanks he bade adieu to Jose and then, spurring his horse into a gallop, he disappeared. From the man who opened the gate in answer to our summons we learned that my father's friend was at home, and leaving our horses, we went immediately into the house. This English merchant had often been our guest, and it was soon abundantly evident that we had done right in trusting him. He was a short, round-faced man, with a florid complexion, twinkling eyes, and sandy hair. He was very restless and irritable, and had a queer habit of twiddling his thumbs backward and forward whenever his hands were unoccupied. "How do, Joseph?" exclaimed he, jumping up. "Come to take that berth I offered you? No? Well, well, what a fool a man can be if he tries! Why, bless me, this is young Jack Crawford! Eight miles from home, and at this time of night too! Anything the matter? Get it out, Joseph, and don't waste time." While Joseph was explaining the circumstances, the choleric little man danced about the room, exclaiming at intervals, "Ted Crawford gone? Dear, dear! Not a better fellow in South America! I'd shoot 'em all or string 'em up! The country's going to the dogs, and a man isn't safe in his own house! Eh? What? Hurt the boy? What's the boy to do with it? They can't punish him if his father had been fifty times a rebel!" "That is so, sir," remarked Jose; "but he might meet with an unfortunate accident, or vanish mysteriously, or something of that kind. What's the use of making believe? Those who have got rid of the father won't spare the son, should he happen to stand in their way." "Which he will," interrupted Mr. Warren. "My poor friend was hand in glove with the Indians, and they'll rally round the boy." "There are other things, too, which need not be gone into now, however," said Jose; "but the long and the short of it is that Jack must be got out of the way at present." "And his mother?" "She has sent him to you." "But he can't be hidden here. The rascally Dons will have him in the casemates before one can say 'Jack Robinson!'" "We don't mean to stay here, sir," replied Jose. "Our idea is to go to Valparaiso, and we thought if you had a ship--" "The very thing, Joseph," and the thumbs went backward and forward taster than ever. "Maxwell has a schooner leaving in the morning. You can go on board to-night if you choose, but you had better have some supper first." As it happened, both Jose and I had been some time without food, so we were glad to have something to eat; after which Mr. Warren took us to the quay, where the schooner _Aguila_ lay moored.