’A thousand strong! What nonsense, Carlo! Your opinion was not asked, boy, and silence is your best course,’ said the Marquis, angrily. Carlo blushed, but all the same he knew he was right, and was terribly annoyed at hearing his father ask counsel first of one and then of another, without coming to any decision. He saw several of the officers looking evidently anxious, and when the council of war broke up--having decided nothing but that a scout should be sent to St. Jerome for news, and that there should be another meeting next morning--Carlo went up to an officer and said hastily: ’Why do we not collect a force of men and go out to meet them in the marshes?--for that is surely the way they will advance.’ ’The Marquis thinks otherwise, Señorito; and he may be right, for they may find themselves in a sad fix in some of the swamps in the low ground or in the woods, and then they may think it better to return without trying to take a fortress. Besides, we do not know how much powder they may have brought, and we must not waste our own ammunition.’ This was all the consolation Carlo could get, and he went back to his sister’s room looking very crestfallen and anxious. So to her eager questioning he answered: ’I wish father would let Don Francisco de Paratta take the command; he himself is quite unable to take it. I could see by Don Francisco’s face that he thinks we are doing wrong. We have not even got true information yet as to their number. I have a great mind----’ Carlo paused, for a sudden idea now entered his head. ’What are you thinking of?’ said Felipa, turning pale. ’Oh, Carlo, do not do anything rash. What should we do without you?’ ’Oh, you are safe enough here at Santa Teresa; it would be impossible to take this place by storm with a thousand men, or even double that number, so you need not be afraid, dear Felipa.’ ’I know you mean to go and see for yourself,’ said Etta. ’I wish I were a boy and I could go with you. To stay still makes one imagine many impossible things.’ ’Hush! don’t tell any one, especially Catalina,’ said Carlo, looking round and seeing they were alone; ’she chatters so much. My plan is this: I will slip outside presently before the gate is shut and run down the hill to the river. There Andreas has a canoe safely hidden in the bushes, and he will paddle me down to the mangrove swamps, and from there we may get near to them and see for ourselves how the pirates are situated.’ ’But you will get killed,’ sobbed Felipa. ’These wicked English pirates are worse than cannibals; Catalina says that they roast their prisoners alive, and----’ ’Nonsense! Dry your tears, little sister, and believe me, Andreas is too clever a fellow to let us get eaten. I shall be back before very late, and I know the only breach that can be climbed.’