Etta shook her head. ’On Sundays I go to church with Felipa; I once told the Padre I was no Papist, but he said I had better pray to God with Felipa, and that in time I should be shown the right way. Then I cannot read English very easily, for we have no English books here, only I read the precious letters left me by my mother, till I know them all by heart. In truth I will never be a Papist, nor forget that I am English.’ Etta turned over the leaves of Harry’s book with great care and admiration, whilst he read over the collect to her which began ’Lord of all power and might,’ which Etta, much delighted, said she could remember. ’Without this I should sometimes have forgotten when Sunday came round,’ added Harry, smiling; ’for Captain Morgan’s men made but little difference between week-days or the Lord’s Day, save now and then they had extra rations and more spirits. Good-night, Mistress Etta. I see Andreas wishes me to go with him, but I will come again to unloose my tongue, as my speech will be limited in the woods, and mayhap I shall turn into a wild man such as our sailors speak of; but Andreas says he will teach me how to shoot with poisonous arrows.’ From this time there was much less dulness up in the dwelling-room at Santa Teresa, and if they might have gone out, the girls would not have been very unhappy, except as to Carlo’s state of health. For many days he hovered between life and death, and Etta had to act as sentinel, being most quick at hearing the distant steps of the soldier who brought them their daily portion of food. There was no more starvation now, the point being to keep the prisoners in good health; for death would have deprived their jailors of the much-expected ransoms. How eagerly every morning the little party inquired for news, which the soldier was not loth to give! Captain Morgan was on his way to Panama; he had twelve hundred men with him; they had scarce victuals, and had sent back a boat to St. Catherine for more maize and Indian corn; the men were only allowed one pipe of tobacco; the Captain was determined to take the town, but he was in sore straits about victuals; they must conquer or starve; and so on. The little party hoped much that the pirates never would reach Panama, and that other misfortunes might befal them; only, not knowing if the Marquis were with them, it was difficult to wish they might all die of hunger.