’No, Señor, I must be back at the compound in half an hour; but I have just heard much news, and I came to tell you. The Frenchman Simon has just landed, and brings tidings from Chagres, where men have arrived telling of the taking of Panama. The Frenchman has brought several officers with him who were wounded, but are now better; and I fear these guards will have their eyes opened wider than the men now in charge.’ ’Have they really taken Panama?’ exclaimed Harry and Carlo; and the latter added, ’That is indeed a feat I had not expected--though you did, Harry. But did you hear any particulars, Andreas?’ ’They are very full of all sorts of stories, but I fancy they are not all true--how in one place they boiled leathern bags to eat and were at death’s door for want of food. After ten days of incredible hardships they came in sight of the city, and there they engaged in very severe fighting. But the terror of their name did more for them than even their valour, for they were but a handful compared with the Spaniards.’ ’But what of the poor city?’ said Harry, when Carlo had translated the news to him. ’The city was set fire to, which must have been a great and sad sight. I was once there--when Padre Pietro took me as a boy--and I saw the great merchants’ houses, those belonging to the Genoese being the finest; and as for the convents and the private dwellings, the churches--ah, they could not be numbered.’ ’But the pirates will have enough gold and to spare,’ said Carlo; ’perhaps they will now let my father go free.’ ’The thirst for gold seems never satisfied,’ answered Harry, ’and the worst is when they divide the spoil; there is a great deal of quarrelling over it, and I have seen them fight to the death over a few pieces of eight.’ ’The Frenchman Simon declares that they have taken a great deal of gold and many slaves, and that when the Captain has settled everything he will return here and make it so strong that no enemy will ever be able to retake it. The orders are that the work is to begin at once, and that the ladies are to be taken great care of, as he will settle the final ransom when he comes back. That makes me tremble for your safety, Señorito; it would, perhaps, be more prudent to hide in the secret passage.’ ’Then I may as well be taken by the pirates, Andreas. I was stifled before in that odious hole. No, no; let me keep my liberty as long as I can. I promise I will keep a sharp look-out for this Simon. Now let us have a little fun; we try so hard to shoot the arrows as you do, Andreas, but we have had as yet but poor success.’ ’The Señorito was not born an Indian,’ said Andreas, a little sadly. ’Before the white man came all these forests were our hunting-grounds; but there came good as well as evil with the strangers.’ Then after a pause he added: ’If you will follow me I can show you a spot that few know how to reach.’