"Stop!" exclaimed Laure in a loud voice, and, turning to Mr Parkley, he pointed to Dutch and said, "That is your partner, is it not, Mr Parkley?" "Yes, certainly." "And he will share in the profits of this expedition?" "Certainly he will, sir." "Then, sir, I break our engagement. I shall have nothing to do with the voyage. The matter is entirely off." "Confound it all, sir!" cried Mr Parkley, in a passion. "You can't do that." "But, sir, I have done it," said the Cuban, lighting a cigar. "What! After I've spent all this money in preparation?" "I have told you," said the Cuban, contemptuously--and he gave a malignant glance at Dutch. "Mr Parkley," said Dutch, stepping forward, "my private quarrel with this man shall not stand in your way. All this preparation has been made for the expedition, and my being your partner shall not stop it. Sir, our partnership is at an end." "Is it?" said Mr Parkley, with his teeth set. "No, I'll be hanged if it is;" and as the men gathered round, wondering at what they had heard, he laid his hand on Dutch Pugh's shoulder. "I've proved you, my lad, but I've not proved this man, who at the first touch bends and nearly breaks. We are partners, and mean to stay so, and Mr Lorry here will have to keep to his bond, or I'll soon see what the law says to him." The Cuban smiled contemptuously. "Suppose I say it was all a mad dream, and I know of no such place: what then?" "Why, you are a bigger scoundrel than I took you for." "Sir!" cried the Cuban, menacingly. "Oh, you want to frighten me with your big looks, sir," cried Mr Parkley. "Now then, I ask you in plain English, will you fulfil your undertaking, and show me the place where the old Spanish galleons are sunk?" "No," said the Cuban, coolly, "I will not help to enrich my enemy!" and he again looked indignantly at Dutch. "Mr Parkley!" exclaimed the latter, "I cannot see all this costly enterprise ruined because of my private trouble with this villain." "Villain!" cried Laure, confronting Dutch, whose face flushed and whose hands were half raised to seize his enemy. "Be silent," he said, in a low, hoarse voice, "I've that within me that I can hardly control. If you rouse it again, by the God who made me, I'll strangle you and hurl you over the side." The Cuban involuntarily shrank from the menacing face before him, and Dutch by a strong effort turned to Mr Parkley. "Make terms with him, sir. I will not stand in your way." "Yes, I'll make terms with him," exclaimed Mr Parkley, angrily. "Now, sir, I ask you again will you fulfil your contract?" The Cuban half-closed his eyes, puffed forth a ring of smoke, and said quietly,--