"'Tis simplicity itself, master. To-night it is my watch. When the captain is asleep in his cabin, do you come on deck and go aft. You will find a boat alongside, and into it you must contrive to get as you best can. Hide yourself there so that no one can see you from the deck. When the watch is changed, instead of going forward I shall make for the boat. No one will see me, I promise you. When I am with you we shall cut the boat adrift and let the vessel outsail us. Then we must make for the coast in the direction of Tuxtla. We shall know which way to steer because of the volcano. But after that--why, I know not what we shall do." "Have you no plan?" "Marry, I have ideas. We might go across country to Acapulco, hoping to find there an English ship; but 'tis a long and weary way, and what with Indians and wild beasts I fear we should never get there. Howbeit let us tackle one danger at a time." Being then called to dinner I went below, and was perforce once more obliged to sit at meat with my jailer, who, now that his charge of me was coming to an end, was more polite than ever, and treated me with exceeding great courtesy. "You have been on deck, Master Salkeld," said he, "and have doubtless perceived that we are in sight of land." "I have seen the great mountain, Senor," I answered. "True, the land is yet little more than a line. If the wind had been fair we should have dropped anchor ere midnight. Your voyage has been a long one, but I trust you have not been inconvenienced." "Only as a man may be by the loss of his liberty, Senor." "You will soon be free," he answered, giving me one of his strange, mocking smiles. "And I trust that when we part it will be with a full recognition on your side of the way in which I have carried out our bargain." "As I do not remember our bargain, Senor, I am afraid that is hardly possible," I made answer. "Chut! your memory is certainly at fault. However, the facts will probably occur to you--later." "Part of the bargain, if I remember your first mention of it, Senor, was that you should carry me to the West Indies." "You are right in that," said he. "Are we approaching the West Indies?" "The West Indies is a wide term, Master Salkeld. We are certainly not approaching the West India islands. We are, in fact, off the coast of Mexico, and the mountain you see in the distance is the famed peak of Orizaba. To-morrow morning we shall drop anchor in the port of Vera Cruz." "And what shall I do there, Senor?" He smiled at the question--a mysterious smile, which had a grim meaning behind it. "Who knows, Senor? There are many occupations for a young and active gentleman." Now, for the life of me I could not help asking him a very pertinent question before I left the cabin to return on deck. "Senor," I said, "seeing that we are to part so soon you will perhaps not object to giving me some information. How much did my cousin, Master Jasper Stapleton, pay you for your share in this matter?"