I got very red in the face, and then came to the part, ’The utmost endeavour is to be made to arrest the aforesaid Gerald Wilson should he enter British Territory.’ That was roughly what I read, though I can’t remember now the actual words, but it was so full of legal phrases that it made me feel cold all over. It seemed so beastly cold-blooded too, as if he hadn’t already done more actually for old England than all the rest of us English out here put together. ’Well, boy, give him the tip to keep clear—that’s all,’ the Skipper said, screwing his eyeglass in and running his fingers through his long hair. ’I can’t, sir,’ I told him. ’I don’t know where he is. He’s wounded too, sir.’ Then I told him about the letters I’d received and how I’d got them. ’Well, well, boy, I can tell you. Tut, tut! Read that—I got it from our Minister this morning—brought across in a trading-schooner. You’re not to speak of it till the news comes out.’ He was simply bubbling with pleasure, and handed me another paper. ’Received reliable news that General Moros abandoned San Fernando yesterday—insurgents, under Don Geraldio, occupied it immediately—Vice-President de Costa has formed a Provisional Government there. General Zorilla, Governor of Los Angelos, left Santa Cruz hurriedly this morning to take command of President’s army in the south.’ That, then, was the important news Gerald had written to me to expect. I simply felt hot and cold all over with excitement and the pride of imagining him, with his yellow hair and his arm in a sling, head and shoulders above every one else, marching into San Fernando at the head of his troops; and to have the fierce old Governor of Los Angelos on his track—their best fighter—even that was simply glorious. ’Surely, sir, he won’t be arrested if the insurgents win?’ The Skipper shrugged his shoulders. ’Those are my orders, whether he’s a hundred Generals rolled into one, or even the President himself, so you’d better give him the tip.’ I went away feeling very proud of Gerald, but very upset about the other thing. It did seem such jolly hard lines after he’d risked everything to help the side that was friendly to Englishmen, and had made a great name for himself in the country, and made all these half-civilized people respect all Englishmen because of him. I was worrying about this in my cabin, and how I could manage to warn him, when Ginger came banging at the door. ’Look here, Billums, old chap, I’ve just come across from the _Hercules_. This has got to stop. D’you know what has happened now? One of your chaps in your picket-boat has smashed up our steam pinnace, rammed her whilst she was trying to get alongside the Governor’s steps—cut her down to the water—did it on purpose.’