The wrangle and laughter amongst them, when I overtook them, seemed to be in consequence of the little Spaniard insisting on skinning the eel, as he called it, which Dogvarie resisted, on the ground that he intended to have it preserved in spirits and sent to his wife. The idea of a snake of so common a description being a curiosity at all, seemed to entertain little Carnero astonishingly, but when the quartermaster propounded through Lennox (whose Spanish was a melange of schoolboy Latin, broad Scotch, and signs, with a stray word of the language he attempted scattered here and there, like plums in a boarding-school pudding), that he was going to send the reptile to his wife, he lost control of himself altogether, and laughed until he rolled over and over, gingham coat and all, in the dusty road. "Culebra a su muger!--valga me dios--tabernaculo del diablo mismo a su querida!--ha ha, ha" (hiccup), "mandale papagayo, hombre--o piña conservada, o algo de dulce--algo para comer--pero serpiente!--culebra!--ha--ha--ha!"--(A snake to your wife!--heaven defend me--the tabernacle of the old one himself to your sweetheart!--send her the parrot, man--or a preserved pine-apple or some sweetmeats--something to eat--but a serpent!--a vile snake--ha--ha--ha!) Lennox now made me out, and somewhat ashamed of the condition of his Spanish ally, he made several attempts to get him on his legs, but Dogvane, who seemed offended at little Pablo's fun, stood over him grimly with his arms folded, about which the reptile was twining, and apparently resolute in his determination not to give him any aid or assistance whatever. "Surge, carnifex--get up, man--surge, you drunken beast," quoth Lennox, and then he dragged at the little man by the arms and coat skirts, until he got him out of the path so as to allow me to drive on. At length he got him on his legs, and held him in his arms. "Thank ye, Lennox," said I. He bowed. "Hilloa," quoth Dogvane, startled at my appearance; "Mr Brail, I declare!"--and he tore off his hat with such vehemence, that the poor little paroquet, fastened by the leg to it, was dashed into Pablo Carnero's face. "Marinero--animal--pendejo--quieres que yo pierdo mis ojos, con su paxaro intierno?"--(Sailor--animal--hangman--do you wish to knock my eyes out with your infernal bird?) and he made at him as if he would have annihilated him on the spot. At this hostile demonstration, Dogvane very coolly caught the little man in his arms, and tossed him into the ditch, as if he had been a ball of spun-yarn; where, as the night is fine, we shall leave him to gather himself up the best way he can. It seemed little Carnero's house was the haunt of the Batabano traders or smugglers, and that Lennox had bargained with him for a mule, and made his little arrangements for proceeding with a recua, or small caravan, across the island on the following evening.