Long before daylight on the morning succeeding the narration of Correliana Adinope, the busy sound of preparation was heard on board of the _Tortuga_, and on shore. Food and clothes for raiment were bestowed in hampers and bales, by the Kyronese, in quantity sufficient for the easy carriage of the mules; while Captain Dow and his subalterns, Jack and Bill, marshaled the Kyronese guard in preparation for rifle, pistol, and howitzer, defensive and offensive practice. At sunrise, when nearly ready for the start, Correliana clapped her hands with a joyful exclamation, and, in a moment after a messenger falcon stooped in perch upon her wrist. This was of the species _Falco peregrinus_ of the pampas, but much improved in size and plumage from culture. Its greeting, as with the first, was replete with pleasurable animation, extending its wings in impulsive sway to the voluntary and involuntary action of its talons, peculiar to birds and beasts of prey, when subject to intensified sensual gratification. As with the cat kind, who make their “friendly” satisfaction manifest by extending and contracting the sheath muscles of the claws, the falcon unconsciously closed its talons upon the wrist of its mistress, causing her to utter, with the painful punctures, “Soh, soh, Merlin, mon brachiale!” Captain Greenwood, observing the flow of blood from her wrist, quickly supplied her with a pair of gauntlets. Merlin, when again restored to her wrist, seemed to understand the intention of the buckskin proviso, for he used his talons in the expressive ruffling and extending of his wings; succeeding with his coquetry in attracting her attention from the train of meditation in which she appeared to be engaged, he raised his wings upright, exposing beneath parchment scripts; these removed he leisurely commenced a survey of his surroundings. After their perusal she wrote a few words in reply upon some French tissue paper furnished by M. Hollydorf; this secured in Merlin’s sacks, he desired Captain Dow to take note of the bird’s course, before it rose to its poise, as it would guide him to the opening of the pass in the foot-hills. After the bird in floating flight had reached the point of designation, it soared to its poise and in descent quickly disappeared from view. When the train was fully in motion, Correliana beckoned Captain Greenwood apart, and then to his surprise addressed him in English, with slow, measured enunciation the involumed supplication “Will-you-come-to- us-if-we-are-successful? We-are-happy-among-ourselves,-and-if-you-love- happiness-as-we-enjoy-it-in-our-simplicity,-and-your-educated-habits- will-permit-you-to-love-me,-without-regret-from-other-cause-than-my-own- demerits,-there-will-be-great-joy-in-store-for-us.”