"I spent the night in the same place, and longed for the day, hoping again to see the beautiful islander, although I was not without some fear that she would relate what she had seen, and perhaps give me up to the barbarians, with whom I imagined the island was inhabited; but this fear left me, when I saw her at the opening of the cave the following morning, beautiful as the sun, gentle as a lamb, not accompanied by savages to seize me and take my life, but laden with food to support it." The Spaniard had reached this part of his story, when the youth who had been sent out to gain intelligence, arrived, and brought word that the island was almost entirely destroyed by the fire, and nearly the whole of the inhabitants dead, some by fire, and some by the knife. That if any survived they had put out to sea in their rafts, to escape the flames on land; that they might safely leave their concealment, and go through the island, where they were not prevented by the fire, and that each one must consider what steps would be best to take in order to escape from this accursed land; for all around were other islands, inhabited by savages, but of less cruel and barbarous natures; and, possibly, in a change of place, they might change also their fortune. "Be composed, my son, and stay quiet for a few minutes, for I am relating the story of my adventures; and I am nearly come to the end of these, though not, I fear, to the end of my misfortunes." "Do not weary yourself, my dear husband," said the elder of the women, "by giving all the minute details which very possibly may fatigue the hearers as well as the narrator; leave it to me to tell all that remains to be told up to the present moment." "I am content to let it be so," replied the Spaniard, "for I shall have great pleasure in hearing how you will relate the story."