"Yes," he replied, with an assurance wholly free from pride. "My God is there," and he pointed to heaven. "My law is here," and he put his hand on his breast. My friend was struck with admiration, and, pressing my hand, he said: "This simple nature reasons more wisely than all the bachelors with whom we conversed at Barcelona." He was anxious to know if he could gain any information respecting his son John. It was a weight that oppressed him. He enquired if his host had heard speak of some young people, who had made a great noise in the neighborhood. "Indeed I have," said he, "I received them in my house; and they were so satisfied with the reception I gave them, that they have carried away one of my daughters." Judge of my friend's distress at this intelligence. In his emotion, he could not avoid exclaiming: "What! Has my son run away with your daughter?" "Good Englishman," said the host, "do not let that grieve you. I am glad to find he is your son. He is handsome, well made, and seems courageous. He did not run away with my dear Parouba; for you must know that Parouba is her name, because it is mine. Had he taken off Parouba, it would have been a robbery; and my five sons, who are now hunting some forty or fifty miles from here, would not have endured such an affront. It is a great sin to thieve. My daughter went of her own accord with these young people. She has gone to see the country, a pleasure one cannot deny to one of her age. These travelers will bring her back to me before a month is passed. I am sure of it. They promised to do so." These words would have made me laugh, had not the evident distress of my friend severely afflicted me. In the evening, just as we were about to start to take advantage of the wind, one of Parouba's sons arrived out of breath, his face expressing horror and despair. "What is the matter, my son? I thought you were hunting far away. Are you wounded by some savage beast?" "No, father,--not wounded, yet in pain." "But whence do you come, son?" "From a distance of forty miles, without stopping; and I am almost dead." The aged father makes him sit down. They give him restoratives. Mr. Freind and I, his little brothers and sisters, with the servants, crowd around him. When he recovered his breath, he exclaimed: "Alas, my sister Parouba is a prisoner of war, and will no doubt be killed." The worthy Parouba was grieved at this recital. Mr. Freind, feeling for him as a father, was struck to the very heart. At last, the son informed us that a party of silly young Englishmen had attacked, for diversion, the people of the mountains. He said, they had with them a very beautiful lady and her maid; and he knew not how his sister came to be with them. The handsome English lady had been scalped and killed; and his sister captured. "I come here for aid against the people of the Blue Mountains. I will kill them too, and will retake my dear sister, or perish."