100 NIMROD OF THE SEA ; OR, 



to keep up a row, and gave the " Spanioles " not a moment 

 of rest. At times things looked serious, but Payla soldiers 

 are slow to push a quarrel to extremities with a party of 

 sailors as strong as ours was. As morning approached, we 

 learned the secret of our arrest. It proved to be a little 

 private speculation of the little garrison of the place. They 

 had arrested and brought us to their barrack-room in the 

 hope that we would offer them a dollar or more to be let off. 

 As we made no advances in that direction, they gave us 

 to understand that " une peaso " would open the door to the 

 donor; but we could see in a dollar more enjoyment than 

 winning an early morning's walk in the empty streets of 

 Payta. Therefore, in the gentle terms of our nation, we 

 declined, much to the disgust of our hosts. 



At sunrise our worthy captain appeared in the. market of 

 the Plaza on which our calaboose fronted, and catching a 

 sight of so many of his crew through the open door, he 

 went off in one of his pious tantrums, using so few strong 

 words that his spiritual health was more endangered, per- 

 Jiaps, than if he had freely used his breath in sea-lingo. 



Such was my only night in a Peruvian calaboose, and the 

 experience may account for the lapses in my Payta journal. 



The good captain called me into his cabin soon after, and 

 said, 



" Bill, you were brought up a Quaker, weren't you ?" 



" Yes," I answered, shortly. - 



Flushing up, he demanded, 



"How's that? Yes, sir, is the answer I expect in this 

 cabin." 



"I beg your pardon, sir, I forgot. I was thinking I was 

 a Quaker again." 



He smiled good-naturedly, and then lectured me thus : 



"I sent for you to warn you against rum. You risk your 

 soul sure, and you lose all chance of promotion in my ship. 



