King 



was by no means always that Mr. 

 Brooks could protect himself. I have 

 been curious to know whether King's 

 rebel-friends had a share in our com- 

 forts ; but however that may have 

 been, nothing happened. Everyone 

 was kind and hospitable. Of a Sun- 

 day morning the neighbors brought 

 a brace or two of fighting-cocks over, 

 to let us have a cock-fight in our own 

 court. With Ramsden we rode up 

 to the Gran Piedra and passed the 

 night under the stars. No one ever 

 so much as asked a question, — Span- 

 iard, Cuban, mulatto or negro, — but 

 every man, woman and child ex- 

 pected the revolution that was com- 

 ing, and counted on King for a friend. 

 We stayed at Dos Bocas a month, 

 and then King became restless again 

 and insisted on going to Nassau. 

 Of our subsequent wanderings it 

 would be easy to make a story, but I 

 am not telling a story ; I am only 

 178 



