GUATEMOTZIN ; THE LAST OF THE AZTECS. 



5 



der fishing, and I think that perhaps 

 they are fishing for cigars." 



" A queer kind of fish to be found in 

 these waters," remarked the mate. 



"Not at all," smilingly responded 

 MaGee ; " they are sometimes found in 

 immense quantities." 



" I see," I broke in angrily. It was 

 bad enough to be foiled in our purpose 

 without being made a laughing-stock. 

 " You are bent on picking a quarrel 

 with us ; well, sir, you can have it just 

 as soon as you wish." 



" I believe/' he answered, " I have 

 spoiled a little game here, but I am per- 

 forming my duty, just as you would do 

 if you were in my position. It is the 

 fortune of war and we will not bandy 

 further words about it. Where is your 

 manifest ? " 



11 Below," I responded, sullenly. 



"Very well." He turned to his as- 

 sistant who had stood quietly by, " Tom! 

 I will go below and look over the mani- 

 fest, while you .search the ship." 



I led the way to my office followed 

 by MaGee, Breen, and the mate. After 

 handing the manifest to the official I 

 threw myself on my berth and waited 

 the inevitable. MaGee slowly read 

 down the paper until he came to the 

 entry, when a prolonged whistle indi- 

 cated his satisfaction. He fairly beamed 

 at me as he peered over the top of his 

 spectacles. 



" Well," he said. " It's too bad ; 

 40,000 cigars. Do you know ? " he went 

 on in a confidential sort of way, "that if 

 I were an expert in chirography, I 

 should say this entry was made within 

 the hour. The ink is not yet dry." 



" What are you going to do about it ?" 

 I inquired, gloomily. " The entry is 

 there, and there is no attempt at smug- 



gling." 



" Where are these cigars ? " 



"In the steward's room." 



I led the way to the steward's room 

 and indicated the closet containing the 

 cigars. MaGee opened the closet, 

 counted the boxes, and remarked that 

 as they were consigned to Vera Cruz 

 he would be obliged to put the seal 

 of the Custom House on the closed 

 boxes. 



I sullenly assented and moodily 

 watched the proceedings. As MaGee 

 finished, Breen said. " Of cornse, we 

 bear you no resentment for doing your 



duty, Mr. MaGee ; in proof of which I 

 wish you to join me in a glass of fine old 

 Madeira I obtained from a Spanish mail 

 steamer in the gulf." 



" With all my heart," responded Ma- 

 Gee, heartily, setting down the wax 

 taper and seal on the table. 



" I'll be hanged if I drink with him," 

 I replied, observing Breen frantically 

 shaking his head in the negative behind 

 the officer's back, and pointing to the 

 table. 



" Well, if you want to sulk, we can do 

 without you," said the steward. " Come 

 to the saloon, MaGee, and I will give 

 you a drink of a choice brand ot the 

 captain's Madeira." 



" All right," responded MaGee, who 

 was an old toper and whose failing 

 Breen was aware of. As MaGee and 

 the mate followed the steward into the 

 saloon that adjoined Breen 's stateroom, 

 I hurriedly seized the wax, plunged it 

 into the flame of the taper I had lighted, 

 and dropped huge globules upon some 

 writing paper. I had taken a doz^ n 

 impressions of the seal before I heard 

 Breen talking in a loud voice. I hur 

 riedly hid the impressions under a pil- 

 low and threw myself into the bunk. 

 .MaGee entered, followed by the stew- 

 ard, who was talking loudly. 



"You miserable old carcass !" he ex- 

 claimed. "Do you mean to deny me a 

 thousand cigars after swilling my Ma- 

 deira? By the great horn spoon, I 

 wish it had burned your leathery old 

 throat." 



" Now, look here," replied MaGee, 

 taking his seal and turning on the stew- 

 ard, " if you don't keep a civil tongue 

 in your head I'll have you arrested for 

 bribery." 



"I suppose you have witnesses to 

 prove you are not trying to force us to 

 give you a thousand cigars," I sarcastic- 

 ally replied ; but you must remember 

 those cigars are regularly entered on 

 the manifest and consigned to Vera 

 Cruz." 



u Yes, and I will take gO< d care that 

 they go there, if I am obliged to have 

 the whole coa>t under surveillance from 

 here to Florida." 



"You have done your worst.'' I re- 

 torted. " Now get out of here and ' 

 us in peace." 



"After looking at the seal he left the 

 stateroom. Breen and I burst into a 



