A PAGE OF EOMANCE. 



295 



another of bis faults was that he was eseeedingly ir- 

 ritable, BO much so, that he and the lady's father fell 

 into a serious dispute, in whicb he became so enraged 

 that he ordered his sen^ant to saddle his horse forth- 

 with, while he pulled on his long-spurred riding- 

 boots, and stuck a large Colt's revolver (navy size) 

 into his belt. He now declai-ed his intention to put 

 an end to all his ills with his own hand, anil, disre- 

 garding the screams of his affianced, and the prayei-s 

 and entreaties of all, he sprang into the saddle, and, 

 dashing by the house where I was living, disappeared 

 up the road into the forest. The gentleman with 

 whom I was residing saw him as he passed, and at 

 once surmised his intent^ but I assured my host that 

 it took a brave man to commit suicide, and in due 

 time we should certainly see our friend safely return. 

 The sequel proved the con'ectness of my judgment, 

 for in a couple of hours he came back, his horse reek- 

 ing with perspiration, and he himself as crestfallen 

 as Don Quixote after his most heart-breaking misfor- 

 tunes. The only one who suffered from this event 

 wag the young lady, who had so much confidence in 

 her gallant Mend as to foolishly believe he would 

 cany out his desperate resolve to the bitter end. 



In??tead of remaining only a few days as I had 

 planned, I had now lived more than three months in 

 exile here at Bum, when one morning it was ao- 

 nounced that the governor's yacht, the Telegraph, 

 had arrived, to my great deliglit, for I had already 

 engaged a prau to c^U m for me while on her way 

 from Amboina to Ternate. The Telegraph came 

 from Ccrani to afford me an opportunity of going t*> 



