"
"And the name of this influential person?" inquired the Santa
Marinan, suavely.
"Hamilton H. Tubbs," croaked Miss Browne.
Senor Gonzales smiled.
"I remember the name well, madam. It is that of the pretended
holder of a concession from our government, who a few years ago
induced a number of American school-teachers and clergymen and
other financially innocent persons to invest in imaginary coffee
plantations. He had in some doubtful fashion become possessed of a
little entirely worthless land, which formed the basis of his
transactions. His frauds were discovered while he was in our
country, and he was obliged to leave between two days, according to
your so picturesque idiom. Needless to say his application for
permission to visit Leeward Island for any purpose would instantly
have been refused, but as a matter of fact it was never made."
In a benumbed silence we met the blow. The riches that had seemed
within our grasp would never be ours. We had no claim upon them,
for all our toil and peril; no right even to be here upon the
island. Suddenly I began to laugh; faces wearing various shades of
shocked surprise were turned on me. Still I laughed.
"Don't you see," I cried, "how ridiculous it all is? All the time
it is we who have been pirates!"
The Spaniard gave me a smile made brilliant by the gleam of
smoldering black eyes and the shine of white teeth.
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