Supposing that I must have been mistaken, I once more fell asleep. Strange to say, the same circumstances again occurred; but this time, forgetting at the moment that it was supposed I could not speak Spanish, and suddenly aroused from slumber, I shouted out, “Who goes there? Take care, whoever you are, else I’ll send a bullet through your head.” There was no answer. Lion gave a suppressed bark, in addition to a growl, and moved forward to where the valises lay, where he couched down with his fore paws stretched out, and his head resting on them, watching our property. From this I was convinced that some one had attempted to steal them, or, at all events, to obtain some of their contents; for we had carelessly left them both partly open. I was, however, now very sure that Lion would take care not to allow any one to touch them without giving us abundant warning.
This time I remained awake for some minutes, and clearly distinguished a person creeping round to the captain’s bed, on which he threw himself. It must have been the captain himself. Possibly his object was to obtain some money, which, supposing me to be a rich Englishman, he had concluded he should find; or he may have wished to get hold of our letters to ascertain who we were. He had, during the evening, frequently cast suspicious glances at my tutor and me, as if he were not quite certain that the account we gave of ourselves was the true one.
Overcome by sleep, my eyes once more closed; but I dreamed that I saw the captain reading our letters at the table, and making notes of their contents; and that then Lion jumped up and seized him by the throat. The dominie and I sprang to his rescue, but could not find the letters. I thought that he addressed us both by name, however, and appeared to know all about our affairs.
The captain got up at daybreak, and awoke us by shouting for his breakfast. During the meal, which he hurried over, he asked Mr Laffan a number of questions; then suddenly turning to me he said—
“How is it that you, who have been some months in the country, cannot speak Spanish?”
I looked at Mr Laffan and signed to him to reply.
“The young milord has no aptitude for learning languages,” he observed. “If you were to go to England, it might be some months before you could make yourself understood.”
The Spaniard, smiling grimly, said, “That’s strange, for I was awakened during the night by hearing him cry out, in very good Spanish, threatening to shoot somebody. I recognised his voice, and could not be mistaken.”
I endeavoured to look perfectly unconcerned, as if I had not understood what was said.
“You must have been dreaming, señor captain,” observed Mr Laffan; “I was nearer to him than you, and did not hear his voice.”