"No."

"I believe you. And now, my young friend," said Perkins, with a singular
return of his beaming gentleness, "since those two efficient and
competent officers and this energetic but discourteous seaman are gone,
would you mind telling me WHAT you were hiding for?"

The prisoner raised his eyes on his questioner. For the last three weeks
he had lived in the small community of which the Senor was a prominent
member, but he scarcely recognized him now.

"What if I refuse?" he said.

The Senor shrugged his shoulders.

"Those two excellent men would feel it their duty to bring the Peruvian
to the captain, and I should be called to interpret to him."

"And I should throw myself overboard the first chance I got. I would
have done so ten minutes ago, but the mate stopped me."

His eye glistened with the same fatuous determination he had shown at
first. There was no doubt he would do as he said.

"I believe you would," said the Senor benevolently; "but I see no
present necessity for that, nor for any trouble whatever, if you will
kindly tell me WHAT I am to say."

The young man's eyes fell.