By this bridle-path, it is whispered, a vast smuggled commerce has
ever found passage to the mainland, and scarce a boatman or
passenger lands at Algeciras from Gibraltar but carries somewhere on
his person as much tobacco as he may hope to conceal with safety.
Algeciras, with its fair white houses, its prim church, and sleepy
quay, where the blue waters lap and sparkle in innocent sunlight,
is, it is to be feared, a town of small virtue and the habitation of
scoundrels. For this is the stronghold of those contrabandistas
whom song and legend have praised as the boldest, the merriest, and
most romantic of law-breakers. Indeed, in this country the man who
can boast of a smuggling ancestry holds high his head and looks down
on honest folk.

The 'Granville' having dropped anchor to the north of the rough
stone pier, was soon disburdened of her passengers--the ladies going
ashore with undisguised delight, and leaving behind them many
gracious messages of thanks to the gentleman whose gallantry had
resulted so disastrously; for Conyngham was still in bed, though now
nearly recovered. Truth to tell, he did not hurry to make his
appearance in the general cabin, and came on deck a few hours after
the departure of the ladies, whose gratitude he desired to avoid.

Two days of the peerless sunshine of these southern waters
completely restored him to health, and he prepared to go ashore. It
was afternoon when his boat touched the beach, and the idlers,
without whom no Mediterranean seaboard is complete, having passed
the heat of the day in a philosophic apathy amounting in many cases
to a siesta, now roused themselves sufficiently to take a dignified
and indifferent interest in the new arrival. A number of boys, an