Also, he saw that when the captain was climbing the bank, the boat, in charge of a mate--as the inspector judged from his brass-bound uniform--backed water to the end of the jetty, where it swung against one of the shell-encrusted piles.

Hervey finally reached the jetty level, but refused to come on to the same.

He beckoned to Don Pedro and his companions to walk forward to the ground upon which he was standing.

Also, he seemed exceedingly anxious to take time over the transaction, as even after he had handed the scroll of writing to the Peruvian, and had received the gold in exchange, he engaged in quarrelsome conversation.

Pretending that he doubted if De Gayangos had brought the exact sum, he opened the canvas bag and insisted on counting the money.