MARTIN RATTLER. 243

with much complacency, and without paying the
slightest attention to Martin, who pinched himself in
order to make sure he was not dreaming.

In a few minutes the second Negro returned with
an enormous tray, on which were dishes of all sizes,
from under whose covers came the most savoury odours
imaginable. Having placed these symmetrically on
the board, both slaves retired and relocked the door
without saying a word.

At last it began to dawn on Martin’s imagination
that the overseer must be an eccentric individual, who
found pleasure in taking his visitors by surprise.
But although this seemed a possible solution of the
difficulty, he did not feel satisfied with it. He could
with difficulty resist the temptation to attack the
viands, however, and was beginning to think of doing
this, regardless of all consequences, when the door
again opened and the Baron Fagoni entered, relocked
the door, put the key in his pocket, and standing
before his prisoner with folded arms, gazed at him
intently from beneath his sombrero.

Martin could not stand this. “Sir,” said he, starting
up, “if this is a joke, you have carried it far enough ;
and if you really detain me here a prisoner, every
feeling of honour ought to deter you from adding in-

sult to injury.”