CHAPTER XVIII.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
"We seem always to be escaping, _amigo mio_," said Carmen, as we sat in the shade, eating our _tasajo_.

"We got out of one scrape only to get into another.

Your experience of the country so far has not been happy." "Well, I certainly have had rather a lively time of it since I landed at La Guayra, if that is what you mean." "Very.

And I should almost advise you to leave the country, if that were possible.

But reaching the coast in present circumstances is out of the question.