ad threatened him with violence if he
turned it down. The lad lay with a flushed face on Dick's bed; his muddy
boots sticking out from under the crumpled coverlet. He seemed to be
fully dressed and his wet clothes were smeared with foul green slime.
There was a big red lump on his forehead.

"Why didn't you put him into his own bed?" Dick asked the negro.

"He go in, senor, and come out quick. Say no possible he stop. _Maldito_
bed is damp."

Bethune smiled. "There'll be a big washbasket for the _lavenderas_
to-morrow, but we must take his wet clothes off." He shook Jake. "You've
got to wake up!"

After a time Jake opened his eyes and blinked at Bethune. "All right!
You're not as fat as Salvador, and you can catch that chair. The fool
thing follows me and keeps getting in my way."

"Come out," Bethune ordered him, and turned to the negro. "Where's his
pyjamas?"

Salvador brought a suit, and Dick, who dragged Jake out of bed, asked:
"How did you get into this mess?"

"Fell into pond behind the dam; not safe that pond. Put a shingle up
to-morrow, 'Keep off the grass.' No, that'sh not right. Let'sh try again.
'Twenty dollars fine if you spit on the sidewalk.'"

Bethune grinned at Dick. "It's not an unusual notice in some of our
smaller towns, and one must admit it's necessary. However, we want to get
him into dry clothes."

Jake gave them some trouble, but they put him in a re-made bed and went
back to the verandah, where Bethune sat down.

"Fuller has his good points, but I guess you find him something of a
responsibility," he remarked.

"I do," said Dick, with feeling. "Still, this is the first time he has
come home the worse for liquor. I'm rather worried about it, because it's
a new trouble."

"And you had enough already?" Bethune suggested. "Well, though you're not
very old yet, I think Miss Fuller did well to make you his guardian, and
perhaps I'm to blame for his relapse, because I sent him to Santa
Brigida. Francois was busy and there were a number of bills to pay for
stores we bought in the town. I hope Fuller hasn't lost the money!"

Dick felt disturbed, but he said, "I don't think so. Jake's erratic, but
he's surprised me by his prudence now and then."

Bethune left soon afterwards, and Dick went to bed, but got up again
after an hour or two and began his work without seeing Jake. They did not
meet during the day, and Dick went home to his evening meal uncertain
what line to take. He had no rea