road of the beautiful valley, the
commodore said, "But, Piron, tell me who that large man is with the
black hair and blue eyes."

"Why, Cleveland, all I know of him is that he landed at Kingston in a
vessel from the Isthmus of Panama, and is going to Cuba on his way to
England. He came to me, hearing that I was the consignee of old Blunt's
older brig, bound to New Orleans, and so home, to know if he could be
dropped at St. Jago, where he has some property or debts to collect; and
since the old skipper has no objection, he has taken passage in the brig
when she goes with me and my family. I have since met him--he calls
himself Colonel Lawton--at dinners of our set, and he seems to be an
Englishman or Scotchman. Tom Stewart thinks the latter from his accent,
and for his liking for snuff; but Paddy Burns differs, and believes he
don't like snuff, but only takes it to show his splendid box. Any way,
he speaks all languages, Spanish, French, Italian, and English, and can
talk slang in them all like a native. He has served, too, from his own
account, with Bolivar there on the Spanish Main; and he was with
Cochrane in that desperate affair of cutting out the 'Esmeralda' in
Callao Bay. A very amusing, entertaining vagabond he is, and I asked him
to join us to make the acquaintance of my people on our last frolic to
the valley; but, somehow, I am rather sorry that I gave him a passage
with us in the brig, for I don't altogether like his looks."

"Neither do I, Piron; his hair is too black for his light blue eyes.
However, we must make the most of him."

Over the shaky bridge of the torrent, where Jacob Blunt prayed earnestly
for Martha Blunt, and d----d his donkey as if he had never rocked on
water before; Mr. Mouse, with a last tiny kick on the saddle-flaps of his
lofty mule, tumbled off; Colonel Lawton swinging himself from the saddle
of his barb as if he had been part of him; Tom Stewart, Paddy Burns, and
Don Stingo sliding off any way; Harry Darcantel trying to descend in
fine style, and failing miserably; Piron and the commodore doing the
thing leisurely; Jacob Blunt pulled off bodily; while the laughing
blacks took the beasts and led them away.

There were three pair of eyes that watched all this grace and clumsiness
from the windows of the saloon. Two pair of dark ones smiled, and the
pair of blue opened until they seemed like azure globes, and then they
closed until the fringe of chestnut lashes nearly hid them from