akfast?
There doesn't seem to be a very wide selection, but perhaps they may be
able to supply us with something eatable."

"Well," answered O'Meara, "for myself, I should like some fried eggs, if
we could get them. I see they have coffee on tap in these big urns
yonder. What say you?"

Douglas agreed that he too could relish a few eggs; and the two lads
stepped up to the counter and inquired in their best Spanish, which they
had picked up during the course of frequent visits to South American
ports, whether they could be supplied with the required comestibles.

To their astonishment, the proprietor did not at once reply, but, after
staring hard at them for a few seconds, slipped quickly off into the
back part of the shop, where they heard him speaking volubly in Spanish
to some unseen person or persons. The lads could not, at that distance,
understand all that he said, but Jim fancied that he caught the words
_espias_ and _atacar_. He naturally did not connect them in any way
with his friend or himself, however; and when the proprietor returned in
a minute or two, Jim renewed his request. This time the fellow was all
smiles and bows, and he assured the _senores_ that their order would be
most promptly attended to. The boys therefore seated themselves at the
table which they had selected, and waited for the food to be brought to
them, examining meanwhile the motley collection of people in the
building. There seemed to be men present of every shade of colour under
the sun, from the pink-skinned representative of some northern country,
down to the blackest negro; and their costumes were as varied as they
were picturesque. But what gave the lads a momentary qualm of
uneasiness was the fact that every person in the place had suddenly
become very quiet, whereas, when the boys entered, the cafe fairly
hummed with conversation; and they also noticed that nearly every pair
of eyes was directed toward themselves, while the expressions on the
men's faces were, to put it very mildly, decidedly hostile.

Presently Douglas remarked to his chum: "I say, Terry, old boy, it
appears almost as though these fellows did not quite approve of our
presence here; I wonder what's wrong? The Chilians have always been
very friendly disposed toward us British, so I suppose it is this
anticipated war which has upset their equilibrium a bit. All the same,
I wish the landlord would bring along our meal, so that we might finish
it and ge