ugh at the puzzled faces of his guests,
and translated his reply into very lame Spanish. The boys, however,
were delighted to be so hospitably received, and grinned at him, warm,
replete, and sheltered.

The man began at once to skin a rabbit. "Seein' as how you haint left
me nothin', I may as well turn to," he said. "And it ain't every day
I'm entertainin' lords."

The boys did not understand the words, but they understood the act, and
reddened.

"I myself will cook the rabbit for you, senor," said Adan.

"Well, you kin," and the man nodded acquiescence.

"You are American, no?" asked Roldan.

"I am, you bet."

"From Boston, I suppose?"

The man guffawed. "Boston ought to hear that. She'd faint. No, young
'un, I'm not from no such high-toned place as Boston. I'm a Yank
though, and no mistake. Vermont."

"Is that in America?"

"In Meriky? Something's wrong with your geography, young man. It's one
of the U. S. and no slouch, neither."

He spoke in a curious mixture of English and of Spanish that he adapted
as freely as he did his native tongue. The boys stared at him,
fascinated. They thought him the most picturesque person they had ever
met.

"When did you come?" asked Roldan.

"I'll answer any more questions you've got when I've got this yere
rabbit inside of me. P'r'aps as you've been hungry you know that it
doesn't make the tongue ambitious that way. I'll have a pipe while it's
cookin'."

He was shortly invisible under a rolling grey cloud. The tobacco was
the rank stuff used by the Indians. The boys wanted to cough, but would
have choked rather than be impolite, and finally stole out with a
muttered remark about the scenery.

When they returned their host had eaten his breakfast and smoked his
second pipe.

"Come in," he said heartily. "Come right in and make yourselves ter
home. My name's Jim Hill. I won't ask yourn as I wouldn't remember them
if I did. These long-winded Spanish names are beyond me. Set. Set.
Boxes ain't none too comfortable, but it's the best I've got."

"Oh, this box is most comfortable," Roldan hastened to assure him. "And
we are very thankful to have anything to sit on at all, senor. You
could not guess the many terrible adventures we have had in the last
few weeks."

"Indeed! Adventures? I want ter know! You look as if hammocks was more
to your taste. Oh, no offence," as Roldan's eyes flashed. "But you are
fine looking birds, and no mistake. Howsomever, we'll hear all