you many mosquitoes at your estancia, Mr. Percy?'

'Not many,' Mr. Percy said; 'I have no stream near, and it is only near
water that they are so very bad.'

After waiting during the heat of the day at Mr. Percy's, the boys rode
on home, as six guests were altogether beyond Mr. Percy's power of
accommodating.

The next morning the boys were up long before daylight, and went down to
the stream, where, as day broke, they managed to shoot a swan and five
wild ducks, and with these they returned to the house. Then they swept
the place with the greatest care, spread the table, arranged the
benches, set everything off to the best advantage, and then devoted
their whole energies to cooking a very excellent breakfast, which they
were sure the travellers would be ready for upon their arrival. This was
just ready, when, from the lookout on the tower, they saw the party
approaching. The breakfast was too important to be left, and they were
therefore unable to ride out to meet them. They were at the gate,
however, as they rode up.

'Hurrah, hurrah!' they shouted, and the girls set up a cheer in return.

The men ran up to take the horses, and in another minute the whole party
were in their new home. The girls raced everywhere wild with delight,
ascended to the lookout, clapped their hands at the sight of the sheep
and cattle, and could hardly be persuaded to take their things off and
sit down to breakfast.

Mrs. Hardy was less loud in her commendation of everything, but she was
greatly pleased with her new home, which was very much more finished and
comfortable than she had expected.

'This is fun, mamma, isn't it?' Maud said. 'It is just like a picnic.
How we shall enjoy it, to be sure! May we set-to at once after
breakfast, and wash up?'

'Certainly, Maud; Sarah will not be here for another two hours, and it
is as well that you should begin to make yourselves useful at once. We
shall all have to be upon our mettle, too. See how nicely the boys have
cooked the breakfast. These spatch-cock ducks are excellent, and the
mutton chops done to a turn. They will have a great laugh at us, if we,
the professed cooks, do not do at least as well.'

'Ah, but look at the practice they have been having, mamma.'

'Yes, Maud,' Hubert said; 'and I can tell you it is only two or three
things we can do well. Ducks and geese done like this, and chops and
steaks, are about the limits. If we tried anything else, we made an
awful mess of it: