amned country!
The wind-swept wastes of Dante's Inferno are verdant in comparison!
You're mad, there's no doubt of it!" he fumed, stamping up and down.

"Do you know," he went on, stopping abruptly before his nephew, "they
say that, before you left Newport, you ran your touring-car over the
cliff into the sea--a machine that must have cost you fifteen thousand
at least!"

"Well, what if I did? It served me right for deserting my horse for the
devil's toy. Thank God, I'm rid of the infernal machine!"

"Look here, Jack Forest--" but the Colonel's voice broke in a violent
fit of coughing.

It required but little discernment on the part of the Mexicans to
perceive that the meeting between Captain Forest and his family was not
what might be termed particularly felicitous. Even Senora Fernandez was
quick enough to perceive that things were going from bad to worse, and
in an effort to smooth matters, she stepped forward and in her best
English said: "Senor _Capitan_, why did you tell me not zat ze ladies
were coming? I might 'ave prepared been for zem."

"My good Senora," responded the Captain, regarding her with a look of
extreme compassion, "I never dreamt of such a misfortune."

"Just the sort of answer one might expect from you! Not a word of
welcome or sympathy! I always said you were the most selfish mortal
alive!" cried Mrs. Forest bitterly.

"Senoras, I pray for you, come into ze house at once!" spoke up the
Senora again, turning entreatingly to the ladies. "I you promess, zat
wen you an orange an' cup of coffee 'ave 'ad, you will yourselves better
feel."

"The Senora's right," broke in the Captain. "Come into the house and
when you've--" but his sentence was cut short by the sharp report of a
pistol, followed in quick succession by two other shots, and a moment
later a man, breathless and without coat or hat, and his shirt and
trousers in tatters, rushed among them.

"Hide me quick, somebody!" he cried. "For God's sake--the posse--" but
before he could finish, a troop of men, armed with six-shooters and
Winchester rifles, burst from the cover of bushes that lined the
highroad.

"There he is yonder, boys, behind that man!" cried their leader
excitedly, a small, thick-set, broad-shouldered man with sandy hair and
beard and florid complexion. The others, following the direction
indicated by him, seized the fugitive who had taken refuge behind
Captain Forest and dragged him hurriedly beneath one of the cotton