e fell."

"Starvation and thirst are enemies to whom the bravest must
surrender."

"It looks, General, as if you had been rejuvenating this fine old
Castle."

"I have done so to a certain extent in honor of your coming. Besides I
thought my niece would find a stay here pleasant during the
oppressive weather and I prepared it partly for her. You observe how
much cooler it is here than in the capital."

CHAPTER XIII.

All had observed this fact which was natural. The elevation of the
structure, which was open to every breeze that fluttered through the
mountains, made it one of the most comfortable places in that part of
the world. Another thing had been noted by the young women. Two armed
sentinels were pacing outside, and two more came forward from the
lower apartments and saluted the General and his party. They relieved
one another at regular intervals, and three of them had their wives
domiciled on the second floor. These were slatterns, not wholly
lacking in a certain comeliness, and eyed the visitors with shy
curiosity. The latter spoke to them in Spanish, to which they smiled
and replied in soft, awed monosyllables, and respectfully watched the
movements of the young women.

General Yozarro descended the lower stairs, leaving his young friends
on the second floor, where they lingered a few minutes to admire the
view from the windows. The broad, wooded plain, stretching to the
verge of vision, the town nestling in the lowlands a few miles away,
the sweep of the river, and the cloudless blue sky formed a picture
that would always linger in the memory of all whose privilege it was
to look upon them.

The two turned to descend the steps, when the Senorita missed one of
her gloves. Hurriedly glancing about her, she said:

"I must have dropped it in the story above; I'll run up and search,
while you may find it below or on the outside."

She darted off like a bird, and Miss Starland moved down the sloping
steps which gave back not the slightest sound. The female servants had
preceded her, so that for a brief time she was alone. She reached the
lower floor, and was passing through the opening leading out doors,
when she heard some one speaking in a low, but excited voice. She
paused and discovered that he was swearing frightfully, the passion of
the speaker being the more fearful because of the repression of the
tones. With a shock which cannot be described, she recognized the
voice as General Yozarro'