he general. "Yes, here he is; and he has got the letters. Let us
see! One for you Meschines. And this, I see, is from our friend Miss
Parsloe, postmarked Santa Barbara. Why, she'll be here to-morrow, at
that rate."

"Here's a queer coincidence!" exclaimed the professor, who had meanwhile
opened his envelope and glanced through the contents. "The very man I
was speaking of,--Harvey Freeman! Says he is in this neighborhood, has
heard I'm here, and is coming down to pay me a visit. Methinks I hear
the rolling of the sacred river!"

"But you won't mention it to him, until----"

"Bless me! Of course not. I'll bring him over here, in the course
of human events, and you can take a look at him, and act on your own
intuitions. I won't say on Princess Miriam's, for Harvey is a very
fine-looking fellow, and her intuitions might get confused."

"A civil engineer!" said Miriam, with an intonation worthy of the
daughter of a West-Pointer and the descendant of an Aztec prince.

Kamaiakan (who spoke only Spanish) had been gathering up some cushions
that had fallen out of the hammock. Having replaced them, and cast a
quick glance at Meschines, he withdrew.

CHAPTER II.

The Southern Pacific Railway passes, today, not far from the site of
General Trednoke's ranch. But the events now to be narrated occurred
some years before the era of transcontinental railroads: they were in
the air, but not yet bolted down to the earth. The general, therefore,
was a pioneer, and was by no means overrun with friends from the East in
search of an agreeable winter climate. The easiest way to reach him--if
you were not pressed for time--was round the cape which forms the
southernmost point of South America and sticks its sharp snout
inquiringly into the Antarctic solitudes, as if it scented something
questionable there. The speediest route, though open to strange
discomforts, was by way of the Isthmus; and then there were always
the saddle, the wagon, and the stage, with the accompaniments of
road-agents, tornadoes, deserts, and starvation.

Miss Grace Parsloe came via the Isthmus; and the latter part of her
journey had been alleviated by the society of a young gentleman from New
York, Freeman by name. There were other passengers on the vessel; but
these two discovered sympathies of origin and education which made
companionship natural. They sat together at table, leaned side by side
over the taffrail, discussed their fellow-travellers, and inv