gerous 'mocito,' and there is every reason for his suspicion; Dona
Lola having persuaded herself that it is she, and not her young niece,
who is the object of the 'mocito's' solicitations. Deluded with this
notion, the elderly spinster facilitates Ramon's visit to the house, and
there is a scene in which she helps to conceal him in a huge barrel used
for storing charcoal. One of the chief 'situations' in the farce occurs
when Don Gabriel, at the instigation of Mister Charleys (whom Ramon
nicknames Mister Estornudo, or Sneezer, from the resemblance of his name
to a sneeze as expressed in Spanish), fires a loaded pistol at the
barrel and its human contents.

It is during the action of this scene that the questionable phrase,
already referred to, should be delivered by the Yankee engineer.

The cue being given, I am in the act of repeating the lines, when the
voice of Don Baltazar, the manager, to whom is apportioned the role of
Ramon, is heard imploring me, from the barrel, to omit the words.
Conscious of the presence of his Excellency the Governor, the manager is
suddenly seized with misgivings as to the manner in which the expression
will be received, and will not risk his Excellency's displeasure. My
fellow-comedians, who are all Cubans, urge me to proceed. The prompter
thinks I have forgotten my part, and repeats the text--so often, indeed,
that the spectators in the third row of the stalls at last overhear him,
and call unanimously for the correct version of the play.

'These poor Span---- ' I begin. The barrel trembles visibly.

'Por Dios,' hisses the manager, bobbing up from the barrel like an
undecided Jack-in-the-box--'for Heaven's sake, don't compromise me!'

The audience begin to show signs of impatience. Again the prompter
maddens me by giving the text.

Myself (_aside to prompter_): 'Bar--ajo! sir, I know my part.'

Mister Charleys (_very loud to audience_): 'These poor Spanish brutes
want civilising badly!'

'Bravo! Muy bien!' from the Cuban party.

Groans and loud whistling from the Spaniards.

'That was well said!' observes a voice.

'Fuera!' (Turn him out!) observes another.

'It was a good home-thrust!' cries the first.

'Fuera ese hombre!' (Turn out that man!) shrieks voice number two.

'Polizia!' The theatrical president rises angrily from his box and
summons the police.

The male spectators who occupy the pit-stalls begin to be as unruly as
they are at a bull-fight. The ladies move fr