mining and engineering, and the
fame of our two friends had been rapidly spreading.

Both scrupulously honest in all things, Reade and Hazelton had
also won a reputation as "square" mining men. With their skill
and honesty established, the opinions of the two partners on mining
problems were generally respected wherever they happened to be
known.

So, in time, Luis Montez had heard of them, and had decided that
he needed their services at _El Sombrero_ (The Hat) Mine in the
Mexican state of Bonista. After some correspondence the two engineers
had been speedily engaged, and the opening of this volume deals
with the time of their arrival at the handsome country house of
Senor Montez.

After his host had gone inside, and Harry Hazelton slept on, Tom,
who had risen--to bow to Senor Montez, remained on his feet,
pacing slowly and thoughtfully up and down the porch.

"Now that I've seen my new employer," mused Tom, under his breath,
"I wonder just how much I really like him. He's a polished man,
and a charming fellow from the little that I've seen of him.
But his talk of ruling these hills, even in life and death--does
that speak well for him. Is he a knave, or only a harmless braggart?
Is he a man against whom one should be seriously on his guard?
Don Luis's manners, in general, I admire, but I don't quite like
the cruel expression about his month when he laughs. However,
that may be the way of the country, and I may be the victim of
prejudice. Anyway, as far as Harry and I are concerned, we needn't
worry much about the kind of man Don Luis is. The few thousands
of dollars that he will owe us as his engineers we are pretty
certain to get, for Don Luis is a very wealthy man, and he couldn't
afford to cheat us. For the rest, all he wants us to do is to
work hard as engineers and show him how to get more valuable ore
out of his mines. So, no matter what kind of man Don Luis may
be, we have nothing to fear from him--not even being cheated
out of our pay."

Having settled this in his mind, Tom Reade sank into one of the
roomy porch chairs, half closing his eyes. He was soon in danger
of being as sound asleep as was Harry Hazelton.

Certainly Reade would have been intensely interested had he been
able to render himself invisible and thus to step into one of
the rooms of the big, handsome house.

In a room that was half office, half library, Senor Luis Montez
was now closeted with another man, whom neither of t