th the
representation of a wild animal couchant. The Senor Valdez was quick to
see Jim's interest and respond to it. "That is the coat of arms of my
family," he explained.

"I am not a scholar, Senor," said Jim, "and all I can make of the motto
is that it has something to do with a lion."

"You are quite right," the ghost of a smile hovered around the
white-fringed lips of the Spaniard, at Jim's innate boyishness.

"That figure does not look exactly like a lion," remarked Jo frankly.

"Not like an African lion certainly," replied the Spaniard, "but a lion
nevertheless, such as one finds yet in the mountain fastnesses of Spain,
something like a panther only larger and much more fierce."

"The lion seems to have a rope or chain around his neck," commented Jim,
"and fastened to a collar."

"Quite so," responded the Spaniard, "likewise the motto translated
reads, 'Gentle as a Lion.'"

"Rather strange way of putting it," said Jim curiously.

"I will explain, for you would naturally be puzzled by the phrase,
'Gentle as a Lion,' as it seems to contradict common knowledge," said
Senor Valdez. "You see my family has the distinction, if such it can be
called, in these modern days, the distinction of being old. This
coat-of-arms dates back to the eleventh century."

Jo was about to give a prolonged whistle of surprise when Jim gripped
his knee to enforce silence, for though Jo might mean all right, the
Spaniard might not understand.

"The founder of the family who flourished at that time was a rather
rugged character, and I am afraid would regard the family
representatives of this day as very puny and unworthy specimens. This
Rodriquez de Valdez had his castle in a rugged mountainous part of
Spain, where there were plenty of wild animals and of wilder and fiercer
men, bandits and free-booters without number.

"His castle was a very powerful one, not only in construction but
likewise in location, as it was built on a shelf of rock above a deep
chasm, with precipitous cliffs behind it. However, Rodriquez de Valdez
spent but very little time behind the protection of its powerful walls.
It would take the forces of some strong Duke from the lowland to cause
him to seek the shelter of his castle and to raise his war banner of
crimson with a blue cross upon it, above the turret.

"He spent his days hunting among the mountains for wild beasts or for
marauding bands of lawless men. Rodriquez was a man of wonderful
strength,