said Carlos, striking his hand against
a strongly-barred door. "A captive would find it a difficult task to
get out of this, and it has safely held more than one in its time."

"As soon as Maurice is satisfied with a sight of this gloomy place, I
hope that he will come and see the garden," exclaimed Rita, I of course
said, "Yes."

Two fine dogs, whose kennels were near the entrance, came up, wagging
their tails, and rubbing their noses against my legs, as if to know me
again. A short distance to the right were some open sheds serving as
stables, in which were several stout horses, generally called mustangs
in that part of the world. The girls said that they and their brother
frequently rode out on horseback, but that of late they were not allowed
to go far from home. Passing the huts of the slaves, which for economy
of space were huddled close to the stables, we entered the orange grove.
It was the first I had been in. In all directions ran small aqueducts
formed of bamboo, so that the ground might be easily irrigated. The
water, my cousins told me, was let on every evening, and while we were
there, we saw it trickling along the miniature canals, and almost
instantly the flowers gave forth the most delicious perfume.

"That's what the Spaniards call `returning thanks,'" observed Juanita.
"It is a pretty idea, is it not?"

Carlos, fancying that I took more pleasure in the society of his
sisters, left us, and I had a pleasant stroll round the whole island
with my cousins. They showed me that the wild trees I had seen coming
up the river were left there merely as a protection to the garden, and I
saw that the stockades which surrounded the island were so placed as to
prevent any persons landing, and might serve also as an outer
fortification to the castle. When we returned to the house, we found
supper prepared, and my uncle, accompanied by my father, entered the
room.

"Why, papa, you are already better for Uncle Michael's coming," said
Rita, giving him a kiss.

"I feel so," answered Uncle Nicholas. "I hope, before long, to be
myself again, and be able to show him and Maurice some of the wonders of
the country."

The young ladies, mentioning the arrival of the judge, begged permission
to ride over the next morning to pay their friend his wife and little
Paul a visit.

"You need have no fear of Indians," observed Carlos; "for it is said
that the few families which occasionally visited this neighbourhood