his much-desired garment; though, to be sure, as the
rainy season still was a long way off, there was no need for it. He
hesitated a little when I questioned him about it, and then, in a very
apologetic tone, said: "Perhaps the senor will forgive me for doing so
ill with his money. But indeed I could not help it. There is an old man,
his name is Juan, senor, who has been very good to me many times. He has
given me things to put into this wretchedly big belly of mine; and when
I broke one of my jars he lent me the money to buy another with, and
would take from me again only what the jar cost and no more. Just now
this old many is sick--it is rheumatism, senor--and he has no money at
all, and he and his wife have not much to eat, and I know what pain that
is. And so--and so--Will the senor forgive me? I do not need the
rain-coat now, the senor understands. And so I gave Juan the seven
_reales_, which he will pay me when he gets well and works again; and
should he die and not pay me--Does the senor know what I have been
thinking? It is that rain-coats really are not very needful things,
after all. Without them one gets wet, it is true; but then one soon gets
dry again. But truly"--and there was a sudden catching in Pablo's throat
that was very like a sob--"truly I did want one."

When Pablo had told this little story I did not wonder at the esteem in
which Fray Antonio held him, and from that time onward he had a very
warm place in my heart. And I may say that but for his too great
devotion to his mouth-organ--for that boy never could hear a new tune
but that he needs must go at once to practising it upon his beloved
"instrumentito" until he had mastered it--he was the best servant that
man ever had. And within his gentle nature was a core of very gallant
fearlessness. In the times of danger which we shared together later,
excepting only Rayburn, not one of us stood face to face and foot to
foot with death with a steadier or a calmer bravery; for in all his
composition there did not seem to be one single fibre that could be made
to thrill in unison with fear. Of his qualities as a servant I had a
good trial during the two months that we were together in the
mountains--in which time I got enough working knowledge of the Indian
dialects to make effective the knowledge that I had gained from
books--and I was amazed by the quickness that he manifested in
apprehending and in supplying my wants and in understanding my ways.

A