.

"Nothin' to speak of. Only shook down a house or two that was built to
sell, I suppose, not to stand. You'll find the market-place second turn
to your left."

Somewhat impressed by the landlord's free-and-easy manner, as well as by
his apparent contempt for earthquakes, the master and man went out
together. With characteristic modesty the negro attempted to walk
behind, but Lawrence would by no means permit this. He insisted on his
walking beside him.

"Bery good, massa," said Quashy, at last giving in, "if you _will_ walk
'longside ob a nigger, 's'not _my_ fault. Don't blame _me_."

With this protest, solemnly uttered, the faithful negro accompanied our
hero in his inspection of the town.

CHAPTER NINE.

TELLS OF A TREMENDOUS CATASTROPHE.

San Ambrosio was, at the period of which we write, a small and thriving
place--though what may be styled a mushroom town, which owed its
prosperity to recently discovered silver-mines. All things considered,
it was a town of unusual magnificence on a small scale.

Being built with straight streets, cutting each other at right angles,
Lawrence and his man had no difficulty in finding the principal square,
or market-place, which was crowded with people selling and buying
vegetables, milk, eggs, fruit, etcetera, brought in from the surrounding
districts. The people presented all the picturesque characteristics of
the land in profusion--peons, with huge Spanish spurs, mounted on gaily
caparisoned mules; Gauchos, on active horses of the Pampas;
market-women, in varied costumes more or less becoming, and dark-eyed
senhoras on balconies and verandas sporting the graceful mantilla and
the indispensable fan.

The carts and donkeys, and dogs and fowls, and boys had the curious
effect of reducing the babel of voices and discordant sounds to
something like a grand harmony.

Besides these, there was a sprinkling of men of free-and-easy swagger,
in long boots, with more or less of villainy in their faces--adventurers
these, attracted by the hope of "something turning up" to their
advantage, though afflicted, most of them, with an intense objection to
take the trouble of turning up anything for themselves. Dangerous
fellows, too, who would not scruple to appropriate the turnings up of
other people when safe opportunity offered.

A clear fountain played in the centre of the square--its cool,
refreshing splash sounding very sweet in the ears of Lawrence, whose
recent soj