ckling the straps and unlocking it while the balances
were brought, when I drew out six of the little yellow bar ingots and
passed them over to the notary, who was the banker of the district as
well.

He took them, turned them over, wiped his glasses, and replaced them;
then examined each bar again.

"Pure metal, I think, senor?" I said, smiling.

"The purest, Senor Inglese," he replied with another bow.

Then, placing the ingots in the balances, he recorded each one's weight
as he went on, to find them, with a few grains variation more or less,
six ounces each.

Five times, to Garcia's astonishment and rage, did I bring from the case
in my lap six of the golden bars, the notary the while testing and
weighing them one by one in the coolest and most business-like way
imaginable. Then his spectacles were directed inquiringly at me, and I
brought out four more, which were duly weighed and placed with the
others. Then again were the spectacles directed at me.

"Another ounce, less a quarter, senor," said the notary. "I have here
two hundred and four ounces and a quarter."

"Fortunatus's purse wants aiding, Uncle," I said, unwilling to exhibit
more of the golden spoil. "You can manage the three-quarters of an
ounce?"

My uncle was speechless; but he rushed to a secretary, took out a little
canvas bag, and counted out the difference in coin. When, coolly
drawing out bags of his own, the notary made up a neat package of the
bars, inclosing therewith his account of the weights, tied it up, lit--
with apparatus of his own--a wax taper, sealed the package, and handed
it to Garcia, who took it with a fierce scowl, but only to dash it down
the next instant upon the table.

"I will not take it," he exclaimed. "It is a trick--the gold is base!"

"Senor Don Pablo Garcia, I have--I, S. Xeres--have examined and proved
that gold," said the old notary. "I say it is pure, and you cannot
refuse it. Senor Landell, there are your bonds now. Senor Garcia is
angry, but the business is terminated."

Rising and bowing to us with a courtly grace that could win nothing less
than respect, the old notary handed some deeds to my uncle, and then,
picking up the gold, he passed his arm through Garcia's and led him
away--the notary's attendant following with his master's writing-case
and balances.

But the next moment a shadow darkened the door, and Garcia would have
rushed in had not Tom blocked the way.

"Now, then, where are