' the sevinth wan, too, called common sense, of which,
Muggins, you haven't got no more in yer skull than a blue-faced baboon.
Hallo! wot's that? Is it a wild baist on its hind-legs or only a mad
man?"

He pointed as he spoke to a man who approached them from the town, and
whose appearance as well as his actions were well calculated to surprise
them. He was a fine-looking man of gigantic size, with a poncho over
his shoulders and a Spanish-looking sombrero on his head, but the most
curious thing about him was his gait. At one moment he sauntered,
holding his face between both hands, next moment he bent double and
appeared to stamp with his feet. Then he hurried forward a few paces
but paused abruptly, bent down and stamped again. Presently he caught
sight of the travellers. At once his antics ceased. He raised himself
erect, and advancing quickly, lifted his sombrero and saluted them with
the air of a prince.

Will Osten addressed him in English, and, to his surprise as well as
gratification, the Spaniard replied in the same tongue, which he spoke,
however, in a most remarkable way, having learned it chiefly from the
skippers of those vessels that touched at the port.

"I sall be happy to offer you hospitabilities, gentelmans," said Don
Diego--(for so he styled himself). "If you vill come to meen house you
vill grub there."

The grin of unnatural ferocity which Don Diego put on while he spoke,
surprised and perplexed the travellers not a little, but he suddenly
explained the mystery by clutching his hair, setting his teeth and
muttering wildly while he gave a quick stamp with his foot--

"Skuse me, gentelmans, I got most desperable 'tack of toothick!"

Will Osten attempted to console Don Diego by telling him that he was a
surgeon, and that if he could only obtain a pair of pincers he would
soon remedy that evil; but the Spaniard shook his head and assured him
that there was a miserable man in the town calling himself a vendor of
physic, who had already nearly driven him mad by attempting several
times to pull the tooth, but in vain.

"Indeed," said the Don, "the last time he have try, I 'fraid I shut up
won of his days light--it _was_ so sore!"

Will Osten ultimately persuaded the Spaniard, however, to consent to an
operation, and the whole party accompanied him to his house, which was
the most substantial in the town. Leaving his comrades there, Will went
with Bunco in search of the apothecary, whom h