nly, and although the veranda was so broad as to cast the
whole of the front into deep shadow it seemed to Jack that that front
was pierced by at least a dozen doors and windows. As Jack looked, two
female figures clad in white suddenly made their appearance in the
centre of the gallery, and so beautifully clear was the atmosphere that,
even at that distance, it could be distinctly seen that they were waving
their pocket handkerchiefs to the occupants of the coach. Carlos also
saw them, and frantically waved his panama by way of reply, shouting, as
he did so:

"Hurrah, Padre; hurrah, Jack! Look! there are the Madre and Isolda out
on the gallery, waving to us! I'll bet that they have been watching the
bend of the road through their opera-glasses for the last hour or more!"

"Doubtless," answered Don Hermoso, laughing happily as he too leaned out
of the coach to wave a greeting. "Since we did not arrive last night,
as arranged, they have naturally expected us to turn up early this
morning."

Winding hither and thither along the hillside, in order to secure an
even and easy gradient, the road presently left the tobacco fields and
passed between broad spaces of lawn luxuriantly clad with guinea-grass,
and having large parterres of flowers scattered about it here and there;
while in other places it was picturesquely broken up by clumps of
feathery bamboo, or gigantic wild cotton and other trees. At length,
with a final dash and a grand flourish, the carriage drew up in front of
the broad flight of stone steps that led up the scarped and flower-
strewn face of the mound upon which the house was built; and one of the
two female figures came rushing down the steps, bareheaded, despite the
almost vertical sun, and flung herself into the outstretched arms of Don
Hermoso, while the other followed in a somewhat more stately and
dignified manner.

Then, when Don Hermoso had released this first figure from his embrace,
and turned, hat in hand, to meet the second, Senorita Isolda treated her
brother Carlos to a like greeting, after which she turned, with a sunny
smile and eyes flashing welcome, to Jack.

"Isolda," exclaimed Carlos, performing the ceremony of introduction,
"this, as you will of course have guessed, is my old friend and chum,
Jack Singleton, to whom we are so deeply indebted for the very valuable
assistance that he has rendered us in our great undertaking. He is the
best friend and comrade that ever lived, t