owed with easy courtesy as he entered, and then paused,
apparently taken somewhat aback as his eye fell on the Senora. He
quickly recovered himself, however, and, addressing himself to Don
Hermoso, asked if he might have the honour of a few minutes' private
speech with the owner of the estate; to which Don Hermoso replied by
conducting his visitor to the room in which he was wont to transact his
business. The interview was very brief, and when it was ended the
soldier bowed himself out and, descending the steps, took his horse from
the orderly who had accompanied him: then, mounting, he went clattering
away down the private road leading through the tobacco fields to the
highway, and thence to the distant camp.

"Well, what is the news, Pater?" demanded Carlos, as Don Hermoso
presently returned to the dining-room, looking very pale and agitated.

"The news, my son, is this," answered Don Hermoso, his voice quivering
with anger: "General Echague, who is in command of the troops which have
just encamped in our neighbourhood, has sent a message to me regretfully
intimating that it will be his duty to destroy this house, together with
all its warehouses and outbuildings of every description, to prevent its
seizure by the rebels who are known to be in this neighbourhood. And,
as an act of grace, he gives me until noon to-morrow to remove my
household and belongings to such a place of safety as I may select!"

"Oh! he does, does he?" retorted Carlos. "Awfully kind of him, I'm
sure! And what answer did you return to the message?"

"I simply replied that I thanked General Echague for the time given me,
and that I would do my utmost to complete my preparations by the hour
named," answered Don Hermoso.

"That is all right!" commented Carlos grimly. "I think we can complete
our preparations by noon to-morrow. What say you, Jack?"

"I say," answered Jack, "that we can not only complete our preparations
in the time given us, but have plenty of time for play afterwards. As a
matter of fact, our preparations are practically complete already. We
have nothing to do except blow up the bridge, and that we will do as
soon as you, Don Hermoso, and the Senora are far enough on your way to
Pinar to be safe from pursuit. Then we will teach these arrogant
Spaniards a much-needed lesson on the desirability of modifying their
tyrannical methods."

"What do you mean, Jack?" demanded Don Hermoso. "Do you imagine for a
moment that I