will seek safety in flight, and leave you two lads to
defend my property for me?"

"No, Senor, I don't mean that at all," answered Jack. "What I mean is
this: the natural situation of the place is happily such that, with the
preparations already made for its defence, and perhaps one or two more
which we can easily make to-morrow morning, we can without difficulty
hold the estate against a much stronger force than that encamped on the
plain below; and therefore there is not the slightest reason why you
should not remove the Senora from the turmoil and excitement of the
fight which is sure to come to-morrow."

"I see," said Don Hermoso. "It is the same thing, however, stated in
different words. `The turmoil and excitement of the fight', as you put
it, will scarcely be perceptible here, in the house, and will therefore
not be likely to have any injurious effect upon my wife, who must be
induced to remain indoors while we are arguing the point with the
Spaniards. I shall therefore remain and take my share of the risks with
you."

And from this resolution Don Hermoso was not to be moved.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

WIPED OUT.

With the first sign of dawn on the following morning the Montijo estate
became a scene of bustling activity; for, as Jack observed, since fight
they must, they might as well begin early and get it over during the
hours of daylight. Jack and Carlos, who had, with the tacit consent of
Don Hermoso, jointly assumed the responsibility of defending the place,
had, on the previous night, held a short council of war, and had finally
come to the conclusion that of the two vulnerable points of attack which
still remained, that which they had by common consent come to speak of
as the "cross-country route" was the weaker, since at one point the
river was so narrow that it could be jumped by a horseman, and
consequently was capable of being temporarily bridged without much
difficulty. The defence of this position, therefore, Carlos insisted on
personally undertaking, with the assistance of a force consisting of
two-thirds of the negroes employed upon the estate; while Jack, with the
other third, was to defend the approach by way of the main road and the
mined bridge. It was also arranged that Jack was to have the twelve-
pounder field gun, while Carlos took the two Maxims.

Now, it happened that while the two youths were making these final
dispositions, it occurred to Don Hermoso that the attack upon h