as a grey-headed old man,
half Spaniard, half Indian; the latter a young man, a pure-blooded
Indian. The merry strains they struck up inspired us all; even the
dominie rose and began to snap his fingers and kick his heels. Don
Ricardo setting the example, we were soon all engaged in an uproarious
country dance; while every now and then we burst into laughter, as we
looked at each other, and criticised our costumes.

Pretty well tired out, we soon turned into our hammocks, Uncle Richard
having proposed another excursion on the following day.

On getting up in the morning, we found all the females of the family
already on foot, busily engaged in various household duties. Dona
Maria, habited in a somewhat _degage_ costume, was superintending the
baking of Indian corn bread, which was done in the most primitive
fashion. Some of the girls were pounding the grain in huge mortars with
pestles, which it required a strong pair of arms to use; others were
kneading large masses of the flour in pans, which were then formed into
flat cakes, and placed on a copper "girdle" with a charcoal fire
beneath, where they were quickly baked. They gave us some of the cakes
to stay our appetites, just hot from the "girdle," and most delicious
they were.

Having taken a turn round the fields, where the labourers were
assembling to commence work, we returned to an early breakfast. As Mr
Laffan had seen but little of the country, Uncle Richard proposed that
we should visit some interesting places in the neighbourhood. Juan
excused himself; he very naturally wished to pay his respects to Dona
Dolores, and soon afterwards rode off.

"He is desperately in love, there's no doubt about that," remarked Dona
Maria. "Dolores will make much of him, for she is equally attached to
him, though she will not acknowledge it. She is a fine spirited girl--a
devoted Patriot. She converted her father, who was rather disposed to
side with the Godos for the sake of a quiet life; but she roused him up,
and he is now as warm in the cause of liberty as she is."

"Are you not a Patriot, Aunt Maria?" I asked.

"I side with my husband, and he is an Englishman."

"But Englishmen love liberty and hate tyranny, if they are worthy of the
name of Britons," I answered; "and I hope we shall all be ready, when
the time comes, to fight for freedom."

"But we may lose our property and our lives, if the Spaniards prevail,"
she remarked.

"They must not prevail; w