take a pretty strong earthquake to shake it down. He has made
it stronger still, by blocking up some of the lower windows."

In our eagerness to reach home, we pushed on as rapidly as our mules
could move. We were yet at a little distance, when, riding on ahead, I
caught sight of the figure of a black woman holding up a chubby little
boy in her arms. I felt sure that he must be my youngest brother,--the
baby, as he was called,--whom I had never seen, and that the woman must
be our nurse, Josefa. She gazed at me, doubting whether the tall young
man she saw approaching could be the little boy who had gone away but a
few years before. The baby, who was a good bouncing one, shook his
rattle, and seemed satisfied that I was some one he ought to expect.

Josefa knew me the moment I uttered her name; and as I sprang from my
mule, she and little Denis, who was named after our uncle, threw their
arms round my neck. We then hastened on towards the front gate, Josefa
shrieking out in her delight,--"They are come! they are come! It is
Senor Barry!" Her voice was heard at the house; and my father and
mother, with my sister Norah and the rest of the family, guessing who we
were, hurried out to welcome us.

Our first greetings over, my father expressed his satisfaction at my
appearance.

"You have benefited greatly by your stay in the old country, Barry," he
said; "and your journey here seems to have done you no harm."

My mother pressed me to her heart; and my sweet sister Norah kissed my
cheek again and again, gazing at me as sisters are apt to do at a
brother of whom they are proud. I am sure I felt proud of her, and
wondered that all the young men in the neighbourhood were not dying with
love for her; but perhaps they had too much to do in fighting for the
liberty of their country.

As may be supposed, my father soon made inquiries about our captive.
Uncle Denis explained how we had caught him, and suggested that he
should be placed in a strong room, under a proper guard, where his wound
could be tended without the risk of his making his escape. My father
observed that he had a small unoccupied room at the back of the house,
which would serve as a prison; and to this our captive was at once
conducted.

As there was no surgeon, either English or Spanish, living within many
miles, my uncle undertook to dress the Indian's wound, and to do his
best to cure him.

A bed was brought into the room, on which he was place