too cold to be comfortable. As they approached the first house on the outskirts of the hamlet, the door opened and a blanketed peon, preceded by half a dozen dogs o

called out the man,

replied Donald, "so

the animals grouped themselv

ain and something to eat," Donald conti

lace here," re

ointed at a small hut at one side, wh

the ki

who hadn't been able to gain the

the kitchen,"

illie, "looks mo

there until it stops raining?" cont

you want to, but there is

eg

N

ortil

N

rijol

N

you well,"

r underwent a re

a few tortillas," he s

in a minute to say that there were both tortillas-c

se?ores will be satisfied to go into the kitchen, I will

y dismounting, they threw their bridle-reins o

ors," declared Billie, af

Adrian, "if it were

ilosophically, "I've seen worse places

dry there," d

hed Adrian, who never had forgotten Billie's aversi

led the few bricks set up on edge. From a little earthen dish she produced a few thin corn cakes, which she toasted over the fire. When the

oked at i

sidio last night," he said. "If this is a sample of M

ngry, and the beans and t

m for this, Don?" queried Adrian.

you think fifty

im and

t out toward the man, who had been watching the boys in sil

want it?" a

r; it is

ch do y

l is p

n American money

gh I think a real is all it's worth," he added

sions of thanks. The coin also seemed to have loosened his tong

ong as you will honor it with your presence.

d, looking through the door, the boys saw him leading the a

ued to descend

t rained in the days of

s though it might continue for forty d

sked Billie, thinking abou

nde in this rain, and, if we did, we would find it so full of water we couldn't g

ay the

ancient Don. The boys wondered where he got it, but did not think it wise to inquire. They knew too little Spanish to engage in anything like a gen

main house, and the boys, piling their saddles in the doorway, to keep out any stray dog that might be prowl

gh not in such torrents. At first Billie thought that the noise was caused by the rain on the thatched roof; but he soon becam

hat young gentleman, sitting u

ie, "but it sounds as though s

he

at I can't

tric torch. Slowly he pointed it in every direction, but he c

he said, and then h

peaker, and what he saw caused a broad g

imed, and pointe

and burst into a hearty l

xclaimed, also spr

ly. "They're climbin

Billie had seen was the hoof of on

through, first thing

ill make holes for the rain to come through,"

well have cried

exclaimed Billie,

the wall. It was as thick as a man's leg, about six or eight feet long, and almost as light as cork. Waiting until

a minute the boys heard it pattering away as fast as it could scamper. Twice during the night was the feat re

ut the strange experiences of the past two days. As a result he saw daylight slowly br

of a fine day. After taking a critical survey of the landscape, he went to the corral and examined the

minutes, so that, by the time he was ready to return

to awaken his companions, when, to his surprise, he found himself confronted by the whole

Halloo," but no one

d, but his words only seemed t

loud "Halloo," and

rious situation, so that Billie, in order to defend himself, drew his six-shooter, de

ut Donald appeared at the door, just as Billie was taking aim a

on't shoot unless you want to ge

lie. "I'm not going

than that if you kill

tion is hard to tell, had not a voice of authority

perros!

way, while Billie, looking in the direction from which t