door of the landing, the colonel leaped out with a fling

of both feet in an avalanche of woollen coverings. His spurs having become entangled in a perfect welter of ponchos, he nearly pitched on his head, and did not re- cover his balance till the middle of the room. Con- cealed behind the half-closed jalousies he listened to what went on below. The envoy had already mounted, and turning to the morose officers occupying the great doorway , took off his hat formally. "Caballeros," he said, in a very loud tone, "allow me to recommend you to take great care of your colo- nel. It has done me much honor and gratification to have seen you all, a fine body of men exercising the soldierly virtue of patience in this exposed situation, where there is much sun and no water to speak of, while a town full of wine and feminine charms is ready to embrace you for the brave men you are. Caballeros, I have the honor to salute you. There will be much dancing to-night in Sulaco. Good-bye!" But he reined in his horse and inclined his head side- way on seeing the old major step out, very tall and meagre in a straight, narrow coat coming down to his ankles, as it were the casing of the regimental colors rolled round their staff. The intelligent old warrior, after enunciating in a dogmatic tone the general proposition that the "world was full of traitors," went on pronouncing deliberately a panegyric upon Sotillo. He ascribed to him with leisurely emphasis every virtue under heaven, sum- ming it all up in an absurd colloquialism current

among the lower class of Occidentals (especially about