child loudly upon each cheek.

Jose with difficulty restrained himself from pouncing upon the man as
he watched him pass his fat hands over the girl's bare arms and feast
his lecherous eyes upon her round figure and plump limbs. The child
shrank under the withering touch. Freeing herself, she ran from the
room, followed by a taunting laugh from Diego.

"_Caramba!_" he exclaimed, sinking into the chair vacated by the girl.
"But I had the devil's own trouble getting here! And I find everything
quiet as a funeral in this sink of a town, just as if hell were not
spewing fire down on the river! _Dios!_ But give me a bit of rum,
_amigo_. My spirits droop like the torn wing of a heron."

Jose slowly found his voice. "I have no rum. I regret exceedingly,
friend. But doubtless the Alcalde can supply you. Have you seen him?"

"_Hombre!_ With what do you quench your thirst?" ejaculated the
disappointed priest. "Lake water?" Then he added with a fatuous grin:

"No, I have not yet honored the Alcalde with a call. Anxious care
drove me straight from the boat to you; for with you, a brother
priest, I knew I would find hospitality and protection."

Jose sat speechless. After a few moments, during which he fanned
himself vigorously with his black felt hat, Diego continued volubly:

"You are consumed to know what brings me here, eh? _Bien_, I will
anticipate your questions. The country is on fire around Banco.
And--you know they do not love priests down that way--well, I saw that
it had come around to my move. I therefore got out--quickly. H'm!

"But," he continued, "luckily I had screwed plenty of Masses out of
the Banco sheep this past year, and my treasure box was comfortably
full. _Bueno_, I hired a canoe and a couple of strapping _peones_, who
brought me by night, and by damnably slow degrees, up the river to
Bodega Central. As luck would have it, I chanced to be there the day
Juan arrived from Simiti. So I straightway caused inquiry to be made
of him respecting the present whereabouts of our esteemed friend, Don
Rosendo. Learning that my worthy brother was prospecting for La
Libertad, it occurred to me that this decaying town might afford me
the asylum I needed until I could make the necessary preparations to
get up into the mountains. _Caramba!_ but I shall not stay where a
stray bullet or a badly directed _machete_ may terminate my noble
life-aspirations!"

Jose groaned inwardly. "But, how dared you come to Simiti?" he