an have another wish, Mac, you know," urged Langham, "can't he,
Clay?"

Clay nodded gravely, and MacWilliams frowned again in thought. "No," he
said after an effort, "Owens, John E. Owens; that's the one I want to
see."

"Well, now I want another wish, too," said Langham. "I move we can
each have two wishes. I wish--"

"Wait until I've had mine," said Clay. "You've had one turn. I want to
be in a place I know in Vienna. It's not hot like this, but cool and
fresh. It's an open, out-of-door concert-garden, with hundreds of
colored lights and trees, and there's always a breeze coming through.
And Eduard Strauss, the son, you know, leads the orchestra there, and
they play nothing but waltzes, and he stands in front of them, and
begins by raising himself on his toes, and then he lifts his shoulders
gently--and then sinks back again and raises his baton as though he
were drawing the music out after it, and the whole place seems to rock
and move. It's like being picked up and carried on the deck of a yacht
over great waves; and all around you are the beautiful Viennese women
and those tall Austrian officers in their long, blue coats and flat
hats and silver swords. And there are cool drinks--" continued Clay,
with his eyes fixed on the coming storm--"all sorts of cool drinks--in
high, thin glasses, full of ice, all the ice you want--"

"Oh, drop it, will you?" cried Langham, with a shrug of his damp
shoulders. "I can't stand it. I'm parching."

"Wait a minute," interrupted MacWilliams, leaning forward and looking
into the night. "Some one's coming." There was a sound down the road
of hoofs and the rattle of the land-crabs as they scrambled off into
the bushes, and two men on horseback came suddenly out of the darkness
and drew rein in the light from the open door. The first was General
Mendoza, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and the other, his
orderly. The General dropped his Panama hat to his knee and bowed in
the saddle three times.

"Good-evening, your Excellency," said Clay, rising. "Tell that peon to
get my coat, will you?" he added, turning to Langham. Langham clapped
his hands, and the clanging of a guitar ceased, and their servant and
cook came out from the back of the hut and held the General's horse
while he dismounted. "Wait until I get you a chair," said Clay.
"You'll find those steps rather bad for white duck."

"I am fortunate in finding you at home," said the officer, smiling,