d so I noticed a faint light suddenly appear in
one of the rooms. Our friends Dominique and Juan had evidently arrived
there and were lighting up the place, prior, as they doubtless fondly
anticipated, to giving us a pleasant little surprise. As I continued to
watch, the light suddenly grew brighter; they had found a lamp and
lighted it, and were now in the room which I had been wont to occupy. A
minute later the light vanished from that particular room, and almost
immediately showed from the window of another, which, from its position,
I conjectured must be that which Lotta had occupied. That our flight
had by this time been discovered seemed pretty evident, for the house
was rapidly lighted up in every room, and it was not difficult to
conjecture that the two half-drunken ruffians were prosecuting a heated
and vigorous search for the missing ones. And that this was actually
the case soon became evident from the fact that the French casement of
the room that had been mine suddenly flew open, and a man, whom I
presently identified as Juan, came staggering and stumbling down the
path at a run, alternately yelling curses at us, the missing ones, and
shouting to some person or persons unknown to come up to the house
forthwith "as the birds had flown!" Whereupon I swung quickly upon my
heel, and, plunging into the wood, hastened after my companions, whom I
overtook just as they were about to enter the cave. Arrived at our
destination we lighted a candle for a few minutes to enable us to make
such hasty preparations as were absolutely necessary, and then,
stretching ourselves out upon the soft, sandy floor, composed ourselves
to finish the slumbers that had been so rudely interrupted.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

AN AUDACIOUS SCHEME.

It seemed that I had scarcely closed my eyes ere I was aroused by Mammy,
who informed me that it was broad daylight, and that breakfast was quite
ready, whereupon, starting to my feet and shaking the fine sand from my
clothing, I looked at my watch and was amazed to discover that it was
nearly eight o'clock. I accordingly hurried away to the spot at which
the spring gushed out of the rock, hastily performed my ablutions, and
returned to where the others awaited me before falling-to upon a most
appetising meal which Mammy had prepared from the various viands with
which we had so luckily stocked the place. Everything was cold, of
course, for now that our flight was known it would never have