had been taken of the consul, there was
nothing to keep them in Montillo. Yes, there was one thing, as Dick
suddenly remembered.

"The Chink," he said. "What about him?"

"Oh, give him a little money and let him stay here," suggested Tom. "He
can easily get something to do."

The matter thus disposed of, they sauntered on, but as they neared the
hotel, they saw the Celestial evidently waiting for them.

"Hello, John," said Bert, pleasantly.

"Hello, slelf," was the smiling answer. Then he went on calmly: "Me glo
with you."

"What's that?" cried Bert, startled. "But we're going to Panama."

"Me glo too. Me glot fiends, Panama."

"But have you got any money to take you there?"

"No. You glot money. Me play back," and he beamed on them blandly.

The boys looked helplessly at each other.

"How nice," murmured Tom.

"Well, of all the nerve," exclaimed Dick.

"Me glo with you," reiterated the Chinaman, kindly but firmly; and the
benevolence of his smile was beautiful to see.

The bewilderment in Bert's face was too much for the others, and they
burst into a roar of laughter.

"No use, Bert," said Dick, as soon as he could speak. "He's got the
Indian sign on us, and we might as well give in."

"No," echoed Tom, "there's no getting away from that smile. If I had it,
I could borrow money from the Bank of England."

"I throw up my hands," responded Bert. "He's adopted us, and that's all
there is about it. We'll take him along as handy man, till he gets to
his 'fiends in Panama.'"

They put him to work at once, getting ready the baggage, and when this
was completed, they sought out Melton to say good-bye. They wrung his
hand until he laughingly protested that they wanted to cripple him.

"We'll never forget you, never," they declared with fervent sincerity.

"Same here," he replied with equal warmth, "and some day I hope to see
you on my ranch. I'd like to show you what is meant by a Western
welcome."

"Will we? You bet. Just watch us," came in chorus, and then they
reluctantly tore themselves away from the great hearted specimen of
Nature's noblemen, whose place in their hearts was secure for all time.

"Panama, after all," exulted Dick, as they stood on the station platform.

"Yes," chimed in Tom, "they couldn't cheat us out of it."

"The quickest route to the coast for us," added Bert, "and then the rest
of the way by boat. I'm wild to set my feet once more beneath the Stars
and St