h the bridge at the end of the
south canal. I wondered a little at their going away from the crowd
just then, but that was their affair, so I just shifted my position in
order to keep a better watch upon their boat as we came abreast of the
bridge, and then, as the mischief would have it, a launch coming from
the other way pushed through and under the bridge and struck us such a
blow that the women screamed, and one of them let her parasol fall
into the water. Then, of course, there was an exchange of compliments
between the two crews, and a scramble and delay in securing the
parasol: and when at last we were out on the other side the boat ahead
was so far away from the landing, where she had of course made her
stop, that I could just make out that the two men had left her and
she was almost empty. To add to my agony, two boats had passed us
while we floundered after that parasol and exchanged compliments with
the other boat, and as we lay there waiting I looked wildly about me,
and saw at last, on the bridge almost over my head, my two men,
standing close by the railing and talking with a little dark woman,
who----'

'Describe her!' I broke in.

'Well, now----'

'Was she something under five feet?'

'Yes.'

'Dark eyes and hair?'

'Exact.'

'A broad black hat with plumes, a red veil, and four-in-hand tie?'

'Upon my word, she had 'em all.'

'I knew it; but go on.'

'I can't, not very far at least. I just kept myself from swearing
while I sat and saw those three so sociable up there, and I not in it.
Before I got to the landing I had seen the woman trip away.'

'Toward the Plaza?'

'Precisely. Everybody seemed going that way. It was almost time for
the infanta to appear. When I set foot on shore I made for that
bridge. I had seen them start slowly on after the woman; but when I
got upon the bridge I could just see the hat of your friend Smug in a
jam some distance ahead, near the Electricity Building, and Bob, the
eel, had vanished once more.'

'At what time was this?'

He named the time, and then I told him how I had encountered the
little brunette, lost her, and found her again, and of her agile leap
at the bridge.

'Lively girl!' Dave commented. I had told him the story of her
agility with some _empressement_, but he did not seem to see my drift.
'You're sure it's the same who tried to claim the young woman's bag?'

'Quite sure--from your description.'

'Umph! Mine? And she's the one who met t