cents. Meantime, Colonel Sotillo trusted that his
Excellency's humanity would permit the doctor, the English doctor, to
come out of town with his case of foreign remedies to attend upon him.
He begged anxiously his worship the caballero now present for the grace
of looking in as he passed the Casa Gould, and informing the English
doctor, who was probably there, that his services were immediately
required by Colonel Sotillo, lying ill of fever in the Custom House.
Immediately. Most urgently required. Awaited with extreme impatience.
A thousand thanks. He closed his eyes wearily and would not open
them again, lying perfectly still, deaf, dumb, insensible, overcome,
vanquished, crushed, annihilated by the fell disease.

But as soon as the other had shut after him the door of the landing, the
colonel leaped out with a fling of both feet in an avalanche of woollen
coverings. His spurs having become entangled in a perfect welter of
ponchos he nearly pitched on his head, and did not recover his balance
till the middle of the room. Concealed behind the half-closed jalousies
he listened to what went on below.

The envoy had already mounted, and turning to the morose officers
occupying the great doorway, took off his hat formally.

"Caballeros," he said, in a very loud tone, "allow me to recommend
you to take great care of your colonel. It has done me much honour and
gratification to have seen you all, a fine body of men exercising the
soldierly virtue of patience in this exposed situation, where there
is much sun, and no water to speak of, while a town full of wine and
feminine charms is ready to embrace you for the brave men you are.
Caballeros, I have the honour to salute you. There will be much dancing
to-night in Sulaco. Good-bye!"

But he reined in his horse and inclined his head sideways on seeing
the old major step out, very tall and meagre, in a straight narrow
coat coming down to his ankles as it were the casing of the regimental
colours rolled round their staff.

The intelligent old warrior, after enunciating in a dogmatic tone the
general proposition that the "world was full of traitors," went on
pronouncing deliberately a panegyric upon Sotillo. He ascribed to him
with leisurely emphasis every virtue under heaven, summing it all up in
an absurd colloquialism current amongst the lower class of Occidentals
(especially about Esmeralda). "And," he concluded, with a sudden rise in
the voice, "a man of many teeth--'ho