ain
Harris leading the way. It was sultry and bright;--even the sea-breeze
was warm; there were pleasant odors in the shade, and a soporific
murmur made of leaf-speech and the hum of gnats. Only the captain
entered the house with Feliu; the rest remained without--some taking
seats on a rude plank bench under the oaks--others flinging themselves
down upon the weeds--a few stood still, leaning upon their rifles.
Then Carmen came out to them with gourds and a bucket of fresh water,
which all were glad to drink.

They waited many minutes. Perhaps it was the cool peace of the place
that made them all feel how hot and tired they were: conversation
flagged; and the general languor finally betrayed itself in a silence
so absolute that every leaf-whisper seemed to become separately audible.

It was broken at last by the guttural voice of the old captain emerging
from the cottage, leading the child by the hand, and followed by Carmen
and Feliu. All who had been resting rose up and looked at the child.

Standing in a lighted space, with one tiny hand enveloped by the
captain's great brown fist, she looked so lovely that a general
exclamation of surprise went up. Her bright hair, loose and steeped in
the sun-flame, illuminated her like a halo; and her large dark eyes,
gentle and melancholy as a deer's, watched the strange faces before her
with shy curiosity. She wore the same dress in which Feliu had found
her--a soft white fabric of muslin, with trimmings of ribbon that had
once been blue; and the now discolored silken scarf, which had twice
done her such brave service, was thrown over her shoulders. Carmen had
washed and repaired the dress very creditably; but the tiny slim feet
were bare,--the brine-soaked shoes she wore that fearful night had
fallen into shreds at the first attempt to remove them.

--"Gentlemen," said Captain Harris,--"we can find no clew to the
identity of this child. There is no mark upon her clothing; and she
wore nothing in the shape of jewelry--except this string of coral
beads. We are nearly all Americans here; and she does not speak any
English ... Does any one here know anything about her?"

Carmen felt a great sinking at her heart: was her new-found darling to
be taken so soon from her? But no answer came to the captain's query.
No one of the expedition had ever seen that child before. The coral
beads were passed from hand to hand; the scarf was minutely scrutinized
without avail. Some