girl, he made a circuit of the place. At one spot he
paused, and a single grunt of satisfaction escaped him. Then he seized
a loaf of bread from a shelf-like niche and began to eat it eagerly.
He even pointed to another, lying in the same place, but Jessica shook
her head.

"No, no. I am not hungry. He gave me plenty of stuff to eat. Lots of
things that have been missing from the kitchen and puzzled Aunt Sally
so. Oh! Pedro, let us go! Shall I ever see her again? or my precious
mother? How long has it been? It seems forever. Come, come! Oh!
come!"

"Wait," was the imperturbable answer, and the only one she could win
from him. She was alive and well. He had found her. There was no cause
for haste, nor had he ever hasted in his long life. The man who wastes
his time in hurry loses all. He had found what he sought. This was the
very pit, the forsaken shaft of which the padre told him. It led to
what no other person dreamed. Was he to be balked of his purpose, for
the child's whim? No. It was for her, even, that he tarried.

In his groping about the cave the lantern had revealed some loose
fragments of rock which he now pushed in front of the dwarf's body,
thus making him a more secure prisoner; and, satisfied that all was
now safe, he descended again into the old shaft, leaving Jessica in
darkness.

Her impatience was almost unbearable, and escape seemed as distant as
ever, but there was nothing left except that "waiting" Pedro had so
constantly advised.

It was rewarded, at last, by his call from the pit, and even his calm
voice was now shaken by excitement.

"Come, Sunny Face!"

Leaning over the edge of the hole, she saw him point toward the rope
and understood that he wished her to descend, but with a shiver of
distrust she declined.

"Come."

This time the order was peremptory and she obeyed it, sliding swiftly
down, to be caught and safely deposited on the floor of the shaft.
Placing the lantern in her hand, the Indian began to gather a strange
collection of articles from one corner of the narrow chamber and to
display them to her. As each was held up, an exclamation of surprise
broke from her, but even she had grown mostly silent now, and her
interest prevented fear. When a goodly heap had been piled beside her,
she found her voice again, saying:

"I reckon everything that's ever been lost from Sobrante since it
began is down here. Elsa's little leathern bags with their knitted
covers; Beppo's plumes;