r it was the sound of laughter and of children's
voices from the huts near by.

The red rooster, the turkey, and the hens were all asleep in the fig
tree. Tita could see their bunchy shadows among the shadows of the
leaves. The cat was away hunting for field-mice. Jasmin sat beside
Tonio, with his tongue hanging out, and everything was very quiet and
peaceful.

Then suddenly, quite far away, they heard a faint tinkling sound.
"Ting-a-ling-ling; ting-a-ling-ling," it went, and then there was a
voice singing:

"Crown of the high hill
That with your cool shadow
Gives me life,
Where is my beloved?
Oh, beautiful hill,
Where dwells my love?
If I am sleeping,
I'm dreaming of thee;
If I am waking, thee only I see."

The voice came nearer and nearer, and children's voices began to join in
the singing, and soon Tonio and Tita could see dark forms moving in the
moonlight. There was one tall figure, and swarming around it there were
ever so many short ones.

"It's Jose with his guitar!" cried the Twins, and they flew out to meet
him. Dona Teresa and Pancho came too.

"God give you good evening," they all cried out to each other when they
met; and then Jose said, "Have you plenty of sweet potatoes, Dona
Teresa? We have come with our dishes and our pennies."

"Yes," laughed Dona Teresa. "I thought you might come to-night and I
knew your sweet tooth, Jose! And all these little ones, have they each
got a sweet tooth too?"

"Oh yes, Dona Teresa, _please_ cook us some sweet potatoes, won't you?"
the children begged. They held up their empty dishes.

"Well, then, come in, all of you," said Dona Teresa, "and I will see
what I can do."

She hurried back to the cabin. Pancho went with her, and Jose and the
Twins and all the other children came trooping after them and swarmed
around the cabin door.

Pancho made a little brasero right in the middle of the open space
beside the fig tree. He made it of stones, and built a fire in it.
While he was doing that, Dona Teresa got her sweet potatoes ready to
cook, and when she came out with the cooking-dish and a jug of syrup in
her hands, the children set up a shout of joy.

[Illustration]

"Now sit down, all of you," commanded Dona Teresa, as she knelt beside
the brasero and poured the syrup into the cooking-pan, "It will take
some time to cook enough for every one, and if you are in too much of a
hurry you may burn your fingers and your tongue. Jose, you tell