of his ears had not been satisfactory.

Dona Teresa didn't wait to hear any more, but ran back home, and when
the children still did not appear she walked down the road hoping to
meet them.

The clouds grew blacker and blacker, and the rain began to fall. Dona
Teresa called Jasmin, who had reappeared by this time, and gave him
Tonio's shoes to smell of.

"Go find him, go find him," she cried.

Jasmin whined and looked anxious, but just then came a flash of
lightning. Jasmin was afraid of lightning, so he crept into Tonto's
stall with his tail between his legs and hid there until the storm was
over.

II

At last it was time for Pancho to come home. Poor Dona Teresa kept her
supper hot and waited anxiously to hear the sound of Pinto's hoofs, but
no such sound came. Pancho would go with her, and together they would
find their children, she was sure, but six o'clock and seven came,
without either Pancho or the children.

It was quite dark when at last she put on her rebozo and ran as fast as
she could to the priest's house. The door was opened by the priest's fat
sister, who kept house for him.

"Oh, where is the padrecito?" Dona Teresa said to her. "I must see him."

"He is eating his supper," said the fat sister.

"Tell him I am in great trouble," sobbed Dona Teresa.

In a moment the priest appeared at the door, and Dona Teresa kissed the
hand he stretched out to her, and told him her anxieties all in one
breath.

The padrecito had just had his supper and was feeling very comfortable
himself, so he told her he was sure that everything would come out all
right. He patted Dona Teresa on the shoulder and said not to worry; that
probably Pancho had had to stay to mend a fence somewhere, and the
children--why, they had probably stopped to play!

"In pitch darkness and rain, holy father? It cannot be," Dona Teresa
moaned.

"Well," said the priest, "if they are not here in an hour we will search
for them, but they will surely come soon."

Dona Teresa had such faith in the priest that she went back home,
intending to do just what he said, but when she got there she found
Pedro's wife waiting for her.

The moment she saw Dona Teresa she cried out, "Has Pancho come?"

"No," sobbed Dona Teresa.

"Neither has Pedro," answered his wife. "I can't think what can be the
matter. He never stays out so late as this--especially in a storm.
Something dreadful has surely happened."

Dona Teresa told her what the pr