e must conquer!" exclaimed Uncle Richard, who
just then came in.

"Has Dona Dolores won you over?" asked Dona Maria of her husband.

"She is a noble creature, and sees things in their true light," answered
Uncle Richard. "While the Spaniards have the upper hand, through
keeping the people in subjection by their soldiers, and their minds in
darkness and superstition through the teaching of the priests, our
country can never flourish. All progress is stopped. Our agriculture
is stunted, our commerce crippled, and no manufactures can exist."

"That's just what Dona Dolores says," observed Aunt Maria.

"And she says the truth," answered Uncle Richard. "I for one am
resolved to aid the Patriot cause; and you, my dear wife, will
acknowledge that I am acting rightly. You cannot wish to see our
children slaves; and what else can they be, if, for fear of the
consequences, we tamely submit to the yoke of Spain?"

I remembered this conversation in after-days, when Uncle Richard showed
how fully he kept up to the principles he professed, and Dona Maria
proved herself to be a true and faithful wife.

After Uncle Richard had transacted some business, we set off on our
expedition, mounted on mules, for the road we had to traverse was rough
and uneven in the extreme. We had several small rivers to cross, which,
in consequence of the storm of the preceding day, had become torrents,
and almost carried our mules off their legs. The beds of the streams,
too, were full of large stones, which had fallen down from the
mountains. In these torrents swimming is of no avail, as the water
rushes on with irresistible force, carrying everything before it.
Sometimes in the descent of the hills the mules sat on their haunches,
gliding down with their fore-feet stretched out in the most scientific
fashion.

At length, sliding down a steep descent, we arrived at the hot spring,
which issues from an aperture about three feet in diameter, at the
bottom of the valley--the water bubbling up very much like that in a
boiling pot. Around the brink of the aperture is an incrustation of
brimstone, of a light colour, from which we broke off several pieces and
carried them away. The dominie put in his finger to test the heat of
the water, but drew it out again pretty quickly.

"You will not find me doing that a second time!" he exclaimed, as he put
his scalded finger into his mouth to cool it.

We had brought some eggs, which were boiled hard i