ern bearing, swarthy skin, glossy side whiskers, and
bright supercilious eyes. He wore a light blue short jacket trimmed with
scarlet and with silver buttons, a striped silk sash, breeches of
crimson velvet met below by long embroidered deerskin boots. A black
kerchief was bound crosswise on his head entirely concealing the hair;
and a flat-crowned, wide, gray hat heavily ornamented with silver
completed this gorgeous costume. He moved with the assured air of the
aristocrat. The splendour of his apparel, the beauty of his face and
figure, and the grace of his movements attracted the first glance from
all eyes. Then immediately he was passed over in favour of his
companion.

The latter was a shorter, heavier man, of more mature years. In fact his
side whiskers were beginning to turn gray. His costume was plain, but
exquisitely neat, and a strange blend of the civil and the military. The
jacket for example, had been cut in the trim military fashion, but was
worn open to exhibit the snowy cascade of the linen beneath. But nobody
paid much attention to the man's dress. The dignity and assured calm of
his face and eye at once impressed one with conviction of unusual
quality.

Johnny stared for a moment, his brows knit. Then with an exclamation, he
sprang forward.

"Captain Sutter!" he cried.

Sutter turned slowly, to look Johnny squarely in the face, his attitude
one of cold but courteous inquiry. Johnny was approaching, hat in hand.
I confess he astonished me. We had known him intimately for some months,
and always as the harum-scarum, impulsive, hail fellow, bubbling,
irresponsible. Now a new Johnny stepped forward, quiet, high-bred,
courteous, self-contained. Before he had spoken a word, Captain Sutter's
aloof expression had relaxed.

"I beg your pardon for addressing you so abruptly," Johnny was saying.
"The surprise of the moment must excuse me. Ten years ago, sir, I had
the pleasure of meeting you at the time you visited my father in
Virginia."

"My dear boy!" cried Sutter. "You are, of course the son of Colonel
Fairfax. But ten years ago--you were a very young man!"

"A small boy, rather," laughed Johnny.

They chatted for a few moments, exchanging news, I suppose, though they
had drawn beyond our ear-shot. In a few moments we were summoned, and
presented; first to Captain Sutter, then to Don Gaspar Martinez. The
latter talked English well. Yank and I, both somewhat silent and
embarrassed before all this sp