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Later that day O'Reilly set out to reconnoiter the city of Neuvitas He was followed, of course--he had expected as much, and the circumstances amused rather than alarmed him But when he returned to his hotel and found that his roo his absence he felt a hint of uneasiness Evidently, as Doctor Alvarado had forecast, the authorities were interested in him; and he had further evidence of the fact when he learned that the room next him was occupied by the very man who had shadowed hi as nocould be heard, while his every movement could doubtless be spied upon, O'Reilly saw the need of caution, and he began to cast about for a place to hide that Colt's revolver, the presence of which was assus had been examined three times that day, the next step would probably be another search of his person

Unless in the mean time he could definitely establish his innocence of purpose, which was unlikely, it behooved him to rid himself of the weapon without delay This, however, was a proble away, and his bare bedroo he called Mr Carbajal and asked him if it were possible to take a bath

Mr Carbajal assured him that it was El Gran Hotel Europea was first class in every respect; no expense had been spared in its equip it, for it boasted the best cuarto de bano in the whole city--a room, moreover, which was devoted exclusively to the purposes of bathing And it was a large roouests at once To be sure, it would require, say, half an hour to make it ready, for it was stored with hay for the horses which drew the 'bus to and from the depot, but if the senor would have patience it could soon be restored to its original purpose Mr Carbajal himself would see that there was a river of hot water

O'Reilly thanked him An hour later he paraded, bare-foot, down the hall, wrapped in a blanket He had purposely left his clothes behind him, and the door of his room unlocked, but under his naked left ar tiarments very nearly as he had left the under his thin mattress They could search him nohenever they pleased, for the revolver and its box of precious cartridges reposed on a duty bea