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"Come here," commanded the American

Jacket shook his head He made a painful attempt to s, and when his utterance becaned his idol to a warh kid," he declared "Don't get gay on me"

The two parleyed briefly; then, when satisfied that no violence was intended hiuhtest effect upon him He denied that he had followed his benefactor; he declared that he was a free agent and at liberty to go where he willed If it so chanced that his fancy took him to the city of Matanzas at the sa thither, the circu arm of coincidence If his company were distasteful to the elder man, O'Reilly was free to wait and follow later; it was a matter of complete indifference to Jacket He had business in Matanzas and he proposed to attend to it The boy lied gravely, unblushingly Nevertheless, he kept a watchful eye upon his hearer

"Very well," O'Reilly told hiive in"

Jacket's face instantly lit up He radiated good huet hed

"Indeed you do" O'Reilly laid a hand fondly upon his loyal follower "And I don't lad of it I--I was getting lonesome I didn't kno much I could miss you But noeand decide e are Let me see--your real name is Narciso--"

"Narciso Villar"

"Well, then, I shall be Juan Villar, your brother Henceforth we shall speak nothing but Spanish Tell me noas our father's naether?"

During the breathless interval before the shower the two sat with their heads together, talking earnestly As the wind caan to rattle on the leaves overhead they took up their bundles and set out The big drops drenched the to them and water streamed down their bodies; overhead the sky was black and rent by vivid streaks of fire, but they plodded onward cheerfully

Jacket was hithened his short strides to O'Reilly's He tried to whistle, but his teeth chattered and the wind interfered, so he hu, to drive the chill out of his bones and to hearten his benefactor Now that he was at last accepted as a full partner in this enterprise, it became his duty not only to share its perils, but to lessen its hardships and to yield diversion