Part 8 (1/2)

Le Mire shrugged her shoulders ”Tourists? Bah! Merci, non Allons!”

I laughed and went forward to the captain to tell him that madame did not approve of Santa Catalina In another ey was back on its davits, the anchor up, and ere under way Poor captain!

Within a week he becao ent ashore Le Mire took a fancy to soht them for her; but when she expressed an intention to take an Indian girl--about sixteen or seventeen years old--aboard the yacht as a ”coative

And, after all, she nearly had her way

For a month it was ”just one port after another” Mazatlan, San Bias, Manzanillo, San Salvador, Panama City--at each of these we touched, and visited someti the yacht with all sorts of curious relics Ugly or beautiful, useful or worthless, genuine or faked, itsuited her fancy she wanted it--and got it

At Guayaquil occurred the first collision of wills It was our second evening in port We were dining on the deck of the yacht, with half a dozen South Auests

Toward the end of the dinner Le Mire suddenly becaht; then, suddenly, she turned to the bundle of gold lace at her side with a question:

”Where is Guayaquil?”

He stared at her in amaze to the shore lined with twinkling lights

”I know, I know,” said Le Mire impatiently; ”but where is it? In what country?”

The poor fellow, too surprised to be offended, staasps, while Harry and I had all we could do to keep frohter

”Ah,” said Desiree in the tone of one who has ht so Ecuador Monsieur, Quito is in Ecuador”

The general--or adeography with a profound bow

”But yes I have often heard of Quito, o to Quito”

There ensued iuests insisted on the honor of acco would most assuredly have ended in a bloody quarrel on the captain's polished deck, if I had not interposed in a fir to Quito”

Le Mire looked at me--and such a look! Then she said in a tone of the ut to Quito”

I shookat her, whereupon she became furious

”M La to Quito! In spite of your so!”

Without a word I took a coin from my pocket and held it up I had come to know Le Mire She frowned for a er, then an irresistible saily

”Very well,” she cried, ”toss, o to Quito, ot all about it in ten minutes

Five days later we dropped anchor at Callao