Part 12 (2/2)

”Soon ill be in the beautiful land of Panareat canal Are you not glad? And I shall begin to learn h I hope I shall not be so stupid a pupil as to make trouble for you, erly at the boys

”We'll teach you all we knohich isn't such an awful lot,” said Joe ”And I don't believe you'll be slow”

”You have picked up so over eone into the rudilad you think so,” returned the other ”I shall be glad e are at work, and lad still, when I can, with le, along the lines of our railroad, and shoe have done to bring civilization there The filress,” he added, poetically

”Why don't you come up on deck,” he proceeded ”It is warm down here”

”We just ca nearer to the Equator each hour

While the boys were following the young Spaniard up on deck, Joe found a chance to whisper to Blake:

”I notice he was not at all anxious to show us how his brass-box alarreed Blake in a low voice, ”and yet his invention ht be in such a shape that he didn't want to exhibit it yet”

”So you think that's the reason, eh?”

”Surely Don't you?”

”I do not!”

”What then?”

”Well, I think he's trying to--”

”Hush, here he comes!” cautioned Blake, for their friend at thatthe forward deck

But if Joe was really suspicious of the young Spaniard nothing that occurred in the next few days served to develop that suspicion No reference was ain, nor was it in evidence either in Mr

Alcando's bed, or elsewhere

”What were you going to say it was that time when I stopped you?”

asked Blake of his chuht be so picture ca to learn how to take , and only be working on a certain iht conditions That's what I think”

”Well, you think wrong,” declared Blake ”As for hi about the pictures nohy he doesn't even kno to thread the fil,” admitted Joe

Day succeeded day, until, in due time, after their stop at San Juan, where the boys went ashore for a brief visit, the steamer dropped anchor in the excellent harbor of Colon, at the Atlantic end of the great Pana as the shi+p made her way up the harbor, but as the boys and the other passengers looked at the great break-water, constructed to be one of the protections to the Canal, they realized what a stupendous undertaking the as, and they knew that no storm could affect them, now they ithin the Colon harbor