For Jacinta by Harold Bindloss

Page 1 of 166

FOR JACINTA

[Illustration: "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IT IS RATHER A SERIOUS THING TO DELAY A SPANISH MAIL-BOAT?"--Page 19]

FOR JACINTA

By HAROLD BINDLOSS

AUTHOR OF "ALTON OF SOMASCO," "THE CATTLE-BARON'S DAUGHTER," "THE DUST OF CONFLICT," "WINSTON OF THE PRAIRIE," ETC.

[Illustration]

FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY NEW YORK PUBLISHERS

Published January, 1908

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I. JACINTA BROWN 1 II. AN OVERHEATED JOURNAL 13 III. ON THE VERANDA 26 IV. A BIG CONTRACT 37 V. THE TOMATO FINCA 49 VI. AUSTIN'S POINT OF VIEW 60 VII. AT THE BULL FIGHT 72 VIII. JEFFERSON FEELS THE STRAIN 86 IX. AUSTIN MAKES A VENTURE 98 X. JACINTA IS NOT CONTENT 111 XI. THE LAND OF THE SHADOW 121 XII. NOCTURNAL VISITORS 132 XIII. TOIL 142 XIV. JEFFERSON'S REMONSTRANCE 152 XV. STARTING THE PUMP 163 XVI. ELUSIVE GUM 174 XVII. AUSTIN GOES DOWN RIVER 183 XVIII. JACINTA BECOMES INDIGNANT 194 XIX. CONDEMNED UNHEARD 204 XX. JACINTA MAKES NO EXCUSE 215 XXI. THE PICTURES 225 XXII. FUNNEL-PAINT'S PROPOSITION 236 XXIII. FUNNEL-PAINT MOVES AGAIN 245 XXIV. AUSTIN FINDS A CLUE 256 XXV. HOVE OFF 267 XXVI. JEFFERSON FINDS THE GUM 277 XXVII. AUSTIN'S TOAST 288 XXVIII. IN COMMAND 299 XXIX. AUSTIN IS MISSING 310 XXX. JACINTA CAPITULATES 322

FOR JACINTA

CHAPTER I

JACINTA BROWN

It was about seven o'clock in the evening when sobrecargo Austin boarded the little mail-boat _Estremedura_ as she lay rolling at anchor on the long, moon-lit heave that worked into the roadstead of Santa Cruz, Palma. Sobrecargo means much the same thing as purser, and Austin was an Englishman, though the _Estremedura_ was to all intents and purposes a Spanish steamer. She traded round the islands of the Canary archipelago with mules and camels, tomatoes, bananas, onions, and seasick English tourists, as fortune favoured her. Now, as the heavily sealed document Austin carried in his pocket declared, she was to sail for Las Palmas, Grand Canary, with the Cuban mail, by the gracious permission of the young King of Spain.

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