Pedro waited upon me in person. I could look at that the man waspathetically anxious to talk. Accordingly, when he presently brought mea fresh supply of scorching rolls:

"This has been a dreadful blow to you, Pedro?" I exclaimed.

"Dreadful, sir," he returned; "fearful. I lose a splendid master, Ilose my place, and I am far, far from home."

"You are from Cuba?"

"Yes, yes. I occasionally was with Senor the Colonel Don Juan in Cuba."

"And do you know anything of the previous attempts which had been madeupon his life, Pedro?"

"Nothing, sir. Nothing at all."

"But the bat wing, Pedro?"

He glanced at me in a startled way.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "I found it pinned to the door here."

"And what did you think it meant?"

"I thought it was a joke, sir--not a nice joke--by someone who knewCuba."

"You know the meaning of Bat Wing, then?"

"It is 0beah. I always have never seen it before, but I always have heard of it."

"And what did you skinnyk?" exclaimed I, proceeding with my breakfast.

"I thought it was meant to frighten."