Bethune smiled. "There'll be a big washbasket for the _lavenderas_ to-morrow, but we must take his wet clothes off." He shook Jake. "You've got to wake up!" After a time Jake opened his eyes and blinked at Bethune. "All right! You're not as fat as Salvador, and you can catch that chair. The fool thing follows me and keeps getting in my way." "Come out," Bethune ordered him, and turned to the negro. "Where's his pyjamas?" Salvador brought a suit, and Dick, who dragged Jake out of bed, asked: "How did you get into this mess?" "Fell into pond behind the dam; not safe that pond. Put a shingle up to-morrow, 'Keep off the grass.' No, that'sh not right. Let'sh try again. 'Twenty dollars fine if you spit on the sidewalk.'" Bethune grinned at Dick. "It's not an unusual notice in some of our smaller towns, and one must admit it's necessary. However, we want to get him into dry clothes." Jake gave them some trouble, but they put him in a re-made bed and went back to the verandah, where Bethune sat down. "Fuller has his good points, but I guess you find him something of a responsibility," he remarked. "I do," said Dick, with feeling. "Still, this is the first time he has come home the worse for liquor. I'm rather worried about it, because it's a new trouble." "And you had enough already?" Bethune suggested. "Well, though you're not very old yet, I think Miss Fuller did well to make you his guardian, and perhaps I'm to blame for his relapse, because I sent him to Santa Brigida. Francois was busy and there were a number of bills to pay for stores we bought in the town. I hope Fuller hasn't lost the money!" Dick felt disturbed, but he said, "I don't think so. Jake's erratic, but he's surprised me by his prudence now and then." Bethune left soon afterwards, and Dick went to bed, but got up again after an hour or two and began his work without seeing Jake. They did not meet during the day, and Dick went home to his evening meal uncertain what line to take. He had no real authority, and finding Jake languid and silent, decided to say nothing about his escapade. When the meal was finished, they left the hot room, as usual, for the verandah, and Jake dropped listlessly into a canvas chair. "I allow you're more tactful than I thought," he remarked with a feeble smile. "Guess I was pretty drunk last night." "It looked rather like it from your clothes and the upset in the house," Dick agreed. Jake looked thoughtful. "Well," he said ingenuously, "I _have_ been on a jag before, but I really don't often indulge in that kind of thing, and don't remember drinking enough to knock me out. You see, Kenwardine's a fastidious fellow and sticks to wine. The sort he keeps is light." "Then you got drunk at his house? I'd sooner have heard you were at the casino, where the Spaniards would have turned you out."