"He is called Monella," Jack told her. "I know of no other name; and, as to why he is here, I can no more tell you that than why you yourself are here. In some things he keeps his own counsel absolutely, and is altogether inscrutable." "Ah!" Zonella said this with a long breath. "Then, though he is your friend, and you are here together, you _really_ know nothing of him. Is that what you mean?" "Well," returned Jack slowly, "it's rather an abrupt way of putting it, but--well, I never thought of it in that light before--but--I really think you have about hit it." "Yes! You and he have met by chance, and have agreed to travel together for a time. And you have let him bring you here, I suppose, without troubling yourself to ask him his objects?" Zonella went on, still with her glance fixed on Monella. Jack opened his eyes. "You have a very direct way of putting things, I must say," he laughed. "But again, I am bound to admit you are not far out." "And your other friend--what do you know of him?" "Oh, I have known him since he was a child." "And yet," the girl persisted, "he is very different from you. Are you _sure_ he is of the same race as yourself?" "Quite," Templemore replied, laughing. "We are both of a nation that I suppose you have never heard of, but that makes no small amount of noise in the outer world, I can assure you. We are both English." Just then a heavy curtain was drawn back, and Ulama entered, and with her an immense puma, larger even than their friend of the canyon, and behind it the latter animal itself! "Why," exclaimed Zonella, "there is 'Nea,' who has been missing for several days," and she called the animal to her. Great was her surprise to see it, after a brief acknowledgment of her greeting, turn to Jack and his two friends, with every sign of recognition and delight. "Why, it's Puss, by all that's wonderful!" Jack cried. "At least, that's the name I gave her," he added, by way of explanation to Zonella. "Do you know her, then? But how can that be?" "She has been living with us for the last week; but she deserted us last night, and we wondered where she had got to." "Then that accounts for it. We could not think what had become of her." And she began to chide the animal for its desertion of its home and mate. "If 'Tuo' had known you were off gallivanting with strange people, 'Nea,' I fancy he would have come after you and marched you back." Then, to Templemore: "But how odd that she should attach herself to you like that; you must have had some strong attraction for her."