"Señor: Everything is prepared, and when I see your smoke signals I will know the exact hour to spring my surprise. The rock is in position to roll on the track at the curve marked X, where the arrow points. Crushed beneath it, as if accidentally by his own carelessness, will be the body of a Federalista, a close friend of the President. In his pockets will be found the papers proving conclusively that the Federals planned to wreck the American train. Even the money paid for the work will be in the dead man’s pocket, untouched. If the train arrives at the spot in the night, our scheme cannot fail. If by day, and it should be discovered in time to prevent a bad accident, the proof will be there anyway, and the northern meddlers must then believe Diaz and his adherents are implicated. Viva el Republic! Viva Mena! "CANDIDO. "P.S. My men have driven away those peons who fill the tender with fuel at the wood pile south of Mateare, and that will cause more delay." Having finished the letter, Dick studied the map, but it was so inaccurate and he was so little acquainted with the country that he gleaned no real information from it. He believed that the curves depicted represented the tortuous stretch of rail a few kilometers north of Managua. There the road turned and twisted through a group of hills, and in many places the sides of the cuts were lined with rocks of great size and weight. Often these had been loosed in the past, either by natural causes or otherwise, and, falling into the right of way, caused many serious accidents. Perhaps Tomas would be able to recognize the spot, and Dick ran down the hill to question the waiting soldier. "Here, Tomas, read this aloud to me," he demanded, thrusting the letter into the guide’s hands. The reading proved that Dick’s opportunities for learning the Spanish tongue had been used to good advantage. * * * * * * * * * [Illustration: Map Showing Position of Rock and Track] NOTE:--1. This map is very inaccurate, but nevertheless is clear enough to designate the position of the rock and track. 2. The meaning of the Spanish words is as follows: Lago de Managua=*Lake of Managua*. Ferrocarril=*railroad*. Aqui--_here_. Montes=*mountains*. Camino=*road*. * * * * * * * * * "I know the exact place, Señor," said Tomas, and his features reflected Dick’s own excitement. "It is one hour’s hard riding from here, and Señor, look! There is the train pulling away from the filling station now. You may know it to be so because of the trail of black smoke. We can never reach the spot before the train. We are too late, and soon it will be dark and we cannot then ride as fast."