Three days passed swiftly by. There was much to be seen in San Juan, and the boys were out most of the time, only resting during the middle of the day, when the heat was too much for them. During these days they visited various public buildings and also the main college and two of the principal churches. They learned that the city had seven parks, and in one, the Plazuela de Santiago, they saw a life-like statue of Columbus. They also visited the governor’s palace, built by Ponce de Leon, and the Santa Catalina fortifications. But what interested them more than anything was the small, huddled up native shops, with their quaint keepers and their grand mixture of merchandise, and the still more strange markets, with many vegetables and fruits new to them. To these shops came the native ladies, but they never dismounted from their carriages but made the shop-keepers bring out everything to them. “They try to live as lazy and easy a life as they can,” was Mark’s comment. “How American energy must open their eyes.” “The professor told me that San Juan used to be an awfully dirty town,” said Sam. “But as soon as our soldiers took hold they made the citizens clean up, and the place has been kept clean ever since. That helps to lessen disease and is certainly a blessing.” During the stay in San Juan all the boys received letters from home, and one which Hockley got contained a money order which pleased him greatly. He had written that he must have money, that Professor Strong would allow him next to nothing, and his over-indulgent father had relented and sent him two hundred dollars. “Now I’ll have some good times,” the bully told himself. “And the rest of the fellows can go to grass.” The letters received by Mark and Frank contained news of unusual interest to them. It was to the effect that Mr. Newton and Mr. Robertson had started for the West Indies on a trip combining business with pleasure. They intended to stop off at Kingston, Jamaica, and were then going to St. Pierre, Martinique, and to Kingstown, on the island of St. Vincent. The business was one connected with the importation of certain dyes and coloring matters which the dry goods importer was anxious to obtain. “I wish we could meet them down here!” cried Frank, enthusiastically, when telling the others the news. “Perhaps we’ll meet them at St. Pierre,” said the professor. “I had planned to take you down there after our trip overland to Ponce. You wanted to see an extinct volcano and there is a large one there called Mont Pelee, only a few miles from the city.” “Just the thing!” burst out Mark. “Let us write letters at once and send them to St. Pierre, so our fathers will be sure to get them on their arrival.” And the letters were sent without delay.