"Oh, doesn't it?" said Peter, indignantly. "I am as anxious as you are to see you married, Jack. But with your permission, I shall go to bed, because I do not think you'll get any information out of Pepe." "We'll try, at all events," observed Philip, emphatically. "I want to marry Eulalia." "And I," said Juan, following his friends to the door, "want to do three things, none of which I can accomplish unless Pepe tells us of the secret way." "And the three things, Jack?" asked Tim, curiously. "First, I want to marry Dolores. Second, I desire to save the life of Cocom, who is a prisoner at Totatzine; and, third, I am anxious to obtain possession again of the harlequin opal." CHAPTER X. THE CAÑON ROAD. This is a tropical forest, Where myriad leaves forming a roof overhead, keep out the effulgence of sunlight, So that beneath is the region of shadows and dimness; Yet in this spectral twilight rise cities, magnificent, lonely; Built in the far-distant days of giants--great architects they! Sky-piercing pyramids, plinth, and column, and capital. Line upon line of pillars, that loom in the darkness eternal, Staircases huge, vast halls, and temples majestical; Now no longer receiving the throngs of worshippers holy, Only the bat flits through the ruins; ravenous beasts now wander Through street, and square, and palaces gorgeous. Who built all these splendours? We know not who built them. Yet do they loom in the twilight region of shadows, Encircled by tropical forests. As a rule, Dr. Grench was an early riser, and denied himself the luxurious idleness of morning slumbers, but on this special occasion he did not wake at his usual hour. The dancing of the previous night had proved too much for the virtuous Peter, who always went to bed early, consequently he was very tired, and by no means pleased at being awakened unexpectedly by Jack. Peter was in the middle of a delightful dream, in which he was hunting unusually large beetles. After a time, however, the beetles began to hunt Peter, and one, having caught him, was shaking him severely. The shaking woke him up, and the beetle changed to Jack, who was trying to pull Peter out of bed. "What's matter?" grumbled Peter vaguely, struggling into a sitting position. "I don't want to get up." "You must," said Jack, serenely, "or we shall start without you." "Start? what? where? when? Beetle-hunting?" "Peter, you are not awake! What do you mean by such delirious talk? Put on your clothes, and come down to breakfast. We're all waiting." Jack vanished, and Peter, wondering what was the matter, got out of bed with manifest reluctance. A cold bath drove the fumes of sleep from his head, and dressing rapidly, he repaired to the dining-room, where he found his friends and Rafael making a hasty meal. Peter stared, and began to ask questions. "Now what is----?"