mean?"

"I hope I have not brought you bad news in a prospective trip to
where the great canal will unite the two oceans," spoke the
Spaniard in his formal manner.

"Well, I don't know as you'd call it _bad_ news," said Blake,
slowly. "We've gotten sort of used to being sent to the ends of
the earth on short notice, but what gets me--excuse me for putting
it that way--what surprises me is that this is the first Mr.
Hadley has mentioned Panama to us."

"Is that so?" asked Mr. Alcando. "Why, I understood that you knew
all about his plans."

"No one knows _all_ about Hadley's plans," said Joe in a low
voice. "He makes plans as he goes along and changes them in his
sleep. But this one about Panama is sure a new one to us."

"That's right," chimed in Blake.

"We were speaking of the big ditch shortly before the runaway came
past," went on Blake, "but that was only a coincidence, of course.
We had no idea of going there, and I can't yet understand what Mr.
Hadley refers to when he says we may take you there with us, to
show you some of the inside workings of making moving pictures."

"Did you read the letter all the way through?" Joe asked.

"No, but--"