"A rich Mexican named Bandini. He admired the view from the mountain,
and I don't blame him, do you? He wanted a nice, quiet place where he
could read and write; that was why he came here. He has been here every
summer for years."

"Well," said Mr. Dunlee, "if you call this an air-castle I must say it
is the most solid one I ever heard of! It doesn't look dreamy at all.
Why, an earthquake could hardly shake it."

"The steps that lead up to it are not dreamy either," said Mrs. Dunlee.
"Real granite; and there's a large flag up there floating from the
evergreen tree."

The "boyoes" had already climbed the steps, and Nate called down to Mrs.
Dunlee, "It's the Mexican flag!" But she had known that at a glance. The
colors were red, white, and green, and the device was an eagle on a
prickly pear with a snake in his mouth.

"I wonder if there's anybody at home," said Nate, and would have lifted
the knocker if Jimmy had not said, "Wait for Uncle James."

Jimmy thought as Uncle James was the leader of the expedition he should
be the one to do the knocking, or at any rate to tell them when to
knock. Nate himself had not thought of this. He was not so refined as
Jimmy, either by nature or by training.

Everybody had climbed the steps now. The older people were enjoying the
magnificent view; but Bab and Lucy were looking for the two toads who
had been seen going up to the castle together, the well toad taking the