They told him they had been nowhere, but had waited for his
return in order that he might act as their guide.

``Then you should see the city at once,'' said Clay, ``and I will
have the volante brought to the door, and we can all go in this
afternoon. There is room for the four of you inside, and I can
sit on the box-seat with the driver.''

``No,'' said King, ``let Hope or me sit on the box-seat. Then we
can practise our Spanish on the driver.''

``Not very well,'' Clay replied, ``for the driver sits on the
first horse, like a postilion. It's a sort of tandem without
reins. Haven't you seen it yet? We consider the volante our
proudest exhibit.'' So Clay ordered the volante to be brought
out, and placed them facing each other in the open carriage,
while he climbed to the box-seat, from which position of vantage
he pointed out and explained the objects of interest they passed,
after the manner of a professional guide. It was a warm,
beautiful afternoon, and the clear mists of the atmosphere
intensified the rich blue of the sky, and the brilliant colors of
the houses, and the different shades of green of the trees and
bushes that lined the highroad to the capital.

``To the right, as we descend,'' said Clay, speaking over his
shoulder, ``you see a tin house. It is the home of the
resident director of the Olancho Mining Company (Limited), and of
his able lieutenants, Mr. Theodore Langham and Mr. MacWilliams.
The building on the extreme left is the round-house, in which Mr.
MacWilliams stores his three locomotive engines, and in the far