King 



the valley with a passion for the palm 

 trees such as only tropic winds feel. 

 Dos Bocas was far more Spanish 

 than Spain, and the mule-trains ram- 

 bled up and down the trail, defying 

 the railroad to compete, while, as far 

 as I know, there was not a cart-wheel 

 nearer than Santiago, but there were 

 plenty of interesting people and some 

 of the most beautiful scenery in the 

 world. It seemed to me that we 

 could do no better than stay there 

 forever, or till we were forcibly re- 

 moved. As a background for King 

 it was better than the South Seas ; it 

 was better than Mexico ; indeed, I 

 was the only serpent in it ; harmless 

 enough, but, as of old in the Garden 

 of Eden, a predestined victim. 



At first all went well. Every morn- 

 ing we rose with the sun and rambled 

 out over the hills, after the usual 

 manner of the geologist ; and returned 

 before the sun grew too hot, to break- 

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