“How I’d like to see it!” Tom glowed.

“Why?” asked Don Luis, quickly.

“Because I am anxious to know all the secrets, all the indications, of fine old El Sombrero.”

“It is a fine mine, isn’t it, Senor Tomaso?” demanded Don Luis, enthusiastically.

“From all indications it ought to be,” Reade answered.  “Yet it’s a new formation of rock to me—­this sandwich formation as I might call it, with the alternate layers of rich ore and blank stuff.”

“I have been drawing up a report on the mine,” murmured Montez, opening a drawer in his desk.  “This report describes the operations and the profits so far.  Glance through it with me.”

The report had been written in English, by either Dr. Tisco or his employer.

Tom and Harry listened carefully to the reading.

“But why do you put so much enthusiasm into the report, Don Luis, when the mine is not for sale and is not to be run as a stock company property?”

“Of course, El Sombrero is my sole property, and of course I shall keep it so,” smiled the Mexican.  “But I like, even in a report to myself, for my own use, to have the report set forth all the truths concerning the mine.”

“That is reasonable,” Tom agreed.

“Now, Senor Tomaso, as you have seen, this report is couched in my own English.  I would be glad if you would write this out for me, putting it into better English.”

“It would seem like presumption in me to think that I could put it into better English,” Reade protested.

“Nevertheless, to please me, will you put this report into your own English?” requested Don Luis.

“With all the pleasure in the world,” Tom assented.

“Here are writing materials, then.”

“But I see that you have a typewriting machine over in the corner,” suggested the young chief engineer.  “I can write the report much better and more rapidly on the machine.”

“Ah!” breathed the Mexican, looking highly pleased.  “If you will but do that!  We will go outside so as not to disturb you.”

The report, being a long one and containing several tables of figures, Reade was occupied nearly three hours.  During this time Don Luis conducted Harry over the estate, pointing out many things of interest.  At last Tom, with a slight backache from bending so long over the machine, leaned back and carefully read what he had written.

“Do you wish anything, caballero?” inquired Nicolas, appearing as though from hiding.

“You might be good enough to tell Don Luis that I have finished, and that I await his pleasure.”

Nicolas disappeared.  Five minutes later Montez, his secretary and Hazelton came in.  Tom read through his typewritten draft of the report.

“Excellent! gr-r-r-rand! glorious!” breathed Don Luis.  “Ah, you are a master of English, Senor Tomaso.  Myself, I understand Spanish better.  And now one stroke of the pen for each of you,” added the hidalgo, crossing the room to his desk.  “As my new engineers you shall both sign this report, and I shall have much pleasure from reading this, many times, when I am an old man.”