"Did you expect to take the boys with you?"
"Well, why not let them stay here until you return. I will agree to take good care of them, and my boys will show them all about this place. I am sure they would all have a fine time--perhaps better than if they went with you, for boys love boy company."
"You may be right," said Mr. Andrews, "and I think I will accept your generous invitation on behalf of the boys. This is Wednesday, and I shall probably get back here Friday."
"Very well, then, we will consider that settled," said the host.
Early the next morning Mr. Andrews resumed his journey, Vasco's uncle providing a horse and accompanying him as far as the river.
Thus the four lads were left to their own devices.
"Let's take the boys down to the sugar-mill first," said Alfeo to his brother.
"That's a good idea," was Jago's reply, and Vasco and Harlan readily fell in with the suggestion.
Vasco's uncle raised much sugar-cane on his plantation, and in this mill he also did grinding for neighbours who were less fortunate and were unable to possess mills of their own.
Harlan found that the "mill" was not at all like what he imagined, and he regarded it as rather a small affair, but Vasco was immensely impressed with the wonderful work it performed.
It consisted of three upright cylinders of very hard wood, two of them about five feet long and one in the centre two feet higher. They were set close to each other, and a crude cog-wheel made the three revolve together.
An arm from the top of the central cylinder extended outward about fifteen feet. To this oxen were attached. Round and round in a circle the animals walked, and as they did so the machinery revolved. The stalks of cane were fed between the cylinders, and the heavy pressure squeezed out the juice, which fell into a large tub below.
Near by the boys saw the juice boiled. A great iron kettle was set in rough stone masonry, and dried cane was used for fuel. The boiling process was watched by an old woman, who was constantly dipping up the syrup with a long-handled gourd dipper.
Vasco and Harlan were each given a drink of the partially boiled cane-juice, which they found very pleasant to the taste.
"After the boiling is completed," the old woman told them, "the sugar is run into wooden moulds and then wrapped in plantain leaves, when it is ready for the market."