Captain Macklin

ut from the plaza end of it and found a dozen soldiers running forward to meet us. When they saw the troops swing around the corner, they halted and some took cover in the doorways, and

home. As I ran I noted also everything on either side of me: two girls standing behind the iron bars of a window with their hands pressed to their cheeks, and a negro with a broom in his hand crouching in a doorway. Some of the men stopped running and halted to fire, but I shouted to them to come on. I was

behind the counter. I shouted to Von Ritter, who was racing with me, to look after them, and saw him and a half-dozen others swerve suddenly and

the enemy's fire came, but I soon saw smoke floating from the cupola of the church on the corner and drifting through the barred windows of the barracks. I shouted at the men behind the benches to aim at the cupola, and directed those with me around the fountain to let loose at the barrack windows. As they rose to fire and exposed themselves above the rim of the fountain three of them were hit, and fell back swearing. The men behind the benches shouted at me to take cover, and one of the wounded men in the fountain reached up and pulled at my tuni

er man shriek from behind one of the benches. Our position was becoming impossible. It was true we were drawing the fire from

loading it he looked up at me, and shouted, "And they say these Central Americans can't shoot!" I saw white figures appearing and disappearing at the windows of almost every house on the plaza. The entire population seemed to have taken up

had just closed one when I caught sight of him. I fired with my revolver, and shouted to the men. "We must get inside those gates," I cried. "We can't stay here. Charge those gates!" I pointed, and they all jumped from every part of th

xt instant I fell sprawli

ands or slapping each other on the back, and some danced about like children. We tore the cots away from the windows and waved at the men behind the barricade, and they stood up and cheered us, and the men on the roof, looking very tall against the blue sky, stood up and waved their hats and cheered too. They had silenced the men in the cupola, and a sudden hush fell upon the plaza. It was easy to see that many sympathizers with the government had been shooting at us from the private houses. When they saw us take the barracks they had probably decided that the time had come to wipe off the powder-stains, and reappear as friends of the revolution. The only firing now was from where Garcia was engaged. Judging from the loudness of these volleys h

door of the warehou

is, when you get within seventy yards of the enemy, I

lt rather foolish, and muttered so

nybody, Captain, and certainly not you." I tried to look as modest as possible, but I could not refrai

rracks, and I told him that I thought I

d. The General's expression changed swiftly. It b

any?" he deman

gallons." At this the men behind the barricades gave a great cheer

ach. Run along now," he added, as though he were talking to a child, "run along,

ross to the barracks. I placed some of them on the roof and some

was now so choked with men and mules that I was five minutes in forcing my way across. Garcia's troops had marched in, and were raising a great hullabaloo, cheering and shouting, and embracing the townspeople, whom they had known during their former occupation, and many of whom were the same people who had been firing at us. I found Laguerre in counsel with Garcia, who was in high spirits, and feeling exceedingly pleased with himself. He entirely ignored our part in taking the town, and talked as though he had captured it single-handed. The fact that the government troops had held him back until we threatened them in the rear he did not consider as important. I resented his swagger and the way he patronized Laguerre, but the General did not seem to notice it, or was too well satisfied with the day's work to care. While I was at head-quarters our scouts ca

I heard him send out the provost guard with orders to thro

re's locking up Garcia's soldiers with our prisoners-of-war in the yard barracks,

f a private house enjoying a most magnificent luncheon. I begged a share on the ground that I had just overcome two helpless brass cannon, and they gave me a noisy welcome, and made a place for me. I was just as happy as I was hungry, and

ge on the barracks. He called it a "grand-stand play," and said I was a "gallery fighter." He said the reason I ran out into the centre of the plaza was because I knew there was

ide yon fortress a free breakfast awaits us. Follow your gallant leader!' and they never stopped following until they reached the kitchen. Th

that I had done so gave me confidence in myself-not that I have ever greatly lacked it, but it was a new kind of confidence. It made me feel older, and less inclined to boast. In this it also helped out my favorite theory that it must be easy for the man who has done something to be mod

the townspeople from again changing their sympathies, and continued on toward Tegucigalpa with Garcia and the remainder of his force as our main body, and with the Legion in the van. We were a week in reaching Comyagua, which was the only place that we expected would offer any resistance until we arrived outside of the capital. During that week our march was exactly similar to the one we had made from the camp to Santa Barbara. There was the same rough trail, the jungle crowding close on either flank, the same dusty village

nted to be always with him, and with no one else. After listening to Laguerre you felt that a talk with the other men was a waste of time. There was nothing apparently t

tent, and ask if we could come over and pay our respects. They always selected

," and he would smile and ask, "What sort of stories?" and each of us would ask for something different. Some would want to hear about the Franco

a friend of a stray soldier of fortune, an Irish adventurer-for Laguerre's mother was Irish; his father had been Colonel Laguerre, and once Military Governor of Algiers-and given him their confidence. And yet I could see why they should do so, for just the very reason that he took their confidence as a matter of course, knowing that his loyalty would always be above suspicion. He had a great capacity for loyalty. There was no taint in it of self-interest, nor of snobbishness. He believed, for instance, in the divine right of kings;

had either bungled or had funked the fight. And when a man really has performed some act which cannot be denied they call him a "swipe," and say he did it to gain promotion, or to curry favor with the General. Of course, it may be different in armies officered by gentlemen; but men are pretty much alike all the world over, and I know that those in our Legion were as given to gossip and slander as the inmates of any Old Woman's Home. I used to say to myself that so long as I had the approval of Laguerre and of my own men and of my conscience I could afford not to mind what the little souls said; but as a matter of fact I did mind it, and it angered me exceedingly. Just as it hurt me at the Point to see that I was not popular, it distressed me to find that the same unpopularity had followed me into the Legion. The truth is that the of

I understood how to take care of them, and that things went on more smoothly when they were carried out as I had directed, so they obeyed me without sulking. But with the men of the troops not directly under my command I frequently met with trouble; and on several occasions different men refused to obey my orders as Adjutant, and swore and even struck at me, so that I had to knock them down. I regretted this exceedingly, but I was forced to support my authority in some way. After learning the circumstances Laguerre exonerated

ch and not a cathedral, but it was so much larger than any other building we had seen in Honduras that the men called it "The Cathedral." It occupied one whole side of the plaza. Th

's men had broken their way from the rear. They were firing up at the men in the towers of the cathedral. My position was not a pleasant one, for every time I raised my head the soldiers in the belfry would cut loose at me; and, though they failed to hit me, I did not dare to get up and run. Already the trough was leakin

wood of the trough. It was so near that the splinters flew in my eyes. I looked b

a black hole in the green paint of the trough. When they saw this there were excited exclamations from the men, and I heard the one who was giving the orders repeating my warning

deous and sickening. I could bear the fire of the enemy from the belfry-that was part of the day's work; the danger of it only excited me; b

usillade from the belfry tower. But I was now far too angry to consider that. The men were kneeling just inside the resta

der me, do you?" I straightened myself and threw out my arms, "Well, h

eir lips hung apart. Their faces were draw

and let the man who wants me have another chance

empty shell and drove the next cartridge in place. "Aim!" I shouted. They hesitated and th

mn you," I c

s were filled with burning smoke, b

I was so angry that I suppose I was re

me, don't you?" I cried, taunting them. "I'm a braggart, am I? Yes. I'm a bully, am I? Wel

d I remember that as I laughed I shook out my arms to show them I was unhurt. And as I did that someone in the cafe cried, "Thank Go

. Three cheers for the little one!" and t

rom the belfry were striking about them, ringing on the iron tables

and on the yellow earth of the plaza had been suddenly shut off,

ortably as though I were a baby, and my face was resting against his red

yone in the Legion that I had stood up and made them shoot at me,

ly in that way. According to the doctrine of chances I should have lost nine lives, and according to the rules governing an army in the field I should have been court-martialled. In

hand and spanking us with the other. Their guns were so good that, when Heinze attempted to take up a position against them with his old-style Gatlings, they swept him out of the

embrasure, would empty their Winchesters at one of its openings as coolly as though they were firing at a painted bull's-eye. The man who first did this, the moment his rifle was empty, ran for cover and was tumultuously cheered by his hidden audience. But in order to surpass him, the

ired entirely by vanity and a desire to do something more extravagantly reckless than any of the others. As a matter of fact I acted on what has always seemed to me excellent reasoning, and if I went alone, i

ed the solid shot by approaching the barricade obliquely, there was no danger in charging the barricade. I told my troop that I thought the guns were out of order, and that if we rush

ring was so fierce that the men with me thought t

he three men with my revolver, but they shrieked for mercy and I did not fire. The men in the belfries, however, were showing no mercy to me, so I dropped inside the wall and crawled for shelter beneath a caisson. But, I recognized on the instant that I could not remain there. It was the fear of the Gatlings only which was holding back our men, and I felt that before I was shot they must know t

allied out again, and at sight of me the men gave a shout, and picked me up, and, cheering, bore me

side of Tegucigalpa, the promised

to its base and from its crest one can drop a shell through the roof of any one of them. Consequently, when we arrived, we found its approaches strongly entrenched and the hill occupied in force by the gover

ht. As usual, the work was so divided that the more dangerous and difficult part of it fell to the Foreign Legion, for in his plan

r first day in front of the Capital, General Garc

r head-quarters and demanded to see the General on a matter of life and death. With him, l

had lined up against the walls he said, "As a rule, I call my own councils of war, but no doubt Mr.

earing what I say." The General nodded at me, and I ordered the sentries to move farther from the hut. I still remember the tableau I saw when I re-entered it, the row of officers leaning against

the hut Aiken spoke. His ton

" he said, "where I have been havi

is revolver. It was a most enlightening revelation of our confidence in Aiken. Laguerre di

authority?

e of his voice, almost

erre repeated, "did you co

erre's face. "And I can tell you that there are other ways of doing things than 'according to Hardie.' Alvarez's officers came to me after the battle of Comyagua. Th

u?" said

the least trace of r

le mousie, and how the mouse came along and chewed the lion out of the net. Well, that's me. I'm no lion going 'round seeking whom I may devour.' I'm just a sewer rat. But I can tell you all," he cried, slapping the table with his hand, "that, if it hadn't been for little mousie, every one of you lions would have been shot against a stone wall. And if I can't prove it, you can take a shot

p you into an ambush. Natives who pretend to have deserted from Alvarez are to lead you into it. That was an idea of mine. They thought it was very clever. Garcia is to make a pretence of attacking the bridg

the proper time I'd produce him. Now, you choose which officer that shall be. He can learn for himself that all I'm telling you is true. But that will take time!" Aiken

rushed to his cheeks. He looked like a young man masquerading in a white wig. He

ir." He glanced sharply at the officers around

burden of this expedition has been carried by the Foreign Legion. I know that; you, who fought the battles, certainly know it. We invaded Honduras with a purpose. We came t

it had occurred to him that the motives

purpose?" he demanded. "Are you ready to follow me now, to-night-not

of us, and shot his arm into the

to hell and back

t we woke the camp. We could hear the men running down the road, and the sentries calling upon them to halt.

ests, great pasture-lands, and buried treasures of silver and iron and gold. But it is cursed with the laziest of God's creatures, and the men who rule them are the most corrupt and the most vicious. They are the dogs in the manger among rulers. They will do nothing to help their own country; they will not permit others to help it. They are a menace and an insult to civilization, and it is time that they stepped d

ross the table and point

ht to El Pecachua. Then if it does, it calls you farther-to the Capital! There can be no stopping

roof. He was like a man possessed. He sprang up on the table

an to make you President, and we will not stop there. Our motto shall be Walker's motto, 'Five or none,' and when we ha

bling, and at these words we shrieked and cheered, but Webster

nd you will found an empire-not the empire of slaves that Walker planned, but an empire of freed men, freed by you from their tyrants and f

cked not to wake him. For I, who loved him like a son, understood what it meant to him. In his talk along the trail and by the camp-fire he had always dreamed of an impossible republic, an Utopia ruled by love and justice, and I now saw he believed that the dreams had at last come true. I knew that the offer these men had made to follow him, filled him with a great happines

g mob crying for revenge upon Garcia. Had we not at once surrounded them they would have broke

d Laguerre stepped out into the moon-light, they forgot their anger in their pride for him, an

ot, were not expecting us until two nights later, when we were to walk into their parlor, and be torn to pieces. Consequently, when Miller, who knew Pecachua well, having served without political prejudice in six rev

white smoke rose from thecrest of El Pecachua and drifted lazily away. At the same instant a shell sang over the roofs of Tegucigalpa, howling jeeringly, and smashed into the pots and pans of the President's kitchen; another, falling two miles

ast we saw Garcia's force crawling away in a crowd of dust toward the hills, and an hour

ow, but we whipped them

onsuls, led by the Bishop and bearing a great white flag,

oclaimed Laguerre President and Military Dictator of Honduras. Laguerre in turn nominated Webster, on account of his knowledge of the country, Minister of the Interior, and made me Vice-President and Minister of W

rtment and Chief of Police. His first official act was to promote two bare-fo

people could either reelect him, or a candidate of their own choice. He announced also that he would force the Isthmian Line to pay the people the half million of dollars it owed them, and he suggested that this money be placed to the credit of the peop

against the barrack wall, nor levy forced "loans" upon the foreign merchants. Indeed, the only persons who suffered on the day he came into power were two of our own men

before night. But Laguerre sent for them and promised them, if they remained neutral, they should not be molested. Personally, I ha

stair-case of the Palace three steps at a time, and later our censor read his cable to the Home Bank in England, in which he said that Honduras at last had an honest man for President. What was more to the purpose, he reopened his bank at three o'clock, and quoted Honduranian money on his blackboard at a rise of three per cent. over that of the day befo

irely, and the consuls had cabled their several ministers,

h for fair promises b

ight to have my say I did not concern myself

Guard at my heels, making friends with the inhabitants, and arranging for their defence. I posted a gun at the entrance to each of the three principal streets, and ordered mounted scouts to patrol the plains outside the Capital. I also remembered Heinze and the artillerymen who were protecting us on the heights of Pecachua, and

om the stores of the Government, and or

d, "No one but Macklin could have converted a battery of artillery, without the lo

he head of the Legion, with the local band playing grandly before me, and the people bowin

was a girl from the States my satisfaction was unbounded. It had needed only the presence of such an audience t

onduras is an unusual spectacle, but as she rode nearer I knew that, had I s

er head, and the sun struck on the burnished braid around the brim, and framed her face with a rim of silver. I had never seen su

have lowered my eyes. I had time to guess who she was, for I knew there could be no other woman so beautiful in Honduras, except t

as the crusader who is rewarded by his first sight of the Holy City, and I was glad, too, that I came into her presence worthily, riding

y to one side to let it pass. I felt as though I were marching in rev

l upon me I blushed to the rim of my sombrero. I felt as meanly as though I had been caught in a lie. With her eyes, I saw the bare feet of our negro band, our ill-fitting unifor

art that one so noble-looking should be so blind and so unjust. I was swept with bitter indignation. I wanted to turn in my saddle and cry to her that beneath the flannel facings at which she laughed these men wore deep, uncared-for, f

hem wore the uniform of an ensign in our navy. This puzzled me for an instant, until I remembered I had heard that the cruiser Raleigh

e said, "but where's Falst

osen to ridicule my general. Because the girl had laughed at us I felt indignant with her, but for the same offence I was grate

id, speaking in a low voice, "or I'

th a fine air of good breeding. He looked straight into my eyes wit

, "I'll take your tin sword away

ds and the people in the street. It turned me perfectly cold, and all the blood seemed to run to my

ll pull you down. I'm going to thras

drove their ponies in between us, and three of the man's friends pushed in from the other side. But in spite of them we reached each other, and I struck up under his guard and beat him savagely on the face and head, until I fo

ard Von Ritter cry, "st

rove them back into ranks. I heard him

keeping order, is it?"

f the population. I knew what Laguerre would say, and I wondered hotly if the girl had seen me, and I swore at myself for having justified her contempt for us. Then I swore at myself again for giving a moment's consideration to

ght me for th

t is not easy to laugh at a man when he is covered with dust and blood, and t

like a gentleman, just as though you were a gentleman. You needn't think you've heard the la

er had removed his hat and was

ajesty, the King of Bavaria. If you are not satisfied, Captain Mille

and that it quite ca

dversary, a big, sun-burned man, in a

it. Can't you see the boy isn't himself? Th

ans of defence we've left you people. But I tell you, if any of you insult our gove

o Miller without any trace of emotion

d turned his horse's head down the street. "You will find us at the Hotel Continental," he added. "And as for running us out of town," he sh

urther interest in what the man said, until he threatened us with the wa

hair and blue eyes. I found that the blue eyes were fixed upon me steadily and kindly.

salute of our own men; it was like being back again under the flag at the Point. It was

The sailor-boy jerked his head toward the retreating form of my late adversary, and slowly stuck his tongue into his cheek, a

ll in at the re

those men?

in the helmet is Graham, the manager of the Copan Silver Mines. They

sulted Laguerre?" I asked. "

is?" he exclaimed, with a grin. "I thought, of course, you did. I thought that's why you hit him. He