ite as remarkable.

"Never was such courage, senora! God must have been moved to
astonishment and admiration, for He diverted those bullets, every one.
When our general came to the house he lit the fuses from his cigarette,
then he cried, 'Viva Potosi!' and hurled one bomb to the roof; the
other he flung through a window into the very faces of his enemies.
Those Rebels were packed in there like goats in a corral, and they say
such a screaming you never heard. Doubtless many of them died from
sheer terror the rest were blown through each other." The lieutenant
breathed an admiring oath. "Truly, it must have been a superb
spectacle."

"General Longorio must be very brave indeed," Alaire agreed.

"But wait! That is not all. After we had taken the town and destroyed
what Rebel officers we found--"

"You mean--your prisoners?"

"Si. But there were only a few, and doubtless some of them would have
died from their wounds. Well then, after that General Longorio called
his old friend--that capitan--out before his troops and with his own
hand he shot him. Then every fifth man among those who had refused to
charge he ordered executed. It effected much good, I assure you."

For a moment Alaire and her companion rode in silence, but the teniente
was not content with this praise of his leader.

"And yet General Longorio has another side to his character," he
continued. "He can be as mild as the shyest senorita, and he possesses
the most beautiful sentiments. Women are mad over him. But he is hard
to please--strangely so. Truly, the lady who captivates his fancy may
count herself fortunate." The old soldier turned in his saddle and,
with a grace surprising in one of his rough appearance, removed his hat
and swept Alaire a bow the unmistakable meaning of which caused her to
start and to stammer something unintelligible.

Alaire was angry at the fellow's presumption, and vexed with herself
for showing that she understood his insinuation. She spurred her horse
into a gallop, leaving him to follow as he could.

It was absurd to take the man's word seriously; indeed, he probably
believed he had paid her a compliment. Alaire assured herself that
Longorio's attentions were inspired merely by a temporary extravagance
of admiration, characteristic of his nationality. Doubtless he had
forgotten all about her by this time. That, too, was characteristic of
Latin men. Nevertheless, the possibility that she had perhaps stirred
him more d