o send down twenty men to search the house thoroughly from top
to bottom. Let them visit every room, not excepting even the
apartments of my wife and daughters. You say that they were most
conspicuous in the attack upon your cavalry, and I myself observed two
very young men leading the attack upon the infantry. Well, sir,"
turning to another officer, "what is your report of the losses?"

"Two hundred and three of the cavalry have been killed, sir. There are
only ten wounded. One hundred and sixty-three infantry killed, and 204
wounded. We have found the bodies of 133 armed men, who were killed
either in the square or in the pursuit, and 97 bodies, apparently
those of town's-people in the square."

"Put them all down as insurgents," the general said. "They are
traitors and rebels, the whole brood. Let strong bodies of infantry
patrol the streets. Order all shops to be shut and the inhabitants to
keep within doors, and let a body of troops be placed at the disposal
of the chief of police for a search from house to house. Some of these
scoundrels may be hidden in the town."

All day, officers, the bearers of reports, or who came to receive
orders, entered and left the room, among them the chief of police, who
reported that he had searched the palace from top to bottom, without
the omission of a single room, and had failed altogether to find any
traces of the fugitives.

"If they entered, they must be somewhere," said the general. "Let a
close cordon be kept around the house all night, with orders to shoot
down any one they may see leaving it. To-morrow you will repeat your
search of the house. If they are here, they must be found."

The hours seemed intolerably long to the lads, standing upright and
motionless against the wall. No one approached their hiding-place. At
four o'clock the general gave orders that his horse and escort should
be at the door, and a few minutes afterwards he went out, and the room
was left deserted. The midshipmen were now able to stand in easier
positions, but they did not venture to leave their hiding-places, in
case any one should suddenly return. The hours passed slowly on, and
it was nine o'clock before the door opened. It closed again, and a
voice asked in low tones whether they were still there.

The lads joyfully replied that they were.

"Follow me, then," she said, "as quietly as you can. There is no one
about."

They were soon in the room where they had first entered. The curtai