hour
for us. If the chiefs endeavoured to force us into submission, there
could be but one result. Videla would not yield, and we could not
desert him. Perhaps the firmness of our bearing saved us; perhaps the
chiefs feared the people, for the battalion was composed entirely of
Peruvians; but whatever the reason, we remained unmolested, and the
army marched off without us. Then the men were dismissed, and we
gathered in groups to chat over the incident.

"What will happen now?" asked one fellow.

"It is all decided," replied Videla. "I heard last night that the
government will yield. Riva-Aguero is to be made president, and Santa
Cruz commander-in-chief."

"And what shall we do, colonel?"

"Obey orders," he answered, smiling. "We cannot fight for a government
that has resigned its powers."

The evening proved Videla's words true. The troops, having
accomplished their object, returned to camp, rejoicing that the country
had a new ruler.

"Now," exclaimed Alzura, as we turned in for the night, "I suppose we
shall see great things done!"

"New brooms sweep clean," said I, laughing, "but unfortunately they
soon become old ones."

However, it really did seem as if the new general intended to push on
the war in vigorous style. Preparations were made for another
expedition to the south; Bolivar was invited to Peru; and Sucre, his
most brilliant general, had already come.

At this time we knew nothing of Colonel Miller; but about the end of
March he returned to Lima, having done more with his handful of men
than all the southern army. The stories told by officers who served
with him filled us with envy.

"Did you hear how we cleared the Royalists out of Arequipa?" asked
Captain Plaza. "That was a rich joke," and he laughed even at the
recollection of it.

"Let us hear it," said I.

"Well, of course, it loses in the telling, but I'll do my best. First
of all, we caught a peasant and shut him up where he could hear all and
see nothing. The poor fellow imagined we were going to shoot him as a
spy. About every half-hour or so one of us would go to the colonel to
report the arrival of fresh troops, and ask where they were to camp.
Then we spread our few men about the valley and kindled dozens of
blazing fires. As soon as it was dark enough, the colonel ordered the
man to be brought out."

"His face was a study," interrupted Cordova. "He certainly expected to
be shot."

"The colonel read him a lec