After all, the danger was trifling; the
Indians would not have hurt me."

"I don't quite understand the story," she said thoughtfully, "but I
know you risked your life."

"There was little risk. I had a slight chance to rescue your father
from the Indians, and seized it. Unfortunately the attempt failed, and
I was captured by the Royalists. So in one way you did me a good turn;
for while the other fellows were starving and fighting in the
mountains, I was pretty comfortably off."

"But you were in the great battle?"

"Yes, I was. I escaped from prison chiefly to please a mad-brained
young lieutenant of my regiment. But it is all past now, Rosa, and
there will be no more fighting."

"I am sorry for his Majesty," she said simply, "and for the loyal
gentlemen who have died for him."

"There were some splendid fellows amongst the Royalists," I said, and
proceeded to tell her the story of the gallant Santiago Mariano.

"He must have been a brave man, Juan!"

"He was, and he had equally brave comrades. Now that the struggle is
over, they will join us, and we shall all work together in peace for
the prosperity of our common country. The war has been a terrible
evil, but I am hoping that much good may come from it. I dream of a
grand future for Peru, and of a time when the Land of the Sun shall
recover its ancient glory."

"I hope your dream will come true, Juan. I am sure you will try to
make it do so," she said. "But you must not expect me to be pleased
that we are no longer loyal subjects of the Spanish king."

* * * * * *

Here ends the story of my adventures during the War of Independence.
The Spanish power was completely crushed; but, as my father had
foretold, there were still many misfortunes in store for our unhappy
country. The men who had fought so hard for liberty quarrelled among
themselves. There were endless disputes and conspiracies, and many
soldiers who had bravely faced death on the battlefield were executed
by their fellow-countrymen.

For two years Bolivar ruled at Lima. He was at the height of his
glory. He had freed Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador from the
Spaniards, and joined them into the one country of Colombia. Upper
Peru he had formed into another country called Bolivia, and he was the
real master of Peru proper.

His boundless ambition, however, overreached itself. Enemies rose up
against him on all sides. He was driven from power