ollars, were distributed freely by the opposition party, who seemed
earnestly bent upon making a captain of their candidate.

As yet Kearney had not looked upon his competitor, and was even ignorant
of his name. Soon, however, it was communicated to him, just as the man
himself, escorted by a number of friends, made his appearance in the
room. The surprise of the young Irishman may be imagined; when he saw
before him one already known, and too well-known,--his rival in the
affections of Luisa Valverde!

Yes; Carlos Santander was also a candidate for the command of the
filibusters.

To Kearney the thing was a surprise, and something besides. He knew
Santander to be on terms of very friendly and intimate relationship not
only with Don Ignacio, but other Mexicans he had met at the exile's
house. Strange, that the Creole should be aspiring to the leadership of
a band about to invade their country! For it was _invasion_ the Texans
now talked of, in retaliation for a late raid of the Mexicans to their
capital, San Antonio. But these banished Mexicans being enemies of
Santa Anna it was after all not so unnatural. By humiliating the
Dictator, they would be aiding their own party to get back into power--
even though the help came from their hereditary foemen, the squatters of
Texas.

All this passed through the mind of the young Irishman, though not
altogether to satisfy him. The presence of Santander there, as aspirant
for leadership, seemed strange notwithstanding.

But he had no opportunity for indulging in conjectures--only time to
exchange frowns at his rival and competitor, when a man in undress
uniform--a Texan colonel--who acted as chairman of the meeting, mounting
upon a table, cried "Silence!" and, after a short pithy speech, proposed
that the election of officers should at once proceed. The proposal was
seconded, no one objecting; and, without further parley, the "balloting"
began.

There was neither noise nor confusion. Indeed, the assembly was one of
the quietest, and without any street crowd outside. There were reasons
for observing a certain secrecy in the proceedings; for, although the
movement was highly popular all over the States, there were some
compromising points of International law, and there had been talk of
Government interference.

The election was conducted in the most primitive and simple fashion.
The names of the candidates were written upon slips of paper, and
distributed throug