ct tones, as he turned
again to the house. "Good idea. Tell him to fire lower next time.
And, I say," he went on, as he bowed curtly to the assembled company on
the veranda, "since you have got a picket out, you had better double
it. And, Clay, see that no one leaves here without permission--no one.
That's more important, even, than keeping them out."

"King, will you--" Clay began.

"All right, General," laughed King, and walked away to meet his
sailors, who came running up the hill in great anxiety.

MacWilliams had not opened his lips, but he was bristling with
importance, and his effort to appear calm and soldierly, like Stuart,
told more plainly than speech that he was the bearer of some invaluable
secret. The sight filled young Langham with a disquieting fear that he
had missed something.

Stuart looked about him, and pulled briskly at his gauntlets. King and
his sailors were grouped together on the grass before the house. Mr.
Langham and his daughters, and Clay, were standing on the steps, and
the servants were peering around the corners of the house.

Stuart saluted Mr. Langham, as though to attract his especial
attention, and then addressed himself in a low tone to Clay.

"It's come," he said. "We've been in it since dinner-time, and we've
got a whole night's work cut out for you." He was laughing with
excitement, and paused for a moment to gain breath. "I'll tell you the
worst of it first. Mendoza has sent word to Alvarez that he wants the
men at the mines to be present at the review to-morrow. He says they
must take part. He wrote a most insolent letter. Alvarez got out of
it by saying that the men were under contract to you, and that you must
give your permission first. Mendoza sent me word that if you would not
let the men come, he would go out and fetch them in him self."

"Indeed!" growled Clay. "Kirkland needs those men to-morrow to load
ore-cars for Thursday's steamer. He can't spare them. That is our
answer, and it happens to be a true one, but if it weren't true, if
to-morrow was All Saints' Day, and the men had nothing to do but to lie
in the sun and sleep, Mendoza couldn't get them. And if he comes to
take them to-morrow, he'll have to bring his army with him to do it.
And he couldn't do it then, Mr. Langham," Clay cried, turning to that
gentleman, "if I had better weapons. The five thousand dollars I
wanted you to spend on rifles, sir, two months ago, might have saved
you s