gh
steps of the church of Santa Maria. Others were gathered in black
masses on the balconies and roofs of the more distant houses, where
they stood outlined against the soft blue sky in gigantic silhouette.
Their shouts of encouragement and anger carried clearly in the morning
air, and spurred on the gladiators below to greater effort. In the
Palace Gardens a line of Mendoza's men fought from behind the first
barricade, while others dragged tables and bedding and chairs across
the green terraces and tumbled them down to those below, who seized
them and formed them into a second line of defence.

Two of the assistant engineers were kneeling at Langham's feet with the
barrels of their rifles resting on the railing of the balcony. Their
eyes had been trained for years to judge distances and to measure
space, and they glanced along the sights of their rifles as though they
were looking through the lens of a transit, and at each report their
faces grew more earnest and their lips pressed tighter together. One
of them lowered his gun to light a cigarette, and Langham handed him
his match-box, with a certain feeling of repugnance.

"Better get under cover, Mr. Langham," the man said, kindly. "There's
no use our keeping your mines for you if you're not alive to enjoy
them. Take a shot at that crew around the gun."

"I don't like this long range business," Langham answered. "I am going
down to join Clay. I don't like the idea of hitting a man when he
isn't looking at you."

The engineer gave an incredulous laugh.

"If he isn't looking at you, he's aiming at the man next to you. 'Live
and let Live' doesn't apply at present."

As Langham reached Clay's side triumphant shouts arose from the
roof-tops, and the men posted there stood up and showed themselves
above the barricades and called to Clay that the cannon were deserted.

Kirkland had come prepared for the barricade, and, running across the
street, fastened a dynamite cartridge to each gate post and lit the
fuses. The soldiers scattered before him as he came leaping back, and
in an instant later there was a racking roar, and the gates were
pitched out of their sockets and thrown forward, and those in the
street swept across them and surrounded the cannon.

Langham caught it by the throat as though it were human, and did not
feel the hot metal burning the palms of his hands as he choked it and
pointed its muzzle toward the Palace, while the others dragged at the