here had been a review that very
afternoon and the populace had hailed the commandant as President. On
all sides there was talk of revolution; the whole south country had
enrolled beneath the banner of revolt. The gunboat was Laguerre's; all
Hayti craved a change; the old familiar race cry had been raised and the
mulattoes were in terror of another massacre. But the regular troops
were badly armed and the perusal of Inocencio's letter had filled the
general with joy.

Captain Ruiz was early at the meeting-place, but he waited patiently,
drinking rum and listening to the chatter of the street. His Spanish
accent, his identity as the master of the schooner in the offing, and,
above all, his threatening eyes, won him a tolerance which the warlike
blacks did not accord to Haytians of his color; therefore he was not
molested. He soon confirmed his sailor's story; revolution was indeed in
the air; the country was seething with unrest. Many houses already had
been burned--sure token of an uprising. The soldiers had had a taste of
pillage and persecution. The streets were thronged with them now;
merchants were on guard before their shops; from every side came the
sounds of revelry and quarreling.

Laguerre arrived, finally, a huge, forbidding man of martial bearing,
and he was heralded by cheers. He was much older and infinitely prouder
than when Inocencio had seen him. His uniform had been blue at that
time, but now it was parrot-green; his epaulettes were broader, the
golden braid and dangling loops were heavier, and he was fat from easy
living. With age and power he had coarsened, but his eyes were still
bloodshot and domineering.

"Captain Ruiz?" he inquired, pausing before the yellow man.

"Your Excellency!" Inocencio rose and saluted. The seaman's eyes were
smoldering, but his lips were cold, for he felt the dread of
recognition.

Time, it seemed, had dulled the sharp outlines of Laguerre's memory as
it had changed the younger man's features, for he continued,
unsuspectingly:

"You are the agent of Monsieur Leblanc, I believe."

"The same."

"Good! Now these rifles--you have them near by?"

"Within gunshot, Excellency. They are in the harbor at this moment."

Laguerre's face lighted. "Ha! A man of business, this Leblanc. You will
fix the price, as I understand it."

There followed a certain amount of bickering, during which the general
allowed himself to be worsted. He agreed weakly to Inocencio's terms,
ha