re not!" returned McKildrick.

Roddy, jubilant and grandly excited, laughed mockingly.

"'Am _I_ the Governor of these Isles, or is it an Emilio Aguinaldo?'"
he demanded. "This is _my_ expedition, and I speak to lead the forlorn
hope."

Exclaiming with impatience, McKildrick brought a rope and, making a
noose, slipped it under Roddy's arms.

"All we ask," he said grimly, "is that when you faint you'll fall with
your head toward us. Otherwise we will bump it into a jelly."

Roddy switched on the light in his electric torch and, like a diver
descending a sea-ladder, moved cautiously down the stone steps.
Holding the rope taut, Peter leaned over the opening.

"When the snakes and bats and vampires get you," he warned, "you'll
wish you were back among the sharks!"

But Roddy did not hear him. As though warding off a blow he threw his
hands across his face and dropped heavily.

"Heave!" cried Peter.

The two men sank their heels in the broken rubbish and dragged on the
rope until they could lay violent hands on Roddy's shoulders. With
unnecessary roughness they pulled him out of the opening and let him
fall.

When Roddy came to he rose sheepishly.

"We'll have to postpone that expedition," he said, "until we can count
on better ventilation. Meanwhile, if any gentleman wants to say 'I
told you so,' I'll listen to him."

They replaced the slabs over the mouth of the tunnel, but left wide
openings through which the air and sunlight could circulate, and,
after concealing these openings with vines, returned to Roddy's house.
There they found Vicenti awaiting them. He was the bearer of important
news. The adherents of Colonel Vega, he told them, were assembling in
force near Porto Cabello, and it was well understood by the government
that at any moment Vega might join them and proclaim his revolution.
That he was not already under arrest was due to the fact that the
government wished to seize not only the leader, but all of those who
were planning to leave the city with him. The home of Vega was
surrounded, and he himself, in his walks abroad, closely guarded. That
he would be able to escape seemed all but impossible.

"At the same time," continued Vicenti, "our own party is in readiness.
If Vega reaches his followers and starts on his march to the capital
we will start an uprising here in favor of Rojas. If we could free
Rojas and show him to the people, nothing could save Alvarez. Alvarez
knows that as well as o