ive me?"

"Can you run?" was Roddy's answer.

With the joyful laugh of a boy, the General turned and, refusing
Roddy's arm, ran with him down the corridor. When he saw the fallen
grating he gave a cry of pleasure, and at the sight of the breach in
the wall he exclaimed in delight.

"It is good!" he cried. "It is well done."

Roddy had picked up the turnkey's lantern and had given it to General
Rojas. Lowering it before him, the old soldier nimbly scaled the mass
of fallen masonry, and with an excited, breathless sigh plunged into
the tunnel.

As he did so, in his eyes there flashed a circle of light; in his ears
there sounded a cry, in its joy savage, exultant, ringing high above
the tumult of the battle. The light that had blinded him fell
clattering to the stones; in the darkness he felt himself held
helpless, in strong, young arms.

"Father!" sobbed the voice of a girl. "Father!"

Like a coach on the side-lines, like a slave-driver plying his whip,
Roddy, with words of scorn, of entreaty, of encouragement, lashed them
on toward the mouth of the tunnel and, through the laurel, to the
launch. Acting as rear-guard, with a gun in his hand he ran back to
see they were not pursued, or to forestall an ambush skirmished in
advance. Sometimes he gave an arm to Vicenti, sometimes to the
General; at all times he turned upon them an incessant torrent of
abuse and appeal.

"Only a minute longer," he begged, "only a few yards further. Don't
let them catch us in the last inning! Don't let them take it from you
in the stretch! Only a few strokes more, boys," he cried frantically,
"and I'll let you break training. Now then, all of you! Run! Run!"

Not until they were safely seated in the launch, and her head was
pointed to the open sea, did he relax his vigilance, or share in their
rejoicing.

But when the boat sped forward and the shore sank into darkness he
heaved a happy, grateful sigh.

"If you've left anything in that flask, Vicenti," he said, "I would
like to drink to the family of Rojas."

The duel between the city and the fort had ceased. On the man-of-war
and on the ramparts of the fortress the guns were silent. From the
city came a confusion of shouts and cheers. In his excitement, Roddy
stood upright.

"It sounds as though you had won, sir!" he cried.

"Or that they have exhausted their ammunition!" answered the General.
The answer was not long in coming.

From the deck of the gun-boat there sprang int