_ayuntamientos_ above mentioned.
Mendoza and others also replied that the President and the ministry gave
their consent. Nevertheless, the days passed, and the order did not
come.

The Casina party had on their hands another project for which they were
very strenuous, though not to the same degree as the above. This was the
highway between Serin and Agueeria, which the inhabitants of both places
wished to be put out at public contract. Many times they had made
attempts through each faction, but without success. At last the general
promised them that he would not cease his endeavors until he had
accomplished it; but his departure for Germany had disappointed Don
Servando's partisans, who hoped that the district would owe the benefit
to them, and not to the Casona party. But now it came to light that the
latter were actively at work in Madrid through the intervention of
Corrales, who, as ex-minister and an individual well known in politics,
had never ceased to be on friendly terms with the present ministers.

Thereupon, the Casina party became alarmed, and brought pressure on
Miguel to use all his influence again, so that this favor might in
nowise be granted to Corrales, but rather to the official candidate whom
they supported.

Miguel received word from Madrid that the matter was in a fair way of
being settled; later he got another letter in which it was said that the
minister had promised to give the order immediately; then came still
another which said that the order would appear very soon in the
_Gazeta_. Nevertheless, just as in the matter of the suspension, nothing
came of it: it failed to appear.

And Don Servando's janizaries, though very certain of victory, began to
grow impatient, and to assail Miguel, who, in his turn, was still more
vexed by their innuendos, and felt the most savage inclination to say
something impudent in their faces.

One afternoon, when they were as usual drinking beer in Don Servando's
office, they heard the sound of a bomb exploding in the air. They
suddenly became solemn and silent with their ears pricked up. In a
moment another was heard, and some one present said:--

"_They are rockets!_"

"Rockets at this time of day?"

And the seven or eight men present looked at each other in amazement and
no little alarm, for the two factions lived in perpetual excitement.

"Is there any special celebration at church to-morrow?"

"No, sir."

"Suppose one of you go out and investigate