her into
stillness, I again turned my eyes toward the Piazza. The fire had at
last flickered out and the revels seemed on the wane. Suddenly a body
of men appeared in close order, marching down the street toward the
bank. We stood perhaps a hundred yards from that building, which was,
in its turn, about two hundred from the Piazza. Steadily they came
along; no sound reached us from the wood.

"This is getting interesting," I said. "There'll be trouble soon."

As near as I could see, the colonel's band, for such it was, no doubt,
did not number more than five-and-twenty at the outside. Now they were
at the bank. I could hardly see what happened, but there seemed to be
a moment's pause; probably someone had knocked and they were waiting.
A second later a loud shout rang through the street and I saw a group
of figures crowding round the door and pushing a way into my poor
bank.

"The gods preserve Jones!" I whispered. "I hope the old fool won't try
to stop them."

As I spoke, I heard a short, sharp order from behind, "Now! Charge!"

As the word was given another body of fifty or more rushed by us full
tilt, and at their head we saw the President, sword in hand, running
like a young man and beckoning his men on. Up the street they swept.
Involuntarily we waited a moment to watch them. Just as they came near
the bank they sent up a shout:

"The President! the President! Death to traitors!"

Then there was a volley, and they closed round the building.

"Now for our turn, Christina," said I.

She grasped my arm tightly, and we sped across the road and into the
wood. It seemed darker than when I came through before, or perhaps my
eyes were dazzled by the glare of the street lamps. But still we got
along pretty well, I helping my companion with all my power.

"Can we do it?" she gasped.

"Please God," said I; "a clear quarter of an hour will do it, and they
ought to take that to finish off the colonel." For I had little doubt
of the issue of that _melee_.

On we sped, and already we could see the twinkle of the waves through
the thinning trees. Five hundred yards more, and there lay life and
liberty and love!

Well, of course, I might have known. Everything had gone so smoothly
up to now, that any student of the laws of chance could have foretold
that fortune was only delaying the inevitable slap in the face. A plan
that seemed wild and risky had proved in the result as effectual
as the wisest scheme. By a natu