o find that every tethered group was in the hands of
this new contingent. Then the darkness swallowed them. Dom Miguel's
cavalry was disbanded.

At once the medley within died down. Men had no words as yet to meet
this astounding development. Dom Corria went to where his rival lay.
Dom Miguel was dying. His eyes met De Sylva's in a strange look of
recognition. He tried to speak, but choked and died.

Then the living President stooped over the dead one. He murmured
something. Those near thought afterward that he said:

"Is it worth it? Who knows!"

But he was surely President now; seldom have power and place been more
hardly won.

His quiet glance sought Philip.

"Thank you, Mr. Hozier," he said. "All Brazil is your debtor. As for
me, I can never repay you. I owe you my life, the lives of my daughter
and of many of my friends, and the success of my cause."

Philip heard him as in a dream. He was looking at Iris. Her eyes were
shining, her lips parted, yet she did not come to him. By her side was
standing a white-haired old man, an Englishman, a stranger. Bending over
Coke, and wringing his hands in incoherent sorrow, was another elderly
Briton. A fear that Philip had never before known gripped his
heartstrings now. He was pale and stern, and his forehead was seamed
with foreboding.

"Who is that with Miss Yorke?" he said to Dom Corria.

The President had a rare knack of answering a straight question in a
straight way.

"A Mr. Bulmer, I am told," he said.

There was a pause. General Russo, carved from head to foot, but so stout
withal that his enemies' weapons had reached no vital part, approached.
He thumped his huge stomach.

"We must rally our men," he said. "If we collect even five thousand
to-night----"

"Yes," said De Sylva, "I will come. Before I go, Mr. Hozier, let me
repeat that I and Brazil are grateful."

"May the devil take both you and Brazil!" was Philip's most ungracious
reply, and he turned and strode out into the night.

CHAPTER XVI

WHEREIN THE PRESIDENT PRESIDES

Before the exciting story so rudely interrupted is resumed, it may be
well to set down in their sequence the queer workings of fortune which
led to Philip's timely reappearance at Las FIores.

His troop of scouts consisted of twenty-eight men. Five were sailors
and firemen from the _Andromeda_; three were Germans from the _Unser
Fritz_. But the whole eight were ex-soldiers, and one man-at-arm