officer replied, in some confusion. "Excuse
me--are you the three gentlemen who took her to the yacht? I am afraid
I spoke rather hastily just now, but you are not in uniform, and the
Government seems to change so quickly down here that a stranger finds
it hard to keep up with it."

Six of the native officers had approached as the lieutenant was
speaking and saluted Clay gravely. "We have followed your
instructions," one of them said, "and the regiments are ready to march
with the prisoners. Have you any further orders for us--can we deliver
any messages to General Rojas?"

"Present my congratulations to General Rojas, and best wishes," said
Clay. "And tell him for me, that it would please me greatly if he
would liberate an American citizen named Burke, who is at present in
the cuartel. And that I wish him to promote all of you gentlemen one
grade and give each of you the Star of Olancho. Tell him that in my
opinion you have deserved even higher reward and honor at his hands."

The boy-lieutenants broke out into a chorus of delighted thanks. They
assured Clay that he was most gracious; that he overwhelmed them, and
that it was honor enough for them that they had served under him. But
Clay laughed, and drove them off with a paternal wave of the hand.

The officer from the man-of-war listened with an uncomfortable sense of
having blundered in his manner toward this powder-splashed young man
who set American citizens at liberty, and created captains by the
half-dozen at a time.

"Are you from the States?" he asked as they moved toward the
man-of-war's men.

"I am, thank God. Why not?"

"I thought you were, but you saluted like an Englishman."

"I was an officer in the English army once in the Soudan, when they
were short of officers." Clay shook his head and looked wistfully at
the ranks of the blue-jackets drawn up on either side of them. The
horses had been brought out and Langham and MacWilliams were waiting
for him to mount. "I have worn several uniforms since I was a boy,"
said Clay. "But never that of my own country."

The people were cheering him from every part of the square. Women waved
their hands from balconies and housetops, and men climbed to awnings
and lampposts and shouted his name. The officers and men of the
landing party took note of him and of this reception out of the corner
of their eyes, and wondered.

"And what had I better do?" asked the commanding officer.

"Oh, I would