nes under Don Calixto's terrain. The judge, who was a friend of
Don Calixto's, was transferred; so were some clerks of the court; and
the Count of la Sauceda, the famous boss, was soon able to realize that
his protege was firing against him.

"I have nourished a serpent in my bosom," said Don Calixto; "but I know
how I can grind its head."

He could not have been very sure of his strength; for Don Calixto found
himself in a position where he had to beg for quarter. Caesar conceded
it, on the understanding that Don Calixto would not take any more part
in Castro politics.

"You people had the power and you didn't use it very well for the town.
Now just leave it to me."

In exchange for Don Calixto's surrender, Caesar agreed to have his Papal
title legalized.

At the end of a year and a half Caesar had all the bosses of Castro in
his fist.

"Suppressing the bosses in the district was easy," Caesar used to say;
"I managed to have one make all the others innocuous, and then I made
that one, who was Don Calixto, innocuous and gave him a title."

Caesar did not forget or neglect the least detail. He listened to
everybody that talked to him, even though they had nothing but nonsense
to say; he always answered letters, and in his own handwriting.

With the townpeople he used the tactics of knowing all their names,
especially the old folks', and for this purpose he carried a little
note-book. He wrote down, for example: "Senor Ramon, was in the Carlist
war; Uncle Juan, suffers with rheumatism."

When, by means of his notes, he remembered these details, it produced
an extraordinary effect on people. Everybody considered himself the
favourite.

CAESAR'S MANNER OF LIVING

Caesar lived simply; he had a room in an hotel in the Carrera de San
Jeronimo, where he received calls; but nobody ever found him there
except in business hours.

He used to go now and then to Alzugaray's house, where he would talk
over various matters with his friend's mother and sister; he would find
out about everything, and go away after giving them advice on questions
of managing their money, which they almost always observed and followed.

Of all people, Ignacio Alzugaray was the most incredulous in regard
to his friend; his mother and his sister believed in Caesar as in an
oracle. Caesar often thought that he ought to fall definitely in love
with Ignacio's sister and marry her; but neither he nor she seemed to
have set upon passing the lim