llor and
emaciation shocked him. He could only murmur, "Senorita!" But she saw
the surprise, the sorrow, the sympathy, yes, the adoring love in his
heart, and she was thankful to him for the reticence that relieved her
from special attention.

Doctor Worth made room for Lopez beside him. Luis sat by Isabel, upon a
pile of splendid military saddle-cloths. As she sipped her chocolate, he
smoked his cigarito in a lazy fashion, and gave himself up with delight
to that foolishness of love-making which is often far wiser than the
very words of wisdom.

As yet the ladies had not spoken of the battle. It was won. That great
fact had been as much as they could bear at first. The Senora wanted
to sleep. Isabel wanted to see Luis. Only Antonia was anxious for the
details, and she had been busy in preparing the respectable meal which
her mother had so long craved. The apparent indifference was natural
enough. The assurance of good fortune is always sufficient for the first
stage of reaction from anxiety. When the most urgent personal feelings
have been satisfied, then comes the demand for detail and discussion. So
now, as they sat together, the Senora said:

"No one has told me anything about the battle. Were you present,
Roberto?"

"I had that great honor, Maria. Lopez and Luis were with the cavalry,
and Ortiz also has had some satisfaction for all his wrongs."

"Very good! But I am impatient for the story; so is Antonia; and as
for Isabel--bah! the little one is listening to another story. One must
excuse her. We expected the battle on the twentieth, but no!"

"The enemy were expecting it also, and were in high spirits and perfect
preparation. Houston thought it prudent to dash their enthusiasm by
uncertainty and waiting. But at dawn, on the twenty-first, we heard the
three taps of the drum, and seven hundred soldiers sprang to their feet
as one man. Houston had been watching all night. He spoke to us with a
tongue of fire and then, while we cooked and ate our breakfast, he lay
down and slept. The sun came up without a cloud, and shone brightly on
his face. He sprang to his feet and said to Burleson, as he saluted him:
'The sun of Austerlitz has risen again.'

"Some one brought him a piece of cornbread and broiled beef. He sat upon
the grass and ate it--or rather upon the blue hyacinths that covered the
grass; they are red now. For many weeks I had not seen his countenance
so bright; all traces of trouble and anxiety were