oyal daughter,
well--I wish you joy of your conscience and your birthright of
Englishman!"

The other shrugged his shoulders as he answered.

"I have nothing to do with the matter. Colonel Rollo Blair brings the
party hither, and General Cabrera shoots them. You two can divide the
responsibility between you as you please!"

"That is just what I mean to do," quoth Rollo, and lifted the flap of
the tent door.

"General Cabrera," he said, "I would speak to you!"

An inarticulate growl alone replied, and though there was more of wild
beast wrath than permission to enter in the tone, Rollo put aside the
flap and entered.

Cabrera was lying on a camp bed, his face a deathly white, from which a
pair of small bloodshot eyes peered out with startling effect. He had
bound a red handkerchief about his black hair, and altogether his
appearance was more that of an engorged tiger roused from the enjoyment
of his kill, than that of a leading General in the service of the most
Christian and Catholic of Pretenders.

"Your Excellency," said Rollo, "I have come to urge you to reconsider
your intentions with regard to Queen Maria Cristina, widow of the late
King, and the child her daughter, and that for several reasons."

"Let me hear them--and as briefly as may be, senor," thundered Cabrera.
"I shall then make up my mind whether it would not make for the King's
peace that such a firebrand adventurer as you should not be shot along
with them. And, I can tell you this, that if all the pretty girls in the
peninsula were to come with a whole herd of Papal Bulls, they would not
save you a second time!"

As he spoke Cabrera reared himself on his elbow and glared at Rollo, who
stood still holding the tent flap in his hand.

"These are my reasons for this request, General," said Rollo, without
taking the least notice of the threat. "First, such an act would
alienate the sympathy of the whole civilised world from the cause of Don
Carlos."

"For that I do not give the snap of my finger," cried Cabrera. "I bite
my thumb at the civilised world. What has it done for us or for Don
Carlos either? Next!"

"Secondly, I appeal to your pity, as a man with the heart of a man
within his breast. This lady hath never done you any wrong. Her daughter
is little more than a babe. Spare them, and if an example must be made,
be satisfied with executing Senor Munoz and myself. I shall right
willingly stand up by his side, if the shedding of my blood w