was because he was trying even then to
buy the Republic's good will, in case--in case anything should happen.
But he was _afraid_ to change, the coward! He must first
_know_ which side would win. I am his orderly--_he_ knows why
I am--and I've tried to drive it into his thick wits that the Empire is
damned and has been, but he still doubted, even when we were starving
again, even when every crumb was gathered into the common store, even
when it was useless to shoot men for not declaring hidden corn, even
when forced loans were vain, since money could no longer buy. No senor,
even with proofs like these, Miguel Lopez was stubborn."

"I'd prob'bly guess he was a loyal scoundrel, after all."

"More yet, he has fought bravely, making himself a marked man in the
Republic's eyes."

"Then why----"

"Because so long as the Empire had a chance, or he thought it had, he
hoped for more coddling. You see, senor, he thought Marquez was coming
back with relief. There was that--that Frenchwoman you know of--who
brought news from the capital. But Maximilian dared not make the news
public. He forged a letter instead, a letter from Marquez, and he had
its contents proclaimed. Marquez had been delayed, so all Queretaro
read, but he had at last destroyed the Liberals in his path, and was
then hurrying here with his victorious army. This false hope blinded
Lopez with the others in there. But when Marquez did not come, when
utter demoralization set in, when we were a starving town against
thirty-five thousand outside, when there were scores of deserters every
day, when any man who talked of surrender was executed, and still no
Marquez, then Lopez began----"

"I see, he began to be persuaded?"

"Still, he wanted to be a general. But the other generals forced
Maximilian not to promote him."

"So he was disappointed?"

"And persuaded, senor. The sally was already planned for this morning,
but Lopez argued obstacles, and so got it postponed until to-morrow
morning. He wanted to--to act on his--persuasion. And that is why,"
Murguia got to his feet and limped around the table to Driscoll, "and
that is why," he ended in a croaking whisper, "why I am here!"

"And the red puppy, how near here did _he_ come with you?"

Again Murguia darted at his questioner that uneasy glance of admiration.

"Lopez is waiting between the lines," he replied. "As to our own lines,
we passed them easily, since Lopez commands the reserve brigade and
places t