n a hotbed of rotten institutions; but
the seed of this one has germinated in your brother's brain, and that
will be enough for your devoted assent. I am writing this to you by the
light of a single candle, in a sort of inn, near the harbour, kept by
an Italian called Viola, a protege of Mrs. Gould. The whole building,
which, for all I know, may have been contrived by a Conquistador farmer
of the pearl fishery three hundred years ago, is perfectly silent. So is
the plain between the town and the harbour; silent, but not so dark as
the house, because the pickets of Italian workmen guarding the railway
have lighted little fires all along the line. It was not so quiet around
here yesterday. We had an awful riot--a sudden outbreak of the populace,
which was not suppressed till late today. Its object, no doubt, was
loot, and that was defeated, as you may have learned already from the
cablegram sent via San Francisco and New York last night, when the
cables were still open. You have read already there that the energetic
action of the Europeans of the railway has saved the town from
destruction, and you may believe that. I wrote out the cable myself. We
have no Reuter's agency man here. I have also fired at the mob from the
windows of the club, in company with some other young men of position.
Our object was to keep the Calle de la Constitucion clear for the exodus
of the ladies and children, who have taken refuge on board a couple of
cargo ships now in the harbour here. That was yesterday. You should also
have learned from the cable that the missing President, Ribiera, who had
disappeared after the battle of Sta. Marta, has turned up here in Sulaco
by one of those strange coincidences that are almost incredible, riding
on a lame mule into the very midst of the street fighting. It appears
that he had fled, in company of a muleteer called Bonifacio, across the
mountains from the threats of Montero into the arms of an enraged mob.

"The Capataz of Cargadores, that Italian sailor of whom I have written
to you before, has saved him from an ignoble death. That man seems
to have a particular talent for being on the spot whenever there is
something picturesque to be done.

"He was with me at four o'clock in the morning at the offices of the
Porvenir, where he had turned up so early in order to warn me of the
coming trouble, and also to assure me that he would keep his Cargadores
on the side of order. When the full daylight came we we