to acquire a serious fortune
for himself. With this object in view he obtained from his brother, on
the very morrow of the successful battle, the permission to push on
over the mountains and take possession of Sulaco. Sulaco was the land
of future prosperity, the chosen land of material progress, the only
province in the Republic of interest to European capitalists. Pedrito
Montero, following the example of the Duc de Morny, meant to have his
share of this prosperity. This is what he meant literally. Now his
brother was master of the country, whether as President, Dictator, or
even as Emperor--why not as an Emperor?--he meant to demand a share in
every enterprise--in railways, in mines, in sugar estates, in cotton
mills, in land companies, in each and every undertaking--as the price of
his protection. The desire to be on the spot early was the real cause of
the celebrated ride over the mountains with some two hundred llaneros,
an enterprise of which the dangers had not appeared at first clearly to
his impatience. Coming from a series of victories, it seemed to him
that a Montero had only to appear to be master of the situation. This
illusion had betrayed him into a rashness of which he was becoming
aware. As he rode at the head of his llaneros he regretted that there
were so few of them. The enthusiasm of the populace reassured him. They
yelled "Viva Montero! Viva Pedrito!" In order to make them still more
enthusiastic, and from the natural pleasure he had in dissembling, he
dropped the reins on his horse's neck, and with a tremendous effect of
familiarity and confidence slipped his hands under the arms of Senores
Fuentes and Gamacho. In that posture, with a ragged town mozo holding
his horse by the bridle, he rode triumphantly across the Plaza to the
door of the Intendencia. Its old gloomy walls seemed to shake in the
acclamations that rent the air and covered the crashing peals of the
cathedral bells.

Pedro Montero, the brother of the general, dismounted into a shouting
and perspiring throng of enthusiasts whom the ragged Nationals were
pushing back fiercely. Ascending a few steps he surveyed the large crowd
gaping at him and the bullet-speckled walls of the houses opposite
lightly veiled by a sunny haze of dust. The word "_Pourvenir_" in
immense black capitals, alternating with broken windows, stared at
him across the vast space; and he thought with delight of the hour of
vengeance, because he was very sure of layi