among the officers had ambitions for leadership, but they knew
now that Ramon had made the moment his and forestalled them. He had won
the army over to him.

He spoke briefly, but he took pains to see that no other speaker
followed him. The plaudits for "General Culvera" rang like sweet music
in his ears. They told him that he had at a bound passed the officers
who ranked him and was already in effect chief of the Army of the North.

Briefly he gave directions for the care of the body of the dead general
and for the safety of the American prisoners pending a disposition of
their cases. Before dismissing the army, he called an immediate
conference of the officers.

Resolved to strike while the iron was hot, Culvera took charge of the
meeting of officers and proposed at once the election of a general to
succeed Pasquale. His associates were taken by surprise. They looked out
of the windows and saw pacing up and down the armed sentries Ramon had
set. They heard still an occasional distant cheer for the new leader.
Given time, they might have organized an opposition. But Culvera drove
them to instant decision. They faced the imperious will of a man who
would stick at nothing to satisfy his ambition.

Moreover, Ramon was popular. He was of a good family, democratic in
manner, never arrogant on the surface to his equals. It had been his
object to make friends against the possibility of just such a
contingency. Most of the officers liked, even though they did not fully
trust him. They recognized that he had the necessary confidence in
himself for success and also the touch of dramatic genius that may make
of a soldier a public idol.

For which reasons they submitted to his domination and elected him
successor of Pasquale as commander of the Legion of the North. Whereupon
Ramon unburdened himself of another fiery oration of patriotism full of
impossible pledges.

The newly chosen general sent an orderly out to proclaim the day a
holiday and to see that mescal was served to all the men in honor of the
event. After which the conference discussed the fate of the American
prisoners.

CHAPTER XXVI

AT SUNSET

Steve, in solitary confinement, with only his throbbing leg for company,
was under no illusions as to what his punishment would be. Pasquale had
been killed by an American who had been seen talking with Yeager five
minutes before he had shot the general. The charge against him would
probably be conspiracy,