troop of light cavalry was sent me--Lancers. You may imagine my
chagrin, not to say disgust, when I saw Captain Gil Uraga at its head.
Marching into the town of Albuquerque, he reported himself for duty.

"I need not tell you how unpleasant it was for me to have such a fellow
for subordinate. In addition to our Chihuahua duel, there were many
reasons for my having an aversion to him--one, and not the least, that
which I have already hinted to you--his pretensions to be the suitor of
my sister."

Hamersley writhes as he listens, the red spot on his cheek spreading and
flushing redder.

Miranda proceeds--

"He continued his ill-received attentions whenever chance gave him an
opportunity. It was not often. I took care of that; though, but for
precautions and my authority as his superior officer, his advances
would, no doubt, have been bolder--in short, persecutions. I knew that
to my sister, as to myself, his presence was disagreeable, but there was
no help for it. I could not have him removed. In all matters of
military duty he took care to act so that there should be no pretext for
a charge against him. Besides, I soon found that he was in favour with
one of the Government dignitaries. Though I did not then know why, I
learnt it afterwards; and why he, of all others, had been sent to
Albuquerque. The _sap_ had commenced for a new revolution, and he was
one of its secret fomenters. He had been chosen by the _parti pretre_
as a fitting agent to act in that district, of which, like myself, he
was a native.

"Having no suspicion of this, I only thought of him in regard to his
impertinent solicitation of my sister; and against this I could restrain
him. He was polite; obsequiously so, and cautiously guarded in his
gallantries; so that I had no cause for resorting to the _desafio_. I
could only wait and watch.

"The vigil was not a protracted one; though, alas! it ended differently
from what I expected. About two months after his coming under my
command, the late _grito_ was proclaimed all over Mexico. One morning
as I went down to the military quarters I found confusion and
disturbance. The soldiers were under arms, many of them drunk, and
vociferating `_Viva Santa Anna! Viva el Coronel Uraga_!' Hearing this,
I at once comprehended all. It was a _pronunciamento_. I drew my
sword, thinking to stem the tide of treason; and called around me such
of my followers as were still faithful. It was too lat