ceremonies abound. But
this season saw an ominous dawning of the tenth of November.

Although the rainy season was over, the day seemed to hark back to
reeking June. A fine drizzle of rain fell all during the forenoon.
The procession entered Coralio amid a strange silence.

President Losada was an elderly man, grizzly bearded, with a
considerable ratio of Indian blood revealed in his cinnamon
complexion. His carriage headed the procession, surrounded and
guarded by Captain Cruz and his famous troop of one hundred light
horse "_El Ciento Huilando_." Colonel Rocas followed, with a regiment
of the regular army.

The president's sharp, beady eyes glanced about him for the expected
demonstration of welcome; but he faced a stolid, indifferent array of
citizens. Sight-seers the Anchurians are by birth and habit, and they
turned out to their last able-bodied unit to witness the scene; but
they maintained an accusive silence. They crowded the streets to the
very wheel ruts; they covered the red tile roofs to the eaves, but
there was never a "_viva_" from them. No wreaths of palm and lemon
branches or gorgeous strings of paper roses hung from the windows and
balconies as was the custom. There was an apathy, a dull, dissenting
disapprobation, that was the more ominous because it puzzled. No
one feared an outburst, a revolt of the discontents, for they had
no leader. The president and those loyal to him had never even
heard whispered a name among them capable of crystallizing the
dissatisfaction into opposition. No, there could be no danger. The
people always procured a new idol before they destroyed an old one.

At length, after a prodigious galloping and curvetting of red-sashed
majors, gold-laced colonels and epauletted generals, the procession
formed for its annual progress down the Calle Grande to the Casa
Morena, where the ceremony of welcome to the visiting president
always took place.

The Swiss band led the line of march. After it pranced the local
_comandante_, mounted, and a detachment of his troops. Next came a
carriage with four members of the cabinet, conspicuous among them
the Minister of War, old General Pilar, with his white moustache and
his soldierly bearing. Then the president's vehicle, containing also
the Ministers of Finance and State; and surrounded by Captain Cruz's
light horse formed in a close double file of fours. Following them,
the rest of the officials of state, the judges and distinguished
mi