...."

Two men left the room, and returning in a few moments pale and excited,
said, with trembling voices:--

"The rockets are being sent up from the balcony of the Casona."

"Those ... have received notice about the public contract."

Anxiety and terror seized all hearts: by a simultaneous movement they
turned their eyes to the chief, famous for his sagacity.

Don Servando deliberately drank two schooners of beer, and after wiping
his lips again and again with his handkerchief, he broke the strained
silence, saying:--

"Senor Alcalde, go to the town-house and send two constables to the
Casona, and warn them not to send up any more sky-rockets. Article 62 of
the Municipal Ordinances forbids their being shot without permission
from the authorities."

The janizaries heaved a sigh of relief; not in vain had they placed
their trust in their astute chief. The Alcalde went out on his errand,
and the others remained discussing the incident, endeavoring to explain
how the news had reached the _others_ sooner than it had them. The
general opinion was that there had been some blunder in the mails.

Don Martin's friends, irritated by the Alcalde's prohibition, collected
the village band, which was composed of ten or a dozen instruments,
mostly brass, and offering the musicians a good fee besides a
_pellejo_[55] of wine, which they showed to inspire them, they made them
march up and down the village playing, and then stationed them in the
middle of the plaza, where the people, attracted by the music, began to
assemble; the lads started a dance, and Don Martin and the highway were
cheered.

New and dolorous assault upon the sensibilities of Don Servando's
adherents in conclave assembled.

"Senor Alcalde!" said the latter once more, "send and have the music
stop! The Municipal Ordinances, articles 59 and 60, require that
permission of the authorities should be demanded for this kind of
manifestations."

But still Don Martin's followers were not to be cowed. As soon as the
order came, feeling secure because the populace, fond of merry-making,
supported them, they took the band across the bridge that spans the
river there, by a curious accident dividing the municipal limit of Serin
from that of Agueeria. From there to the village it would not be fifty
steps. Once out of the hostile Alcalde's jurisdiction the music stormed
and shrilled in discordant tones, and Don Martin's clients, inspiring
the crowd to follow, began onc