nds and brought the war to a
close!"

"So he did, in the military sense. He couldn't tell that the scamps
wouldn't submit at once. It wasn't his fault that they showed such
unreasonable bitterness and obstinacy."

"How much territory do we hold now?" said Sam.

"We've got the city and a strip along the bay where the fleet is; about
five miles back, I should say. But it's hardly safe to wander off far
at night."

"What's going to happen next?" asked Cleary. "I want to send home some
news to _The Lyre_ as soon as I can, and I want my friend Jinks here to
have a chance to distinguish himself--and you too," he added hastily.

"We'll probably get to work by next week, the way things look now.
General Laughter is rather slow, but he means business. Gomaldo is
getting a big army together, and we may have to take the offensive to
get ahead of him. Now I suppose we ought to turn in. How would you like
to take a look at Havilla to-morrow and see the place where the naval
battle was? We can get off duty in the afternoon. All right, let's meet
at regimental headquarters at three."

Cleary bade them good-night, and Sam, who was beginning to feel
uncomfortable effects from his cigar, was quite ready to go to bed.

Sam's morning was occupied in familiarizing himself with the regimental
routine in barracks. The building enclosed a large court which was
used for drills and guard-mounting parade, and he did not have occasion
to leave it until he went to join his friends at headquarters. Promptly
at three o'clock the three men sallied forth. Sam was struck with the
magnificence of the principal buildings, including the palace and the
cathedral.

"It's a fine city, isn't it?" he said.

"Yes, and the women are not bad-looking," said Cleary.

"The people don't quite look like savages," said Sam.

"You can't judge of them by these," said Foster. "Wait till you meet
some negritos in the country."

"How large a part of the population are they?" said Sam.

"About one-fortieth, I think, but where principle is involved you can't
go by numbers."

"Of course not," was Sam's reply. "What building is that," he added,
"with our flag over it and the nicely dressed young women in the
windows?"

"That?" said Foster, laughing; "oh, that's the Young Ladies' Home. We
have to license the place. It's the only way to keep the army in
condition. Why, we've got about fifty per cent infected now."

"Re