The Argosy, August 1905 — page 46: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

only by the myriad stars which shone in the heavens. Watching their opportunity, they waited until an officer appeared accom- panied by a considerable following, and when these passed through the crowd and out on the plaza the two Ameri- cans simply made themselves a part of the escort. As such the guards permitted them to pass. This lack of discipline was to be found throughout the entire Mexican army. A startling example was given to the world by an act of General Valencia himself. Against the explicit orders of Santa Anna, he had attacked the Ameri- ean forces at the outset of a great battle, and through this piece of disobedience the battle had been lost to the Mexicans forthwith. Having passed ihe soldiers who guarded the plaza, to approach the house was an easy matter. The senti- ‘nels, who were supposed to patrol the veranda on all sides of the building, contented themselves with pacing up and down the front and around the side corners, while the rear was innocent of scrutiny. In fact, some curious soldiers, anxious to see what was occurring inside, were looking through the windows. Aftera careful survey of prevailing conditions Haddon and the Texan lost no time in mounting the veranda and _ placing themselves at a vacant opening. There, unmolested, they were enabled to get an excellent view of what was going on within the headquarters of the com- manding general. The room into which they looked was a spacious chamber, lighted by a dozen candles, which revealed the figures of two men—the one standing with his back toward the windows, the other pacing restlessly to and fro. This second man was of small stature and limped as he walked. It was General Santa Anna, dictator of Mexico, and the Americans had no difficulty in recogniz- mg in him the supposed priest they had robbed of his cassock at the foot of the cross on the Acapulco road. Santa Anna’s dark face was convulsed with passion. His words, snapped out ith a peculiar hissing noise, were % THE ARGOSY. plainly audible to the watchers at the window. “ And for what reason do you tell me ++ was none of your precious gang of cut-throats who did that thing? _Do you pretend to say that you keep track of the movements of each after night- fall?” He put the question to his companion in a voice in which a sneer was predomi- nant. The other, who stood in a strained attitude, with one hand resting upon the lilt of his sheathed saber, shook his head emphatically. “T have not said it was impossible, your excellency, but I maintain the thing is improbable. My men are de- voted to the cause and to the person of your excellency. Why should they do violence to “ae “ Have I not told you I was disguised ; that I wore the garb of a monk? You know I frequently find it necessary to adopt such a method, for in that manner certain things are discovered whieh would not otherwise come to my ears. | “ To-night it happened that I thought it necessary to visit an outpost on the Acapulco road—because I suspected cer- tain things m connection with the offi- cer who commanded it. It was while I was returning that I was set upon, gageed, bound, and threatened. “Do you understand? My life threatened by two Mexican guwerrilleros.” _ Santa Anna’s face was white with pas- sion. The man whose back was toward the window moved uneasily. “ But if you saw them plainly, surely it is possible again to recognize” he began. The general broke in savagely. _ Have I not told you I econld not dis- tinguish their faces? The fools were too smart for that. Had I done sa, every soldier in this army should pass before me one at a time, and when I came to those two Mother of God! All Mexico should see what would hap- pen!” “Yet to. discover them may be quite possible. You tell me one was large, the other small. Perhaps you might even recognize their voices did you again hear them.” ‘ i