Then came a formal invitation for the Captain and Officers of H.M.S. _Hercules_ to attend the inauguration of the new Government. There was to be a triumphal entry of the former insurgent army into Santa Cruz, a full dress ceremony in the old cathedral, and a banquet afterwards at the palace. What made me so pleased was that they’d sent me a separate invitation, in recognition of my ’services to the Republic of Santa Cruz.’ Just think of that! I’ve got the card now with a great spidery signature—Alvarez de Costa—across the bottom of it. Captain Roger Hill couldn’t possibly refuse to let me go, although I’m certain he would have done so if he could. Gerald sent me a note telling me to meet him at the Club, and Mr. Macdonald, who had turned up again from Princes’ Town, drove Ginger and Cousin Bob and myself up to Santa Cruz, just as he had done before. We had to go in uniform, ’whites’ with swords, and as mine was an old-fashioned helmet, which came down well over my eyes and the back of my neck, it hid my hair. The result was that hardly any one noticed me or mistook me for Gerald, though, wherever we went, there were shouts of ’_Viva los Inglesas!_’ from the crowds in the streets and at the windows. The English were tremendously popular, chiefly on account of Gerald, so Mr. Macdonald told us. ’Look up there!’ he called out, as we came in sight of San Sebastian, and we saw that the slopes of the mountains, below and above it, were simply swarming with Gerald’s little brown men in their white shirts. It was just such another scorching hot day as the first time we’d been in Santa Cruz, and the whole place was a flutter of green and black, green and black flags in front of every house, green and black rosettes in every one’s coats, and of course the regular troops were plastered with green and black badges. Troops! Why, there were more regular troops than ever, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, and not a sign of the fierce little brown men in the streets or big square, except in front of the cathedral steps, where about two hundred of them formed a guard of honour, their ragged shirts and cotton drawers washed for the occasion, new cartridge-belts round their waists, and brown boots on their feet, but not looking particularly happy in their finery, although there was a great crowd watching them curiously. There was a funny feeling of tension in the air, and every one had the same worried expectant look on his face, just as I had noticed on that first day we drove through the city. ’Aren’t there any women in the place?’ Ginger asked. ’We never seem to see any,’ and Mr. Macdonald shook his head. ’They know when there’s danger. It’s always a bad sign when they stay indoors. They’re afraid of the insurgent troops from the forests down south and the plains away to the north. There’s no knowing what they’ll do when they enter the city. Every one’s nervous about them.’