"Excuse the absence of honors, Señor, but we did not expect you. The Captain will see you at once, sir." "I do not want the honors, I want the protection. I want----" "Orderly, conduct Señor Perez to the Captain’s cabin," said the officer, and still talking volubly the little man disappeared below, the marine orderly leading the way. "It was a regular vaudeville show," said Private Jones later, hardly able to control his laughter while he related the interview to a group of friends accosting him for news after he came off watch. "The little Spig is our consul, all right enough, and after the Old Man had quieted him down a bit he appeared to be a pretty agreeable sort. But, say! He was going strong when he first opened up, and that’s no idle jest." "All right, Jonesie, cut that part and tell us what all the excitement’s about." "From what I gathered seeing the door to the cabin was open all the time," continued Jones, "he’s all wrought up over the arrival of a bunch of rebels in the hills back of the town. He has just returned from a trip to the States; came on a Clyde Liner Saturday. His daughter was struck in the leg by a stray bullet during the revolution two years ago and has been in New York for treatment. He brought her back, also a new German governess for his four children, the oldest being this little girl--her name is Sol-la-de-da or something like that----" "Guess you mean Soledad," volunteered Dick. "That’s it,--Soledad! Well, last night the rebs shot up the town, but no one was hurt. The little girl--he sort of worships her--was scared stiff, and so was everyone else. The government troops were afraid to leave the fort, but added their shots and shouts to the general uproar. "Some of the bullets hit the consulate, and Perez believes, because he is the American Consul and Americans are unpopular with the rebs--also because he was active in electing the present president--that they are after him. He’s a native of San Domingo, and I expect he ought to know what he’s talking about." "What did the Old Man tell him?" asked one of the men. "The Captain told him he’d received orders not to send any forces ashore unless absolutely necessary; in other words, that we are not to get mixed up with any of the fighting at all if we can help it. He offered to take him and all his family on board for a while." "What did the Spig say to that?"