They had sent a shot or two and received a dozen, when an Indito, emaciated and loathsome from scales of dirt, dashed from nowhere through the cross-fire and pounded at the fortress door. Driscoll ordered him admitted. The first President of the Tampico Republic seemed extraordinarily anxious about this ragged vagabond, especially as he had perceived a second one, likewise from nowhere, dash into the Liberal camp. Ten minutes later the enemy ceased firing. "Now come, all of you," Driscoll then said to his little army, "and hear what he's got to tell. I reckon he's a Shorter Yet."... "From Shorty, then!" exclaimed his men. And so it proved, for the Indito produced the usual bit of parchment, signed El Chaparrito and countersigned Benito Juarez, Libertad y Reforma. The message thereon demanded why the Coronel Driscoll and his new recruits for the cause had turned against it.... "'Cause we don't hanker after hanging," Cal Grinders interposed.... Was it, Driscoll continued to read, because they thought they had lost favor by fighting Rodrigo Galan? If so, there was naught against them, nothing, because President Juarez had outlawed Galan for robbing a bullion convoy. It was true that the writer of the parchment had used the said Rodrigo, in the hope of capturing Maximilian, but the bandit was not for that reason a Republican officer.... "In other words," lisped Crittenden of Nodaway, "we're in-lawed because the good patriot Don Rodrigo is away outlawed."... "Therefore," the parchment went on, "His Excellency the Presidente through the writer has herewith sent a message to General Pavon of the besieging camp to comply with whatever Their Mercies the Americans may deem fit to require. Further, knowing the temper of Their Mercies, General Pavon is ordered to at once cease operations and leave Their Mercies in possession." The Missourians looked at one another and were reluctant. They hated to forego a battle. But it takes two sides to make one. Not outlawed, not even threatened, they had no excuse to hold against the Liberals. "But," said Crittenden, "as an ally of this sister Republic, we'll still have our fighting." "Well," demanded Driscoll, "what will you ask for?" "Our Cordova lands back, after we've won them from the Empire." "And," put in Grinders, "equality. We want republican equality." "Then we'll all be privates?" "No sir-ee, by cracken! Equality high up, that's what! We'll be colonels, breveted colonels, every last one of us--Colonel Driscoll, Colonel Grinders, Colonel Brothers and Sisters, Colonel----" "That's easy," said Driscoll smiling. "Now I'll go and fix it up with General Pavon, before he gets away."