"A thing that will make you leap with rage and blush with shame, General." The old soldier laid his hand on his heart, as if wishful to arrest its hurried beating, and then said to the Colonel, in a tone of supreme resignation-- "Speak, my friend; I am ready to hear all." The Colonel remained silent for some minutes; the despair of the brave old soldier made him shiver. "General," he said, "perhaps it would be better to defer till tomorrow what I have to say to you; you appear fatigued, and a few hours, more or less, are not of much consequence." "Colonel Melendez," the General said, giving the young officer a searching glance, "under present circumstances a minute is worth an age. I order you to speak." "The insurgents request a parley," the Colonel said, distinctly. "To parley with me?" the General answered, with an almost imperceptible tinge of irony in his voice. "These Caballeros do me a great honour. And what about, pray?" "As they think themselves capable of seizing Galveston, they wish to avoid bloodshed by treating with you." The General rose, and walked sharply up and down the room for some minutes. At length he stopped before the Colonel. "And what would you do in my place?" "I should treat," the young officer replied, unhesitatingly. CHAPTER III. THE RETREAT. After this frankly expressed opinion there was a rather lengthened silence, and the Colonel was the first to resume the conversation. "General," he went on, "you evidently know nothing of the events that have occurred during the last four and twenty hours." "How could I know anything? These demons of insurgents have organised Guerillas, who hold the country and so thoroughly intercept the communications, that out of twenty spies I have sent out, not one has returned." "And not one will return, be assured." "What is to be done, then?" "Do you really wish for my advice, General?" "On my honour, I desire to know your real opinion; for you are the only one among us, I fancy, who really knows what is going on." "I am aware of it. Listen to me, then, and do not feel astonished at anything you may hear, for all is positively true. The information I am about to have the honour of communicating to you was given me, by the Jaguar himself, scarce three hours back, at the Salto del Frayle, whither he invited me to come to converse about some matters in no way connected with politics." "Very good," the General remarked, with a slight smile. "Go on, I am listening to you with the deepest attention." The Colonel felt himself blush under his chief's slightly ironical smile; still he recovered himself, and continued-- "In two words, this is our position: while a few bold men, aided by a privateer brig under the American flag, carried by surprise the _Libertad_--" "One of the finest ships in our navy!" the General interrupted, with a sigh.