``What cowards--to fight a woman!'' exclaimed Miss Langham.

``Well, she began it first, you see,'' said the Consul.

``Who is the leader of the fight against her?'' asked King.

``General Mendoza; he is commander-in-chief and has the
greater part of the army with him, but the other candidate, old
General Rojas, is the popular choice and the best of the three.
He is Vice-President now, and if the people were ever given a
fair chance to vote for the man they want, he would
unquestionably be the next President. The mass of the people are
sick of revolutions. They've had enough of them, but they will
have to go through another before long, and if it turns against
Dr. Alvarez, I'm afraid Mr. Langham will have hard work to hold
these mines. You see, Mendoza has already threatened to seize
the whole plant and turn it into a Government monopoly.''

``And if the other one, General Rojas, gets into power, will he
seize the mines, too?''

``No, he is honest, strange to relate,'' laughed Weimer, ``but he
won't get in. Alvarez will make himself dictator, or Mendoza
will make himself President. That's why Clay treats the soldiers
here so well. He thinks he may need them against Mendoza. You
may be turning your saluting-gun on the city yet, Commodore,'' he
added, smiling, ``or, what is more likely, you'll need the yacht
to take Miss Langham and the rest of the family out of the
country.''