at the men behind the barricade, and they stood up and cheered us, and
the men on the roof, looking very tall against the blue sky, stood up
and waved their hats and cheered too. They had silenced the men in the
cupola, and a sudden hush fell upon the plaza. It was easy to see that
many sympathizers with the government had been shooting at us from the
private houses. When they saw us take the barracks they had probably
decided that the time had come to wipe off the powder-stains, and
reappear as friends of the revolution. The only firing now was from
where Garcia was engaged. Judging from the loudness of these volleys
he had reached the outskirts of the town. I set half of my force to
work piling up bags of meal behind the iron bars, and, in the event of
fire, filling pails with water, and breaking what little glass still
remained in the windows. Others I sent to bring in the wounded, and
still others to serving out the coffee and soup we had found in the
kitchen. After giving these orders I ran to the barricade to report.
When I reached it the men behind it began to rap on the stones with
the butts of their rifles as people pound with their billiard-cues
when someone has made a difficult shot, and those on the roof leaned
over and clapped their hands. It was most unmilitary, but I must say I
was pleased by it, though I pretended I did not know what they meant.

Laguerre came to the door of the warehouse, and smiled at me.

"I'm glad you're still alive, sir," he said. "After this, when you get
within seventy yards of the enemy, I hope you will be able to see him
without standing up."

The men above us laughed, and I felt rather foolish, and muttered
something about "setting an example."