So, by dinner-time, we had won over the foreign element entirely, and
the consuls had cabled their several ministers, advising them to
advise their governments to recognize ours.

It was a great triumph for fair promises backed by fair dealing.

Although I was a cabinet minister and had a right to have my say I did
not concern myself much with these graver problems of the Palace.

Instead, my first act was to cable to Beatrice that we were safe in
the Capital and that I was second in command. I did not tell her I was
Vice-President of a country of 300,000 people, because at Dobbs Ferry
such a fact would seem hardly probable. After that I spent the day
very happily galloping around the town with the Provost Guard at my
heels, making friends with the inhabitants, and arranging for their
defence. I posted a gun at the entrance to each of the three principal
streets, and ordered mounted scouts to patrol the plains outside the
Capital. I also remembered Heinze and the artillerymen who were
protecting us on the heights of Pecachua, and sent them a moderate
amount of rum, and an immoderate amount of canned goods and cigars. I
also found time to design a wonderful uniform for the officers of our
Legion--a dark-green blouse with silver facings and scarlet riding
breeches--and on the plea of military necessity I ordered six tailors
to sit up all night to finish them.

Uniforms for the men I requisitioned from the stores of the
Government, and ordered the red facings changed to yellow.

The next day when we paraded in full dress the President noticed this,
and remarked, "No one but Macklin could have converted a battery of