"Now, will you believe me?" Aiken shouted. "That's their plot. They're
working together. They mean to trap us on every side. Ah!" he cried.
"Look!"

I knew the thing at which he wished me to look. His voice and my dread
told me at what his arm was pointing.

I raised my eyes fearfully to El Pecachua. From its green crest a puff
of smoke was swelling into a white cloud, the cloud was split with a
flash of flame, and the dull echo of the report drifted toward us on
the hot, motionless air. At the same instant our flag on the crest of
Pecachua, the flag with the five-pointed, blood-red star, came
twitching down; and a shell screeched and broke above us.

Now that he knew the worst, the doubt and concern on the face of
General Laguerre fell from it like a mask.

"We have no guns that will reach the mountain, have we?" he asked. He
spoke as calmly as though we were changing guard.

"No, not one," I answered. "All our heavy pieces are on Pecachua."

"Then we must take it by assault," he said. "We will first drive
Garcia back, and then we will storm the hill, or starve them out.
Assemble all the men at the palace at once. Trust to no one but
yourself. Ride to every outpost and order them here. Send Von Ritter
and the gatlings to meet Alvarez. This man will act as his guide."

He turned to the scout. "You will find my horse in the court-yard of
the palace," he said to him. "Take it, and accompany Captain Macklin.