"On the contrary," I said, with some haughtiness, "I am serving no
one's interest but my own. I read in the papers of General Laguerre
and his foreign legion, and I came here to join him and to fight with
him. That's all. I am a soldier of fortune, I said." I repeated this
with some emphasis, for I liked the sound of it. "I am a soldier of
fortune, and my name is Macklin. I hope in time to make it better
known."

"A soldier of fortune, hey?" exclaimed Aiken, observing me with a
grin. "What soldiering have you done?"

I replied, with a little embarrassment, that as yet I had seen no
active service, but that for three years I had been trained for it at
West Point.

"At West Point, the deuce you have!" said Aiken. His tone was now one
of respect, and he regarded me with marked interest. He was not a
gentleman, but he was sharp-witted enough to recognize one in me, and
my words and bearing had impressed him. Still his next remark was
disconcerting.

"But if you're a West Point soldier," he asked, "why the devil do you
want to mix up in a shooting-match like this?"

I was annoyed, but I answered, civilly: "It's in a good cause," I
said. "As I understand the situation, this President Alvarez is a
tyrant. He's opposed to all progress. It's a fight for liberty."

Aiken interrupted me with a laugh, and placed his feet on the table.