The President sat down and began to smoke. He offered me a cigar and
I took it, but he said nothing. I was surprised at his leisurely,
abstracted air. Apparently he had nothing in the world to do but sit
and keep me company.
"If your Excellency," said I, instinctively giving him his old title,
"has business elsewhere you can leave me safely. I shall not break my
word."
"I know that--I know that," he answered. "But I'd rather stay here; I
want to have a talk."
"But aren't there some things to settle up in the town?"
"The doctor's doing all that," he said. "You see, there's no danger
now. There's no one left to lead them against me."
"Then the colonel is--"
"Yes," he said gravely, "he is dead. I shot him."
"In the attack?"
"Not exactly; the fighting was over. A very short affair, Martin. They
never had a chance; and as soon as two or three had fallen and the
rest saw me, they threw up the sponge."
"And the colonel?"
"He fought well. He killed two of my fellows; then a lot of them flung
themselves on him and disarmed him."
"And you killed him in cold blood?"
The President smiled slightly.
"Six men fell in that affair--five besides the colonel.
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