"What do you mean, sir?" he stuttered. "Let me go."
"If you move, I shoot, major," said I, bringing out my weapon.
I never saw greater astonishment on human countenance. He swore loudly, and then cried:
"Hi, stop him--he's mad--he's going to shoot!"
A shout of laughter rose from the crew around us, for they felt exquisite appreciation of my supposed joke.
"Right you are, Martin!" cried one. "Keep him quiet. We won't go home till morning."
The major turned to the window. It was a moonlight night, and as I looked with him I saw the courtyard full of soldiers. Who was in command? The answer to that meant much to me.
"A mutiny!" he cried. "The soldiers have risen!"
They all staggered to the window. As the soldiers saw them, they raised a shout. I could not distinguish whether it was a greeting or a threat. They took it as the latter, and turned to the door.
"Stop!" I cried; "I shoot the first man who opens the door."
In wonder they turned on me. I stood facing them, revolver in hand. They waited huddled together for an instant, then made a rush at me; I fired, but missed. I had a vision of a poised decanter; a second later, the missile caught me in the chest and hurled me back against the wall. As I fell I dropped my weapon, and they were upon me. I thought it was all over; but as they surged round, in the madness of drink and anger, I, looking through their ranks, saw the door open and a crowd of men rush in. Who was at their head? Thank God! it was the colonel, and his voice rose high above the tumult:
"Order, gentlemen, order!" Then to his men he added:
"Each mark your man, and two of you bring Mr. Martin here."
I was saved. To explain how, I must tell you what had been happening at the Golden House, and how the night attack had fared.
It is a sad necessity that compels us to pry into the weaknesses of our fellow-creatures, and seek to turn them to our own profit. I am not philosopher enough to say whether this course of conduct derives any justification from its universality, but in the region of practice, I have never hesitated to place myself on a moral level with those with whom I had to deal. I may occasionally even have left the other party to make this needful adjustment, and I have never known him fail to do so. I felt, therefore, very little scruple in making use of the one weak spot discoverable in the defenses of our redoubtable opponent, his Excellency the President of Aureataland. No doubt the reader's eye has before now detected the joint in that great man's armor at which we directed our missile. As a lover, I grudged the employment of the signorina in this service; as a politician, I was proud of the device; as a human being, I recognized, what we are very ready to recognize, that it did not become me to refuse to work with such instruments as appeared to be put into my hands.