"My eyes! Dios mio! I am blinded for life!" shouted the unhappy
general, and his subordinates looked on, frozen with
consternation.
The author of this calamity blanched; he was stricken dumb with
horror.
Some one cried: "A doctor, quickly. Jesus Cristo! Such
carelessness!"
"This is terrible!" another stammered. "It will explode next."
There was a concerted scramble away from the table.
Leslie Branch laughed--it was the first time that O'Reilly had
ever heard him give audible evidence of amusement. His reedy frame
was shaken as by a painful spasm; his colorless face was
distorted, and from his lips issued queer, hysterical barks and
chortles. "Tell 'em it's nothing but brine," he said, chokingly.
When this welcome intelligence had been translated, and when the
general had proved it to be true, there was a great sigh of
relief, followed by a subdued titter at the colonel's expense. The
latter was chagrined. Having made himself and the comandante
ridiculous, he took refuge behind an assumption of somber and
offended dignity. But it was plain that he still considered these
Americans dangerous people, and that his suspicions were as keen
as ever.
The interruption served to end O'Reilly's ordeal, for the moment
at least, and attention was now turned to his companion. It was
evident from the first that Branch's case was hopeless.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174