"A mere rabble," said Riva. "Don Isadora has some trained soldiers under him."
By this time the four were riding silently away, being careful to move as cautiously as they could. Riva again led the way, but Ronie and Jack were close behind him, while the younger Venezuelan kept as near to them as he could. In this manner the return journey to the don's plantation was speedily made, and without being discovered by the enemy.
As may be expected, the wealthy planter was profuse in his thanks for the information they gave him, and he began to prepare for the enemy at once, with a confidence in his ability to defeat the other that was sublime. As much as Ronie would have liked to remain and see the outcome of the affair, he felt it was his duty to start immediately to find Colonel Marchand. Don Isadora seemed to understand that it was the proper course for the scouts to pursue, so he offered no objections.
As our little party rode out of the grounds, having left their prisoners under the don's care, they saw that he had mustered his entire forces, numbering fully a hundred men, all of whom were armed with Mausers, pistols and short knives.
"El Capitan will be the one surprised this time," remarked Ronie to his companions. "I really wish we could stay and see the fun."
Little did any one of the quartet dream of the amount of "fun" in warlike earnest that he was to take part in before they should get beyond the don's big estate.
[[1]] Bolivar the "Liberator" was followed by others who managed the affairs of Venezuela very satisfactorily, until in 1846 two political parties formed. These were styled the "Liberals" and the "Conservatives," and trouble increased swiftly. In 1859 Guzman Blanco became the head of the stronger party, holding his sway until 1864, when he was succeeded by a rival. In less than ten years, however, his son came to the front, and, more powerful than his father, he made himself president, with all the prerogatives of a dictator. This office he held until 1884, when Crespo became president. Still the hold of Blanco was not broken, and two years later he reassumed the reins of government, but in 1890 his successor was defeated, and he suffered a loss of his good name. In fact, a complete change of heart for the family which had been dominant in affairs for over thirty years followed. His name was stripped from one of the States where it had been placed, and the public statues he had caused to be erected were torn down, and much of the really good work he had done was destroyed. But these radical denunciations could not remove the name of the pompous leader from the historic pages of Venezuela, and it is well to be so, for with all his shortcomings he did much for the rising republic, though his stalwart figure is the landmark of a stormy period.—AUTHOR.