"Is Colonel Melendez here?" the General asked in surprise.
"He has this instant arrived, General; can he come in?"
"Of course; show him in at once."
In a few minutes the Colonel appeared.
"Here you are at last," the General cried, as he went to meet him; "I fancied you were either dead or a prisoner."
"It was a tossup that one of the two events did not happen."
"Oh, oh! Then you have something serious to tell me."
"Most serious, General."
"Hang it, my friend, take a chair and let us talk."
"Before all, General," the Colonel remarked, "do you know our position?"