“If you will call tomorrow morning, sir,” the governor said, “I will have some of the officials, in whose charge these matters are, placed at your disposal; but I am convinced that you will find that my reports on the stores and ammunition in hand are fully borne out.”

“The governor is, as I expected, a good deal put out, Mike,” Desmond said as he rejoined his follower, who was waiting outside with the horses.  “Now, let us find out the best hotel.”

“Didn’t he ask you to stay with him, your honour?” Mike asked in surprise.

“No.  He is much too grand a man for that, and besides, he may have his wife and children with him; and however much a Spaniard may place his house and all within it at your service, it is very seldom that he invites a stranger to enter it.  Moreover, glad as they may be to have French help in fighting their battles, they look with suspicion and dislike upon an individual Frenchman.

“Besides, I fancy I shall find that these stores and magazines by no means tally with the report sent in by the governor.  I heard the Duke of Berwick one day speaking about it, and he said there was corruption and dishonesty among their officials, from the highest to the lowest.  It is probable that both the king and the Duke of Orleans have the same opinion, and that it was for this reason that they sent me here, in order to assure them that the fortress is as well supplied as has been stated.  With the other papers, I have received a copy of the governor’s report, although I did not think it necessary to tell him so.”

The next morning, on going to the governor’s, Desmond found a number of officials assembled there.

“These are the officers in charge of the stores and magazines,” the governor said.  “Colonel Mendez will accompany you, and will see that everything is done to facilitate your examination.”

The governor bowed formally.  Desmond returned his salute, and then went down with the Spanish colonel, the other officials following.  He saw that there was an expression of malicious pleasure in the colonel’s face, and guessed that he was, by no means, sorry at the investigation that was to take place.

“I think, sir,” Desmond said, “that it will not be necessary for us to have all these officials going round with us.  It will be impossible, in one day, to do more than examine one department.  As ammunition is the most important of all stores, I would suggest that we take only those in charge of the war material.”

“Very good;” and, turning to those behind, he said:  “For today, all those save the officers in charge of the magazines can be relieved from this duty.  Their turn will come tomorrow, or next day.”

With the exception of five or six, all moved away.

“We have three magazines in the town,” the colonel went on, “so as to lessen the chance of our resources being destroyed by a single blow.  There is the Central magazine, another that is known as the San Juan magazine, and the Western magazine.”