“Yes; I noticed when I walked about in the town, yesterday, that many of the troops were almost in rags, and I have no doubt there has been fraud in the clothing department, as well as in all the others.”

“Well, sir, as a Spaniard I lament this terrible exposure.  Blame, however, must not be laid entirely upon the military.  The supply of provisions of all kinds, of cloth for clothing, and, indeed, of everything but guns and ammunition, is in the hands of the junta of the province, and of the civil authority here.  Many of the members must be concerned in the matter, and I have no doubt that the officials here are heavily bribed to shut their eyes, and to arrange matters so that the frauds may escape attention.

“I know that once, when I proposed to the governor to examine some of the barrels of cartridges as they came in, he answered me very sharply, and told me that my business was to work the guns, and not to meddle with the duties of the storekeeper.”

“Then do you think, Colonel?—­”

“I think nothing,” the officer replied.  “The governor is the governor, and it is not for me to discuss his conduct in any way, nor even to admit the possibility of his knowing of this affair.”

Only two or three of the storekeepers had been arrested.  The rest had slunk away, as soon as they saw how matters were going.

Chapter 15:  Treachery.

At this moment an officer came down, and said that the governor wished to see Colonel Mendez and Major Kennedy, at once.  As they entered the room, they saw the governor walking up and down in a state of great agitation.

“I hear, Colonel Mendez,” he said, stopping before that officer, “that you have, on your own authority, placed several of the commissariat storekeepers under arrest.  What does this mean, sir?”

“It means, sir, that Major Kennedy has discovered enormous deficiencies in the stores, and there can be little doubt that a number of persons must have been concerned in the matter, besides those in charge of the storehouses.  Wholesale bribery must have been practised, by those who supplied the goods to those whose duty it was to receive them.”

“I shall order a commission of enquiry to sit at once, and beg that you, Colonel Mendez, will send me in a detailed report of the matter, which is, I need hardly say, one of extreme gravity.”

“I was right,” Colonel Mendez said, as they left the governor’s house.  “I suspected that something was wrong, ever since he refused to allow me access to the magazines.  I have no doubt that he has been acting in collusion with the contractors, though he may not have been aware of the extent of their rascality, for his subordinates may not only have accepted bribes from the contractors to carry out the frauds to which the governor may have consented, but may also have taken money from these to allow of still greater ones to be perpetrated.”