Read "The Man and His Kingdom" by E. Phillips Oppenheim online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
It was a very different San Martina into which Dene rode late in the afternoon of the day of the President's fancy-dress ball. The whole place seemed to be en fete. The shops were closed, not this time for fear of stray bullets, but in order that everybody should have time to prepare for the evening. It was a general holiday. The saloons were full, the streets for the most part were empty. The usual array of flags generally visible on holidays, saints' days, and revolutions were in evidence. Dene rode through the heart of the place with a smile upon his lips. After all, it was hard to take life seriously here. Through the opened windows of the houses he could hear light feminine voices and gay laughter. Once or twice a handkerchief was waved at him, a pair of black eyes flashed invitingly from an oval Spanish face and a little challenge in broken English was thrown out to him.
"Au revoir, Senor--until this evening!"