t they felt some relief upon learning that the
general had been unexpectedly summoned from his bed at daylight, and
had ridden to the telegraph office.

Profiting by his absence, Alaire ventured from her room, racking her
brain to devise some means of escape. But soldiers were everywhere;
they lolled around the servants' quarters; they dozed in the shade of
the ranch buildings, recovering from the night's debauch; and an armed
sentinel who paced the hacienda road gave evidence that, despite their
apparent carelessness, they had by no means relaxed their vigilance. A
round of the premises convinced Alaire that the place was effectually
guarded, and showed her the futility of trying to slip away. She
realized, too, that even if she managed to do so, her plight would be
little better. For how could she hope to cover the hundred miles
between La Feria and the Rio Grande when every peon was an enemy?

She was standing in one of the open, sashless windows when her former
protector, the old lieutenant, bade her good morning and paused to
smoke a cigarette.

"Well, it was a great night, wasn't it?" he began. "And we have great
news this morning. We are going to fight you gringos."

"I hope not."

"Yes; it will probably go hard with you. Tell me, this city of
Washington is a fine city, and very rich, is it not?"

"Oh yes."

"It's full of loot, eh? Especially the President's palace? That is
good. One can never believe all one hears."

"Why do you ask?" Alaire was curious.

"I was thinking it would pay us to go there. If your soldiers march
upon Mexico City, it would be a brilliant piece of strategy for General
Longorio to invade the United States, would it not? It would be funny
to capture Washington and hold your President for ransom, eh?"

"Very funny," Alaire agreed, dryly. "How would you go about it?"

Pancho shrugged. "That is the trouble. We would have to march around
Texas, I presume."

"Around Texas?"

"Yes. You see, Texas is a bad country; it is full of--barbarians who
know how to fight. If it were not for Texas we would have the United
States at our mercy." After some consideration he ventured this
opinion: "We could afford to pay the Texans for allowing us to ride
through their country, provided we stole nothing and paid for the
cattle we ate. Well, Longorio is a great one for schemes; he is talking
over the telegraph with somebody at this moment. Perhaps it is the
President of Texas."

"You are a po