f Gen. Sanchez of the Mexican army, who was visiting an uncle in
northern Mexico. After a series of thrilling adventures, which
are told in full in The Broncho Rider Boys with the Texas
Rangers, Donald, Adrian and Billie returned to their homes,
promising to visit Pedro in the City of Mexico whenever the time
was ripe.

During the time that the boys were scouting in Mexico they had
learned to speak Spanish quite well, and this knowledge had been
so improved during their visit with Pedro that they now spoke the
language well, an accomplishment which proved of much value to
them later on.

About a month prior to the day upon which this story opens, the
three Americans had met by appointment at New York City and had
come to Vera Cruz by boat and thence to the City of Mexico, where
they found everything in a greatly disturbed condition because
of the revolution which had been started some months previous by
Gen. Carranza.

It might be well right here to state briefly the history of the
previous few months in Mexico, so that all may understand how it
happened that none of the four boys had a very high opinion of
Gen. Huerta, at that time dictator of Mexico.

For nearly 35 years, up to 1911, Mexico had a peaceful existence
under a republican form of government. During the last 32 years
of that time Porfirio Diaz was president. Just prior to 1912 a
revolution was begun against what had come to be called the Diaz
government, and Diaz was compelled to flee from Mexico. The
revolution was headed by Francisco Madero, who was then made
president.

In February of 1913 a revolution was started against President
Madero by Felix Diaz, nephew of Porfirio Diaz, and the City of
Mexico was attacked. At that time Gen. Huerta was in command of
Madero's forces in the City of Mexico. He proved a traitor to
Madero, went over to Diaz, arrested Madero and confined him in
prison. Two days later, April 22, 1913, President Madero was shot
by order of Huerta, who then declared himself dictator. At the
same time he asked that the other nations of the earth recognize
him as the head of the Mexican government, a thing which the
government of the United States refused to do.

March 26, 1913, another revolution was started, this time
against Gen. Huerta by Gen. Carranza, governor of the state of
Chihuahua. This revolution had been in progress more than a year
when this story opens.

Pedro's father, Gen. Sanchez, had been a friend of President