that's a Mexican!" muttered Twing, as the ranchero dress
became apparent under a brighter beam of the moon.

Before anyone could reply, the strange horseman wheeled sharply to the
left, and drawing a pistol, fired it into our midst. Then spurring his
wild horse, he galloped past us into a deep defile of the hills.

"You're a set of Yankee fools!" he shouted back, as he reached the
bottom of the dell.

Half a dozen shots replied to the taunting speech; but the retreating
object was beyond pistol range before our astonished party had recovered
from their surprise at such an act of daring audacity.

In a few minutes we could see both horse and rider near the walls of the
city--a speck on the white plain; and shortly after we heard the grating
hinges of the Puerto Nuevo, as the huge gate swung open to receive him.
No one was hit by the shot of his pistol. Several could be heard
gritting their teeth with mortification as we commenced descending the
hill.

"Did you know that voice, Captain?" whispered Clayley to me, as we
returned to camp.

"Yes."

"You think it was--"

"Dubrosc."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

MAJOR BLOSSOM.

On reaching the camp I found a mounted orderly in front of my tent.

"From the general," said the soldier, touching his cap, and handing me a
sealed note.

The orderly, without waiting a reply, leaped into his saddle and rode
off.

I broke the seal with delight:

"Sir,--You will report, with fifty men, to Major Blossom, at 4 a.m.
to-morrow.

"By order,--"

(Signed) "A.A.A.-G.

"Captain Haller, commanding Co. Rifle Rangers."

"Old Bios, eh? Quartermaster scouting, I hope," said Clayley, looking
over the contents of the note.

"Anything but the trenches; I am sick of them."

"Had it been anybody else but Blossom--fighting Daniels, for instance--
we might have reckoned on a comfortable bit of duty; but the old whale
can hardly climb into his saddle--it _does_ look bad."

"I will not long remain in doubt. Order the sergeant to warn the men
for four."

I walked through the camp in search of Blossom's marquee, which I found
in a grove of caoutchouc-trees, and out of range of the heaviest metal
in Vera Cruz. The major himself was seated in a large Campeachy chair,
that had been "borrowed" from some neighbouring rancho, and perhaps it
was never so well filled as by its present occupant.

It would be useless to attempt an elaborate description of Major
Blossom. That would require