es and a lot of others. After they are out of power, your own
friends, like Tassara, Zuroaga, and the rest of them, may be in office,
and you will be in clover. It's a wonderfully rich country, if it were
only in the right hands and had a good government. I'll give you the
letters when we get to my lodgings. Then I must make my way back to Vera
Cruz, but I had to come all this distance to get my pay from the
authorities. I obtained it, even now, only by promising to bring over
another cargo of British gunpowder, to fight the Yankees with."

That was a thing which Ned did not like, but he could not do anything to
prevent it. He could not expect an Englishman to be an American, and it
was all a matter of trade to Captain Kemp, aside from his personal
friendship for Ned and his father. There was more talk of all sorts, and
Ned obtained a great deal of information concerning the war and what the
United States were likely to do. After he had received his precious
letters, however, and had said good-by to Captain Kemp, he almost ran
against people in his haste to reach the Paez mansion. He did not pause
to speak to anybody on arriving, but darted up-stairs and made his way
to the library. It was lighter now in the wonderful book-room, and the
man in armor did not say anything as Ned came in. In a moment he was in
the chair by the window, and he appeared to himself to be almost talking
with the dear ones at home, from whom he had so long been separated.

"Stay where you are," he read from his father's long letter, and at that
hour he felt as if he did not wish to stay. He dropped the letter on the
table, and leaned back in his chair and looked around him. Pretty soon,
however, a little slowly to begin with, but then faster and faster, the
strong and fascinating spirit of adventure came once more upon him. His
very blood tingled, and he sprang to his feet to all but shout to his
mailed acquaintance in the corner:

"Yes, sir, I'll stay! I'll do anything but become a Mexican. Tell you
what, before the war's over, I mean to be in the American army, somehow.
I don't exactly see how I'm to do it, though."

It was time to go down-stairs and report to his faithful friends, for he
knew it would be very mean not to do so, and the first person he met was
Senora Tassara herself.

"I have letters from home!" he exclaimed, bluntly--"newspapers, too!"
and she held up both hands in astonishment, as she responded:

"Letters from the Unite