ng in ignorance upon that point. As the news
went out from regiment to regiment that afternoon, the undisciplined,
ragged mobs of raw recruits began to shout for Santa Anna. Perhaps many
of them had previously served under the one-legged veteran of the old
French and Texan wars and at least half a dozen revolutions.

Ned Crawford turned and hurried homeward, as soon as he felt sure that
his head was still upon his shoulders and that he had heard his
remarkable news correctly. His eyes were busy, too, and he heard what
men were saying to each other. Excited shouts were carrying the errand
of Colonel Guerra swiftly over the city, and everywhere it was
discovering hearers as ready for it as had been the officers at the
gate. He may have been looking a little pale when he entered the parlor
of the Paez mansion, for Senora Paez at once arose and came to meet him,
inquiring, anxiously:

"Senor Carfora, what is the matter? Has anything happened?"

"Santa Anna--" began Ned, but she stepped quickly forward and put her
hand upon his mouth, whispering sharply:

"Speak lower! we do not know who may hear you. What is it?"

She took away her hand, and Ned also whispered, as he hurriedly told her
what he had seen and heard at the citadel. As he did so, her face and
that of Senora Tassara, standing by her, grew much paler than his own.

"My dear Mercedes," said Senora Tassara to her cousin, "this is all as
my husband and General Zuroaga predicted. But the tiger is not here yet,
and by the time he arrives they will be beyond his reach. It takes some
days to travel from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico. Senor Carfora, you
are in no danger. Neither are we."

"No!" angrily exclaimed Senora Paez. "Not for to-day nor to-morrow,
perhaps, but down goes the Paredes monarchy! Ah, me! There is a terrible
time coming for poor Mexico. Who shall tell what the end of it all will
be!"

"Nobody!" said Senora Tassara, sadly, but Felicia whispered to Ned:

"Senor Carfora, the gringos could not do us much harm if their army had
a revolution springing up behind it at home. I wish they had one."

"I don't," replied Ned. "If we did have one, though, it would be bigger
than this is. I don't believe we have any Santa Annas to make one,
anyhow. There isn't a man in all America that would think of being king.
I guess that if we found one we'd hang him."

"Well," said Felicia, "President Paredes would like to hang a great many
people, or shoot them, bu