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As for yourself, you must push on." "I think," said Zuroaga, "that I shall be almost safe after I am a few miles beyond Teotitlan. I may have a fight or two on the way. Carfora must not be killed in any skirmish of that kind. You will not see me again, dead or alive, until a week or two after the Americans have taken the city of Mexico, as in my opinion they surely will.
Ned's only really hearty greeting came from Señor Zuroaga, who seemed to him, under the circumstances, like an old friend. "Carfora, my dear fellow," he said, "you and the colonel must come in to your supper " "Why, señor," expostulated Ned, "I'm wet through, and so is he." "I declare!" exclaimed Zuroaga. "What's in my head that I should overlook that? You must change your rig.
Perhaps it had walked away, beyond the reach of possible thieves, and with it may have gone the other silverware of the Tassara family. Señorita Felicia's quick eyes had followed his own, for she was watching him. "Yes, Señor Carfora," she said, "it's all gone. The china is all stored away in the deep cellar.
He went steadily, moreover, as if he might have business rather than pleasure on his hands, and he did not pull in his pony until he had reached the front of the Paez mansion. There was no one on the piazza but a short, fat old woman, in a blazing red cotton gown, who sprang to her feet almost as if he had frightened her, exclaiming: "Señor Carfora!" "Dola!" he responded, sharply.
"Señor Carfora," said Señora Tassara, "you will have no time to lose. General Zuroaga is right, and his letter must go at once to his friend, General Morales, who is now in command at Vera Cruz. So must one from my own husband. It is important, for the best interest of Mexico, that Morales should know the whole truth.
A storm of cheers responded, and the entire crowd seemed disposed to exchange hugs and handshakes, while he turned to an officer at a table. "By the Way, major," he said, "write an order for quarters and rations for General Bravo's messenger, Carfora. I may need him again in a few days. Keep track of him. He is a civilian, but he is a trusted agent of certain parties whom you may know."
But the peace terms are rejected by all the government we have left, and our city defences must soon go down as did those at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco. We are to hear more about those affairs from Señor Carfora. He was an eye witness of them." "Oh, my dear young friend," said Señora Tassara, "were you with the American army in all those battles?" "No, not exactly," said Ned.
They were terrible! Can you not say that you are glad Señor Carfora was not drowned?" "No, mother," persisted Felicia. "I'll say I wish he had been drowned, if if he could have swum ashore afterward. Good enough for him." Señora Tassara laughed merrily, as she responded: "You are a dreadfully obstinate young patriot, my darling. But you must be a little more gracious.
"That is the way they all feel about each other," broke in the general. "Come, Carfora. We have horses waiting for us on one of the back streets." There were a few hasty good-bys then. The three fugitives passed out of sight among the shadows of the buildings, and the women returned to the house to wait for the downfall of King or Emperor Paredes.
Ned did not so much as have time to hurrah again before Señora Tassara came forward to say to him: "That is not all, Señor Carfora. For the sake of my husband's health, and for other reasons, he and I and Felicia and Señora Paez are intending to spend our next winter in the United States. We have accepted your father's invitation to be passengers with you. What do you think of that?"
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