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He had a bayonet wound, too, and they thought he would die, but they made him a general " "I am getting better, Carfora," said General Tassara, courageously, "but I can do no more fighting just now. I sincerely wish that there might not be any. The plans of Santa Anna " "Tassara!" exclaimed Zuroaga. "What we heard is true. He is utterly ruined.
Señor Zuroaga also had now walked away, and Ned was left to hold by his rope, looking out upon the tossing sea and wondering more and more what sort of adventures he and the Goshawk might be so swiftly racing on into. A long day had passed and a dark night had come. The air of it was hot and sultry over all the regions around the Gulf of Mexico.
It is never as dark on the land, apparently, as it is at sea, where even the lights hung out by a ship seem to make all things darker, except the white crests of the billows. One ship's lantern, however, was so hung that it threw down a dim light upon a pair who were sitting on the deck near the stern. "Señor Zuroaga," said one of them, "I wish it was daylight."
A few minutes later, if Ned had been awake instead of sleeping so soundly, he might have heard what two men were saying, in half-whispers, close to the door of his tent. "Colonel," said Zuroaga, "we are well-hidden in here. The bushes are very thick along the edge of the road." "Hark!" interrupted Tassara. "Do you hear that? There they are!" "I hear them," replied the general. "It may be so.
Do you really think the Americans will capture our capital? It will be well defended." "Bravely enough, but not well," replied Zuroaga. "We have not one scientific, thoroughly educated engineer officer fit to take charge of the defences against, for instance, General Scott.
Ned was feeling a certain degree of curiosity as to what kind of carriage was to carry him, when Señor Zuroaga beckoned him to one side and said: "We shall be with Colonel Tassara's party only the first day. But I have been thinking. When we were on the Goshhawk, you told me that you had never ridden a horse in your life " "Why, I'm a city boy," interrupted Ned.
Oh, but am I not glad that General Zuroaga gave me that old telescope? I've seen lots of mountains with it, and now I'll make it show me the ships and the army. Oh, my soul and body! I'm part of the garrison of Vera Cruz." That was stretching the facts of the case a little, but he certainly was serving under the wrong flag that morning.
Walk on into the consulate. I belong to General Zuroaga. There are four more of his men here. We have orders to take care of you. You are the young Englishman that brought us the powder. There was not a pound to be bought in Vera Cruz, but some of those fellows would knife you for a gringo."
As for the city, he had heard that Vera Cruz contained about seven or eight thousand people, besides its military garrison, its foreigners, and a continually varying mob of transient visitors from the interior. Zuroaga had told him, moreover, that it was from the latter that any gringo like himself would be in danger of violence.
Señor Zuroaga must not come to the ship again. I will be here to-morrow evening. May I be assured that you will then be ready to come to my house?" "Tell him of course you will!" said a voice behind Ned, peremptorily, and it was Captain Kemp who had come over for a few words with Tassara.
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