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A nation!" exclaimed Señor Zuroaga, after a moment of silence. "We are not a nation yet. Within our boundaries there are several millions of ignorant Indians, peons, rancheros and the like, that are owned rather than ruled by a few scores of rich landholders who represent the old Spanish military grants.
"Oh," said Felicia, "she was born there, and she'll make you see all there is of it. But we were all ready, you know, and we are to set out early to-morrow morning." "Hurrah!" responded Ned. "But I'd like to hear from General Zuroaga. I wish I knew whether or not he was much hurt in that fight in the road." "Father does not believe he was," said Felicia.
Pablo had been running fast, but he had breath enough left to say, quite coolly and not loudly: "Lancers, general. Officer and four men. They have been running their horses, and they won't travel far to-morrow. I was in the bushes." "All right, Pablo," said Zuroaga. "It was kind of Colonel Guerra to order them to use up their horses. We shall not hear of that squad again.
"It seems like a long, wonderful dream since I saw General Zuroaga ride away from us at the cross-roads. What a skirmish that was! Then we made our way through the mountains, and came here, and hasn't it been a curious kind of life ever since? I've learned how to ride like a Mexican. I've seen all there is to see for miles and miles around this place.
"But," she said, "you might have been killed, if you had been with them, and I am glad you did not have to kill any of our people." "So am I," said Ned, "now that it is all over. I guess this is the end of the war. But how I shall miss poor General Zuroaga!" Rapidly and prudently, General Scott was occupying the city and restoring order.
"Captain!" sharply interrupted Zuroaga, standing at his elbow, glass in hand. "Another sail! Off there, southerly. Seems to be a full-rigged ship. What are we to do now?" "Keep on!" roared the captain, and then he turned to respond to a similar piece of unpleasant information which came down from the lookout. "We'll soon know what she is," he remarked, but not as if he very much wished to do so.
"O Lieutenant Grant!" eagerly exclaimed Ned, "General Zuroaga told me there was another place as good for a road as that is." "Go along, of course," said Grant. "I'd give a month's pay to go with you. Anything but this sleepy camp." Ned was ready in a minute, but he found that he was not expected to carry with him any other weapon than his machete. "Take that," said Captain Lee.
How on earth did they come through the blockade, and how did they know where you are?" "I guess they didn't," said Ned. "The English captain that used to command the Goshhawk brought them. I met him at the plaza, hunting for me. He was a friend of General Zuroaga, and besides, the British consul at Vera Cruz knew I was with Colonel Tassara's family.
The bark was soon set free of her wreckage, and prepared to make her way in still further, under the protection of the fort batteries. Captain Kemp was too busy for any kind of conversation, and Señor Zuroaga came aft, to where Ned was curiously studying the work of the 32-pound shot at the stern.
Another and another followed, and he said to himself: "They are little picnic tents. One is for the señora and Felicia; one for the colonel; and one for Señor Zuroaga. Not any for me or for the men. Oh, dear! How shall I ever get down? I can't move my legs. If I can't, I shall have to go to sleep in the saddle!"
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