out repeated. "Take all the time you
want."

"But when do you shoot us?" persisted the fellow, humbly.

"Shoot you?" repeated Trent, in amazement, speaking rapidly in
the Spanish he had acquired at Annapolis and practiced in many
a South American port. Then it dawned upon this American officer
that, in the fighting between Mexican regulars and rebels it had
been always the custom of the victors to execute the survivors
of the vanquished foe.

"My poor fellow," ejaculated Trent, "we Americans always pride
ourselves on our civilization. We don't shoot prisoners of war.
You will be treated humanely, and we shall exchange you with
your government."

"What did that chap say?" Dalzell demanded, in an undertone, as
Darrin laughed.

"The Mexican said," Dave explained, "that he hoped he wouldn't
be exchanged until the war is over."

"There is a hospital detachment signaling from down the street,
sir," reported a seaman from the edge of the roof.

Trent stepped quickly over to where he could get a view of the
hospital party. Then he signaled to the hospital men, four in
number, carrying stretchers, and commanded by a petty officer,
that they were to advance.

"Any of our men need attention, sir?" asked the petty officer,
as he reached the roof.

"Two of our men," Trent replied. "And nine Mexicans."

When it came their turn to have their wounds washed and bandaged
with sterilized coverings, the Mexicans looked bewildered. Such
treatment at the hands of an enemy was beyond their comprehension.

A room below was turned over for hospital use, and there the wounded
of both sides were treated.

Still the firing continued heavily throughout the city. Trent,
with his field glass constantly to his eyes, picked out the nearest
roof-tops from which the Mexicans were firing. Then he assigned
sharpshooters to take care of the enemy on these roofs.

"We can do some excellent work from this position," the lieutenant
remarked to his two younger officers.

It was peculiar of this fight that no regular volleys of shots
were exchanged. The Mexicans, from roof-tops, from windows and
other places of hiding, fired at an American uniform wherever
they could see it.

The very style of combat adopted by the enemy made it necessary
for the Americans, avoiding needless losses, to fight back in
the same sniping way. Slowly, indeed, were these numerous detachments
of Mexicans, numbering some eight hundred men in all, driven ba