inal. And if you must know, General Cos, I went because I did not
believe the words of the great and illustrious Santa Anna. He promises
the Texans redress for their wrongs, and, at the same time, he orders
them to give up their weapons. Do you think, and does General Santa Anna
think, that the Texans are fools?"

Despite all his study and thought, Ned Fulton was only a boy and he did
not have the wisdom of the old. The manner and words of General Cos had
angered him, and, on impulse, he gave a direct reply. But he knew at
once that it was impolitic. Cos' eyes lowered, and his lips drew back
like those of an angry jaguar, showing his strong white teeth. There was
no possible doubt now about that Spanish strain of cruelty.

"I presume," he said, and he seemed to Ned to bite each word, "that you
meant to go to the Texans with the lying message that the word of the
most illustrious General Santa Anna was not to be believed?"

"I meant to go with such a message," said Ned proudly, "but it would not
be a lying one."

Knowing that he was already condemned he resolved to seek no subterfuge.

"The President cannot be insulted in my presence," said Cos ominously.

"He is only a boy, General," said Almonte appealingly.

"Boys can do mischief," said Cos, "and this seems to be an unusually
cunning and wicked one. You are zealous, Colonel Almonte, I will give
you that much credit, but you do not hate the Gringos enough."

Almonte flushed, but he bowed and said nothing. Cos turned again to Ned.

"You will bear no message to the Texans," he said. "I think that instead
you will stay a long time in this hospitable Mexico of ours."

Ned paled a little. The words were full of menace, and he knew that they
came straight from the cruel heart of Cos. But his pride would not
permit him to reply.

"You will be kept under close guard," said the General. "I will give
that duty to the men of Tlascala. They are infantry and to-morrow you
march on foot with them. Colonel Almonte, you did well to take the
prisoner, but you need trouble yourself no longer about him."

Two men of the Tlascalan company were summoned and they took Ned with
them. The name "Tlascala" had appealed to Ned at first. It was the brave
Tlascalan mountaineers who had helped Cortez and who had made possible
his conquest of the great Mexican empire. But these were not the
Tlascalans of that day. They were a mongrel breed, short, dirty and
barefooted. He ate of the food