ravery and good services, the horses upon which you are mounted
and the accoutrements."

The look of surprise on the faces of the boys deepened.

"I am sure, sir," replied Donald, speaking for the others, "we
should be pleased to accept them if we were expecting to remain
in the country. We hope, however, to leave Vera Cruz in a very
few days."

"Boys," and Mr. Black's face was most serious, "there is no
knowing when you will reach Vera Cruz; much less leave it."

"What do you mean?" from Billie.

"I had a long talk with my friend, Don Ramon, last night after
you were in bed and he tells me that the railroad between here
and Vera Cruz is in the hands of Gen. Maas, the other side of
Guayabo, and there is almost no chance of your being allowed to
pass through the lines."

"Why not?" from Adrian.

"Well, you see, since we have heard anything, relations between
the two countries have become more and more strained and the
United States has practically declared a blockade on Vera Cruz.
The entire Atlantic fleet is assembled outside and there is
liable to be a clash at any time."

"Then we'll accept the horses, Mr. Black," spoke up Donald, "and
we'll ride to Vera Cruz. It can't be more than fifty miles."

"Forty-six by rail," said Mr. Black. "I kind of thought you might
like to try and make it, is why I want to give you the horses,"
and the speaker smiled knowingly.

"The sooner we start the better, I expect," said Adrian.

"Yes; after you pay your respects to the mayor."

The foregoing conversation explains how it happened that on the
morning of April 21, 1914, the Broncho Rider Boys looked down
from a little hill, the top of which was covered by tropical
foliage, upon the harbor of Vera Cruz, with the American fleet in
the offing.

By a circuitous route and by two nights of riding, hiding in the
day, the boys had reached this spot about an hour after sunrise.

"Whew!" was Billie's exclamation as he looked out across the
harbor at the men-of-war flying the American flag. "There's a
bunch of them, isn't there?"

"Sure is," from Adrian, "and they look peaceable, too."

"You never can tell by the looks of a toad how far it will jump,"
laughed Donald. "But peaceable or warlike, I'd like mighty well
to be on board one of them."

"Here, too," from Billie. "I wonder how we're going to make it."

"How would it do for one of us to try and get into town and find
the American consul?" queried Adrian.

"Fine,"