"

"Do you suppose the Mexicans will try to prevent the landing?"
asked Billie.

"We'll know in a minute, for they are most ashore," said Donald.

Donald was right and in another minute a shot rang out followed
by a rattle of musketry.

"Flash! Flash! Bang! Bang!" spoke the howitzers in the foremost
of the launches.

Boom! Boom! Boom! came the sound of three guns from the ship
nearest the city, which proved to be the _Prairie_.

The crash of the six-inch shells as they struck in the city could
be heard above the rattle of the rifle fire which had now become
continuous.

"It's a sure enough battle," cried Billie. "Come on! Let's go
down!" and he flung himself onto his horse.

"What would you do?" cried Donald, seizing Billie's horse by the
bridle. "You'd be killed by the fire from our own guns. This is
the best place we could be in while the firing is going on. As
soon as our men have driven the Mexicans out of town, then we can
go in."

"But I want to take a hand in the fun," said Billie.

"It's no fun, as you'll find after it's all over. No knowing how
many of our boys are being lost, to say nothing of the Mexicans."

"Look!" cried Adrian, who had not taken his eyes from the scene
in the harbor. "There are a couple of other ships going into
action."

Billie turned at sound of Adrian's words. Sure enough, there came
flashes from more guns, as the _Chester_ and _San Francisco_
moved up into striking distance, although at that time the boys
did not know the vessels' names.

"What show will the Mexicans have against those guns!" exclaimed
Donald. "They'll be driven out of town in short order."

Once more Donald was right and after some minutes of firing, the
boys realized that the rifle fire was becoming less.

"If they retreat, which way do you suppose they will go?" queried
Adrian.

"I was just thinking about that," was Donald's reply. "What do
you think, Billie?"

"I should think along the main line of railroad."

"And I imagine they'll retreat in every direction," said Adrian.

"In which case," advised Donald, "we'd better be prepared to make
a dash through."

"Look here," from Billie. "Can't you see that the shots are all
aimed at one particular place? I'm sure if we come around by the
south, we can get in behind our men some way. It's a good deal
better chance than to stay here to be shot down by the retreating
Mexicans."

The others were forced to admit the wisdom of Billie's advice an