ou and the door."

"Great," from Donald.

He aroused Adrian and told him the situation.

"You stay in the train," he said, "and we'll keep you posted as
to what is going on outside. If there is any real danger we will
give the alarm."

He picked up his overcoat and pretended to be fixing a pillow.
Adrian did the same. Then, while the guard's back was turned, he
dropped out of the window.

Billie was beside him when he rose to his feet.

"This way, Don," he whispered. "Let's get out into the dark and
hold a council of war."

They glided out into darkness, but where they could keep their
eyes on the engine.

"Now tell me about it," said Don.

Billie told him what he had discovered.

"It does look strange," Donald admitted. "Have you any plan?"

"I haven't an idea above an oyster," was the characteristic
reply.

Donald scratched his ear reflectively.

"How would it do," he finally asked, "to sneak over by the
soldiers and see if we can't pick up some scrap of conversation
that may give us a clue as to what is going on?"

"Fine. We must keep together, though. We might never find each
other in the dark if we should become separated."

Silently they crawled toward the spot where Billie had seen the
soldiers. When they did not hear any sign of them after several
minutes' crawling they stopped to listen.

"There surely was a squad here a few minutes ago," declared
Billie. "They must have moved."

They remained silently thoughtful for several minutes, but all
was as silent as a graveyard.

"That's mighty funny," said Billie. "I know I was not mistaken.
Let's go back by the train."

They turned for that purpose and could see a group of figures at
the platform of each coach.

"That's the answer," exclaimed Billie. "They have surrounded the
train. Now let's see what will happen."

They had not long to wait as an officer shortly boarded each car
and a minute later there was a commotion among the passengers.

Drawing a little nearer, the boys could hear the officer in the
car nearest them explaining that the passengers would be obliged
to alight and change trains.

"The track has been torn up ahead of us," he said, "and we shall
have to walk nearly a mile to where the train is that came up
from Vera Cruz."

This had been quite the customary thing in Mexico for some months
and the passengers prepared to obey.

"I don't believe it is true," said Billie to Donald.

"We can soon find out," declared D