the Spaniard, with a sudden leap, his eyes almost
starting from their sockets.

"I should say, not exactly Americans," I added. "Many of them are
Irish, and French, and Germans, and Swedes, and Swiss; yet they are all
Americans now."

But the Mexican did not stay to hear my explanation. After recovering
from the first shock of surprise, he had bounded through the grove; and
with a wave of his hand, and the ejaculation "_Esperate_!" (wait!)
disappeared among the plantains. The men, who had gathered around the
lower end of the basin, burst out into a roar of laughter, which I did
not attempt to repress. The look of terrified astonishment of the old
Don had been too much for my own gravity, and I could not help being
amused at the conversation that ensued among the soldiers. They were at
some distance, yet I could overhear their remarks.

"That Mexikin's an unhospitable cuss!" muttered Lincoln, with an
expression of contempt.

"He might av axed the captain to dhrink, after savin' such a pair of
illigant craythers," said Chane.

"Sorra dhrap's in the house, Murt; the place looks dry," remarked
another son of the Green Isle.

"Och! an' it's a beautiful cage, anyhow," returned Chane; "and beautiful
birds in it, too. It puts me in mind of ould Dimmerary; but there we
had the liquor, the raal rum--oshins of it, alanna!"

"That 'ere chap's a greelye, I strongly 'spect," whispered one, a
regular down-east Yankee.

"A what?" asked his companion.

"Why, a greelye--one o' them 'ere Mexikin robbers."

"Arrah, now! did yez see the rid sash?" inquired an Irishman.

"Thim's captin's," suggested the Yankee. "He's a captin or a kurnel;
I'll bet high on that."

"What did he say, Nath, as he was running off?"

"I don't know 'zactly--somethin' that sounded mighty like 'spearin' on
us."

"He's a lanzeer then, by jingo!"

"He had better try on his spearin'," said another; "there's shootin'
before spearin'--mighty good ground, too, behind this hyur painted
wall."

"The old fellow was mighty frindly at first; what got into him, anyhow?"

"Raoul says he offered to give the captain his house and all the
furnishin's."

"Och, mother o' Moses! and thim illigant girls, too!"

"Ov coorse."

"By my sowl! an' if I was the captain, I'd take him at his word, and
lave off fightin' intirely."

"It _is_ delf," said a soldier, referring to the material of which the
parapet was constructed.

"No, it ain't."

"It's chane