hand over my face; it was wet with blood. A heavy body lay
across mine, which Little Jack, with all his strength, was endeavouring
to drag off. I crawled from under it, and, bending over, looked at the
features. I knew them at a glance. I muttered to my servant:

"Dubrosc! He is dead!"

His body lay spread out in its picturesque attire. A fair form it was.
A bullet--my own--had passed through his heart, killing him instantly.
I placed my hand upon his forehead. It was cold already, and his
beautiful features were white and ashy. His eyes glared with the
ghastly expression of death.

"Close them!" I said to the boy, and turned away from the spot.

Wounded men lay around, dragoons and Mexicans, and some were already
dead.

A party of officers was at the moment returning from the pursuit, and I
recognised my late adversary, with our seconds and surgeons. My friend
Clayley had been wounded in the _melee_, and I observed that he carried
his arm in a sling. A dragoon officer galloped up.

It was Colonel Harding.

"These fellows, gentlemen," cried he, reining up his horse, "just came
in time to relieve me from a disagreeable duty. I have orders from the
commander-in-chief to arrest Captains Haller and Ransom.

"Now, gentlemen," he continued with a smile, "I think you have had
fighting enough for one morning, and if you will promise me to be quiet
young men, and keep the peace, I shall, for once in my life, take the
liberty of disobeying a general's orders. What say you, gentlemen?"

It needed not this appeal. There had been no serious cause of quarrel
between my adversary and myself, and, moved by a similar impulse, we
both stepped forward and grasped one another by the hand.

"Forgive me, my dear Haller," said Ransom, "I retract all. I assure you
my remarks were only made upon the spur of the moment, when I was angry
about those cursed leather breeches."

"And I regret to have given you cause," I replied. "Come with me to my
quarters. Let us have a glass of wine together, and we shall light our
cigars with the villainous document."

A burst of laughter followed, in which Ransom good-naturedly joined; and
we were soon on our way to town, seated in the same carriage, and the
best friends in creation!

Some of the soldiers who had "rifled" the body of Dubrosc found a paper
upon him which proved that the Frenchman was a spy in the service of
Santa Anna. He had thrown himself into the company at N