r he's out o' Vera Cruz, the better for him and all of
us."

"I think so myself," said Senor Zuroaga. "Don't even stay here for
breakfast. Nobody from here must come to the consul's with Senor
Carfora."

"Of course not," said the captain, wearily, and away he went, although
Ned felt as if he were full to bursting with the most interesting kind
of questions concerning the captain's night in the life-boat and the
sad fate of the swift and beautiful _Goshhawk_.

"Come into the house," said the senor, "and put on your Mexican rig. I
have a message from Colonel Guerra that we must get away to-night. I
must not bring any peril upon the Tassara family. Up to this hour no
enemy knows that I was a passenger on the powder-boat, as they call it."

"All right," said Ned. "I'll write one more letter home. I couldn't get
out of the city in any other way just now, and I want to see Mexico."

That idea was growing upon him rapidly, but his next errand was to the
senor's own room, to put on what he called his disguise. He followed his
friend to a large, handsome chamber in the further end of the house,
and, as he entered it, his first thought was:

"Hullo! are they getting ready for a fight?"

In the corners of the room and leaning against the walls here and there
were weapons enough to have armed half a company of militia, if the
soldiers did not care what kinds of weapons they were to carry, for the
guns and swords and pistols were of all patterns except those of the
present day. Ned saw at least one rusty firelock, which put him in mind
of pictures he had seen of the curious affairs the New England fathers
carried when they went to meeting on Sunday. He had no time to examine
them, however, for here were his new clothes, and he must be in them
without delay. He admired each piece, as he put it on, and then one look
into the senor's mirror convinced him that he was completely disguised.
He had been turned into a somewhat stylish young Mexican, from his
broad-brimmed straw hat to his Vera Cruz made shoes. He still wore a
blue jacket, but this one was short, round-cornered, and had bright
silver buttons. His new trousers were wide at the bottoms, with
silver-buttoned slashes on the outsides below the knees. He had not worn
suspenders on shipboard, but now his belt was of yellow leather and
needlessly wide, with a bright buckle and a sword-catch on the left
side. As to this matter, the senor showed him a short, straight,
wide-bla