hey should attempt to beleaguer this impregnable fortress. For my
own part, I believe that Colonel Tassara's court martial can have but
one result. His disobedience must be paid for with his life. All
conspirators like Zuroaga should be shot as soon as they are captured.
This is not a time, my friends, for undue leniency."

"Gentlemen," responded Colonel Guerra with graceful courtesy, "I bid you
all a brief farewell with sincere regret. Your visit has given me
unmixed satisfaction. Do not forget that all of you are to dine with me
to-morrow. From my very heart I can echo your noble sentiments of valor
and patriotism and of devotion to our beloved commander-in-chief, his
heroic Excellency, President Paredes."

Then followed smiles and handshakings of mutual confidence all around,
and the visiting officers took their departure. Hardly had the door
closed behind them, however, before Colonel Guerra again sat down,
hoarsely muttering between his set teeth:

"The snake-hearted villains! What they really hoped for was to find the
fort and garrison in bad condition and unprovided, so that they might
ruin me. They want my disgrace and removal, to make room for one of
them. I don't believe they will catch either Tassara or Zuroaga this
time. The colonel will soon raise his new regiment, and my old friend
will be down in Oaxaca in safety, waiting for the hour that is to come.
Paredes would give something to see my last letter from Santa Anna."

So there were many plots and counterplots, and the politest men might
not be always what they seemed.

CHAPTER VIII.

OUT OF THE TIERRA CALIENTE

Those were days of great commotion in the Congress of the United States.
The whole nation, South as well as North, was divided in opinion as to
the righteousness and expediency of the war with Mexico. There were two
great parties, both of which have long since passed away, for the
question of the annexation of Texas is no longer before the people, and
all this was more than half a century ago. One of the parties called
itself "Whig," but its enemies described its members as "Coons," in the
habit of roosting up a tree out of reach. The other party called itself
"Democratic," while its opponents lampooned its members as "Loco-focos,"
comparing them to the blue-headed sulphur matches of that name, which
were largely manufactured and did not burn very well. Party feeling ran
high, and the debates in Congress were red-hot. The Democrati