hut quickly behind them as they passed in.

"Senora Paez," said Zuroaga to a shadow in the unlighted hall, "the
armistice is ended, but I shall command my Oaxaca regiment in the
fighting which is now sure to come. Let us all meet in the parlor and
hear from Senor Carfora the American account of these lost battles."

"Carfora?" she exclaimed. "Is he here? Oh, how I do wish to hear him! I
believe we have been told altogether too many lies. Our troops do not
half know how badly they have been beaten, nor what is the real strength
of the American army."

They walked on into the parlor, and here there were lights burning, but
Ned was not thinking of them. He was gazing at the pale face of a man
in uniform and on crutches, who came slowly forward between a woman and
a young girl, with a mournful smile upon his face.

"Colonel Tassara!" exclaimed Ned. "I knew you were wounded, but are you
not getting well?"

"Senor Carfora!" quickly interrupted Senorita Felicia. "He was hit in
the leg by a bullet at Angostura. He had a bayonet wound, too, and they
thought he would die, but they made him a general--"

"I am getting better, Carfora," said General Tassara, courageously, "but
I can do no more fighting just now. I sincerely wish that there might
not be any. The plans of Santa Anna--"

"Tassara!" exclaimed Zuroaga. "What we heard is true. He is utterly
ruined. But the peace terms are rejected by all the government we have
left, and our city defences must soon go down as did those at Cerro
Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco. We are to hear more about those
affairs from Senor Carfora. He was an eye witness of them."

"Oh, my dear young friend," said Senora Tassara, "were you with the
American army in all those battles?"

"No, not exactly," said Ned. "I was with General Morales at Vera Cruz.
Then I came on with General Scott all the way from the seacoast to this
place. He has troops enough now, and he will fight his way in. I'm real
sorry about it, too, for no more men need to be killed."

"I think the gringos are just terrible," said Felicia, as she came over
and sat down by Ned. "I want to hear about them. I do hope they won't be
defeated now, though, for if they are nobody can guess who will be
Emperor of Mexico when they are driven away."

"She is not so far wrong," said Tassara, sadly. "The future of our
country is all in the dark. Please let us hear your report."

Pablo, of course, had not followed his superiors into t