"A skirmish, sir--a skirmish! His enemies a crowd of naked savages-- that's what they were--nothing but slings and bows with which to defend themselves. Not a gun among them; while _I_--_I_, sir, have defeated a grand disciplined army, under the greatest general these Mexicans have ever produced; for, say what you like of Santa Anna, the rascal is a thorough soldier--a regular, sir, a regular--not a volunteer. I detest volunteers; and it's a great shame for the Government to have sent me so many of them. They've fought well, I admit; but they couldn't help it.

They were properly handled, sir; and they had my old regulars alongside of them. How could they hang back, when they saw who was at their head?

My presence inspired them; and the consequence is, that they fought and conquered this great country in less than half the time it took Cortez to do it. Therefore I say, sir, that the conquest of Winfield Scott will shine upon the page of history far brighter than that of Fernando Cortez."

"No doubt of it," was my insincere response, scarce able to conceal my contempt for the huge military _bavard_.

"Well, sir," said he, after he had paced once or twice across the floor in swelling grandeur, "you haven't stated your plans? Let's hear the detail. My giving you permission may depend upon that."

"What I had intended, general, was to charter the _diligencia_; and use it, as if it were going on its regular trip between here and Puebla.

The robbers are also troublesome upon the Toluca route; so I don't care which we try first. I should dress my twelve men in Mexican costumes; have a monk or two along with them, and at least a couple of ladies.

The _reboso_ would disguise them sufficiently for our purpose. A Mexican uniform or two might aid the decoy: since just before our coming into the country no less than thirteen officers of their army, travelling in the stage-coach, were stopped by a band of only six robbers, and stripped even of their uniforms! I should have liked two or three Mexican _militarios_ among my men; but just now it would scarce look natural, and the bandits might suspect a _ruse_."

"Well, sir," said the general, evidently amused by my ideas, "What would you do with these twelve masqueraders?"

"Arm each of them with a small battery of revolvers; give him a good bowie knife to fall back upon; and, when the robbers make halt around the stage-coach, let all spring out at once, and go at them with a will.

I know of twelve men I can muster, who are just the sort for such an enterprise. All of them, one time or another, have done a little bit of street fighting; and I'm much mistaken if there's one of their number who would shy from an encounter with Mexican brigands anything under ten to one. Our only fear would be that too many of the bandits should be able to get off before we had time to give them a good thrashing.

They're wonderfully quick on their little horses."

"By the word of Winfield Scott, sir, there's something in what you propose. For my part, I shouldn't care to trouble about these robber gentry--who are perhaps only a little less honest than the rest of their countrymen--but it don't look just the thing that we haven't put a stop to their depredations--especially as they've committed some outrages on our own people. Well, sir!" he added, after a pause, "I'll consider your proposal, and give you an answer by to-morrow morning. Meanwhile you may hold yourself in readiness--in case I should think proper to approve of it."

"Shall I retain the _diligencia_, general?"

"No, no; not this trip--not for to-morrow. There will be time enough.

I must think the matter over. It won't do to be charged with silly things; and, as you ought to know, sir, I have enemies at Washington-- foes in the rear, sir, as well as in the front. Besides, you wouldn't have time to get your fellows ready before to-morrow morning?"

"In an hour, general; if your permission be given. I have sounded them already. They would all be _en masque_ before midnight."

"I'll think of it; I'll think of it, as soon as I'm disengaged. But there's somebody waiting outside. A Mexican gentleman, my _aide-de-camp_ tells me. I wonder what _he_ wants. Safeguard, I suppose, or some other favour. These people pester the life out of me.

They think I've nothing to do but to look after every little affair that troubles them. If one of our scamps only steals a chicken, they must see _me_ about it. G.o.d knows I've given them protection enough--more than they've been accustomed to at the hands of their own officers!"

And G.o.d did know it: for the statement was strictly true. However contemptible I might esteem General Scott's military talents, I can bear testimony to the fact, that his enemies had no cause to complain of his inhumanity. Never was conquered foe treated with such leniency as were the Mexicans during that memorable campaign; which I do not hesitate to p.r.o.nounce the most _civilised_ that has found place upon the page of history.

I had made my salute, and was about stepping out of the "presence," when I heard the command, "Stay, sir!"

In obedience to it, I once more faced towards the commander-in-chief.

"By the way," he said, "I may want you for a minute. I'm told you speak Spanish perfectly?"

"Not perfectly, general. I speak it, as the Spaniards say, _un pocito_."

"Never mind how--so long as you can hold a conversation in it. Now that I think of it, my interpreter is out of the way; and there's none of my _aides_ knows anything of their lingo. The Mexican who's coming in is not likely to understand a syllable I might say to him. So stay, and translate for us."

"At your command, general, I'll do the best I can."

"You may prepare yourself, I suppose, to hear of a hen roost having been robbed; and a claim for compensation. Ah! the claimant is there."

The door at that moment was opened from the outside; and one of the _aides_ entered, ushering a stranger, who stepped briskly in after him.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

A BEREAVED PARENT.

The individual thus introduced had all the air of one who had sustained a loss--but of a much graver kind than the stealing of his chicks.

At a glance I could see that he was a Spanish-American of the pure Iberian blood--the boasted _sangre azul_ of Andalusia--without any trace of the Aztecan. Perhaps a Spaniard resident in Mexico--in other words, a _Gachupino_? He had, at all events, the distinguished bearing of the hidalgo; which was further confirmed by the fineness of his habiliments, that differed very little from what might be seen on a well-dressed English gentleman of the old school: for the stranger was a man of advanced age.

He was clean shaven, without moustache or whisker; the hair upon his head short-cut and snow-white; while that upon his arched eyebrows was as black as it might have been at the age of twenty!

A piercing eye still showed the capability of flashing fire, when occasion required it. Just then it was filled with a sombre light; and his whole demeanour betokened a man who suffered from some overwhelming sorrow.

Under its influence his habitual serenity had forsaken him; and, without pausing inside the door, he walked hurriedly up to the general, and commenced to unburden himself.

Between the two of us there was no possibility of mistaking which was the commander-in-chief--so that the stranger had addressed himself to the proper personage.

As his talk was Cherokee to the general--perhaps not so well understood--he was motioned to make his communication to me.

I had already gathered from his introductory remarks, that he had been travelling in a stage-coach, _en route_ for the capital on a special errand to the general himself; and that a great misfortune had befallen him on the road. I had by this time noticed a slight _delabrement_ in his dress--to say nothing of some scratches on his hands and face--that went towards confirming his hurried statement.

"A misfortune?" I asked, in my capacity of interpreter. "Of what nature, senor?"

"_O cavallero; una cosa horrible; un robo! Por los bandoleros_!"

"A horrible business--a robbery by brigands!" I said, translating literally to the general.

"How very singular!" remarked the commander-in-chief. "Quite a coincidence! I think, captain, I shall have to grant your request."

"Of what have they robbed you, senor?" I inquired, in the continuation of my new _role_. "Not your watch--else they would scarce have left you those splendid appendages?"

I spoke of a ma.s.sive chain and bunch of gold seals, with turquoise, topaz, and other sparkling stones, that hung conspicuously from his waistcoat.

"_Por Dios_, no! They did not take that!"

"Your purse, perhaps?"

"No, senor; they did not touch it either. They would have been welcome to it, and the watch as well. Ah! they might have had everything else but what they did take."

"What was it?"

"_Mias ninas! mias ninas_!"

"Ninyas!" interrupted the general, without waiting for the translation, "that means young girls, don't it, captain?"

"In its general signification it does. As he has used it, it means his own daughters."

"What! Have the brigands robbed him of them?"