“Syd, you must defend me,” he said, throwing himself in his chair dejectedly. “It’s a very serious charge,” and then Phil quoted the letter of Lazar’s, almost word for word, so deeply had it made its impression on his mind. Sydney agreed readily to act as Phil’s counsel. “Our case,” he declared, “must be based on Lazar’s motives for ordering us from the hill. This we can prove through Craig. Never fear, Phil, you will be cleared.” “My last hope is in Craig,” answered Phil; “if he goes back on us, we are powerless. We can do nothing.” “It’s a shame that such a scoundrel as Lazar can pose as such a paragon of virtue,” cried Sydney hotly, “while we know what a double dyed villain he is and have no means of proving it. As you say, we are alone dependent upon breaking down the testimony of his accomplice. If Lazar doesn’t know of Craig’s confession this may be easy, but if he does he will take great pains to teach Craig how to answer our questions.” Phil’s already dejected expression turned to one of deeper disappointment as he pondered on the last words of his companion. “What innocents we are!” he cried suddenly. “Lazar surely must know that we have discovered his intrigue, else how could we have found the hiding-place of the arms? If, as I suspect, Juarez sent him word we were in the house on La Mesa, then Lazar would reason that he had been found out and would know that our information must have come from Craig. And yet, knowing this, he reports me,” he added thoughtfully. “Syd,” he continued after a pause, “this man is no common villain. We have to deal with a very clever rogue. There is something more that we don’t know about; he is not going into this court martial blindly. If he can have me found guilty then he will be safe, because our testimony against him will be declared prejudiced and would not be admitted before a court.” The two midshipmen were in a state of great excitement over their perplexing position, but their labors on this eventful day had so wearied them, that it was but a short time after they had “turned in” before they fell into a sound and peaceful sleep. They awoke the following morning feeling greatly refreshed and better able to grapple with the problem. All danger that the rebels would force an entrance into the city being over, the admiral ordered the legation guard back to the “Connecticut.” Phil and Sydney were on deck when Lazar and his men returned. “He isn’t there!” Phil gasped as he saw the last man come up the gangway ladder and “fall in” in ranks on the quarter-deck. “I watched every man and Craig isn’t among them.” “Perhaps there are others ashore, yet to come,” vouchsafed Sydney hopefully. Lazar had reported to the officer of the deck and had then gone down the companionway to announce his return to the captain. Marshall and Morrison remained on deck with the men awaiting Lazar’s return, before being dismissed to go to their quarters.