“They are safe in the legation,” the captain replied gladly; “you were grossly misinformed by that scoundrel Juarez. As soon as your cipher message was translated, I took Mr. Penfield with me and we went ashore to the legation. We saw Mr. Lazar and showed him your message. He took us immediately to the cellar of the minister’s residence and pointed out the boxes, all intact; he opened for us the box which you had half opened on the launch the night of the capture; the arms were in plain view. It was but a plot of the rebels to make you betray the arms to them.” “Where are the rebel lines?” Phil asked, unconvinced; “have they approached nearer to the city?” “Yes,” Captain Taylor answered, “the two armies are now intrenched with but a scant one thousand yards between them. General Ruiz threatens to assault the city momentarily. We believed he was awaiting his war-ships to shell the government forces from inside the harbor; but your story disproves that conjecture unless he himself has been misled.” The lads soon left the cabin and went into their own mess room. Their return was hailed with enthusiasm, but neither had ears for praise; there was still work in hand. “What do you think, Syd,” asked Phil, on reaching the quiet of their room, “are the arms in the legation?” “The captain says he saw them,” replied Sydney thoughtfully. “How could he be mistaken?” “It surely seems very strange,” declared the other, “why both Juarez and General Ruiz should tell us they were not in the legation but safe in the city ready to be brought into the rebel lines. Ruiz thought himself safe in telling us this for he had no idea we could escape. It was purely providential that the ‘Aquadores’ came along. Even if he hadn’t shot us, he surely would have kept us close prisoners. We knew too much to be set free.” The next morning the lads went to see Captain Taylor. They had thought the matter over during the evening and had lain awake thinking about it a good part of the night; they were no nearer a solution of the vexing problem. Captain Taylor received them with his usual kindness. “Captain,” Phil commenced as spokesman, “please do not believe us incredulous always, but the idea that the guns are elsewhere than in the legation has taken such a hold on us that we have come to ask you to take us to the legation with you this morning.” Captain Taylor looked puzzled. He realized the lads were in deadly earnest. “Bless me!” he exclaimed. “If it will ease your minds, of course I shall take you.” He ordered his boat and the boys found themselves shortly climbing Legation Hill on the way to the residence of the American minister.