"What are you doing?" asked Billie. "I'm going afoot. I didn't spend my boyhood among the Indians for nothing. Good-bye!" and a moment later he disappeared in the fading moonlight. "Whatever the conditions," said Billie, "we'll soon know," as he settled back in his saddle. Running swiftly along, Adrian made straight for the barracks in which he knew would be found whatever soldiers might be in the city. "If I find everything quiet at the barracks," was his thought, "I can go straight to where Mr. Black is stopping without fear. If I find there is any disturbance, I'll be more careful." Ten minutes of running brought him to the barracks. All was as quiet as the hour demanded. He stood under the shadow of the back wall long enough to hear the sentry's call and then he turned in the direction of the house where the two Americans were stopping. It was only a few blocks away and he reached it without incident. "Kind o' funny," he mused, "that I haven't seen or heard a soul on the street. I wonder what's become of Jose?" He stopped a minute to ponder. "Things are going almost too smooth. I'll just stop a bit." He stole past the house and a moment later threw himself into the gutter, where he lay as one dead. The wisdom of his action soon became apparent. He hadn't been lying there two minutes until a solitary figure passed him and stopped in front of the house, evidently listening to hear what might be going on inside. A moment later he was joined by another figure. Adrian could just make them out in the darkness. "Have they come?" was the whispered question. "I can't tell," was the whispered reply. Adrian heard both the question and the answer distinctly. "It's Jose," he said to himself. "He knew that it was the plan for Billie and I both to come to the house. The traitor! I have a notion to shoot him in his tracks." Only the fear of creating a disturbance kept the lad from carrying out his notion. "Why don't you knock and tell the Gringo you are here?" was the next question. "They might be in there." "Well, what of that? You can tell them you were stopped by the guard and have just been released. That'll seem reasonable." Jose stepped to the door and knocked. There was no response and he knocked again. "Who is there?" asked a voice. "Jose. I just come from Vera Cruz. Let me in." There was a movement within and presently the door opened and Jose entered, closing the door behind him. Adrian slowly arose to a kneeling posture. "I wonder what the other will do now?" he wondered. He did not have long to wait, for the other knocked on the pavement with his gun and presently several more figures appeared. Adrian had just time to throw himself to the ground and escape detection. The men in front of the house exchanged whispered confidences and then all but one started to leave.