A few minutes after sunset, the people of San Juan del Sur beheld about forty-five men, several of them wounded—some without hats, others without shoes—all of them travel-stained and clinging to their rifles, defile through the streets of the town and take up their quarters in the barracks near the beach. The appearance of the Falange at that moment was not imposing; but he who knew how to read men might see from the looks of these, that they bore with firmness the blows of adverse fate. There was no hesitation in their march or in their movements. A few men—you could not style them a detachment, scarcely a detail—were ordered to take possession of all the small boats in the harbor and keep them under guard. The Costa Rican schooner, San José, cast anchor in the harbor just as the Falange entered the barracks; and, before any of her officers or crew had got ashore, a file of Americans were aboard and held her for further orders. Walker expected to hear something of the Vesta, as Morton had been ordered to cruise off and on near San Juan del Sur, until he saw a certain signal from the shore. But no one at San Juan, although many there were friendly to the democrats, could give any news of the Vesta. Several of the residents of the town did all they could for the wounded and destitute soldiers; and even in that moment of adversity, an Irishman, Peter Burns, and a Texan, Henry McLeod, had the hardihood to link their fate with that of the Falange. It was encouraging for the soldiers to find that some, besides themselves, did not regard their fortunes as altogether desperate; and small as was this addition to their numbers, it gave increased moral as well as material strength to the command. Hearing nothing from the Vesta, Walker determined to press the San José for the service, and go in search of the brig, or in default of finding her, sail for Realejo. Accordingly the wounded were first sent to the schooner, and soon afterward the whole command followed. They found the owner of the vessel, one Alvarado, of Punta Arenas, aboard the San José, which had formerly been a pilot-boat out of San Francisco. Alvarado received the command courteously, and Walker assured him the schooner should not be used for the democratic service longer than was absolutely necessary; and as this same vessel had brought Guardiola, a military person of importance, from Guatemala to Nicaragua, with the avowed object of making war against the Provisional Government at Leon, the owner thought it well to act civilly, lest a libel might be filed against the schooner on her arrival at Realejo. In what may be termed minor diplomacy, the Central Americans are not surpassed by any race on the continent.