And Washington has accepted!" "No war ?" gasped Dave Darrin, thunderstruck.

"No war against a country that has treated our citizens so outrageously?
Has Huerta accepted, too ?" "We haven't heard, as yet," Trent took up the thread of information, "but there is a rumor that Huerta will be only too glad to accept, even if only as a bluff.

If, by any kind of a scheme, he can hold us off for a few weeks, he will then have his army consolidated, will have the railroad and bridges destroyed, and the mountain roads to Mexico City all planted with mines, and then be able, most likely, to make the advance of our Army to Mexico City cost us hundreds of good Yankee lives per mile!" "And Funston's brigade of regulars is on the way, too!" Danny Grin added, sorrowfully.

"Won't there be some mad soldier-boys ?" Ensign Dave Darrin stood with bowed head for a few moments.

To him it seemed hard indeed, if the Mexicans, after almost countless outrages against American citizens, even to the extent of assassination---and worse---were to escape their richly deserved punishment through a few tricks of diplomacy.
Then the spirit of the service, so strong in him, came to the surface.