Here Paul found several Americans, all soldiers of fortune, none of whom gave him very encouraging accounts of the prospects.

Two weeks were spent in the camp from which small expeditions were sent out every day.

Paul accompanied one of these to the National road running from Tampico to Monterey, and between the villages of Liera and Maleta.

They had a skirmish and succeeded in capturing a carriage, hauled by four horses which contained some person of importance as he was treated with the utmost respect by the Commander and conveyed a prisoner to the camp.

The horses were unhitched from the carriage which was left on the road.