Is it not so ?" "Oh! of course," answered I, smiling, and somewhat puzzled in turn.
"And how long have you been in the army, Senor Capitan ?" "But a short time." "How do you like Mexico, Senor ?" "I have seen but little of it as yet." "Why, how long have you been in the country, then ?" "Three days," answered I; "we landed on the 9th." "_Por Dios_! three days, and in our army already!" muttered the Spaniard, throwing up his eyes in unaffected surprise.
I began to think I was interrogated by a lunatic.
"May I ask what countryman you are ?" continued the old gentleman.
"What countryman?
An American, of course!" "An American ?" "_Un Americano_," repeated I, for we were conversing in Spanish.
"_Y son esos Americanos_ ?" (And are these Americans ?) quickly demanded my new acquaintance.
"_Si, Senor_," replied I.
"_Carrambo_!" shouted the Spaniard, with a sudden leap, his eyes almost starting from their sockets.
"I should say, not exactly Americans," I added.

"Many of them are Irish, and French, and Germans, and Swedes, and Swiss; yet they are all Americans now." But the Mexican did not stay to hear my explanation.

After recovering from the first shock of surprise, he had bounded through the grove; and with a wave of his hand, and the ejaculation "_Esperate_!" (wait!) disappeared among the plantains.

The men, who had gathered around the lower end of the basin, burst out into a roar of laughter, which I did not attempt to repress.

The look of terrified astonishment of the old Don had been too much for my own gravity, and I could not help being amused at the conversation that ensued among the soldiers.