“I was.” replied Dave Darrin, shortly.

“Then, Mr. Darrin,” said the Consul, earnestly, “I am going to give you a bit of advice that I hope you won’t disregard.  Cosetta may feel deep resentment against you, for you thwarted his plans.  Probably, too, you were the cause of laying several of his men low last night.  Cosetta won’t forget or forgive you.  Whenever you are in time streets of Vera Cruz I would advise you to keep your eyes wide open.  Cosetta might detail a couple of his worthless desperadoes to bury their knives in your back.  This bandit has done such things before, nor is it at all easy to punish him, for the scoundrel has many surprisingly loyal friends in Vera Cruz.  In a more strictly-governed country he would be arrested in the city streets as soon as pointed out, but in Mexico the bandit is likely to be a popular hero, and certainly Cosetta is that in Vera Cruz.  If he were wanted here for a crime, there are hundreds of citizens who would gladly hide him in their homes.  On any day in the week Cosetta could easily recruit a hundred men for his band.  Perhaps he is now in town on that errand.”

“I have an idea that the fellow is dangerous,” Darrin nodded.  “Still, here in Vera Cruz, with scores of American sailors usually in sight on the streets, it seems to me hardly likely that Cosetta would instruct his men to attack me.  The sailors would interfere.  Certainly they would lay hold of the assassin.”

“Ah, but the sailors do not come ashore armed,” the consul warned his visitor.  “On the other hand, most of the Mexicans go about to-day with arms concealed about them.  A fight between a sailor and a Mexican might, just now, be enough to start a riot.”

Dave listened attentively.  He was not in the least alarmed by the possibility of an attack being made upon his person, but he had the natural distaste of a naval officer for being the innocent cause of strained relations between his country and another nation.

When the stenographer brought in the papers that had been dictated to him, the consul looked them through, then signed them.

“Here is a packet of communications for your captain,” said the consul, handing a bulky envelope to Darrin.  “One of the communications enclosed, Mr. Darrin, is of so important a nature that you will have an added reason for keeping your weather eye open against any form of trouble that Senor Cosetta might start for you in the streets.”

“At any time and in any place,” Dave smiled, earnestly, “I would take the best possible care of official papers entrusted to me.”

“I am aware of that, Mr. Darrin,” replied the consul smiling.  “But the paper in question is one that it would greatly embarrass the United States to have fall into improper hands.  That is my only excuse for having cautioned you so particularly.”

Seaman Rogers was waiting at the door.  He saluted when Ensign Darrin appeared, then fell in a few paces behind his officer.