By this time they were near enough the house for Billie to smell the aroma of the coffee and he quickened his pace.
"I'll talk politics after I've sampled the breakfast," he declared. "If the breakfast is good, I'll join the band."
It was nearly half an hour later that the boys stood before the captain. With a good breakfast under their belts they felt fit for anything that might offer.
"I'm afraid you boys are in a bad fix," said Captain Lopez. "I suppose you want to get to Vera Cruz and on to some ship that will take you to the United States; but I don't know how you are going to make it."
"Why, can't we get another train somewhere down the line?" asked Adrian.
"There may not be any more trains for some time."
"How's that?"
"We are here to stop them."
"Does that mean you are going out to tear up the track?"
"Not right here, but a little nearer Vera Cruz. There is a much larger body of troops about five miles below."