"I am afraid you will not be safe in the streets of Vera Cruz with so much money in your possession," Dave assured her gravely.
"I am going only as far as the docks," the woman answered. "If
I may have escort that far——-"
"You shall," Dave offered.
Another score of natives had hastened to the spot, and were looking on curiously with sullen, lowering faces. Darrin began to fear that the plot to rob this woman of her money was a well planned one, with many thieves interested in it.
Through the crack of a slightly opened doorway the face of Cosetta, the bandit, appeared, his evil eyes glittering strangely.
Dave looked up swiftly, his eyes turned straight on those of the bandit.
"It's a plot, sure enough!" gasped the young ensign to himself.
"We shall be attacked, and the crowd is too big for us to handle"
He was not afraid for himself, and he knew well that Seaman Rogers was "aching" for a chance to turn his hard fists loose on this rascally lot of Mexicans. But a rush would probably secure the bag of money for the bandits, and the woman herself might be roughly handled, It was a ticklish situation.
"You are from an American warship, are you not?" inquired the woman.
"From the Long Island, madam," the young officer informed her.