The woman was completely unnerved, and trembling with fright.
Her coachman stood beside her, and already a crowd of a dozen
curious natives had gathered.

"Is this your property, madam?" Dave Darrin inquired, holding up
the bag.

"Yes, it is!" she cried, in excellent English. "Oh, thank you!
Thank you!"

Hastily she opened the bag, disclosing a thick roll of bills.

"It is all I have in the world," she murmured, her eyes now filling
with tears.

"It looks to me like a whole lot and then plenty more," uttered
Seaman Rogers under his breath. "Whee! There must be a fortune
there."

"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