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Rh of General Diaz were utterly routed, and he was fleeing before the enemy. He made his way through Texas to New Orleans, but as his followers were badly demoralized, it was evident that without his encouraging presence the cause of the insurgents was lost. Disguising himself in a slouch hat, pulled down close over his eyes, blue goggles and a white beard, he embarked on a vessel bound for Vera Cruz. He appeared to be a respectable gentleman, with weak eyes and a remarkable rotundity of figure. He registered as Dr. Rodriguez, and at once retired to his state-room, where he was confined by incessant seasickness. His identity was unsuspected by any, with the exception of one of the lady passengers, the wife of a Mexican revolutionist.

At the port of Tampico a regiment of Mexican government soldiers came on board to take passage for Vera Cruz. General Diaz, fearing discovery, doffed his disguise, and, taking a life preserver, plunged naked into the water, hoping to swim to the shore, ten miles distant. The captain, supposing him a lunatic, sent a boat after him, when his suspicions of the swimmer's insanity were confirmed by his resisting their attempts at rescue. He was, however, hauled into the boat and brought back to the ship. The boat had hardly touched the gang-plank, when the aforesaid lady rushed forward with a large sheet and enveloped the rescued man. Thus concealed from observation, he was brought on board and given in charge of the purser of the vessel, Mr. A. K. Coney. To him Diaz revealed himself, and begged for protection, which the purser promised to give. The-colonel of the regiment, suspecting his presence on board, and also the purser's cognizance of the same, offered the latter, in Diaz's hearing, $50,000 for information of the insurgent. In the president's words, his heart sank when he heard the tempting bribe, quickly to beat, however, with admiration and gratitude at the rejoinder of the noble young American, "I know nothing of Diaz."

On the arrival of the vessel at Vera Cruz, he was smuggled off under the guise of a lighterman by the faithful purser. After many other adventures, and when the fortunes of war had placed the refugee at the head of the republic, one of his first official acts was the