some item of
advice from each of my companions.

My first act was to examine carefully the bodies that lay round about
the house, taking those that lay nearest at hand, and then passing on to
the others. The result of this examination was the discovery that the
fallen numbered in all sixty-seven, fourteen of whom were still alive,
but so seriously injured that they had been unable to withdraw to the
safety of cover. I inquired of each of these men what had become of
their companions, but they were unable to answer me; they could but
groan--"_Agua, agua, por amor de Dios_!"

I informed them that they should be supplied with water, and otherwise
looked after, as soon as I had satisfied myself that their friends had
retired and that no further danger from them was to be apprehended; but
I at the same time reminded them that they could scarcely expect much
consideration from people whom they had so wantonly attacked. When at
length I came to the body of Petion I found that life was extinct, the
fellow having been shot clean through the heart I was somewhat surprised
that his followers had made no attempt to carry off his body; and that
they had not done so I took to be a sign of pretty thorough
demoralisation on their part I conducted my examination of the ground
with the utmost circumspection; for I knew not at what moment a volley
might rattle out at me from one or another of the large clumps of
ornamental shrubs that were scattered about here and there upon the
lawns, or the still larger masses of bamboo, palmetto, and other wild
vegetation that at one particular spot was still allowed to flourish
almost within musket-shot of the house; but nothing happened, and no
sign of the enemy was to be discovered; I, therefore, at length came to
the conclusion that, finding the house was not to be captured except at
the sacrifice of a very considerable number of lives, the outlaws had
withdrawn, and were now on their way to attack some estate, the owners
of which were incapable of making so resolute and effective a defence as
ourselves.

I began to wonder in which direction our assailants had gone,
remembering that much of the effectiveness of the defence of Bella Vista
had been due to the early warning given by Don Esteban de Mendouca,
which had afforded us the time to make the necessary preparations; and
it occurred to me that if the route taken by the outlaws could be
determined, it might be possible to pass on the warni