im, and mounted behind
one of the attendants. He had made up his mind, however, not to
accompany the curate of Caracuaro further than the hacienda of San
Diego, and to make as short a stay as possible in such suspicious
company. But he had scarcely completed this satisfactory arrangement
with his conscience, when the burning rays of the sun shining down upon
his head, caused a ferment in his brain of so strange a character--that
not only did the idea of this insurrection, excited by priests, appear
right and natural, but he commenced chanting at the top of his voice a
sort of improvised war song, in which the King of Spain was mentioned in
no very eulogistic terms!

From that time, till his arrival at the hacienda of San Diego, the
student was altogether unconscious of what passed--and for several days
after, during which he remained under the influence of a burning fever.
He had only a vague remembrance of ugly dreams, in which he appeared
constantly surrounded by armed men, and as if he was tossing about on a
stormy sea!

At length his consciousness returned, and on looking around he was
astonished to find himself in a small and poorly furnished chamber. He
now remembered his tumble from the mule, and his encounter with the
_cura_ of Caracuaro. Finally, feeling himself strong enough to rise
from his couch, he got up, and staggered towards the window--for the
purpose of ascertaining the nature of a noisy tumult that was heard
outside.

The courtyard under the window was filled with armed men--some afoot,
others on horseback. Lances with gay pennons, sabres, guns, and other
weapons were seen on all sides, glancing under the sunbeams. The horses
were rearing and neighing--the men talking loudly--in short, the scene
resembled the temporary halt of a _corps d'armee_.

His weakness soon compelled the invalid to return to his couch, where he
lay awaiting impatiently--the more so that he was half-famished with
hunger--the coming of some one who could give him an explanation of the
strange circumstances by which he was surrounded.

Shortly after, a man entered the chamber, whom the student recognised as
one of the attendants of the _cura_ of Caracuaro. This man had come, on
the part of his master, to inquire, the state of the invalid's health.

"Where am I, friend? tell me that," said Lantejas, after having answered
the inquiries of the servant.

"At the hacienda of San Luis."

The student summoned all his rec