going to or returning
from their hideous repast.

Looking over the plain in another direction, the standard of Spain could
be seen floating over the tents of the royalist camp, whose night-fires
still sent up their lines of bluish smoke; while from the same quarter
could be heard the neighing of horses, the rolling of drums, and the
startling calls of the cavalry bugles.

Farther off in the same direction--above the low, flat-shaped _azoteas_
of a village--could be seen the domes and belfries of several churches,
all breached with bombs or riddled with round shot. This village lay at
the distance of a few hundred yards from the lines of the royalist camp,
and was evidently besieged by the latter. Rude earthworks could be
perceived extending between the scattered suburbs, upon which a few
pieces of cannon were mounted, and pointing towards the entrenchments of
the Spanish encampment. Between the hostile lines the plain was
unoccupied, save by the dead bodies of men and horses that lay unburied
on the dusty surface of the soil.

The village in question--or town it might rather be called--was the
famous Huajapam, that now for more than three months had been defended
by a body of three hundred insurgents against a royalist force of five
times their number! The heroic leader of this gallant resistance was
Colonel Don Valerio Trujano.

At mention of this name the reader will call to mind the noble muleteer
Trujano, whose firm voice he has heard intoning the _De profundis_ and
_In manus_ while struggling against the inundation. Beyond a doubt his
religious zeal had inspired the besieged of Huajapam: for, every now and
then, from out the sad and desolate town may be heard the voices of his
men, chanting in chorus some sacred song or prayer to the God of
battles!

In that moment when the priests of Huajapam have left the altar to take
part in the defence of their town, there will be observed, neither in
their acts nor words, aught to recall their former profession. At such
a time Don Valerio Trujano may be said to reproduce one of those ascetic
heroes of the old religious wars--great repeaters of _paternosters_,
whose blows always fell without mercy, and who marched into battle
reciting quotations from Scripture. Perhaps he might be more happily
likened to one of the old Templars, careless of personal renown,
kneeling to pray in front of the foe, and charging upon the Saracen to
the accompaniment of that famous psal