ese, instead of concealing themselves any longer behind the
bushes, had risen erect, and were running past the sentinel, who seemed
to take no notice of them!

A ray of light broke upon the mind of the innocent Lantejas.

"_Santissima_!" cried he, "the sentinel--it must be Costal himself!"

And so it was. The living had replaced the dead; and so aptly did
Costal imitate the voice and movements of the soldier who had fallen,
that the other sentries along the line had not the slightest suspicion
of the change that had taken place.

On comprehending the situation of affairs, Don Cornelio sprang to his
feet; and, passing the decoy sentinel, ran on at full speed towards the
walls of the town--where his Indians had already preceded him.

Seeing his captain clear through the lines, Costal flung away the shako
and musket of the soldier, and hastened after.

Soon overtaking Don Cornelio, he cried out, "Quicker, run quicker, Senor
Captain! The others will give the alarm as soon as they have missed
their comrade!"

As he spoke, he caught Don Cornelio by the wrist, and dragged him along
at such a rate that the Captain was scarce able to keep upon his feet.

In a few seconds they reached the line of the Mexican sentries, who,
already warned of their approach by the Indians, permitted them to enter
the town without opposition. On entering the Piazza they encountered
Trujano himself; who, with his sword girded on, was making a round of
the village before retiring to rest.

While Don Cornelio was delivering to him the message of Morelos, the
Colonel directed scrutinising glances both upon the Captain and his
Indian companion. He had some vague recollection of having once before
seen the two men, but he could not remember where. At the moment that
Don Cornelio finished speaking, his recollection had become more clear
upon the point, "Ah!" exclaimed he, "I was thinking where I had met you.
Are you not the young student who had such confidence in the mandate of
the Bishop of Oajaca, and who, at the hacienda of Las Palmas, denounced
the insurrection as a deadly crime?"

"The same," answered Lantejas, with a sigh.

"And you," continued Trujano, addressing himself to Costal, "are you not
the tiger-hunter of Don Mariano de Silva?"

"The descendant of the caciques of Tehuantepec," answered Costal
proudly.

"God is great, and his ways are inscrutable," rejoined the ex-muleteer,
with the inspired air of a prophet of Judah.