tom, with a long two-edged sword, which he had oft-times wielded
with terrible effect. By his side marched Captain Lantejas, who for the
time being was acting as an aide-de-camp. Behind them came a soldier,
holding in hand two horses fully equipped for the field. One of these
was the war-horse of Trujano himself; the other was intended for the
aide-de-camp. Over the withers of the animal destined for the
ex-student of theology rose a long lance, strapped to the stirrup and
the pummel of the saddle.

Don Cornelio would have had a difficulty in declaring why he had armed
himself in this fashion. In reality, the lance was not a weapon of his
own choosing, since he had never had any practice in the handling of
one; but the horse had been brought to him thus equipped, and he
passively accepted the lance, for the same reason that he was allowing
himself to be led into the fight:--because he could not help it.

The matin prayers were not extended to any great length of time. The
dawn was already commencing to show itself in the east; and it would not
be a great while before the sun would cast his golden bearing over the
plains of Huajapam.

The religious insurgent was deeply versed in Scripture. Many portions
of the Bible were so familiar to him, that he could correctly repeat
them without referring to the sacred book. In a voice, every tone of
which was heard to the most distant corner of the Piazza, he repeated
the following verses--the meaning of which was rendered more solemn by
the circumstances under which they were recited:--

"The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. The dawn is
come to those who dwell in the region of the shadow of death."

"Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast delivered Jacob from
captivity. Glory to the most high."

A thousand voices repeated "Glory to the most high!"

By little and little the eastern horizon exhibited a brighter dawn; and
the clouds that floated over the heads of those people so piously bent,
becoming tinged with purple, announced the rising of the sun.

It will be remembered that, at the council of war, the Spanish general
had decided not to make his attack till after the hour of noon. No
preparations, therefore, had as yet been made in the Royalist camp.

As Bonavia was still ignorant both of the proximity of Morelos and
Trujano's intention to make a sortie, the double attack was likely to
fall upon the Spanish camp with the suddenness o