ry one forget what has
occurred."

Saying this, he formally saluted the Royalist colonel with his sword,
who could only return the salute with a glance of the most profound
gratitude.

Don Rafael pressed the hand of the Captain; and bowing coldly to the
other insurgents, rode out from their midst. Then, urging his horse
into a gallop, he followed the road that led outward from the plain of
Huajapam.

On finding himself alone, he reduced the speed of his horse to a walk,
and became absorbed in a reverie of reflection. The last words of
Trujano--what could they mean? "_The road is open for you, believe
me_." Was it an assurance that he should be welcomed at the hacienda of
Las Palmas? Should he proceed thither, as the insurgent colonel had
counselled him? or should he go direct to Del Valle, to make
arrangements for his last campaign against the brigand Arroyo?

Once more had commenced the struggle between love and duty.

Don Rafael would not have hesitated long as to the course he should
pursue, had some good genius only made known to him a certain fact--that
at that same hour an accident was occurring at the hacienda Del Valle,
of a nature to reconcile the two conflicting sentiments that had warped
the thread of his destiny.

A messenger from Don Mariano--the same who had brought back Roncador to
Del Valle--had on that very day again presented himself at the hacienda.
This time his errand was one of a purely personal nature--to Don Rafael
Tres-Villas himself.

"Where are you from?" demanded Veraegui of the messenger, in his usual
blunt Catalonian fashion.

"Oajaca!"

"Who has sent you?"

"Don Mariano de Silva."

"What do you want with the Colonel?"

"I can only declare my errand to the Colonel himself."

"Then you will have to go to Huajapam first--that is, unless you prefer
to wait till he arrives here. We expect him in three or four days."

"I prefer going to Huajapam," rejoined the man "my errand is of such a
nature that it will not bear delay."

This messenger was on his way to Huajapam, and not more than thirty
leagues from the town, at the moment when Don Rafael was leaving it to
proceed in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile Trujano, returning to the field of battle covered with the
bodies of his dead and wounded enemies, caused all his soldiers to
kneel, and publicly render thanks to God for having delivered them from
their long and painful siege. Morelos at the same moment ordered hi