is time he succeeded
in keeping his feet. A few moments sufficed for him to work himself up
to the banqueta; and, having mounted this, he applied his face to the
embrasure and looked forth.

His eyes rested upon a scene that caused the blood to curdle in his
veins, and started the sweat in bead-drops over his forehead. A scene
that filled his heart with horror, that caused him to feel as if some
hand was clutching and compressing it between fingers of iron!

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR.

The Plaza was partially cleared--the open space guarded by lines of
soldiers. The crowds, closely packed, stood along the sides of the
houses, or filled the balconies and azoteas. The officers, alcalde,
magistrates, and principal men of the town, were grouped near the centre
of the Plaza. Most of these wore official costumes, and, under other
circumstances, the eyes of the crowd would have been upon _them_. Not
so now. There was a group more attractive than they--a group upon which
every eye was gazing with intense interest.

This group occupied a corner of the Plaza in front of the Calabozo,
directly in front of the window from which Carlos looked out. It was
the first thing upon which his eyes rested. He saw no more--he saw not
the crowd, nor the line of soldiers that penned it back--he saw not the
gaudy gentry in the square; he saw only that group of beings before him.
That was enough to keep his eyes from wandering.

The group was thus composed. There were two asses--small shaggy brown
animals,--caparisoned in a covering of coarse black serge, that hung
nearly to their feet. Each had a coarse hair halter held in the hand of
a lepero driver, also fantastically dressed in the same black stuff.
Behind each stood a lepero similarly attired, and carrying "cuartos" of
buffalo-skin. By the side of each ass was one of the padres of the
mission, and each of these held in his hand the implements of his
trade--book, rosary, and crucifix. The priests wore an official look.
They were in the act of officiating. At what? Listen!

The asses were mounted. On the back of each was a form--a human form.
These sat not freely, but in constrained attitudes. The feet were drawn
underneath by cords passed around the ankles; and to a sort of wooden
yoke around the necks of the animals the hands of the riders were tied--
so as to bring their backs into a slanting position. In this way their
heads hung down, and their faces, turned to the wa