ly necessary. Hardy as were our steeds,
they at length began to show signs of fatigue, but Juan encouraged the
men to proceed.

"They will have time enough to rest when they get to the fort," he
said,--"provided the enemy are not there before us."

We had gone on all day, and were still about four leagues from our
destination when night overtook us. The road ahead, our guide informed
us, was worse than any we had yet passed over, and that had been bad
enough. It would be dangerous, he said, if not altogether impossible,
to get our weary steeds over the ground in the dark. Still Juan,
obedient to orders, would have continued the route, when a thunderstorm,
which had been for some time gathering in the sky, burst over our heads.
We were, fortunately, near a farm with a number of outbuildings and
sheds about it, beneath which we took shelter. The rain fell literally
in sheets of water, which quickly flooded the road; the lightning
flashed with a vividness I had seldom before seen; and the thunder
rattled and crashed as if huge rocks, rather than impalpable clouds,
were being hurled against each other.

Juan now saw that it would be impracticable to advance until daylight;
but he also knew that the enemy would not venture to march, so that,
even if they were at an equal distance from the fort, we should get
there first. He accordingly announced that he should remain during the
night; so the men employed themselves in cooking their supper, rubbing
down their horses, and in other ways, until they lay down to sleep in
the driest spot they could find. The officers occupied one of the rooms
of the house.

It was somewhere about two or three o'clock in the morning when Juan
roused me up.

"I intend to ride on ahead of the party, in order to reach an elevated
spot by daybreak, from whence I can take a survey of the fort and the
surrounding country, and therefore learn the ground on which we may
possibly have to operate," said he. "You will come with me, Duncan?"

I sprang to my feet. "I am ready to set out immediately," I answered,
giving myself a shake.

Juan's servant brought us some cups of coffee, which we drank while our
horses were being got ready, and in less than five minutes we had
mounted. The storm had passed away, and innumerable stars shone out in
the blue sky with wonderful brilliancy. We were obliged, however, to
walk our horses, as it was with difficulty we could in many places see
the road. Ou