ed him the price he asked.
He described to us feelingly the terror he had been in lest the Godos
should visit his farm; though, excepting a few cattle and horses, there
was little they could have obtained. His wife had been in still greater
fear lest they might carry her husband off as a recruit; but he had kept
in hiding, and she had conveyed food to him from day to day, until the
Spaniards had left the neighbourhood.

We managed to rest with tolerable comfort on heaps of Indian corn
leaves, and slept securely, without the fear of being attacked by
jaguars, bears, or other wild beasts, or being bitten by serpents.

Faithful to his promise, our host appeared the next morning with the
horse for Mr Laffan, while he brought a smaller animal for himself.
His wife insisted on putting up a supply of food for the day, and was
evidently unwilling to receive any reward. After a good breakfast we
started, thankful to find ourselves on the right road.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

OUR GUIDE COMPLAINS OF OUR RAPID PACE--HE LEAVES US--WE MEET CAPTAIN
LOPEZ--OUR DOUBTS AS TO HIS OBJECT--IN A DESERTED HUT--WE MEET UNCLE
RICHARD AND A BODY OF INFANTRY--WE TURN BACK WITH HIM--A RAPID STREAM--
FINDING A BRIDGE--THE SPANIARDS ADVANCING--A RUSH TO GAIN THE BRIDGE--WE
REACH IT FIRST--A FIGHT--THE SPANIARDS DEFEATED--NO PRISONERS TAKEN--WE
APPROACH THE FORT--CAPTAIN LAFFAN AND I RIDE ON TO RECONNOITRE--SIGNS OF
DISASTER--OUR MEN FIRE--A FLOCK OF GALENACHAS RISES FROM THE FORT, WHICH
APPEARS IN RUINS--DEAD BODIES SCATTERED ABOUT--DISCOVERY OF THAT OF
JUAN--WE RAISE A TOMB OVER HIS GRAVE--THE ARMY OF BOLIVAR--DESCRIPTION
OF THE GENERAL--TREACHERY OF COLONEL LOPEZ--ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE
BOLIVAR--NUMEROUS ENGAGEMENTS--PRAISE FROM THE GENERAL--MY RETURN HOME--
AN INTERVIEW WITH DONA DOLORES--SHE JOINS THE ARMY--WAR THE GREATEST
CURSE THAT CAN AFFLICT A COUNTRY--CONCLUSION.

We endeavoured to make up for lost time by galloping as fast as our
horses would go, whenever the ground would admit of our doing so. Every
moment might be of consequence. Should the Spaniards again attack the
fort, we knew too well that our friends would have a hard matter to hold
it. Our guide frequently exclaimed that we should knock up our steeds,
or bring them to the ground.

"Never fear, my friend," said Mr Laffan; "if we do, we must pick
ourselves up again."

"But your bones, senors, your bones; you will break them or your necks,"
murmured our guide.

"Never mi