and), I
crept out of my place of concealment, and fortunately stumbled upon this
mule, saddled and bridled, on which I rode away as fast as I could make
the brute move over the rough paths."

The Indian, who had witnessed my meeting with the doctor, and saw that
he was a friend, had gone off to report the same to my father; who now
appeared, with the rest of our party.

"The cruel monsters!" exclaimed the padre, when he heard the account
given by the doctor; "surely such barbarities must call down the
vengeance of Heaven on the heads of those bloodthirsty tyrants and their
supporters. Even had I not ample reason for siding with the patriots,
the account you have given us would make me desirous of exerting all my
energies to promote the overthrow of those monsters. They must be
driven from the land before we can hope for peace and prosperity; and I,
for one, will not don cassock again till I have aided in accomplishing
the work."

"Bravo, Senor Padre!--for padre I suppose you are," said the doctor. "I
highly approve of your patriotic principles and resolutions; and should
a sacrilegious bullet enter your body, I promise you that I will do my
best to extract it and set you on your legs again, should I happily be
near you."

The padre thanked the doctor, but quickly changed the subject; his
feelings had run away with him, and perhaps he did not quite like to
contemplate the contingency to which the doctor alluded.

The doctor did not require much persuasion to be induced to accompany
us. He might render us some service, he observed, and might find ample
objects of interest in the alpine region into which we were proceeding.
He had fortunately brought a rifle and a good supply of ammunition,
which was especially welcome.

As soon as the doctor had resolved to join us, we lost no time in moving
forward, lest some other traveller might come that way and discover us.
After a time we found that we were gradually ascending, though we had
mounted to a considerable distance before we perceived any change in the
size of the trees or alteration in their character; for palms and other
tropical plants still flourished, and the heat was as great as in the
plains below. At length, however, we reached the bare side of the
mountain; the vast precipitous rocks towering up above us, while the
vegetation was that of more temperate climes.

Looking back at the forest from which we had emerged, I was struck by
its magnificent app