fess
the truth, I shall be very glad when our part of the business is over,
and we have driven the Gothos into the sea. That, I feel confident,
will be before long."

I had received no intelligence from my family since the doctor joined
me, and I was becoming very anxious to hear from them. At that time, it
will be remembered, Norah was setting out to visit our relative Don
Fernando; so I eagerly sought out my cousin, Don Carlos, fully expecting
that he would have heard of her arrival. Greatly to my disappointment,
he told me that one letter alone had reached him,--in which it was
mentioned that Norah was expected, but that some time had passed since
they hoped to see her, and that she had not arrived.

On talking over the matter and comparing notes, we both became greatly
alarmed for her safety. I was sure, from what the doctor had told me,
that she fully intended to go at the time he spoke of, and ought to have
arrived before the date of this letter. Don Carlos told me that on one
important account his family hoped that Norah would not have set out:
the Guahibos (gained over, as they believed, by Spanish emissaries) had
become more than ever threatening in their conduct. Their chief and
some of the principal men, who were supposed to be friendly to the
patriots, were absent, and the rest were thus left to their own devices.
They were not likely to make any hostile movement without their regular
leaders; but should these return and prove unable to restrain them, or
be themselves gained over by the Spaniards, serious consequences, might
ensue.

Had we not expected shortly to encounter the enemy, we would both have
obtained leave to return home and ascertain the truth; but under the
circumstances this was impossible, and we had, therefore, to restrain
our impatience and hope for the best. Don Carlos became very unhappy,
and a high sense of duty alone prevented him from asking permission to
quit the army for a short period. We in vain endeavoured to find a
trusty messenger who would convey letters to our friends and return with
an answer; those we sent by the couriers--who had a circuitous route to
take--might not reach their destination for a long time, and answers
would be equally tardy in their transit.

As it was not in my nature to look on the dark side of things, I quickly
recovered my spirits, trusting that all would turn out right.

When I told the padre what we had heard, he promised that on his retu