504 South American Sketches : [Dec. 
San Luis, although he knew that his life was forfeited to the laws. 
Instead of taking a circuitous route, he rode boldly mto the Plaza; 
(great square), and dismounted at the door of a pulperia, (low tavern), 
where some guitar playing and dancing was going forward. As he was 
known to be a stranger, an alcalde soon made his appearance, and 
demanded his passport ; upon which he repeated his first exploit, as 
above alluded to. He made a motion as if to give the required docu- 
ment; but, instead of so doing, he drew a pistol, and shot the alcalde 
dead. He then instantly jumped upon his horse, and attempted to escape ; 
but his beast was flagged, and fell with him, so that he was taken 
without difficulty. 
As usual, he was put in prison, and his associates there were a number 
of the common soldiers belonging to the old Spaniards, who had been 
taken prisoners by San Martin in Chile. The ill-treatment which these 
men experienced had induced them to form a plot for the purpose of 
breaking out and taking possession of the town. This was at the time 
San Martin’s French agent, Dupuis, was the governor of the province of 
San Luis. This plan was soon communicated to Quiroga, who immediately 
entered into the plot with them, but with a purpose very different from that 
which actuated his new companions. Having procured files, the party 
disencumbered themselves of their fetters in the course of the night ; 
and, when the turnkey entered in the morning, he was instantly killed. 
Quiroga played what seems to have been his favourite part in this affair. 
On rushing out with his fetters in his hand, he used them as a weapon; 
fracturing, with one blow of them, the skull of the sentinel at the gate. 
He then seized his musketand bayonet; and, while the Spanish soldiers, 
to the number of about a hundred, ran along the streets, tumultuously: 
shouting “ Viva el Rey!” Quiroga remained in the rear, and, whenever 
any of the Spaniards lagged behind, he ran them through the back with 
his bayonet. In this way he had slaughtered upwards of twenty, before 
they found out the nature of his designs ; but then it was too late to 
revenge their murdered companions, as the troops of Dupuis approached 
in front, and engaged their attention. 
The half-armed Spaniards were now soon massacred, Quiroga being 
one of the most eager in their destruction; and, for these services, 
Dupuis rewarded himby giving hima lieutenant’s commission, with which, 
together with his freedom and these new honours, he soon afterwards 
returned to La Rioja, and arrived there just as an expedition was prepar- 
ing by Davila, the then governor of that province, against a military chief 
named Corro, who had just before revolutionized the province of San 
Juan, and rendered himself absolute. In this service, Quiroga soon 
attained the rank of captain ; in which capacity he contributed so much 
to the success of the enterprise against Corro (who was defeated and 
shot), that the governor gave him a commission, as second in command of 
the troops of the province—the governor's brother, a gallant young 
man, being the first in command. 
Quiroga now, for the first time in his life, began to entertain ambitious 
views, and to see the possibility of making himself absolute in his native 
province ; and the tyrannical conduct of the two Davilas, soon afterwards 
gave him the opportunity of putting his views into effect. The Governor 
had, just at this time, forced such heavy contributions on the inhabitants 
of the province, that all but those immediately connected with the govern- 
ment offices were inimical to him ; and Quiroga, who was very popular 
