ATROCITIES OF THE MILITARY. 23 



" Santa ^Marias ! '' and point out what ought 

 to have been done, but never by any act 

 attemj^t to prevent the recurrence of the same 

 evil. 



Nor are their brethren of the United Pro- 

 vinces one whit better off. Should there be 

 no revolution in Leon, Guatemala has 'pro- 

 nounced for something or some one ; should 

 Guatemala or St. Miguel happen to be quiet, 

 and enjoy a short breathing time, there is a re- 

 volt in the Honduras, or an emeutem Granada 

 or Segovia, and the beaten party comes to 

 Leon, or any other place, to request assist- 

 ance in regaining their places, promising at 

 the same time the plunder of some or other 

 of their native towns as the kind reward of 

 their aid. 



This last offer I heard myself made in the 

 " Placa de Leon" by an emissary from the 

 Honduras of a party who had just been 

 thrashed. The offer was made to about 

 three hundred ragamuffin soldiers, who ac- 

 cepted it, and started the next morning on 

 their fraternal errand. 



Report proclaimed aloud the atrocity of 

 their proceedings on the line of march. At 

 the first village they arrived at, after passing 

 the frontier, they brought out the old priest, 



