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NARRATIVE OF A 



dent whatever, at a small farm, called Hacienda del Coco, 

 where we halted for the night, having performed our day's 

 journey at one heat and without stopping. Here, the offi- 

 cer, after securing lodgings for himself and me, quartered 

 his men under a shed open to the four winds, and situated 

 on one side of the house. On the other side, the horses 

 were piquetted in a row, and in the intervening space the 

 soldiers were made to pile their arms. Two sentinels 

 were then stationed in a position from which they could 

 overlook all the approaches to the hacienda. The locality 

 of the house, which was an isolated eminence in the midst 

 of a plain, was a military position the most perfect, and 

 capable of being defended by a small number against a 

 considerable force. 



Tito, by my directions, distributed to the men an al- 

 lowance of brandy and segars : an act which at once 

 raised me high in their esteem, and even obtained for Tito 

 an importance he had not before enjoyed. He, moreover, 

 availed himself successfully of an opportunity afforded 

 him here of displaying his talents as a caterer ; for out of 

 very slender means he prepared a tolerable supper for the 

 officer and myself. This I found to be his forte, for he 

 was fond of living well. He would not eat tortillas when 

 wheat bread was to be had, nor drink brandy if he could 

 get wine. He was active and serviceable in small mat- 

 ters ; but anything like hard work he cordially abhorred. 

 Thus there was no getting him to assist the arriero in 

 loading the baggage. It was labour enough for him to sad- 

 dle my mule. Another defect of his was that he talked 

 incessantly, and was too fussy and bustling, too much 

 of afaiseur oVemh arras. In short, he was a light-hearted 

 soul, possessing a good deal of humour and anecdote, and, 

 in character, more a Frenchman than a Spaniard. 



At night I followed the example of the commandant, by 

 « turning in" without taking off any part of my clothes, 

 except my spurs. And these, perhaps, were the last arti- 

 cle I ought to have parted with ; for, in case of being taken 



