AN ALARM. 81 



eighty men, and we sat down with him under the cor- 

 ridor of the quartel. He was several years younger 

 than Figoroa, more intelligent, and seemed very amia- 

 ble except on political matters, and there he was savage 

 against the Morazan party. He was gentlemanly in his 

 manners, but his coat was out at the elbows, and his 

 pantaloons were torn. He said he had a new frock- 

 coat, for which' he had paid sixteen dollars, but which 

 did not fit him, and he wished to sell it. I afterward 

 spoke of him to one of Morazan's officers, whom I 

 would believe implicitly except in regard to political 

 opponents, who told me that this same secretary stole 

 a pair of pantaloons from him, and he had no doubt 

 the coat was stolen from somebody else. 



There was no order or discipline among the men ; 

 the soldiers lay about the quartel, joined in the conver- 

 sation, or strolled through the town, as they pleased. 

 The inhabitants had fortunately carried away every- 

 thing portable ; two or three times a foraging party re- 

 turned with a horse or mule, and once they were all 

 roused by an alarm that Angoula was returning upon 

 the town in another direction. Immediately all snatch- 

 ed up their arms, and at least one half, without a mo- 

 ment's warning, took to their heels. We had a fair 

 chance of having the town again upon our hands, but 

 the alarm proved groundless. We could not, however, 

 but feel uncomfortable at the facility with which our 

 friends abandoned us, and the risk we ran of being 

 identified with them. There were three brothers, the 

 only lancers who did not go out with Figoroa, white 

 men, young and athletic, the best dressed and best 

 armed in the company ; swaggering in their manner, 

 and disposed to cultivate an acquaintance with us ; they 



Vol. II.— L 



