A. LUCKY ESCAPE. 



99 



we pushed open the door of the house. The proprietor 

 was an old gentleman, opposed to Morazan, who sat in 

 the sala with his wife's saddle and his own, and two 

 bundles of bed and bedding packed up on the floor, 

 ready for a start. He seemed to feel that it was too 

 late, and with an air of submission answered our ques- 

 tions, and then asked us how many men we had with 

 us. It was amusing that, while half frightened to death 

 ourselves, we carried terror wherever we went. We 

 relieved him by inquiring about Don Saturnino and our 

 luggage, remounted, and rode on. In an hour we 

 reached the hacienda del Cacao, where Don Saturnino 

 was to sleep. Owing to the position of the ground, we 

 came suddenly upon the front of the house, and saw 

 under the piazza three Cachureco soldiers eating tor- 

 tillas. They saw us at the same moment, snatched up 

 their muskets, and ran ; but suddenly one stopped and 

 levelled at us a blunderbuss. The barrel looked as big 

 as a church door, and seemed to cover both the captain 

 and me. We were in awful danger of being shot by 

 mistake, when one of them rushed back, knocked up 

 the blunderbuss, and crying out " amigos, los Ingleses !" 

 gave us a chance to reach them. This amiable and 

 sensible young Cachureco vagabond was one of those 

 who had paid us a visit to beg a breakfast and a medio. 

 Probably there never was a sixpence put out at better 

 interest. He had seen us intimate with Figoroa, and 

 taught by his betters to believe that General Morazan 

 was a cutthroat and murderer, and not conceiving that 

 we could be safe with him, considered us sharers of the 

 same danger, and inquired how we had escaped. As 

 it turned out, we were extremely happy to meet with 

 these ; another party might have received us very dif- 

 ferently ; and they relieved us in an important point, 



