100 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



for they told us that most of the routed soldiers had 

 fled on the Santa Anna road. Don Saturnino had 

 passed the night at this hacienda, and set out very early 

 in the morning. The soldiers returned to finish their 

 meal, and giving their thanks in payment, set out again 

 with us. They had a good horse which they had stolen 

 on the road, and which they said paid them very well 

 for the expedition, and rode by turns bare-backed. 

 Passing El Cacao their appearance created a sensation, 

 for they brought the first intelligence of the rout of Fig- 

 oroa. This was ominous news, for all had considered 

 Morazan completely crushed by his defeat at Guatimala. 

 In his retreat he had avoided the villages, and they did 

 not know that he had escaped with so strong a force. 

 We endeavoured to procure a guide, but not a man 

 could be induced to leave the village, and we rode on. 

 In a short time it began to rain ; the road was very 

 stony, and we crossed a high, bleak volcanic mountain. 

 Late in the afternoon the captain conceived suspicions 

 of the soldiers, and we rode on very unceremoniously, 

 leaving them behind. About five o'clock we avoided 

 the road that led to a village, and taking el Camino de 

 los Partidos, which was very rough and stony, soon 

 came to a place where there were branches, and we 

 were at a loss which to take ; but the course lay through 

 a broad valley bounded by two ranges of mountains. 

 "We felt sure that our road did not cross either of these 

 ranges, and these were our only guides. A little before 

 dark we passed beyond the range of mountains, and on 

 our right saw a road leading into the woods, and pres- 

 ently heard the sound of a bell, and saw through the 

 trees a hacienda, to arrive at which we had to go on 

 some distance, and then turn back by a private road. 

 It was situated in a large clearing, with cucinera and 



