144 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



while we drove the mule. At the distance of two 

 leagues we reached the Indian village of San Andres 

 Isapa. Don Saturnino flourished Carrera's passport, in- 

 troduced me as El Ministro de Nueva-York, demanded 

 a guide, and in a few minutes an alguazil was trotting 

 before us for the next village. At this village, on the 

 same requisition, the alcalde ran out to look for an al- 

 guazil, but could not find one immediately, and ven- 

 tured to beg Don Saturnino to wait a moment. Don 

 Saturnino told him he must go himself ; Carrera would 

 cut off his head if he did not ; " the minister of New- 

 York" could not be kept waiting. Don Saturnino, like 

 many others of my friends in that country, had no very 

 definite notions in regard to titles or places. A man 

 happened to be passing, whom the alcalde pressed into 

 service, and he trotted on before with the halter of the 

 led horse. Don Saturnino hurried him along ; as we 

 approached the next village Carrera's soldiers were in 

 sight, returning on the direct road to Guatimala, fresh 

 from the slaughter at Quezaltenango. Don Saturnino 

 told the guide that he must avoid the plaza and go on 

 to the next village. The guide begged, and Don Sat- 

 urnino rode up, drew his sword, and threatened to cut 

 his head off. The poor fellow trotted on, with his eye 

 fixed on the uplifted sword ; and when Don Saturnino 

 turned to me with an Uncle Toby expression of face, 

 he threw down the halter, leaped over a hedge fence, 

 and ran toward the town. Don Saturnino, not discon- 

 certed, caught up the halter, and, spurring his mule, 

 pushed on. The road lay on a magnificent table-land, 

 in some places having trees on each side for a great 

 distance. Beyond this we had a heavy rain-storm, 

 and late in the afternoon reached the brink of an im- 

 mense precipice, in which, at a great distance, we 



