122 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



minding us of the Arabs. In a few minutes the alcalde 

 started up suddenly, made a staggering bow, and left 

 us, and they all followed, Don Miguel with them. 

 While we were at supper he returned, and it was easy 

 to see that he, and his wife, and Bartalo were in trou- 

 ble, and, as we feared, the matter concerned us. 



While we were busy with our own affairs, we had but 

 little idea what a sensation we were creating in the vil- 

 lage. Not satisfied with getting us out of his house, 

 Don Gregorio wanted to get us out of the neighbour- 

 hood. Unluckily, besides his instinctive dislike, we had 

 offended him in drawing off some of his workmen by the 

 high prices which, as strangers, we were obliged to pay, 

 and he began to look upon us as rivals, and said every- 

 where that we were suspicious characters ; that we 

 should be the cause of disturbing the peace of Copan, 

 and introducing soldiers and war into the neighbour- 

 hood. In confirmation of this, two Indians passed 

 through the village, who reported that we had escaped 

 from imprisonment, had been chased to the borders of 

 Honduras by a detachment of twenty-five soldiers under 

 Landaveri, the officer who arrested us, and that, if we 

 had been taken, we would have been shot. The alcalde, 

 who had been drunk ever since our arrival, resolved to 

 visit us, to solve the doubts of the village, and take 

 those measures which the presence of such dangerous 

 persons and the safety of the country might require. 

 But this doughty purpose was frustrated by a ludicrous 

 circumstance. We made it a rule to carry our arms 

 with us to the ruins, and when we returned to the hut 

 to receive his visit, as usual, each of us had a brace 

 of pistols in his belt and a gun in hand ; and our ap- 

 pearance was so formidable that the alcalde was fright- 

 ened at his own audacity in having thought of catechi- 



