VEXATIOUS SUSPICIONS. 



123 



sing us, and fairly sneaked off. As soon as he reached 

 the woods, his attendants reproached him for not ex- 

 ecuting his purpose, and he said, doggedly, that he was 

 not going to have anything to say to men armed as we 

 were. Roused at the idea of our terrible appearance, 

 we told Don Miguel to advise the alcalde and the peo- 

 ple of the village that they had better keep out of our 

 way and let us alone. Don Miguel gave a ghastly 

 smile ; but all was not finished. He said that he had 

 no doubt himself of our being good men, but we were 

 suspected ; the country was in a state of excitement ; 

 and he was warned that he ought not to harbour us, and 

 would get into difficulty by doing so. The poor wom- 

 an could not conceal her distress. Her head was full 

 of assassinations and murders, and though alarmed for 

 their safety, she was not unmindful of ours ; she said 

 that, if any soldiers came into the village, we would be 

 murdered, and begged us to go away. 



We were exceedingly vexed and disturbed by these 

 communications, but we had too much at stake to con- 

 sent to be driven away by apprehensions. We assured 

 Don Miguel that no harm could happen to him ; that it 

 was all false and a mistake, and that we were above 

 suspicion. At the same time, in order to convince him, 

 I opened my trunk, and showed him a large bundle of 

 papers, sealed credentials to the government and pri- 

 vate letters of introduction in Spanish to prominent men 

 in Guatimala, describing me as " Encargado de los 

 Negocios de los Estados Unidos del Norte," and one 

 very special from Don Antonio Aycinena, now in this 

 city, formerly colonel in the Central army, and banish- 

 ed by Morazan, to his brother the Marquis Aycinena, 

 the leader of the Central party, which was dominant 

 in that district in the civil war then raging, recom- 



