A NARROW ESCAPE. 



173 



greatcoat. At intervals the sun shone, and we saw at 

 a great distance below us the village of Quezaltepeque. 

 The descent was very precipitous, and the mud-holes 

 and gullies were very deep ; and the clouds which 

 hung over the mountain were typical of my fortune. 

 Mr. Catherwood, who followed on this road about 

 three weeks afterward, heard from the Padre of Quez- 

 altepeque that a plan had been formed to murder and 

 rob me, on the supposition that I had a large amount of 

 money about my person, which laudable project was 

 defeated by my crossing in the morning instead of the 

 afternoon, as is usually done. 



We passed through Quezaltepeque without dismount- 

 ing. It is usual, in dividing the stages to Guatimala, 

 to make an afternoon's journey to this place and sleep. 

 It was now but eleven o'clock, clear and bright as a 

 September day at home. Leaving the village, we cross- 

 ed a beautiful stream, at which some women were wash- 

 ing. Very soon we ascended again, and on the top of 

 the mountain came to an abrupt precipice, forming the 

 side of a deep ravine. We descended by a narrow 

 path on the very edge of the precipice, part of the way 

 on a narrow protruding ledge, and in other places by a 

 path built against the rock to the bottom of the ravine. 

 On the other side rose another precipitous wall. The 

 ravine was deep and narrow, and wild to sublimity. 

 The stream ran through it over a rocky bed, and for 

 some distance the road lay in this bed. We ascended 

 by a steep and difficult path to the top of the other side 

 of the ravine, and rode for some distance along its edge. 

 The opposite side was a perpendicular mass of lime- 

 stone rock, black with exposure, and in some places 

 were patches of grass on a brown ground, lighted up 

 occasionally by brief gleams of sunshine. We de- 



