Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-11-26
The Lottery Of Life.
THE VOLADERO.

THE voLADERo.
Sharpe's Magazine for May contains trans
lation from the "Revue des Beux Mondes." O
feve al "Incidcnts in the war Of Mexican indie
pendence," from which we seect the following
scenes. Acaptain in the lnsurgent army is Civ
ing an account of meditated night attack up
on hacienda, situated in the Cordi!lera, and
occupied by large force of Spanish soldiers
After a variety of details, he continues:
Having arrived at the hacienda unperceved
thanks to the obscurity Of moonless night We
came to a halt under some large trees at some
distance from the building. and rode forward
from my troupe in order to reconnoiter the
place. The hacienda, so far as l could see in
gliding across the trees. formed huge massive
parallelogram, strengthened by enormous but
resses of hcwn stone. Along this chssm the
walls of the hacienda almost formed a contin
uation of another perpendicular one, chiseled
by nature herself in the rocks, to the bottom OF
which the eye could not pcnctrare, for the mists
which necessarily boiling up from below. did
not allow it to measure their awful Depths
The place was known in the country by the
name of "the Voladero"
had explored all sides of the building ex
cept this. when knew not what scrup'e OF
military honor melted me to continue my rid,
alongth raviue, which protected the rear of tn,
hacienda Between the walls and the precipicc
there was narrow pathway about six feet
wide; by day, the passage would not have beer
dangerous but by night it was perilous enter
prize The wal of the farm took an extensiv,
sweep. the path crept ronnd the entire base
nIent, and to follow it to the end in the dark
hess, only two PAGES from the edge of porpen
dicular chasm. was no easy task, even for a,
practiSed a horscman as myself Nevertheless
did not hesitate. but bold y urged my horse
between the wall of the farm house and the
abyss of the Voladero l had got over half the
distance without, accident, when all of sud
dir my horse neighed aloud This neigh
made me shudder. l had reached passage
where the ground was but Just wide enough for
the four legs of a horse, and it was impossible
TO retrace my step.
"Halloo"' ! exclaimed aloud at the risk of
betraying myself-which was even less DANCE
rous than encounterng horseman in front of
me on such road There is a Christian pas
sing along the ravine! Keep back,
ut was 100 late. At this moment man on
horseback passed around one of the butresses,
which here am there obstructed this accursed
pathway. He advanced towards me. trem.
bed in my saddle; my forehead was bathed in
cold sweat.
"For the love of God! can you not return'-
I exclaimed, terrified at the fearful situation in
which We were both placed
"Impossb!e." replied the horseman in hol-
low voice.
recommended my soul to God To turn our
horses round for want of room, to back them
along the path which We had travcrsed, or even
dismount from them these were three mpossi.
bilites, which placed US both in the presence
of fearful doom. Between two horscman so
placed on this fearful path, had they been
father and son, one of them must inevitably
nave become the prey of the abyss. But a few
seconds had passed and we were already face
to tace--the unknown and my SELF Onr horses
were head to head and their nostrils dila.d
with terror, mingled together their fiery breath.
ing. Both of US halted in dead silence -
Above was the smooth and lofty wal Of the
hacienda; on the other side, but three feet dis
tant from the wall opened the horrible gulf -
Was it an enemy had before my eyes? The
love of my country. which boiled at that period
III my young bosom, led me to hope that it
was.
care you for Merico and the insurgents?"
exclaimed in 4 moment of excitement, ready to
spring upon the unknown horseman if he ans
wered me in the negative.
"Merico Insurgent-that is my password, "
replied the cavalier Il am the Colonel Gar.
duno.'
and | am the Capt Casinos"
We'll Colone,' exclaimed. Il am sorry y0u
are not Spaniard--for you perceive that one
Of us must yield the pathway to the other
Our horses had the bride on their necks and
/ put my hand in the holsters Of my saddle to
draw out my pistols.
4 see it SO plainly replied the Colonel with
alarming GOODNESS, chat should have already
blown out the brains Of YOUR horse. but for the
fear least mine. in q moment Of terror, precipi,
tate me with yourself TO the bottom Of the
abyss"
/ remarked, in fact, that the Colonel already
had his pistols in his hand We both main.
tanned the most profound silence, Our horses
felt the danger like ourselves. and remained as
immovable as if their feet were nailed to the
ground. My excitement had entirely subsidized
What are We going to do demanded Of the
Colonel
Draw lots which Of the two shall leap into
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