Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-06-24
THE LOTTERY OF LIFE.
AN INCIDENT OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION

several "incidents in the War of Mexican lnde.
pendence," from which we select the following
thrilling scene. 4 captain in the insurgent ar
my is giving an account Of medItatcd night
attack upon hacienda, situated on the Cordil
lcra, and occupied by large force of Spanish
soldiers. After variety of details, he contin.
ues:
Ha:ing arrived at the hacienda unperceivcd,
thanks to the obscurity of moonless night,
we came to halt under some large trees, at
son ne distance from the building, and | rode
forward from my troop in order to reconnotre
the place. The hacienda, so far as | could
see in gliding across the trees, formed a huge
mas Ssive parallelogram, strengthened by enor-
mo- Us butresses of hewn stone. Along this
cha SIN, the walls of the hacienda almost form
ed the continuation of another perpendicular
one, chiseed by nature herselfin the rocks, to
the bottom of which the eye could not pene-
trate, for the mists which necessarily boiled up
from below did not allow it to measure their
awful Depths This place was known in the
country by the name of The Toladero."
Ihad explored all sides of the building ex-
cept this, when know not what scruple of
along the ravine which protected the rear Of the
hacienda. Between the walls and the precipice
there was narrow pathway about six feet wide;
by day, the passage would,not have been dan
gerous, but by night it was-a perilous enter
prise. The walls of the farm took an exten.
sive sweep; the path crept round their entire
basement and to follow it to the end in the
darkness, only two PAGES from the edge OF a
perpendicular chasm, was no very easy task
Nevertheless, ! did not hesitate, but boldly
urged my horse between the walls Of the farm
house and the abyss of the Voladero. | had
got over half the distance without accident,
when all of sudden my horse neighed aloud.
This neigh made me shudder. had reached
pass where the ground was but just wide
enough for the four legs Of horse, and it was
impossible to retrace my steps.
"Halloo!' / exclaimed aloud, at the risk Of
betraying myself-which was even less dan
gerous than encountering horseman in front
of me on such a road. "There is i Christian
passing along the ravine Keep back"
1t was too late. At that moments man on
horseback passed round one of the buttresses
which here and there obstructed this accursed
pathway. He advanced toward me. trem-
bled in my saddle; my forehead was batbed
in cold sweat.
"For the love of God can you not turn g.
exclaimed, terrified at the fearful situation in
which we both were placed.
"Impossbe!' replied the horseman, in hol-
low voice.
recommended my soul to God. TO turn
! our horses round for want olroom, to back them
along the path which we had traversed, or even
to dsmount from them, these were three im-
possibilities which placed us in presence Of a
fearful doom. Between two horsemeu SO
placed upon this fearful path had they been
father and son, one of them must inevitably
must have become the prey of the abyss. But
Il few seconds had passed, and we were already
face to face--the unknown and myself Our
horses were head to head, and their nostrils,
dilated with terror, mngl led together their fiery
breathing Both of us halted in a dead silence
Above was the swooth and lofty wall of the
hacienda; on the other side, but three feet dis
tance from the wall, opened the horrible gulf.
Was it an enemy had before mine eyes! The
love of my country, which boiled at that period
in my young bosom, led me to hope it was.
care you for Mexico and the Insurgents ~
exclaimed, in moment of excitement, ready
to spring upon the unknown horseman if lie
answered me in the negative.
".Ncrico e Insurgente--that is my password
replied the cavalier. 81 am the Colonel Guar
duno."
"And am the Captain Castanos.,'
Our acquaintance was Of long standing, and
and but for our mutual agitation we should
have had no need to exchange our names. The
colonel had left US two days since at the head
Of a detachment, which we supposed to be Ell.
ther prisoners or cut off, for he had not been
seen to return to camp.
"Well, Colonel" exclaimed,M am sorry
you 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 on the holsters Of my sad.
die, to draw out my pistols.
81 see it so plainly" replied the colonel, with
alarming GOODNESS, "that should already have
blown out the brains of your horse, but for the
fear lest mine, in a moment OF terror, should
precipitate ME with yourself to the bottom OF
the abyss"
remarked, in fact that the colonel already
held his pistols in his hand We both main
tanned the most profound silence. Our horses
felt the danger like ourselves, and remained as
immovcabe as if their feet were nailed to the
ground. My excitement had entirely subsidized.
"What are we going to do e demanded OF
the colonel
"Draw lots which Of us shall leap into the