Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-05-16

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not have done SO except on account Of
Lance anxiety. / was not fully satisfied /
even yet, that Jose had not been deceiving /
me but after getting from the lieutenant Of
the guard description Of Salazar, and his |
assurance that he knew the man personally. |
l was forced, though reluctantly. to surren-
der my Judgment. The reader may agree
with Lance, who thought me unreasonably
suspicious but had always been in the
habit Of trusting my own sense, and was I'M
willing to abate my confidence. I said no
more on the subject, however, and our din
sner-hour having arrived, we returned to the
Palacio-one Of US, at least, more at ease
than when we left it.
Our life after this gradually subsidea to a
quiet routine of duties and amusements My
alarm about MontaSerade became less vivid,
and | at last persuaded myself that had in
fact mistaken Salazar for far more danger
Gus man. Lance had dismissed the thought
#eompletely and at once, so soon as reason
able explanation was afforded /; and Isabella,
though she occasionally recurred to the sub
lject Of my embarrassment on the day Of their
arrival, never succeeded in making me ex-
plain, and finally abondoued the effort. Two
. persons more thoroughly happy in each other
have never seen and two persons better
calculated each to penetrate the happiness Of
the other, never imagined. Excepting
) when exploring the city, or galloping over
) the country, We were together in our quar-
ters, and thus had an opportunity Of obser.
living the exhaustless flow of tenderness and
!, selfsacri6ee which both displayed. And
: yet there was no parade about it-nothine
d artificial, feigned, or threatrieal--all wal
natural, sincere, and unohtrusire. The tickle
Q ness. or rather versatility Of Lance's eharac
t ter seemed to have vanished before the pow
It er of this. his lastand deepest love and tn
], fiery demon which had seen in isabella
g look and manner had apparently been exer
Ie cised, or subdued to gentleness, by the mag
ie of the Blind Enchanter. j had ne mean
Of determining the character Of their feeling
le during this time, other than | have stated
d but mine, though generally quite free iron
agitation, were sometimes disturbed by vi
4 defined and shadowy apprehensions not pr,
: sentiments, or any thing nearly so distinc
d but dream-like consciousness that it was a
ie unnatural calm in which We were living
calm destined to be broken up too speedily
ce The garrison Of which we formed part vi
At in precarious situation, and nothing but seel
less vigilance could counteract the peril.
: mong other precautions taken against surpri
= by our commandant, was system Of patro
u both calvery and infantry by which means
kept constant guard upon the Haciendas
e. disafected persons, and other nuclei upon whi
re hostile forces might be assembled We we
10 in the habit of availing ourselves Of these e
IN euTsiens to visit the most remarkable places
~ the neighborhood and, to say the truth, \
nnfrequently, when either Lance or I b
= =, the command, made duty secondary to pleasul
~ One evening, about two weeks after Lane
arrival; received an order directing me
ny take half-a-seore of hoTsemen and ride iowa
ed the North. for the purpose OF watching Sol
&C. suspicious movements about Hacienda, ,belor
m ing to the political chief Of the Department
M. was 10 reach a certain point in the mountai
:; near the place to be observed, by midday, a
lu was TO arrange with Lieutenant H. "
was to GO in different direction with SINH
detachment, our place Of meeting. We ",
aid both to set early enough to clear the ski
the Of the city before dawn.
Having seen Lieutenant HI, ard agrt
net with him to rendezvous at little lake in !
80 mountains, called Aguarerde-- sane m
80 - tuned as La Esnerald1-I next sought LaI
- 20 and Isabella. They were together, as usu
Ine and, having been confined to the city for s
rd- eral days, received the prospeet ofiar sxcurs
lem with pleasure. Ned was immediasely orde
/, / to prepare for pic MIC in the mountains,
Lance and lwent to see that our horses W
ssas in plight to travel
81 (Conclusiogs merit aoeek 3
a 80