Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-05-11

The following thrilling narrative L
from a recent translation in Sharp
Magazine. A captain in the Mexical
insurgent army in giving an account o
a meditated night attack upon ha
cienda, situated in the Cordilleras, ant
occupied by large force of Spanisl
soldiers. After a variety of details. h
continues: .-...-r ...-
Having arrived at the hacienda un
perceived, thanks to the obscurity of {
moonless night, we came to halt unde
some large trees. at some distance from
the building, and | rode forward from
my troop in order to reconnoitre thu
place. The hacienda, SO far as l eoulC
see in gliding across, formed huge mas
sive parallelogram, strengthened BY
enormous buttresses of hewn stone
Along this chasm, the walls of the ha
cienda almost formed the continuation
of another perpendicular one, chiseleC
by nature herself in the rocks, to thS
bottom of which the eye could no
penetrate, for the mists which incessant
ly boiled up from below, did not allow
it to measure their awful depth. Thi,
place was known in the country by the
name of 'fhe Holadsro."
had explored all sides of the build
ing except this, when knew not wha
scruple of military honor melted me tc
continue mvsride along the raFine which
protected the rear of the hacienda. Be,
tween the walls and the preciPices there
was a narrow pathway about six feet
wide; by day. the passage would not
have been dangerous, but by night il
was a perilous enterprise. The walls
of the farm took an exteIsAe sweep,
the path crept around the ehre base
ment, 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 even for as practised horse
man as myself. Nevertheless, didEo
hesitate, but boldly urged my horse,be-
tween the walls of the farm house and
the abyss of the VoLadero. l had got
over half the distance without accident,
when all of a sudden my horse neig6ed
cloud The neigh made me shudder.-
l had reached pass where the ground
was Just wide enough for the four legs
of horse, and it was impossible to re-
trace my steps.
"Hallop' l exclaimed at the risk Of
betraying myself-which was even less
dangerous than eneountering horse
man in front of me on such road
"There is Christian passing along the
ravine! Keep back"
1t was too late. At that moment, a
man on horseback passed round one ol
the buttresses, which here and there OBJ
structed this aecursed pathway. He
advanced towards me. | trembled in
my saddle; my forehead bathed in a
cold sweat. T.Ht t."-lf lfI.-f-
"For the love of God! can you not
returnH' 1 exclaimed, terrified at the
fearful situation in which we both were
placed. ...
"Impossible" replied the horseman,
in hollow voice. .,... b.. -..-.
| recommended nv soul to God
To turn our horses round for want of
room, to back them along the path
which we had traversed, or even to dis
mount from them, those were both i'm
possibilities which placed us both in
presence of fearful doom. Between
two horsemen so placed upon this fearful
path, had they been father and son, ofe
of them must inevitably have become
the prey of the abyss. But a few Sc
conds had passed, and we were already
face 10 face-the unknown and myself.
Our horses were head to head, and their
nostrils, dilated with terror, mingled to-
gether their frey breathing. Both OF
us halted in dead SILENCE. Above was
the smooth and lofty wall of The liaeiep-
da; on the other side, but tbeefeet. dis
tant from the wall, opened the horrible
gulf. Was it an enemy l had before
my eyes? Thelove of my country, which
boiled at that period in my young bo-
som, led me to hope it was.
"Are you for Nerico and the h1s1r-
gentse" l exclaimed in a moment Of ex-
citement, ready to spring upon the un-
known horseman, if he answered in the
negative. rssr Il
"Merico Ensurgent-that is my pass
word" replied the cavalier. ~ am
Col. Garduno."
"And l am the Captain Castones.
Our acquaintance was of long stand
ing, and but for mutual agitation, we
should have had no need to exchange
our names. The Colonel had left us
two days since, at the head of the de-
tachment, which we supposed to be
either prisoners, or cut off, for he had
not been seen to return to the camp.
'WeIl, Colonel" 1 exclaimed, al am
sorry you are not Spaniard-for you
perceive that one of us must yield the
pathway to the other" -
Our horses had the brides on theil
necks, and 1 put my hands on the
holsters of my saddle to draw out my
pistols. 11 sfs -
81 see plainly, returned the Colone
with alarming GOODNESS, .'that / should
already have blown out the brains o.
your horse, but for the fear lest mine, II
moment of terror, should precipitate
me with yourself to the bottom Of the
abyss" I" "a = A1o ,a47 z '.-i'- -
remarked, in fact, that the Colone
already held his pistols in his hand. We