St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-03-23
The Lottery Of Lie.

The ReUue Qe8 DeUC 1nOfHeS couIalna
several q Incidents in the war of Mexican
! independence,' from which we select the
following thrilling scene. A captain in
the insurgent army is giving an account
of q meditated night attack upon 8
hacienda, situated in the Cordillera, and
occupied by large force of Spanish sol
diers. After a variety of details, he CON
Having arrived at the hacienda. Jumper.
ceived, thanks to the obscurity of a
moonless night, we came to halt under
some large trees at some distance from
the building, and I rode forward from
nv troop iu order to reconnoitre the
place. The hacienda, so far as [ could
see in gliding across the trees, formed a
huge, massive parallelogram, strength
ened by enormous buttresses of hewn
stone. Along this chasm the walls of
the hacienda almost formed the contin-
uation of another perpendicular one,
chiseled by nature herself in the rocks,
to the bottom of which the eye could not
penetrate, for the mists which necessarily
boil up from below did not allow it to
measure their awful depths. This place
was known in the country by the name
of the Voladero."
had explored all sides of the build
ing except this, when [ know not what
scruple of military honor melted me to
continue my ride along the rayine which
protected the rear of the hacienda. Be-
tween the walls and the precipice there
was a narrow pathway about six feet
wide; by day the passage would, not
have been dangerous, but by night it was
perilous enterprise. The walls OF the
farm took an extensive sweep, the path
crept around their entire basement, and
to follow it to the end in the darkness.
only two PAGES from the edge of per-
pendicular chasm, was no very easy task,
even for as practiced horseman as my
self. Nevertheless, I did not hesitate,
but boldly urged my horse between the
walls of the farmhouse and the abyss of
the Voladero. l had got over halt the
distance without accident, when all of a
sudden my horse neighed aloud. This
neigh made me shudder. I had reached
a pass where the ground was hut just
wide enough for the four legs Of a horse,
and it was impossible to retrace my steps.
Halloo!" Exclaimed at the risk of
betraying myself-which was even less
dangerous than encountering horseman
in front of me On such road. "There
is Christian passing along the ravine
Keep back"
1t was too late. At that moment
man on horseback passed round one of
the buttresses, which here and there OBJ
structed this accursed pathway. He
advanced towards me. I trembled in
my saddle; my forehead was bathed in q
cold sweat.
'For the love of God can you not
return ?" I exclaimed, terrified at the
fearful situation in which we beth were
placed.
"Impossible!" replied the horseman,
in hollow voice.
| commended my soul to God. To
turn our horses round for want of room.
to back them along the path which we
had traversed, or to dismouet from them
these were three impossibilities which
placed US both in the presence of fearful
doom. Between two horsemen so placed
both upon this fearful path, had they
been father and son, one of them must
inevitably have become the prey of the
abyss. But a 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, mingled together with their
fiery breathing. Both of.us halted in
dead silence. Above was the smooth
and lofty wall of the hacienda; on the
other side, but three feet distant from
the wall, opened the horrible guilt. Was
it an enemy had before my eyes? The
love Of my country, which boiled at that
period in my young bosom, led me to
hope it was.
g Are you for Mexico and the insur-
gents?" exclaimed, in a moment of
excitement, ready to spring upon the
unknown horseman if he answered in the |
negative.
Me1ico insurgente that is my pass
word,'' replied the cavalier. 81 am the |
Colonel Garduno.".
And. | am the Captain Castanos!"
Our acquaintance was of long standing,
and, but for eur mutual agitation, we
should have no need to exchange our
names. z-...
Well, colonel" ] exclaimed, II am
'orry you are not spaniard-for you
perceive that one of us must yield the
pathway to the ether"
Our horses had the brides on their
,ecks, and put my hand in the holsters
# my saddle to draw out my pistols.
see it so plainly" replied the col
mel, with ala, ming GOODNESS, "that I
ho'lld already have blown out the brains
+ your horse but for the fear least mine.