The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-03-15
The Lottery of Life.

The Rev5Je des DeUr M0Hdes COntainl
several " Incidents in the %ar of Mexican
| independence from which we select the
following thrilling scene. A captain il
the insurgent army is giving an account
of meditated night attack upon :
hacienda, situated in the Cordillera, anc
occupied by large force of Spanish sol
diers. After a variety of details, he con.
| tinues:
HAVING arrived at the hacienda'unper,
ceived, thanks to the obscurity of g
moonless night, we came to a halt under
some large trees at some distance from
the building, and / rode forward from
my troop in 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 incessantly
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
a perilons enterprise. . he walls Of the
farm took an extensive sweep, the path
crept around their t-tire basement, and
to follow it to the end in the darkness,
only two PAGES from the edge Of g per
pendicular chasm, was no very easy task,
even for as practiced a horseman rs my
self Nevertheless, did not hesitate.
but boldly urged my horse between the
walls of the farmhouse and the abyss of
the Voladero. 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 8 horse,
and it was impossible 10 retrace my steps.
" HalIoo " Isexclaimed at the risk Of
betraying myself-which was even less
I,,,,.o-~,,s +t,,, t.r;,,, n I,1,,s,,,- 81,
in front of me on such road. g There
is Christian passing along the ravine
Keep back"
It was too late. At that moment q
man on horseback passed round one Of
the buttresses, which here and there OBJ
structed this accursed pathway. He
advanced towards me. trembled in
my saddle my forehead was bathed in a
cold sweat.
" For the leve of God can you not
return?" 1 exclaimed, terrified at the
fearful situation in which we beth were
placed.
Impossible!" replied the horseman,
in a hollow voice.
1 commended my soul to God. To
turn our horseg round for want 0f room.
to back them along the path which we
lad traversed, or to dismount from them
these were three impossibilities which
placed us both in the presence of a fearful
doom. Between two hOTsemen 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 dilsted
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 1 had before my eyes? The
love of my country, which boiled at that
period in my young bosom, led me to
hope it was.
b" Are you for Mexico auu the insur-
gents ?" / exclaimed, in a moment of
excitement, ready to spring upon the
unknown horseman if he answered in the
negative.
MerjcO E irlsarrgente that is my pass
word, " replied the cavalier. &" L am the
Colonel Garduno."
" And / am the Captain Castanos "
Our acquaintance was of long standing, |
and, but for our mutual agitation, we
should have no need to exchange our
names.
Well, colonel" exclaimed, :'I am
sorry 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
necks, and I put my hand in the holsters
of my saddle to draw out my pistols.
see it so plainly" replied the col
onel, with alarming GOODNESS, that I
should already have blown out the brains
of your horse but for the fear least mine,
in 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 hands.
We both maintained the most profound
silence. Our horses felt the danger like
ourselves, and remained as immovable as
if their feet were nailed to the ground.
Ny excitement hadI entirely subsidized.
" What are we going to dor" 1 de-
mauded of the colonel.
Draw lots which of the two shall
leap into the ravine."
1t was in truth the sole means of solv-
ing the difficulty. There are never
theless some precautions to take" said
the colonel. :" He who shall be con-
demned by lot shall retire backwards.
1t will be but feeble chance of escape
for him, admit but, in short, it is a
chance, and especially one in favor of the
winner.
You cling not to life, then" cried
out, terrified at the sanqfroid with which
this proposition was put to me,