added.

When they reached the outskirts of the town, Venancio walked ahead and
knocked at the door of a hut.

"Where's the soldiers' barracks?" he inquired of a man who came out
barefoot, a ragged serape covering his body.

"Right there, just beyond the Plaza," he answered.

Since nobody knew where the city square was, Venancio made him walk
ahead to show the way. Trembling with fear, the poor devil told them
they were doing him a terrible wrong.

"I'm just a poor day laborer, sir; I've got a wife and a lot of kids."

"What the hell do you think I have, dogs?" Demetrio scowled. "I've got
kids too, see?"

Then he commanded:

"You men keep quiet. Not a sound out of you! And walk down the middle
of the street, single file."

The rectangular church cupola rose above the small houses.

"Here, gentlemen; there's the Plaza beyond the church. Just walk a bit
further and there's the barracks."

He knelt down, then, imploring them to let him go, but Pancracio,
without pausing to reply, struck him across the chest with his rifle
and ordered him to proceed.

"How many soldiers are there?" Luis Cervantes asked.

"I don't want to lie to you, boss, but to tell you the truth, yes, sir,
to tell you God's truth, there's a lot of them, a whole lot of 'em."

Luis Cervantes turned around to stare at Demetrio, who feigned
momentary deafness.

They were soon in the city square.

A loud volley of rifle shots rang out, deafening them. Demetrio's horse
reared, staggered on its hind legs, bent its forelegs, and fell to the
ground, kicking. The Owl uttered a piercing cry and fell from his horse
which rushed madly to the center of the square.

Another volley: the guide threw up his arms and fell on his back
without a sound.

With all haste, Anastasio Montanez helped Demetrio up behind him on his
horse; the others retreated, seeking shelter along the walls of the
houses.

"Hey, men," said a workman sticking his head out of a large door, "go
for 'em through the back of the chapel. They're all in there. Cut back
through this street, then turn to the left; you'll reach an alley. Keep
on going ahead until you hit the chapel."

As he spoke a fresh volley of pistol shots, directed from the
neighboring roofs, fell like a rain about them.

"By God," the man said, "those ain't poisonous spiders; they're only
townsmen scared of their own shadow. Come in here until they stop."

"How many of them are there?" asked Demetrio.

"The