apam, defended by
only three hundred, they should either take it, or to the last man die
upon its ramparts. To do otherwise, would be to compromise not only
their own honour but the cause which they serve. That is the opinion I
have the honour of submitting to your Excellency."

"And you, General Caldelas, what is your advice?"

"I agree with the Colonel. To raise the siege would be a pernicious
example for the Royalist troops, and a deplorable encouragement to the
insurrection. What would the brave Commander-in-chief of our army--Don
Felix Calleja--say to our raising the siege? During a hundred days he
besieged Cuautla Amilpas, defended by a general far more skilful than
Trujano--Morelos himself--and yet on the hundredth day he was master of
the town."

"Morelos evacuated the place," interposed Regules.

"What matter if he did? By so doing, he acknowledged himself defeated;
and the Spanish flag had the honours of a successful siege."

It was now the turn of Regules to give his opinion.

He reviewed at full length the delays and difficulties they had
experienced; the fruitless assaults and sanguinary skirmishes they had
made. He argued that it was impolitic to stand upon an empty point of
honour consuming the lives and courage of one thousand soldiers in front
of a paltry village, while Morelos was at that moment marching on the
capital of Oajaca.

"And when I say a _thousand_ soldiers," continued he, "I do not speak
without reason. The Colonel, in speaking of fifteen hundred, must have
counted our dead along with the living. Up to the present time, in all
other parts of the vice-kingdom, our troops have only encountered
enemies, inspired by what they please to designate `love of their
country;' while here, in our front, we have a host of religious
fanatics, whom this droll muleteer, Trujano, has imbued with his own
spirit, and it must be confessed, with his courage as well. It is not
three hundred enemies against whom we are contending, but a thousand
fanatics who fight under the influence of despair, and die with a song
upon their lips. While we are here wasting time in useless attempts,
the insurrection is spreading in other parts of the province, where we
might be profitably employed in crushing it. My advice, then, is to
raise a siege that has been disastrous in every point of view."

"The besieged no doubt recall the exploits of Yanguitlan," ironically
remarked Caldelas. "That is why they def