third army had suddenly
made its appearance--though still invisible to the Spanish sentries.
Morelos, true to his promise, with a thousand soldiers under his
command, was hastening forward to the relief of Trujano. These were all
the regular troops at his disposal; as he had been compelled to leave a
strong garrison in the town of Chilapa, which he had also recently taken
from the Royalists.

Besides his regulars, however, he was accompanied by a large force of
Indians, armed with bows and slings.

At a short distance behind the General-in-chief, the Marshal Galeana and
Captain Don Cornelio Lantejas were riding side by side.

Notwithstanding the distinguished position which he held in the
insurgent army, the ci-devant student of theology seemed ill at ease.
Some secret grief was troubling his spirit.

"The General is quite right in refusing you leave of absence," said
Galeana. "A brave and experienced officer like you cannot be well
spared; and your persistence in asking for leave has greatly offended
him, I can assure you. As for that, my dear Lantejas, leave it to me.
I am much mistaken if I don't soon find you an opportunity of achieving
some bold deed, which will be certain to reinstate you in the General's
favour. You will only have to slay three or four Spanish soldiers, or a
Royalist officer of high rank, and that will set you all straight with
Morelos."

"I should prefer slaying the officer, I think," answered Lantejas,
scarce knowing what to say in reply.

To him, who had hitherto been only a hero by simple accident, the idea
of premeditating any act that would distinguish him, only brought a
fresh shadow upon the horizon of his future; and he would gladly have
resigned the honours he had already gained for leave to escape being the
candidate for new ones.

As soon as Morelos' army had halted for the night, the General and
Galeana commenced deliberating on some plan by which they might give the
enemy a decisive blow. The strategy which appeared most to recommend
itself was to get the Royalist army between two fires; that is, while
the troops of Morelos himself assaulted the Spanish camp in the rear,
those of Trujano should make a sortie from the town, and attack the
enemy on his front.

To the carrying out of this design the chief obstacle that presented
itself was the difficulty of communicating with the besieged. The
messenger of Trujano had left the camp of Morelos before the idea of
such a