rds, bayonets, and
lances.

Terrified at the excess of his involuntary boldness, he turned his horse
upon the instant, and plunged back into the crossroad; but he had scarce
made three lengths of his horse in the back direction, when he saw
riding towards him a Spanish officer, who, pistol in hand, and with a
countenance red with rage, was uttering the most emphatic threats and
protestations. In another instant they must meet face to face.

The advancing horseman had his eyes fixed upon the field of battle; and,
although he did not appear to be aware of the approach of Don Cornelio,
the latter had no other belief than that he himself was the object of
the blasphemous menaces. If the Spaniard was not expressly searching
after him to kill him, why should he thus cut off his retreat by the
crossroad--the only direction that offered him a chance of escape?

Believing that the horseman was advancing to assail him, and suddenly
nerved by despair, the Captain, on his side, charged forward; and
delivering a vigorous thrust with the lance, he pierced his unsuspecting
antagonist through the body, striking him lifeless out of his saddle!

A cry of grief reached the ears of the ex-student, coming from another
part of the field; but not staying to see who had uttered it, he again
spurred his steed along the crossroad--determined this time to make a
detour sufficiently wide before heading towards the position of Morelos.

He had not gone far, however, when he heard a loud voice hailing him
from behind; while the hoarse snorting of a horse was mingled with the
cries--a snorting that resembled the roaring of a jaguar, and for that
reason awakened within him the most terrible souvenirs.

"It is surely the horse of the Apocalypse?" muttered the ex-student of
theology, while using every effort to maintain the distance that lay
between himself and this mysterious pursuer.

In order to gallop more freely, he had flung away the lance, and was now
plying the spurs with all the energy of a racing jockey; but still the
singular snorting appeared to grow louder, and the pursuer was evidently
gaining upon him.

To say the least, the situation of Captain Lantejas was becoming
critical--to judge by the fierce zeal exhibited by his pursuer. Perhaps
in all his life the ex-student had never been in a position of greater
peril than at that moment.

Just as he was about reaching the crossing of the roads, he heard close
behind him the breat