e one. He must have had some object in joining the
Spaniards; what it was, however, we could not now ascertain.

Uttering our farewells, we mounted and rode on, followed by Domingo. As
we did so, Lion turned and cast a lingering glance behind; but the stern
look Uncle Richard put on, told him that he must not take any notice of
him.

It now became more important than ever that we should reach the city
without delay. We had not gone far, when we saw a party of recruits
marching from a large village to the eastward. Mr Laffan, however,
thought that they were prisoners,--which they certainly resembled more
than soldiers, except that each man carried a musket on his shoulder;
for they were all secured together by a long rope, the end of which was
held by a ruffianly-looking fellow on horseback. They were dressed in
broad-brimmed hats, loose trousers, and ponchos over their shoulders;
but the rest of their bodies, legs and feet, were bare. The sergeant
had on a very unmilitary-looking hat of large dimensions, with wide
leggings, and huge spurs.

"Faith, I wonder the fellows don't turn round and shoot him," observed
Mr Laffan.

"Probably, to save the risk of that, they are not supplied with
ammunition," I rejoined. "This is the way in which the Spaniards obtain
their recruits. The poor fellows are thus marched off to be
slaughtered; unless they can contrive to run away, which they certainly
will do if they have the opportunity."

Saluting the sergeant, who only scowled at us in return, we rode on
ahead of the party. We found, on inquiring the distance we should have
to go, that we could not reach Bogota that evening, and accordingly
stopped at a posada three or four leagues from the city. It was a large
straggling building, at which small traders and merchants generally put
up. People of more consequence were accustomed to proceed further, or
stop at the country-houses of their friends.

As we rode up, we found all the inhabitants and guests assembled in the
yard witnessing a cock-fight, their eager countenances and excited
exclamations showing the interest they took in the brutal pastime. The
birds, armed with steel spurs, flew at each other and fought
desperately. When one was killed or hopelessly wounded, the owner tore
his hair and swore fearfully at his misfortune--by which, probably, he
had lost no inconsiderable sum.

We turned away disgusted and entered the inn--Domingo having taken our
horses in