"Pardon me, my friend," Don Rafaël continued, "but I think you said that you intended to attack tomorrow?"
"Certainly."
"But supposing your troops have not arrived?"
"What! my troops not arrived? Did not you see them march past the hacienda an hour ago?"
"Yes, I saw a small detachment pass—your vanguard, of course."
"My vanguard!" the count exclaimed with a laugh. "No, my good friend, that small detachment forms my entire army."
Don Rafaël, Don Ramon, and, the other persons present were men of recognised courage. On several occasions they had sustained giant combats against enemies tenfold in number; in short, they had furnished proof of the most extravagant courage and most insane temerity. But the count's eccentric proposition of going coolly with a handful of adventurers to take a city defended by 10,000 men seemed to them so extraordinary and so incredible, that they remained dumb for a moment, hardly knowing whether they were awake or suffering from a frightful nightmare.
"Tell me, my friend," Don Rafaël exclaimed, his arguments quite exhausted, "how many men can you deploy in line?"
"Hang it! not many," the count said with a smile, "I have invalids: still I can dispose of about two hundred and fifty, and I hope they will be sufficient."
"Yes," Doña Angela said enthusiastically, "they will be sufficient, for the cause these men defend is holy, and God will protect them."