A battle, perhaps! But a battle in the middle of the night, almost at the gates of San Miguel, the capital of the province of Tucuman, where, on account of the congress, considerable forces were now united; this supposition was not admissible.
For a moment the young man thought of knocking at the trapdoor, to get it opened, and to ask information of the rancheros.
But he reflected that these good people were supposed to be ignorant of his presence among them—that this inconsiderate proceeding would displease them, and cause them to fear afterwards getting into trouble about him.
And then, if this uproar was really that of a fight, it was probable that the poor Indians at the commencement of the fight had abandoned their rancho, half dead with fright, and had flown across the country, in order to conceal themselves in some retreat known to themselves alone, to escape the fury of one or other of the two parties; so that it would be pure loss of time for him to call them and ask them to open the door.
These various considerations were strong enough to restrain him from committing an imprudence in revealing his retreat, if, by chance, the rancho had been temporarily occupied by his enemies.
But as—as we have said—his curiosity was excited to the highest degree, and as, in the precarious situation he was in it was important for him—at least, he gave himself this reason to justify in his own eyes the step he wished to take—to know what was passing around him, in order to know how to act; he resolved to act without further delay, and learn the causes of this extraordinary uproar, which had so suddenly troubled his repose.
HE therefore rose, took a sabre, passed a pair of pistols in his girdle, seized a carbine, and thus armed, and ready for any event, he lit a lantern, and proceeded towards the passage on the right—the side from whence the sound appeared to come.
This passage, or rather this gallery of the cavern, was large enough for two persons to walk abreast; its walls were high and dry, and the ground was covered with a fine yellow sand, which completely stifled the sound of steps. The gallery had several turnings.
After a short time the young man reached a room which at the moment served for a stable for his three horses.
The animals appeared frightened; they were drooping their ears, and violently snorting, as they tried to break the cords which bound them to the manger, furnished with a copious supply of provender.