Of the three horsemen, one appeared to be the master, and the other two his attendants.
“My son!” said the first, addressing the student, “your situation, without being dangerous, is nevertheless sufficiently serious. You will stand in need of that which you cannot obtain in the poor village of Caracuaro, which is, moreover, nearly two leagues distant. The best thing you can do is to mount behind one of my attendants, and ride back with us to the hacienda of San Diego, which we shall reach in an hour. Your mule has taken that direction; and I shall have her caught for you by the vaqueros of the hacienda. You will need a day or two of repose, which you can there obtain. Afterwards you can resume your route. Where were you going?”
“To Valladolid,” replied Lantejas. “I was on my way to the University, to enter into holy orders.”
“Indeed! then we are of the same robe,” rejoined the horseman with a smile. “I myself am the unworthy curate of Caracuaro—Don José Maria Morelos—a name, I presume, you have never heard before.”
In truth the afterwards illustrious Morelos was at this time entirely unknown to fame, and of course Don Cornelio had never heard his name.
The student was no little astonished at the appearance of the man who had thus announced himself as the cura of Caracuaro. For one of the clerical calling his costume was altogether singular—to say nothing of its being rather shabby. A double-barrelled gun, with one barrel broken, hung from his saddle-bow, and an old rusty sabre in a common leathern scabbard dangled against his horse’s side.
The two domestics were still more plainly attired; and each carried in his hand a huge brass blunderbuss!
“And you, Señor padre?” inquired the student in turn. “Where are you going, may I ask?”
“I? Well,” replied the cura, smiling as he spoke, “just as I have told you—to the hacienda of San Diego. After that to Acapulco—to capture the town and citadel in obedience to an order I have received.”
Such were at this time the equipment and warlike resources of the general, whose name afterwards obtained such heroic renown!