laughed with their mouths open. Just then they heard the tramp of horses, and turning their heads saw Don Pedro, followed by his men. They tried to rise to draw their pistols.
“Do not stir!” said Don Pedro in a terrible voice, “or we will shoot you.” And he and all his held their arms ready.
There was nothing to be done. The servants of Don Miguel comprehended that all resistance was useless.
“Master, we are taken,” said one of them.
“Do you surrender at discretion?”
“There is no way to avoid it.”
“Then give up your arms. Look, Roque, dismount and take away from the gentlemen their rifles, their pistols, their sabres and their cartridge boxes.”
They gave up with trembling hands the pistols and the cartridge boxes.
The rifles were hanging from the saddles of their horses.
“Now,” continued Don Pedro, “tie their hands behind them and help them to get onto their horses. Distribute their arms so that their weight shall not be too great, and let each one take the halter of a horse in order that he may lead it.”
All was done with the rapidity of lightning. The men of Don Pedro strongly tied the hands of the conquered behind their backs with the satisfaction of the tyrant characteristic of all conquerors. One of the captured, Panfilo Vargas, was vexed and said:
“They gain advantage because they are more than we. Tie quickly for some day you will know who I am. We are arrieros, and we go