CHAPTER XXIX.
JOURNEY CONTINUED — A MOUNTAIN PLAIN — LOST GUIDES — A TRYING MOMENT— AGUAS CALIENTES — A MAGNIFICENT VIEW — SOLD ORE — SAN SEBASTIANO — GUEGUETENANGO — SIERRA MADRE — A HUGE SKELETON — THE RUINS — PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURES — A VAULT — MOUNDS — A WELCOME ADDITION — INTERIOR OF A MOUND— VASES — ASCENT OF THE SIERRA MADRE — BUENA VISTA — THE DESCENT — TODOS SANTOS — SAN MARTIN — SAN ANDRES PETAPAN — A FORREST ON FIRE — SUFFERING OF THE MULES FROM SWARMS OF FLIES — SAN ANTONIO GUISTA.
Early in the morning our mules were saddled for the journey. The gobernador and another friend of the cura came to receive parting instructions, and set off for Guatimala. The Indians engaged for us did not make their appearance; and, desirous to save the day, we loaded the mules, and sent Juan and Bobon forward with the luggage. In a little while two women came and told us that our Indians were in prison. I accompanied them to two or three officials, and with much difficulty and loss of time found the man having charge of them, who said that, finding we had paid them part of their hire in advance, and afraid they would buy agua ardiente and be missing, he had shut them up the night before to have them ready, and had left word to that effect with one of the servants of the cura. I went with him to the prison, paid sixpence a-piece for their lodging, and took them over to the convent. The poor fellows had not eaten since they were shut up, and, as usual, wanted to go home for tortillas for the journey. We refused to let them go, but gave them money to buy some in the plaza, and kept the woman and their chamars as hostages for their return. But we became tired of waiting. Mr. Catherwood picked up their chamars and threw them across his saddle as a guarantee for their following, and we set off.
We had added to our equipments armas de agua, being undressed goatskins embroidered with red leather, which hung down from the saddlebow, to protect the legs against rain, and were now fully accoutred in Central American style.
It was cold and wintry. We ascended and crossed a high plain, and at the distance of a league descended to a village, where we learned that Juan and Bobon had passed on some time before. Beyond this we ascended a high and rugged mountain, and on the top reached a magnificent plain. We rode at a brisk pace, and it was one o'clock before our "jail-birds" overtook us. By this time we were surprised at not overtaking our men with the luggage. We could not have passed them, for there
