Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/435



TO THE TEBICUARY RIVER. 405

and each bearing pinned to his breast a paper inscribed — " Asi perecen los traidores ! " — " Thus perish the traitors." Amongst them was a hue, tall man, with gloved hands, and large black beard falling upon his breast. It was variously- suggested to have been Vice-President Sanchez, General Bruguez, or Sr Jose Maria Leite Pereira, the Acting Portuguese Consul, arrested 5 p.m., September 11, at Asun- cion. Before I reached Buenos Aires the figure of 6 had grown to 17, and included women and children: it there advanced, temporarily halting at 64 (Lieutenant-Colonel Cunha), at 70, and at 400 to 800 victims (Colonel Choda- siewicz), sacrificed to the furious suspicions of Marshal- President Lopez.

I shall retura to this subject in the next letter, meanwhile — Adieu !