Page:Life in Mexico vol 2.djvu/262

242 had arrived at the village in the middle of the night, with a large troop, and that General Bustamante himself had made his appearance there at five in the morning; so that the peaceful little Tlanapantla had suddenly assumed a warlike appearance. As it lies on the direct road to Guanajuato there could be no doubt that they were marching to meet Paredes. Cn immediately walked down to the village to pay his respects to the President, who was lodged at the curate's, and meanwhile General Noriega came to the hacienda to see the ladies. Cn found the President very much fatigued, having passed fourteen days and nights under arms, and in constant anxiety. General Orbegoso was with him.

After breakfast we went down to the village to see the troops, who were resting there for a few hours. The cavalry occupied the square, the horses standing, and the men stretched asleep on the ground, each soldier beside his horse. The infantry occupied the church-yard. Dreadfully fatigued, they were lying some on the grass and others with their heads pillowed on the old tomb-stones, resting as well as they could with their armor on. Before they started, the curate said mass to them in the square. There was a good deal of difficulty in procuring the most common food for so many hungry men. Tortillas had been baked in haste, and all the hens in the village were put in requisition to obtain eggs for the President and his officers. We sat down in a porch to see them set off, a melancholy sight enough, in spite of drums beating and trumpets sounding. An old soldier, who came up to water his own and