Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/203

CH. XII.] hold of my troublesome charge, dismounted, fastened the bridle to a branch of one of the trees, and began to consider what was best to be done: to call for assistance was useless, for no one was within sight or hearing. Recollecting, however, that I generally travelled with a small flasket of brandy in the pocket of my armas de agua, I searched for it, and, luckily, found a small portion left in the bottle, which I immediately applied to the temples and also to the mouth of my patient, and soon succeeded in restoring her to a perfect state of sensibility: after some difficulty, she was remounted in the saddle before me, and, having regained the road, we came up, at length, with our party; who were stopping to take their lunch and siesta in a substantial-looking building, which stood in a solitary situation, in the midst of a large plain.

As it was a convenient resting-place, a sort of half-way house, every portion of it was occupied by the travellers: it