Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 1.djvu/242

214 or wakings I was haunted by the image of our invaders; and I was in the act of making a precipitate retreat, at the moment I was surrounded by several of the hostile soldiers.

"But, above all, there was no deed of barbarity too horrible to be associated with my impression of the American generals. They were universally allowed to be the most atrocious impersonations of cruelty and rapacity it was possible to imagine. It was reported among a few that they had sworn by the Virgin and all the Saints, to hang every Mexican who should be so unfortunate as to fall into their hands; and I believe they were accredited, by others, to be emissaries direct from the Father of Evil himself, endowed with the most malicious determination to wreak his vengeance upon the capital.

"You may readily imagine my feelings of despair on finding myself in the power of such dreaded foes. I was in momentary expectation of being either shot or hung; and I could not at first understand why my execution was delayed. By slow degrees, however, I became aware that I was kindly treated,