Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/225

Rh arrived at Zacatecas with four additional companies. But Rendon's position was even worse than that of Abarca. The province was almost entirely without arms, and he had to provide with lances even the horsemen who arrived. His call, also, upon the different districts for recruits was almost unheeded. While in this strait he received some partial relief by the arrival of the conde de Santiago de la Laguna with 200 mounted men and some arms. These the count placed at the disposal of Rendon, and offered to use all his influence to maintain order among the populace. On the 6th of October the intendente received a despatch from Calleja informing him of the capture of Guanajuato by the insurgents, and of the immediate danger which threatened Zacatecas, probably the next place to be attacked. Rendon convoked a general junta, at which it was declared that the city was not defensible, surrounded as it was by command ing hills.

That same afternoon the Europeans, the members of the municipality, and the employes in the different government offices fled; and on the following morning the governor of Colotlan verbally informed the intendente that his troops had intimated to him that they had only followed him because he was a creole, but that they would take no action in the cause of the Europeans. Rendon allowed the governor to depart, but himself remained. The same day the populace rose in revolt, and only by the exertions of Laguna were they prevented from sacking stores and murdering objectionable residents. So violent were their demonstrations, that the cura implored Rendon to save