At this juncture Fray Augustin called for a glass of aguardiente, which Juanita was dispatched to bring, and, on presenting it, the churchman facetiously inquired why she wished for the Americans, adding, "Don't think they'll come here--no, no: here we are brave men, and have Don Antonio with us, a noble fellow, well used to arms." As the words were on his lips, the clattering of a horse's hoofs was heard rattling across the loose stones and pebbles in the bed of the river, and presently an Indian herder galloped up to the door of the Mission, his horse covered with foam, and its sides bleeding from spur-wounds. "_O, padre mio!_" he cried, as soon as he caught sight of his reverence, "_vienen los Americanos_--the Americans, the Americans are upon us. _Ave Maria purissima!_--more than ten thosuand are at my heels!" Up started the priest and shouted for the Don. That hidalgo presently appeared, armed with the sword that had graced his thigh in so many glorious encounters--the sword with which he had mowed down the enemies of his country, and by whose aid he now proposed to annihilate the American savages, should they dare to appear before him. The alarm was instantly given; peones, vaque-ros hurried from the plains; and milpas, warned by the deep-toned bell, which soon rung out its sonorous alarum. A score of mounted Indians, armed with gun and lasso, dashed off to bring intelligence of the enemy. The old gingall on the roof was crammed with powder and bullets to the very muzzle, by the frayle's own hand. Arms were brought and piled in the sala, ready for use. The padre exhorted, the women screamed, the men grew pale and nervous, and thronged within the walls. Don Antonio, the fiery Andaluz, alone remained outside, flourishing his whetted saber, and roaring to the padre, who stood on the roof with lighted match, by the side of his formidable cannon, not to be affrighted--"that he, the Trueba, was there, with his Tizona, ready to defeat the devil himself should he come on." He was deaf to the entreaties of the priest to enter. "_Siempre en el frente_--Ever in the van," he said, "was the war-cry of the Truebas." But now a cloud of dust was seen approaching from the plain, and presently a score of horsemen dashed headlong towards the Mission. "_El enemigo!_" shouted Fray Augustin; and, without waiting to aim, he clapped his match to the touch-hole of the gun, harmlessly pointed to the sky, and crying out, "_in el nombre de Dios_"--in God's name--as he did so, was instantly knocked over and over by the recoil of the piece, then was as instantly seized by some of the Indian garrison, and forced through the trap-door into the building; whilst the horsemen (who were his own scouts) galloped up with the intelligence that the enemy was at hand, and in overwhelming force.