It was to steel his soul against this temptation, and enable him to keep the oath he had sworn, that Don Rafael now repaired to his father's grave. CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE. THE CAPTURE OF SAN CARLOS. A few minutes sufficed for the performance of his sacred duty; and Don Rafael, returning to the courtyard, placed himself at the head of his troopers--already in their saddles. There were eighty in all ordered upon the expedition--only a small garrison of twenty men being left-- just sufficient to defend the fortress. Two pack-mules accompanied the party--one carrying a small howitzer, while the other was laden with the necessary _caisson_ of ammunition. At a given signal the great gate of the hacienda was thrown open, and the troopers filing through, passed on down the avenue at a rapid trot, and in silence. A dozen or so of light cavalry went in advance of the main body--for the purpose of reconnoitring the ground--and at the head of these was Don Rafael himself with the Lieutenant Veraegui. On the way the Lieutenant, in brief language, rendered an account to his superior of the events that had happened since his last despatch to him--to all of which Don Rafael listened far from attentively. Absorbed in his thoughts, he sat abstractedly in his saddle until after they had forded the Ostuta. On the other side of the river the advance guard halted to give the main body time to come up; and here Don Rafael ordered the domestic of Don Fernando to be brought into his presence. "Do you know," said he, addressing the man, "if there be any road by which we can get round the hacienda, and approach it from the opposite side?" The domestic replied in the affirmative. He knew a path by which he could conduct the troopers to the rear of the building, and by which they might advance up to the very walls without their approach being discovered. "Go ahead then along with the scouts!" directed Don Rafael. "It is necessary we take these robbers by surprise, else they may get off from us as they have done before." The guide obeyed the order, and placing himself at the head of the advance guard, the march was resumed. The path by which the domestic conducted them made a detour round the foot of the hill, upon which the hacienda stood, and where, but a few hours earlier, Don Cornelio Lantejas had seen the flames shining so brightly through the windows. All was now silent as the tomb; and no sound of any kind announced that the approach of the assailing party was suspected. A little further on the guide halted and pointed out to Don Rafael several paths that branched off from the one they were following, and by which the party, separating into several detachments, might completely encompass the hacienda. This was exactly what Don Rafael wanted.