PUEYRREDON'S RETREAT. 149 Yocalla, addressed to the chiefs of the Potosi detachment, to remain at that point till further orders. The populace of Puna, perceiving his unfortunate predicament, began with fury to arm itself against him, although he had issued a military bando (proclamation) awarding the penalty of death to any one who, by word or deed, should throw the remotest obstacle in the way of his operations. The perils by which he was environed were of the most imminent kind; nor could his confidence in his position be very great, when he could only rely for support upon the grenadiers of La Plata. But considering that the treasure, if captured from him, would augment the power and increase the influence of the enemy, in the same ratio that such a catastrophe would cripple every movement of his own, he came to the determination either to save it, or perish in the attempt. He resolved, therefore, to commence his march on the 26th, having occupied all the 25th either in buying, or taking by compulsion from the inhabitants, the mules required to complete his equipment. But at half-past seven on the evening of that day, the captain of grenadiers of La Plata came in upon him, with great precipitation, to tell him that his 150 PUEYRREDON'S RETREAT. whole company had deserted him, after throwing down their arms in the barracks. This blow, he says, would certainly have proved fatal to his firmness, had he not been supported by the love of his country. His ruin would have been inevitable, if, at daybreak of the following day, the inhabitants had found him disarmed, and deserted by his grenadiers, who, from their discipline, had alone kept the people within bounds, and at a respectful distance. It is true that he had two companies of Cinti, but they had just arrived from their own country, clad in their own costume, unarmed, undrilled,— useless, in short. He, therefore, made all his arrangements for taking his departure that very night, without disclosing his plan to any one, except to those possessed of his entire confidence. He armed and dressed the Cinteños in the clothing and caps of the grenadiers who had deserted, and ordered them to be ready to march at two o'clock in the morning, without a man's being allowed, on any pretext, to leave the barracks after the calling over of the second muster-roll. His orders were punctually obeyed through the singular zeal and promptitude of the two captains, PUEYRREDON'S RETREAT. 151 Don Juan Francisco Rivera and Don Pedro Romero, aided by the scrupulous obedience of their subaltern officers. He united a few soldiers of the army, whom he had kept in concealment, owing to the persevering determination of the provisional junta to force them out of the town, for which purpose repeated official notices were sent to him. With a force of not more than forty-five men of all arms, he resolved to direct his march to the southward. At twelve o'clock at night he ordered the mules to be taken to the mint, with a command to the commissaries to commence the loading of them, which was successfully effected by four o'clock of the morning of the 25th. Having now completed his measures, he ordered the lieutenant of artillery, Don Juan Pedro Lima, to spike all the guns, a task which was speedily executed by this gallant officer. It Up to this time the rabble of the town were carelessly asleep, or perhaps they were preparing in secrecy the means of Pueyrredon's destruction. was about half-past four in the morning when he marched out of the town, commanding the most rigid silence to be preserved by his little band of troops, and taking the bells from the mules in order 152 PUEYRREDON'S RETREAT. that the noise of them might not awaken those whom he was now forced to look upon as his decided enemies. Notwithstanding these precautions, three mule loads of silver disappeared. Having occupied the avenues which led to the square, and having there assembled his now laden mules, he gave the order to march, dividing his small force between the van and the rear of the convoy. He thus traversed the streets, inhabited by a dense population, without further noise than that caused by the treading of the animals. When the light of day of the 25th came to show him the state of his caravan, he perceived it was beyond the danger of the pass of the Socabon, and he began to breathe on finding himself in the open country, escaped from the dangers which every street, and almost every house, had so lately presented to him. The populace, however, awoke at length, and finding he had decamped,-seeing their preparations for his annihilation frustrated,-they rushed to all the belfries of the town, and ringing to arms, went in perfect fury to the government-house, in order to take possession of the artillery there. With this they pursued at a precipitate pace, certain that PUEYRREDON'S RETREAT. 153 with it they would be able utterly to destroy Pueyrredon. This No sooner had they reached, however, the pass of the Socabon, and begun to load and prime the guns, than their desperation, on finding them spiked and useless, exceeded all bounds. precaution on his part their precipitation made them overlook, at least so he was informed by several inhabitants of the town who left it some hours afterwards. Not checked, however, by this incident, they united themselves with the Indians of the mountains, who had been summoned for this purpose, and came, at double-quick time, to the attack. up The noise of the bells had prepared him for this movement of the populace, and he, therefore, drew his little force in the rear of his caravan, without discontinuing his march. A few minutes only elapsed when he saw an immense multitude advancing in pursuit of him. "This was no time," says Pueyrredon," for reflection, but for defending with bullets what I had at so much risk, and after so much fatigue, been able so far to save." He sent forward, therefore, the sumpter-mules under charge of the commissioners |