that act, which he conceded was the work of a minority, repealed.[86]  The junta accordingly met on the 11th, and, except for a few who were too ill to attend or who had fled, unanimously repealed the acts establishing the provisional government, which, after all, they claimed, had been set up temporarily to meet a situation of anarchy.

It was rumored that the Centralist governor of Tamaulipas had taken up his position at Jaumave, a small mining community fifteen leagues from Victoria; but when the Federalists entered the place on October 16, they found that the enemy, the town officials, and a large proportion of the better class of people had fled, leaving behind most of their property, a few peons and decrepit citizens to take care of themselves. The Federals proceeded to invest one of the peons with the dignity and power of an alcalde. "At first . . . he entered timidly upon the discharge of his high functions," but "as his principal duties, however, consisted in responding to the requisitions of the federal army, he soon learned how to discharge them" to the satisfaction of his superiors and his own rapacity. "When a requisition was made for a beef, or a mutton, or a fowl, he took care to order a like supply for himself, being fully persuaded that the entire blame could be laid upon 'los diablos Tejanos!' Thus the federal army, with the new alcalde and his brother-peons, lived sumptuously in the town of Jaumave,"[87]  known to the Texans as "Deadman's Town."[88]

Before leaving Victoria, a Mexican ranchero from San Antonio informed a Texan soldier named Long that on the preceding night he and a friend, while bathing in the stream near the town, had heard footsteps approaching, and not desiring to be seen had remained concealed in the water. Three men, whom they identified as Molano, López, and a person who had brought them dispatches that day, came down to the stream and seated themselves on the bank. The dispatch bearer then proceeded to inform the two colonels "that he was authorized, on behalf of the Governor and leading centralists, to offer, and guarantee the payment of a large sum of money to them, provided they would desert the Federal cause; and an additional sum, if they would