After the moon had set they were forced to come to a halt, for some hours, finding it impossible to climb the steep hills in the darkness.

With the first light of day they were again in motion, and continued walking for some hours.
"There," Bathalda said at last, as he gained the brow of the hill, "that is the plateau land.

The town you see there, away on our right, is Otompan.

Now we will keep due west.

There are no large towns now, till we reach Tlatlanquitepec and Perote.