Followed by a group of Southern horsemen for spying on their camp, Chesterfield and Blutch managed to reach the Rio Grande and cross it to reach Mexico. As expected, the southerners did not pursue them in this hostile territory, but they nevertheless prevented them from crossing the river. At nightfall, after unsuccessfully trying to find another ford, Blutch and Chesterfield had to go to the obvious: Here they were stuck for an indefinite period in Mexico. Moreover, the presence of Indian bandits around them forced them to act in haste. Decided to hide in the forest, they discovered the corpses of a padre and his peone. So this is a good opportunity, by exchanging their frusques, to go unnoticed in this hostile country, where it is said that the worst bandits have a background of piety.