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| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-23 01:02:58 -0800 |
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| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-23 01:02:58 -0800 |
| commit | cc0917c16459dad7bfc60143e60b31dd90dbc80f (patch) | |
| tree | 972d06baeb56777414872328affb1e1ed45f162d /old/65393-0.txt | |
| parent | c997d4300764172f5ac6ebfc505bb1d21bfbb45f (diff) | |
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diff --git a/old/65393-0.txt b/old/65393-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 67c20ec..0000000 --- a/old/65393-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12885 +0,0 @@ -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 65393 *** - - THE - - PHANTOM REGIMENT - - - OR - - STORIES OF "OURS" - - - BY - - JAMES GRANT - - AUTHOR OF - "THE ROMANCE OF WAR" - - - - LONDON - GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS - BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL - NEW YORK: 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE - - - - - JAMES GRANT'S NOVELS, - - Two Shillings each, Fancy Boards. - - THE ROMANCE OF WAR - THE AIDE-DE-CAMP - THE SCOTTISH CAVALIER - BOTHWELL - JANE SETON; OR, THE QUEEN'S ADVOCATE - PHILIP ROLLO - THE BLACK WATCH - MARY OF LORRAINE - OLIVER ELLIS; OR, THE FUSILIERS - LUCY ARDEN; OR, HOLLYWOOD HALL - FRANK HILTON; OR, THE QUEEN'S OWN - THE YELLOW FRIGATE - HARRY OGILVIE; OR, THE BLACK DRAGOONS - ARTHUR BLANE - LAURA EVERINGHAM; OR, THE HIGHLANDERS OF GLENORA - THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD - LETTY HYDE'S LOVERS - CAVALIERS OF FORTUNE - SECOND TO NONE - THE CONSTABLE OF FRANCE - VIOLET JERMYN - THE PHANTOM REGIMENT - THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS - THE WHITE COCKADE - FIRST LOVE AND LAST LOVE - DICK RODNEY - THE GIRL HE MARRIED - LADY WEDDERBURN'S WISH - JACK MANLY - ONLY AN ENSIGN - THE ADVENTURES OF ROB ROY - UNDER THE RED DRAGON - THE QUEEN'S CADET - SHALL I WIN HER? - FAIRER THAN A FAIRY - ONE OF THE SIX HUNDRED - MORLEY ASTON - DID SHE LOVE HIM? - THE ROSS-SHIRE BUFFS - SIX YEARS AGO - VERE OF OURS - THE LORD HERMITAGE - THE ROYAL REGIMENT - THE DUKE OF ALBANY'S HIGHLANDERS - THE CAMERONIANS - THE SCOTS BRIGADE - - - - - CONTENTS - - I. The Romance of a Month - II. The Guarda Costa - III. Jack Slingsby - IV. The Venta - V. The Regiment of San Antonio - VI. La Posada del Cavallo - VII. The Halt in a Cork Wood - VIII. The Alcalde - IX. The Tertulia - X. Don Fabrique - XI. The Raterillo - XII. La Rio de Muerte - XIII. Pedro the Contrabandista - XIV. The Spanish Steamer - XV. The Circassian Captain - XVI. Osman Rioni - XVII. The Hussars of Tenginski - XVIII. Zupi - XIX. We Reach Head-Quarters - XX. St. Floridan; or, the Adventures of a Night - XXI. The Widow; or, the Adventures of a Night - XXII. Perez, the Potter; or, the Adventures of a Night - XXIII. The Major's Story - XXIV. "Estella" - XXV. A Legend of Fife - XXVI. The Phantom Regiment--The Quartermaster's Story - XXVII. The Phantom Regiment--The Unco' Quest - XXVIII. The Phantom Regiment--The Midnight March - XXIX. The Last of Don Fabrique - - - - -THE PHANTOM REGIMENT; - -OR, - -STORIES OF "OURS." - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE ROMANCE OF A MONTH. - -"Adios, Señora Paulina--adios, mi Señora Dominga." - -"Adios, Señor Don Ricardo," replied a sweet voice from the depths of -the old Spanish coach. - -"Vaya usted con Dios, y que no haya novedad Señoras," said I, making -a vigorous effort with my best Castilian; and with these words, and -one bright parting glance from two black Andalusian eyes, so ended my -little romance of a month, as the old-fashioned coach, which was -doubtless the production of some cunning workman of Seville or Jaen, -rolled slowly, pompously, and heavily away towards the Spanish lines, -from the north gate of Gibraltar. - -And this farewell took place exactly this day twelve months ago. - -The coach which bore away the old lady who rejoiced in the euphonious -cognomen of Donna Dominga de Lucena y Colmenar de Orieja, and her -daughter the pretty Paulina, was a genuine old Castilian contrivance -of the true caravan species; and, though still in use, in this our -age of luxury and invention, had been constructed, perhaps, before -folding steps were conceived; for a three-legged stool, to facilitate -ingress and egress, hung near the door. The roof was shaped like the -crust of an apple-pie, and the lower carriage, like that portion of a -triumphal car. It was drawn by a pair of fat sleek mules, which -seemed to have grown old with the vehicle, and with Pedrillo, the -little postilion, who floundered away on a demi-pique saddle, with a -gigantic cocked hat surmounting his dark visage; and his lean spindle -legs lost in two gigantic jack-boots, which belonged to the -beforesaid saddle rather than to his own person. - -Such was the antediluvian vehicle which bore away the pompous old -Donna and her daughter the charming Paulina, who, for the past month -(during which she had resided in Gibraltar), had turned all the heads -of "Ours;" and was boasted by the Spaniards as the fairest belle in -las Cuatros Reinos--yes in the three mighty little kingdoms of -Seville, Cordova, Jaen, and Granada, which are now conglomerated into -the beautiful province of Andalusia. - -And so, without other escort than the redoubtable Pedrillo, who wore -a trabujo or blunderbuss slung across his back, and strong in their -belief in the virtues of the Santa Faz of Jaen, a picture of which -was hung in the back of their coach, these two Spanish ladies, on the -conclusion of their visit, departed on their return to Seville, their -native city; and from the British fortifications, which frown in -solid tiers towards the Spanish lines, I watched the venerable -carrozzo as it rolled across the low sandy Isthmus, which is known as -the neutral ground; and it disappeared just as the sun began to fade -upon the beautiful masses of the Serrania de Rondo, which rose in -piles against the golden clouds, and as the evening gun pealed like -thunder among the Moorish peaks of Jebel Tarik; and then I turned -away with a sigh as I thought of the winning smile I should never see -again. - -"It's all over now, Ramble," said my friend Jack Slingsby, who was -the subaltern of my company, and who had been my chum at Sandhurst; -"it is all over, Dick," he continued, with a laugh and one of those -rough slaps on the shoulder, which no one ventures to give but an -Englishman; "and so, instead of airing your sorrows here, 'sighing to -the evening breeze' and all that sort of thing, you may as well come -with me and knock the balls about a little--or join Shafton, the -colonel, and some of "Ours" who have proposed a pool to-night--and -meanwhile solace yourself with another of my 'very superior' cabanas." - -"Perhaps it is as well she is gone, Jack," said I, endeavouring to -imitate his light-hearted indifference; "had she remained among us -another week, I would certainly have booked for her, and so have -bedevilled myself, as you said yesterday." - -"For Donna Paulina?" - -"Of course--had you any doubts as to which?" - -"Why--no. I certainly did not think that you were in love with the -mother." - -"Well," said I, impatiently. - -"Paulina is very beautiful, no doubt; she has those Andalusian eyes -and ancles which all the world talk about, but which all the world -must see to feel the full effect of either. She has a charming -manner--a glorious 'espiêglerie'--yes, that's the word! full of -pretty repartee, and all that sort of thing--you understand me, Dick, -or Don Ricardo, as she called you; but withal, I assure you, I should -not like to enter for a Spanish wife, of all women in the world; no, -no--what does the song say?" and as we reascended to the higher parts -of the fortress, this careless fellow sang aloud a scrap of a popular -mess-table song, somewhat to this purpose:-- - - "No fair fräulein or demoiselle, nor donna with her smile, - Shall ever teach me to forget the dear ones of our isle; - And when I seek a heart and hand among the fair and free, - Still constant in my faith, I'll say an English girl for me." - - -"That is the mark, Dick,-- - - "----an English girl for me!" - -Besides, half of the young fellows in garrison here ran after -Paulina; and at every mess-table she was as well known as the big -drum, or the regimental snuff-box, or that great ram's head with its -devilish horns, with which those highland fellows of the 92nd -decorate their table, after the cloth is removed. At every jail, -field-day, and tertulia--at church, and on the promenade, a crowd of -admirers surrounded her, like flies round honey, and she seemed to be -equally delighted with all." - -"That was one of the peculiar charms of her manner, Jack," said I. - -"Peculiar, indeed!" said he, letting out a cloud of smoke from his -well-mustachioed lip. - -"In public, she distinguished none in particular, but was alike gay -with all." - -"And in private, who was said generally to be the happy Lothario?" - -I made no reply, but knocked the ashes away from the 'very superior' -cabana, with which he had just favoured me. - -"It was said to be a certain person known as Dick Ramble of 'Ours'," -continued Slingsby, in his bantering way; "but I am deuced glad it is -all over, like any other flirtation, and you are 'free to win and -free to wed another;' I don't like Spaniards--and never shall. In -fact, I have hated them ever since that unpleasant adventure I had at -Malaga last year, and about which I shall tell you some other time; -but here come Shafton, Morton, and some more of 'Ours,' and as soon -as we leave the mess, we shall adjourn to the billiard table." - -What this 'unpleasant adventure,' to which Slingsby referred--and to -which I had often heard him refer before--might have been I cared not -then to inquire; but walked on, more chilled than consoled by his -rattling manner and by that mess-room raillery, which I have known to -laugh many a wiser man than your humble servant, out of an honest and -sincere passion; while it has also been the saving of many an -inflammable "Newcome," or unfledged, but amatory ensign, from the -lures of those passé garrison belles, whose feathers are beginning to -moult, and whose brilliance is beginning to fade, after a long career -of close flirtation, round-dancing, supper-crushes, cold fowl, ices, -pink champagne, affectionate farewells in the grey morning, when the -drowsy drum-boys beat reveillie, or when the route arrived, and each -lover--a lover alas! but for the time--departed with his regiment to -return no more. - -Of Paulina de Lucena (such a pretty name it is!) I had seen much -during her short residence in Gibraltar, and had become--what shall I -term it, for 'Ours' were not marrying men--charmed by her sweetness -of temper and piquant manner, as well as by her acknowledged beauty. - -Jack Slingsby stigmatised this under the denomination of "being -spooney;" but as I have a proper abhorrence of all that slang -phraseology which is peculiar to the university, the barrack, the -clubhouse, and the turf, I believe I shall quote honest Jack no more, -but proceed in my own fashion. - -She was the only daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Don Ignacio de -Lucena, a Knight of San Ferdinando, an officer of Lancers in the -service of the Queen of Spain, in one of whose battles he was taken -prisoner by Cabrera, and shot in cold blood with fifty of his -soldiers: for this ferocious Carlist behaved with such barbarity to -the Constitutional Army that one of its officers, who had been a -prisoner, assured me that at Valencia he and his comrades were -subjected to such cruelty by their captors, that after a thousand -sufferings, on being denied food, they were driven to the dreadful -necessity of devouring the body of a fellow captive.* - - -* A work published in Valencia positively asserts this. - - -The profession of her father, together with the circumstance of one -of her brothers being in the Spanish sea service, and another in the -army of Portugal, caused her to view with a favourable eye all who -have the honour to live by the sword; and my small smattering of -Spanish, which I picked up in those idle hours of a garrison life -that otherwise must have hung heavily over me, gave me every facility -for cultivating a friendship which had in it everything that might -serve to dazzle and charm a young man; for with the idea of Andalusia -and Spanish beauty we are apt to conjure up so much of love and of -romance that the imagination gets the better of the senses; besides, -those rogues of travellers and romancers have always given us such -exaggerated pictures of Spanish loveliness. - -In regularity of feature and fairness of complexion, Donna Paulina -was inferior to many a pretty girl I have seen at home. Her most -glorious attractions were her dark glossy tresses and her black -eloquent eyes--brilliant, sad, subduing, ever varying, but ever -black, and under their long, long fringes, ever melting. In beauty -of form and grace of movement she was unmatched out of her own -province, and I can assure the reader that the first time her very -striking figure appeared among the promenaders in the Alameda of -Gibraltar with her drapery of black lace falling from a high pearl -comb, her mantilla, her close-fitting dress, her pretty feet in their -Cordovan slippers, and her large fan, the unhappy bones of which were -ever in a state of flutter and excitement, and between which she shot -her most dangerous glances, it occasioned much marvel, curiosity, and -speculation at all the mess-tables of Her Majesty's forces stationed -on the rock. - -To such a companion imagine the charm of acting cicerone about the -fortifications of old Gibraltar; imagine our evening rambles round -Rosia Bay and along the new mole, where the ships of the British and -Yankees, the French, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Turks, Greeks, -Moors, Arabs, and Jews, with all their varieties of ensigns, costume -and rig, are riding at anchor, and where many a grim mortar and -cannon gun frown over the new bastion; imagine the transition from -the sunny Alameda to the deep cool galleries which are hewn in the -heart of the living rock, and which are now turned to such war-like -purposes as old Pomponius Mela, who first wrote of them, could never -have conceived, and where we wandered for many an hour, the pretty -donna forgetting the starched customs of her country so far as to -grasp my arm with both her hands at times, for the aspect of these -places filled her with timidity and awe. - -To these subterranean batteries there is admitted but a dim and -dubious light that steals through their embrasures, glinting on the -damp slime of their walls and roof of rock; and on the heavy -ordnance--sixty-eight pounders some of them--which stand on frames of -metal, on piles of balls and bombs, and on doors studded with iron, -that lead to other and inner vaults full of missiles and unknown -terrors. - -On, on would we wander, through grim batteries, gloomy magazines, and -far-stretching galleries, that seemed to be without end, obtaining at -times through the vaulted embrasures a glimpse of the town, then -basking in the glare of the noonday sun, or of the sea, shining under -a brilliance in which the vessels on its bosom became lost, while we -heard only the sound of our own voices, the twang of a bugle, or the -sharp rat-tat of a drum in the barracks, the faint boom of a breaker -on the cliffs, or the fainter sound of voices in the town, far, far -down below, where all the races of the world were mingling; for -there, in its streets, might be seen the smart Greek in his scarlet -fez and ample kilt; the hideous Afric Jew in his black and white -striped cowl; the slow and solemn Turk; the bare-kneed Scottish -soldier; the lively Italian sailor, and the puffing, perspiring, and -grumbling John Bull. - -I saw Paulina daily, and garrison life became one long and enchanting -dream! - -In the batteries of the rock we promenaded often when the heat became -too great in the sunny Alameda, and with such a companion, while -wandering through the subterranean and twilight shades of Saint -George's Hall, or the Windsor Gallery, how was it possible to escape -from loving her.--A coquettish Andalusian, who, whenever I ventured -to become a little more tender than usual, would tap me over the -fingers with her fan, or give me one brilliant, flashing and -fascinating glance, as she closed her screen of black lace, and -threatened to leave me, while she sang, with the most charming grace -in the world, "Pues por besarte Minguillo," the English of which is -somewhat to the following purpose:-- - - "Give me swiftly back, thou dear one, - Give the kiss I gave to you; - Give me back the kiss, for mother - Is impatient--prithee do! - Give me that, and take another, - For that one, thou shalt have two." - -And where, the while, the reader may naturally enquire, was the -cautious, suspicious, and lynx-eyed Spanish mother therein referred -to? - -Now old Donna Dominga had conceived a vehement friendship for me -since the first evening on which I had the pleasure of meeting her at -the residence of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief; and where I -supplied her with ices when she was warm, adjusted her mantilla when -she was cool, held her fan, snuff-box, and poodle, and brought her a -cigarillo and orange-water dashed with the smallest taste of brandy; -and, discovering her sympathies and antipathies, soon learned to -anathematise Cabrera and the Conde de Montmolin, to express a vague -belief in miracles in general, and the verity of the Holy Face of -Jaen in particular. I "turned" the old lady's flank, and established -myself safely under the wing of her prejudices. - -She always accompanied Paulina and me in our rambles; but I generally -contrived, by a little successful manoeuvring, to leave her to the -care of Dr. MacLeechy, our senior surgeon, after Jack Slingsby had -very disobligingly revolted against this duty; and as the doctor and -the Donna were either somewhat pursy, or disposed to prose and -linger, we usually left them far in the rear and lost sight of them -altogether. - -Now the doctor, who quoted Kelaart as if he had been his own father, -and expatiated to the old lady on geology (with mineralogy, botany, -and Scottish metaphysics), was so very particular in explaining the -leaves, fibres, and various properties of the _Iberus Giberaltarica_, -the only plant peculiar to the rock, that the stout Donna Dominga, -who deemed all this but the language of the flowers, and viewed -everything through the medium of gallantry, became troubled in -spirit, and would occasionally blush behind the sticks of her fan, or -ogle and look unutterable things at our poor unconscious medico. She -would sigh tenderly when he plucked the soft palmetto which grows in -the rocky crevices, or tremble over the white polyanthus, and was -ready to drop like a ripe pumpkin into his arms, when he grew -eloquent upon the various species of the cacti. - -This was all very well while it lasted, for while the ponderous old -donna thought that our quiet, canny, and discreet Galen, who signed -himself M.D. of St. Andrews, and F.E.C.S. of Edinburgh, was a lover -of her own, she forgot to look too narrowly after us; and believed -that she had found a most agreeable mode of passing the month in -Gibraltar, which, for change of air, had been recommended by some -sangrado of Seville, as her health had become somewhat impaired by -ease and good living. - -I was so dazzled and delighted with the charming Paulina, and her -pretty little ways, that I had really begun to prepare my mind for -repelling the banter of the mess, and for waiting with due solemnity -upon Donna Dominga to confer with her alone, upon settlements and so -forth, when a terrible denouement took place! Having rashly boasted -of her imaginary conquest over our doctor, to a lady whom she met at -the house of a rich Spanish merchant in the Alameda, there ensued -between them an immediate scene; for this unlucky communication -(given with all the coy triumph with which the plump old lady could -invest it) was made to no other than the doctor's wife, who had just -arrived from Dublin; and as it had never entered the head of Donna -Dominga to inquire whether our unsuspecting medico was a -Benedick--bond or free, as they say in Australia--a storm was the -consequence. - -Now, Mrs. Leechy MacLeechy, our Scotch doctor's better half, was a -strong-minded Irish woman, who wore a species of turban, and was the -terror of the regiment; on each of her fat wrists she wore a bracelet -of blood-encrusted medals, torn, as she said, "off Rooshian breasts," -and sent to her from Sebastopol by her brother, who was "the -matchor--the saynior matchor--devil a less, or the foighting -eighty-ayth;" and so this lady, in her deep Galway patois, poured on -the Spaniard a broadside that would have sunk the Santissima Trinidad. - -Finding her love affair at an end, the cruel donna resolved to cut -short mine. Within an hour after this meeting, Pedrillo was -summoned; the old Spanish coach was brought forth; the baggage -packed, and her farewell cards--P.P.C.--dispatched to the governor -and his military secretary; to the aides-de-camp and staff colonel; -to the officers commanding regiments, and all the great folks of the -place. The old lady and the pretty Paulina got into the depths of -the ponderous 'carrozza;' the three-legged stool was strapped to the -door; Pedrillo clambered into his bucket-like boots, and muttered -many 'carajos!' as he applied his latigo to the sleek sides of the -dapple mules, and while their proprietrix was sulking and fuming at -Gibraltar and all the heretics who dwelt therein, the huge conveyance -crawled along the narrow causeway which forms the communication -between the town and the isthmus, and, for the present, thus ended, -as I have said, my pleasant little Spanish romance of a month. - -A recollection was all that remained to me of Paulina, and of that -flirtation which was fast maturing into something of a better and -more lasting nature. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE GUARDA COSTA. - -During the two preceding months we had been daily expecting orders to -embark for the Crimea, and this expectation formed almost our sole -topic at mess; but days became weeks, and weeks became months, yet we -heard no more of it than what passed among ourselves. - -Transports laden with troops--horse, foot, and artillery--touched -daily at the Rock, and steamed on into the bright blue Mediterranean, -with spirit-stirring cheers rising from their crowded decks. -Regiments junior to ours were withdrawn from the Rock and dispatched -to that scene of bravery and bloodshed, of mismanagement and -disaster, towards which all our thoughts, our hopes, and hearts were -turned; but the route never came for "Ours," and we grew decidedly -peevish, and found the dull routine of duty among the endless -batteries, bastions, curtains, magazines, and casemates of that -mighty fortress which was so long boasted (before the days of steam) -as the key of "the great French lake," sufficiently tedious; for we -felt that we were merely playing at soldiers like militiamen, while -our comrades of the line were engaged in desperate work, and played -the great game of war, with the eyes of all the world upon them. - -One evening, about a week after the departure of the ladies, I was -captain of the guard at the New Mole Fort, and Jack Slingsby was my -subaltern. We had just finished the dinner which had been sent to -us, hot and smoking, from the mess-house, in a conveyance for the -purpose; the windows of the officers' guardroom were open, and with a -box of contraband cigars, a few periodicals from the garrison -library, a telescope to watch the passing ships, and a bottle or two -of very choice mess claret, we were dozing the sunny evening of -Andalusia very comfortably away. - -The last dispatches from the Crimea had been read and discussed by -us; the last lists of killed, wounded, frozen, or missing in the -trenches had been conned over for some familiar name, which brought -vividly before us some fine fellow we should never see again; but -whose sudden fate was the more interesting to us, because it soon -might be our own. - -Whether it was the result of the good dinner, the good wine, the -sultry atmosphere, or our own thoughts that oppressed us, I know not; -but we sat long silent, and gazing at the varied scenery and -glittering waters of the bay. - -My thoughts were still wandering after Paulina, and I was -endeavouring to imagine what she might be about at that precise -moment. - -Slingsby had lost a very heavy and very absurd bet, on an interesting -race run at Grand Cairo between an Irish mare and an Arab horse -belonging to Halim Pasha, when the former beat the latter "all to -nothing," as Jack phrased it, and he had to hand over 500_l._ to -Morton, our colonel, for booking on a horse which neither of them had -ever seen. The same race was offered for the last two years against -all England, for ten thousand sovereigns, and, as all the sporting -world know, the challenge was not accepted. Blue-devilled by his -loss, Jack Slingsby sipped his claret in silence and made wise -resolutions which he never intended to keep, with moral reflections -which he never could practise, and longed for the Crimea, insensible -to the charms of this delightful climate, where, even in January, the -narcissus-polyanthus hang in white clusters from the rocks; where the -purple lavender flowers in large beds and parterres; where the -palmetto spreads its fan-like foliage to the sun; where the gigantic -aloe puts forth its leaves, and the prickly pear expands its -ponderous bunches, while the wild tulip and the damascus-tree are in -full blossom under the gloom of the solemn pine, or the lighter -foliage of the cork-tree--and where all is verdure, fragrance, and -joy! Yet, amid all this, Jack Slingsby, like the rest of "Ours," -sighed for the frozen camp, the battered trenches, and the misery of -Sebastopol. - -"So you have not got the better of your Spanish fancies, eh?" said -he, for lack of something better to talk about; "the charming -Paulina--that most rotund of elderly females, her mamma, and all that -sort of thing?" - -"What leads you to think so?" I asked languidly, as I lay stretched -at length on the Windsor chairs, watching the smoke which ascended -from my lips to the ceiling. - -"It is quite plain, dear Don Ricardo." - -"You cannot mimic her, so don't attempt it, Jack; but how is it -plain, eh?" - -"As clear as when the right is in front, the left is the pivot." - -"A technical reply." - -"Dick Ramble, my boy, you are quite sad about her, and there is no -use in attempting to conceal it," continued Slingsby. - -"Not sad, exactly," said I, making an effort to look brave; "never -was I fool enough to be sad about any woman yet; there are as good -fish, &c., and as for the Spanish girl--try another Cuba, the box is -beside you." - -"Thanks--about this Spanish girl?" - -"Fill your glass, and push across the decanter; has not that bottle -been a little corked, think you?" - -"Perhaps--about this Spanish girl?" continued Jack doggedly. - -"Well, what the deuce about her?" - -"You were just on the point of remarking some thing." - -"Only that her eyes were very fine, were they not?" - -"Very, but I prefer blue-- - - "'No fair fräulein nor dem-----' - - -"For heaven's sake, Jack, don't begin that ever-lasting ditty!" said -I, pettishly; "yes, Paulina's eyes were beautiful; they seemed, as -the Spaniards say, to be in mourning for the murders they committed." - -"A stale compliment," was Jack's retort to my interruption of a song -with which he had favoured the mess every night since we left -Southampton, for a small amount of vocal talent will go a long way to -charm a mess-table; "she murdered you, however, with very little -compunction; but to think of the doctor's botanising with the mother -being mistaken for love-making--was it not glorious, Dick?" - -"I have sometimes thought of a month's leave, just between musters," -said I, without joining in Jack's boisterous laugh. - -"Leave! for what purpose?" - -"A ride into Spain--say, as far as Seville; what do you think of it?" - -"Seventy miles or more to help you to continue a flirtation begun in -the casemates of Gibraltar. Thank you, Ramble; I would rather hold -myself excused. I had a little adventure in Spain once before, and -its devilish concomitants quite cured me of all taste for another; -though if I had not lost this unlucky 500_l._ perhaps--" - -"Well, why the deuce did you not let Halim Pasha and his nag alone? -What did their race matter to you?" - -"But lend me the telescope--what is that puff--a gun?" - -"It is a smuggler running right for the harbour, pursued by a Spanish -guarda costa; bang! there goes another gun from the Don." - -"And right through the felucca's sail too!" - -"Hollo! they will be within gunshot of us ere long," said I, -springing up: "and this will be work for us. Sentry, call the gunner -of the guard." - -"Gunner of the guard!" reiterated the sentinel, who stood, bayonet in -hand, under a sunshade, at the guard-house door. - -The solitary artilleryman, who was attached to my guard, appeared in -an instant with his sword by his side, and a lintstock in his hand. - -"Get ready a gun," said I; "for there is a Spanish guarda costa in -pursuit of a smuggler, and we must protect our friend." - -"An 18-pounder, or a 24, sir?" - -"Oh, give him a twenty-four, and take a file of the guard to assist -you." - -While the smuggler, with her long sweeps out, and every stitch of -canvas crowded on her long and tapering masts and whip-like yards, -was straining every nerve to escape from the Spanish cruiser, which -plied away with her bow guns, and bore after her close-hauled, and -rushing through the shining waves till they seemed to smoke under -her, it may be necessary to inform the reader that the manufacture -and smuggling of tobacco and cigars at Gibraltar is a never-failing -and never-ending source of angry discussion between the Governments -of Spain and Britain; for, by the former, tobacco has long been -reckoned a royal monopoly. Now, in Gibraltar, almost every second -house is a cigar-shop, and more than two thousand men are daily -employed in the manufacture of these articles of luxury, without -which a Spaniard would be, as some one says. like a steamer without -a funnel. Three-fourths of the British exports from Gibraltar to the -three United Kingdoms are also smuggled, and to such an extent is the -contraband trade carried, that the annual importation of tobacco into -that fortified town, says Mr Porter, in his "Progress of the Nation," -"amounts to from six millions to eight millions of pounds, nearly the -whole of which is purchased by smugglers." - -The boats of the contrabandistas are generally rigged as feluccas, -and painted black; they are built sharp as a pike-head, and carry a -heavy brass gun, which, in harbour, is usually concealed under a pile -of old boxes and casks, with a tarpaulin thrown over it, while in -cases of emergency, various pistols, pikes, and cutlasses, make their -appearance in the hands of the brown-visaged, black-bearded, -red-sashed, and rather pictorial-looking ruffians, whose chief -occupation is to sleep and lounge about their decks by day. - -To look out for these lads of the knife and pistol, the Government of -Her Most Catholic Majesty maintains a number of fast-sailing revenue -craft, called guarda costas, commanded by brave and vigilant -officers. These are the abhorrence of the contrabandistas, whose -operations are greatly facilitated on land by the concurrence of the -corrupt Spanish officials; and those guarda costas, in their zeal, -had, of late, been rash enough to pursue their prey into those waters -which are under the jurisdiction of the Governor and -Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar; and in three instances had boarded -them with pistol and cutlass, shot the crews, or driven them -overboard, and thereafter cut the feluccas out from under the very -guns of Her Britannic Majesty's fortress. - -This, however, was not to be tolerated again, and strict orders had -been issued that every guarda costa who ventured into troubled waters -should be fired on. John Bull is consistently absurd and unjust in -all things, and, with all his boasted justice, is the most veritable -bully in the world--except, perhaps, his thriving son Jonathan; he -would no doubt cut his own smugglers out of any port in the world, -and in the same moment would deny the poor Spaniards the right to do -the same; for John is a man full of honour and liberality, or a man -of neither, just as may suit his own particular purpose for the time; -but to return,-- - -On came the felucca in question, running straight for the anchorage, -which was protected by the heavy guns of the New Mole Fort where we -were on guard. and the parapet of which was lined by the soldiers, -all eager to witness the result of that most exciting of all things, -a chase--a struggle between a strong party and a weak one. On came -the guarda costa in pursuit, plying her bow-chaser, cleaving asunder -the clouds of white smoke which ever and anon it rolled ahead of her, -and riding over the waves, then shining in all the rosy brilliance of -a Spanish sunset, while astern waved the large ensign with the red -and yellow horizontal bars of Castile and Leon. - -Suddenly the little felucca ran up British colours; a sharp patter -rang over the water, and a wreath of smoke rose from her stern as the -devil-may-care contrabandistas gave the cruiser a dose of small arms. - -Boom again! The don gave another shot from his brass gun, and this -time an angry shout arose from our own vessels in the roadstead, for -the ball had crossed the forefoot of a Newcastle collier. - -"Ramble, this will never do," said Slingsby; "that Spanish craft is -too near by half--much nearer than our standing orders permit." - -"Now, gunner, is that 24-pounder ready?" said I. - -"All ready, sir." - -"Then bang at her." - -We all watched the shot with breathless interest, for to us, the -whole affair was merely a race, a game of hazard, like any other. -The sullen roar of the 24-pounder shook the solid parapet of the New -Mole Fort, and pealed in repeated echoes round all the shore to the -extremity of Rosia Bay; and as the cloud of light smoke curled away -from before us, we saw the shot whipping the water far astern of the -guarda costa, and a flush of annoyance spread over the honest face of -the artilleryman; for, as all our eyes were bent upon his -performance, he had been most anxious to excel, and this very anxiety -had probably defeated its object. - -A muttered exclamation of impatience escaped him. - -"Run back the gun," said he to the guard. - -Back went the carronade, and home went the sponge, as he set his -teeth, and, with hasty determination, proceeded to reload. - -"Quick, quick," said I; "for if she hauls her wind, gunner, there -will barely be time to give another shot." - -"I'll toss you for it, Señor Capitano," said Slingsby; "bet you a -bottle of champagne that I will hit the guarda costa." - -"Done," said I; "toss for the first fire." - -We tossed, and it fell to Jack. - -"Take care that you don't hit the felucca." - -"Miss the pigeon and hit the crow--eh, Dick?" he said, while, -laughing, he applied his eye to the sites on the breech, and -proceeded to adjust the screw, to the evident annoyance of the -gunner, who, while he could not decline to relinquish his place to an -officer, was piqued on being deprived of a chance of retrieving his -name as a professional marksman; and now he stood by, with his match -lighted, in the earnest hope, doubtless, that Jack Slingsby would -send his shot as wide of the mark as possible. Cigar in mouth, Jack -glanced coolly--almost carelessly--along the gun, and on covering his -object, cried--"fire!" - -Again the lintstock fell on the touch-hole; again the gun-shot rolled -along the echoing shore, and pealed away to seaward; a large white -splinter was seen on the gunwale of the guarda costa; her sails -shivered and flapped in the wind, as the ball struck her, and -suddenly backing her mainyard, she lay to, heaving like a wounded -seabird, on the long glassy ridges of the ground-swell, ere the burst -of applause with which our soldiers greeted Slingsby had died -away--for my friend Jack was one of their most favourite officers. - -"You did for her, there, sir," said the gunner, approvingly, as he -rammed home the sponge. - -"Yes, but as you fired when she was much further off, remember that I -have the less credit in hitting," replied Jack, as he gave the gunner -a crown-piece to console him. - -By this time the felucca, with a shout of derision rising from her -deck, ran into the harbour, ducking her colours thrice to us in -salute, as she passed the New Mole Fort. - -I had not been looking for more than a minute through the spy-glass -at the guarda costa, when I became assured that some one on board had -been wounded severely, either by the shot or its splinters. The -crew--all save the man at the wheel--were grouped amidships; many -were kneeling on the deck, and, once or twice, clenched hands were -fiercely shaken in menace towards the battery; then we saw a man -borne carefully aft between several others. - -"Some one has evidently been killed or wounded desperately," said I, -handing the glass to Slingsby. - -"Good Heaven! do you say so?" cried Jack; "well, it would seem -so--poor fellow--you know, Ramble, I did not exactly anticipate such -a thing--so it is--so it is! There is a man stretched on the deck!" -he added, passing the telescope to our soldiers. - -"We have only obeyed a standing garrison order," said I; "and the -responsibility thereof, if any, does not lie with us, but with those -who issued it. Come back to the guard-room, Jack, and my servant -shall go to the messman for that bottle of champagne you have won so -well." - -"Oh! deuce take the champagne, and all that sort of thing," said -Jack, looking still at the guarda costa. - -For a time an evident confusion and indecision, seemed to reign among -her crew. She lay heaving and tossing, rising and falling on the -long and ridgy rollers, with the setting sun glaring full upon her -white mainsail, which lay flat to the mast; the light of day soon -sank in the west, behind the upper peak of the rocky mountain, from -which a myriad rays shot upward and played on the masses of floating -cloud; the strait was still bathed in the amber glory of evening, and -each glassy billow of the slow ground-swell as it rolled away from -west to east, rose like a bank of gold from a plain of brilliant -blue; and all the amphitheatre of the town, which stretches along the -base of the rock, and rises gradually from the shore in the most -delightful manner--mingling in picturesque confusion, the lofty and -airy Spanish caza, with its flat roof, verandah, and sun-shaded -windows, the close, compact English house, the solid rampart, and the -flimsy wooden storehouse--all were bathed in the warmest tints, and -every casement and window flung back the gleams of radiance, as if -they had been illuminated by lamps of crimson and gold. - -Soon after the departed sun had shed its last ray on the bare scalp -of the sugar-loaf, the crew of the guarda costa, as a protection -probably, hoisted British colours, and crept past us into the -harbour, and immediately on dropping her anchor, sent a boat ashore. - -We supposed that this visit could only be for the purpose of lodging -a complaint against the officer in command at the New Mole Fort--to -wit myself, a complaint which we knew would be unavailing: but we -were mistaken; for my servant, on returning from the barracks with -the bottle of champagne and other &c. requisite to enable Jack and me -to pass the night on guard agreeably, brought us the unpleasant -information that the shot had carried away both legs of the -unfortunate Spanish lieutenant who commanded the guarda costa, and -that doctor M'Leechy of "Ours" had at once gone off to the vessel to -succour the patient, who--poor fellow!--had died under his hands. - -This catastrophe proved a great damper to us, and to Jack in -particular, for he was one of the best-hearted fellows in the -service; so we had more champagne brought from the mess-house, and we -talked of the guarda costa and her poor lieutenant almost till the -morning gun was fired; and the affair furnished me with a special -paragraph for that "column of remarks" in the guard report which -seldom contains memoranda of greater importance than a notice of "the -cracked pane of glass, handed over by Captain O'Brien of the 88th;" -or, "the poker, handed over, broken, by the last guard under -Lieutenant Smith, of the Buffs," and so forth. - -In the morning we found that the guarda costa had sailed in the -night, taking her dead commander with her; and long before the end of -the week we had ceased even to speak of the circumstance at mess, and -I forgot the affair as the image of Paulina came before me again, and -thoughtless Jack Slingsby was as gay as ever. - -But I must mention, that on being relieved from guard at the New Mole -Fort, I found waiting me, at my quarters, Pedro de Urquija, a -well-known contrabandista, and king of the smugglers of Gibraltar, -who gave me a profusion of thanks "for saving his little felucca, La -Buena Fortuna, from that devil of a guarda costa," saying it was the -closest run he had ever experienced in twenty years of arduous -smuggling; and he insisted upon my acceptance of several boxes of -prime Cubas and some dozen yards of magnificent lace, worked by the -nuns of Cadiz and the poor sisters of Santa Theresa at Estrelo, and -we parted the best friends in the world: but a heavy rod was in -pickle for Jack and me; and the affair was destined to cost us more -danger, trouble, and anxiety, than we could ever have calculated on -risking. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -JACK SLINGSBY. - -The killing of the Spanish lieutenant revived among our diplomatic -people the ever-rankling quarrel about the contrabandistas, and the -captain-general of Andalusia wrote an angry letter to the governor of -Gibraltar, remonstrating with him on the conduct of the officer in -charge of the battery at the Mole Fort, in daring to fire upon a -Spanish government cruiser, and requesting that the said Don Ricardo -Ramble should be given up to the Spanish authorities to be sent to -the galleys at Barcelona probably, or to be otherwise disposed of. - -This absurd demand, however, the old general commanding waived -politely; but the correspondence was prolonged until the military -secretary became bored to death on the subject, and lost all patience -at the very mention of it. Now as the Queen of Spain designates -herself sovereign lady of Gibraltar, and as the alcalde of San Roque, -a little town which has sprung up within the last hundred and fifty -years, still styles himself in all official documents Alcalde of San -Roque and of Gibraltar, and holder of supreme authority therein, the -tone assumed by the capitan-general, who was on a visit to Jaen, was -pompous, high, and mighty; for no explanation we could give in -writing could make the irritable old Castilian hidalgo see that the -lieutenant of the guarda costa had been in the wrong. - -One evening, on entering the mess-room, I was startled by Colonel -Morton acquainting me that by directions just arrived from the -Foreign Secretary he had been requested to send the two officers who -were on guard in the new Mole Fort into Spain. - -"Without hostage or guarantee--the devil!" said I, shrugging my -shoulders; "and to whom?" - -"To this obstinate old bore by habit, and boar by nature, the -captain-general." - -"As prisoners, colonel?" cried Slingsby, with an astounded air from -the other end of the table, and pausing with his hand on a wine -decanter; "you don't mean to say as prisoners?" - -"Prisoners--not at all; how could you think of such a thing?" said -the colonel, laughing, for he was a hearty old soldier, at whose name -stood P.W. and K.H., and C.B. in _Hart's Army List_; "you go merely -to explain the late affair in person; and it is the more necessary -for you both to go as the two aides-de-camp of the governor are on -the sick list. It is only a ride of some seventy or eighty miles -into Spain--wish 't were I who had the duty to do." - -"And where does the captain-general live?" - -"At Seville, to which place he is now returning from Jaen." - -"Ah, indeed, Seville," said I, reviving, as I filled my glass with -Moselle, and Slingsby stuck his glass in his remarkably knowing eye. - -"You'll take good horses; but be careful of rogues, raterillos, and -footpads by the way. I can lend you a pair of pistols with spring -bayonets." - -"Thank you, colonel, I have my revolver," said I, laughing. - -"What! you smile, Ramble?" said the colonel; "and believe me to have -the bandittiphobia; but I know Spain well, having marched over every -foot of the Peninsula under Lord Lyndedoch, and fought my way from -the Black Horse Square at Lisbon to the banks of the Nive, so I know -pretty well, that in peace as in war armed desperadoes, whose hands -are against all men, are, as a certain traveller says, 'the very -weeds of the Spanish soil.' Right well do I know the land of Los -Espagnols as we used to call them in the old fighting 5th Hussars. I -was in the cavalry then, and had I not grown stiff in the joints, and -lost all relish for adventures by day, fleas by night, and the -resinous taste of vino out of a skin at all times, I would have saved -you the trouble of the journey and gone myself; but my instructions -from home say that Captain Ramble and Lieutenant Slingsby must go, so -there is the end of it. Major, Mr. Vice, another bottle of wine to -drink 'bon voyage' to Ramble and Slingsby." - -"With all my heart; sergeant Slopper, a fresh allowance of wine," -said the major. - -"Wish I were going with you," said Shafton, the captain of our light -company; "a ride to Seville! the very name of the place conjures up -a sunny vision of orange trees and glowing grapes, of black mantillas -and taper ancles, and different duty from trenching in the Crimea as -we might have been, and ought to have been by this time." - -"Aye," quoth M'Leechy the doctor, who although married (as he knew to -his cost) was dining that day with the mess; "and a pleasant change -after our dull routine of garrison life, during which we have, as -'Punch' says-- - - "Contentedly eat ration beefs and muttons, - Contentedly drank ration rums and waters; - Darned our own socks, and sewed our own buttons, - Fried in summer, and froze in winter quarters." - - -"A fine upon the doctor," said Shafton; "colonel, Mr. Vice, -gentlemen, he vilely satirises Her Majesty's service, a bottle of -champagne from the doctor." - -"You will remember us all most affectionately to Donna Dominga and to -the bewitching Paulina--you will see them of course," said some one -from the foot of the table. - -"The doctor must prepare some of the rarest specimens of those -remarkable cacti with which he subdued the heart of the plump widow," -said Slingsby, taking up the chorus of banter, "and have them ready -by to-morrow; we start to-morrow, I presume, colonel." - -"As early as you please," said Morton. - -"We shall have some glorious fun in Seville--eh, Ramble? You'll envy -us, gentlemen." - -"If the captain-general does not garotte you," snarled the doctor; -"or treat you as Don Ramon Cabrera, the Conde de Morella, treated the -husband of Donna Dominga." - -"But for that gentle sigh, doctor, I would have considered you quite -a bear," said Slingsby, "but pass the wine, M'Leechy." - -"If you find Seville dull," retorted the doctor, "you had better play -the same little prank you played at Kilkenny when you were in the -Sixth." - -"What did he do when in the Sixth?" inquired a dozen voices at once. - -"What did he not do you should ask," continued the doctor, while Jack -smiled faintly and filled up his glass. "Once when we marched into -Kilkenny we found there had been a quarrel between the Rapparees of -the district and the first battalion of Scots Royals. It was in the -time of high Repeal enthusiasm, and nothing was thought of but an -Irish Republic, so the people looked darkly at the redcoats. Now -Slingsby had never been in Ireland before, and as he received over -the barrack-guard from one of the Royals, with bayonets fixed and -drum beating, he asked how the inhabitants liked the troops. - -"'Ill enough,' answered the Royal, 'since we shot some of them in a -tithe business near Roscrea: they have been as cold as charity, and -the devil a dinner or ball have we had since last muster day, and you -be here till you are mouldy without seeing such a thing as a waltz or -white kids--ices and fowl, trifle and champagne.' - -"Whereupon Mr. Jack Slingsby, being an Englishman, and knowing no -better, believed he might play pranks upon the Irish; and seating -himself in his quarters next day, he assumed his pen and dispatched -the following card to every house in the town:-- - - -"'Lieutenant Slingsby, of H.M.'s 6th Foot, presents his compliments -to the ladies of Kilkenny, and takes the earliest opportunity of -announcing his arrival. He begs to inform them that he can play -whist, casino, and every game on cards known in Christendom; that he -flirts to admiration, and can polk, waltz, and dance the varsovienne -ditto, that generally he can accommodate himself to every whim-wham -of the charming sex, and is always to be heard of at his residence in -the infantry barracks.' - - -"Among others he rashly sent one of these precious circulars to Mrs. -Towler, the wife--I beg her pardon--the lady of the major-general of -the district, who wickedly handed it to her husband at breakfast; so -poor Jack's production brought him before a general court-martial. -It went very hard with him, for the irascible general deemed that his -wife and her ten highly-eligible daughters were grossly insulted; but -our hero escaped with a reprimand, and the colonel was directed to -watch his conduct in future, but he became thereafter the lion of -Kilkenny and Carlow to boot, and all the district from Roscrea to -Clonmel. After that, an evening party without Jack, would have been -like a bell without a clapper." - -"But the general never forgave me for that prank," said Jack, -good-humouredly; "and he was always on the watch for me afterwards." - -"You remember how nearly he had you booked for another court-martial -on a race day?" - -"And how nicely I outflanked and outwitted him! It was the day of -the principal races; I had a horse to run, and more than half the -regiment had made a heavy book on him, and a great amount of paper -was expected to change owners on the issue. The lord-lieutenant was -to be there, and I was all anxiety to be present at the race, when, -as the devil or the adjutant would have it, I found myself in orders -the day before--orders for guard! Everybody was going to the course, -and not a soul for love or money would take my duty; so with a heavy -heart I paraded in the morning; and as the time for the start drew -near I saw all our fellows bowl out of barracks in drags and cars -attired in sporting mufti and in high spirits. Then came old General -Towler, commanding the district, in his blue frogged coat, and with -the sabre which he had wielded at the passage of the Bidassoa, Mrs. -General Towler, several Misses Towler, all demoiselles of mature age, -and the A.D.C. Horatio Towler, captain of a regiment which he never -saw, for he wisely preferred his mamma's drawing-room in Kilkenny to -broiling on Cape Coast. They all scampered out, then the barrack -gates were shut, and all became very quiet and still. - -"No sound stirred in the empty parade-yard, for no one was abroad; -the sun was scorching and the sentinels stood in their boxes. I -thought of the buzz, the glitter, the fun and frolic, the cold fowl, -the iced champagne, the brandy and soda-water, the flirtation on the -roof of a drag, on the rumble or the dickey--all the excitement and -enthusiasm of the races, and more than all, I imagined how my nag -would look when the exulting grooms drew his cloths off, the jockey -in blue and white colours, and fancy painted him scouring like a -whirlwind round the smooth green course, and beating Flying Dutchman, -Lady Fanny, Albert, and all the rest of them hollow. As the time of -the start drew nigh, my excitement and longing increased, but I knew -too well the danger of absenting myself from a guard. I knew, -moreover, that old Towler, who spent half his life in laying traps -for subalterns (ensigns being his peculiar aversion), was daily -furnished with a card, whereon were written the names of the officers -on garrison duty, and he had seen me on guard as he passed out. The -barracks are so empty, I'll never be missed, thought I, and may steal -to the course in the crowd. So, as the distance was short, I hurried -off on foot and in full uniform just as I had paraded for duty, with -my sword, white belt, and shako. Lost amid the wilderness of tents, -stalls, thimblers, and rolypoly men, carriages, gigs, cars, and -vehicles of every kind, I reached the grand stand, or rather its -vicinity, and was eagerly looking about for my horse as the bell had -rung at the starting-point, and the race had begun long since, when I -heard a tremendous cheer, and saw my own jockey borne past me, -shoulder high. Blue and white had won! In my excitement and -confusion I forgot all about my uniform, and was pushing, jostling, -and fighting my way through the delighted mob, when the basilisk -expression of two fierce grey eyes that peered from under their -shaggy brows arrested me. - -"Heavens and earth! I was close to the carriage of old General -Towler, and there he sat, sullen as Jove upon his throne of thunder -clouds, scanning me and his card,--the fatal detail card, alternately. - -"'I am done for!' was my first thought; 'I have won the race, but -lost my commission; he has nailed me at last!' and my heart sunk, as -I thought of the too probable consequences of a second court-martial. - -"'To the barracks,' I heard him say imperiously, and I knew in a -moment that he was deliberately driving off to turn out the main -guard, and thus to prove me absent therefrom. I felt that I was -lost--that my commission, the pride of my heart, was gone; and had -not a happy thought seized me, I should not have been here to night. -Just as the carriage turned round, I sprang up behind it, and stood -there unseen, but stooping low, because the roof was open. - -"'You're sure it is that impertinent fellow, Slingsby, of the Sixth?' -said Mrs. Towler, with a smile of malicious satisfaction. - -"'Sure as you are beside me, my love,' growled the general; 'bad -example to the soldiers--very! subversive of all discipline--I'll -smash him now--absent from guard--a general court-martial----' - -"'A saucy jackanapes,' said Miss Towler. - -"'Gross dereliction of duty!' - -"'He was most impertinent to Maria at the last ball,' said Mrs. -Towler. - -"'Violation of the articles of war,' growled the Major General; 'but -here we are close on the barracks--now we shall have him!' - -"'Guard turn out!' cried the sentry, presenting arms, and facing his -post. - -"'Stop, coachman,' cried the general, as the carriage, with wheels -flashing and its steaming bays at full gallop, dashed up to the guard -house, where they reared back on their haunches, as the guard formed -line, opened ranks, and the drum gave the single customary ruffle, -just as I dropped unseen from the foot-board behind, drew my sword, -and took my place coolly at the head of my men. - -"'Sergeant,' roared the general; 'where's the officer of the -guard--where's that infernal--where is Mr. Slingsby?' - -"'Here, general,' said the astonished noncommissioned officer. - -"'I am here, sir,' said I, haughtily lowering the point of my sword. - -"'Here--you!' he exclaimed with a glance of astonishment and -perplexity, as he fumbled with his confounded detail card; 'what the -deuce--I thought--that will do, however; guard, turn in, sir; -coachman, drive on!' - -"And the carriage, with the general and all his daughters, with their -fringed parasols, rolled away. Old Towler never discovered how I -circumvented him, though he assured his son, the aide-de-camp, that -he could have made his affidavit on seeing me at the races, and in -ten minutes after found me at the head of my guard more than two -miles distant." - -Next day Slingsby and I left the garrison on our mission to Seville. -He accompanied me with some reluctance, for he disliked the -Spaniards, having been frequently among them, and being one who -possessed a strange facility for getting into all kinds of scrapes -and broils. Before starting we received from the military secretary -all the papers connected with the affair of the guarda costa; and, -what was of more importance to us, we received from the paymaster a -necessary portion of "the soul of Pedro Garcias," and taking with us -only our undress uniform and grey great-coats, our swords and -revolvers (for one might as well travel without brains as without -arms in Spain; besides, Fabrique de Urquija, a devil of a fellow, -haunted the Sierra de Ronda), a valise with six shirts each, a box of -cubas, and a John Murray, we crossed the isthmus, passed through the -Spanish lines about an hour after the morning gun was fired, and with -the gorgeous sunrise of a beautiful Spanish day took the wild and -lonely road into Andalusia, with well-filled purses, good nags under -us, light hearts and thoughtless heads, and in such a frame of mind, -that, in pursuit of adventure, we would have faced anything, from a -black beetle to a mad bull. - -I thought of Donna Paulina (when did I not think of her?) and as the -strong ramparts of Gibraltar lessened in our rear, I hummed "Pues por -bisarte Minguillo," her coquettish little song of "The Kiss." - -Poor Paulina! - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE VENTA. - -We had left the dull world of matter-of-fact behind us, and were now -in the land of romance, where, save the invention of cigars and -musket locks, all was unchanged since the days of Charles V.; for -while all the world moves around her, Spain alone stands still, -torpid and unchanging as her unclouded sun and mighty mountain -Sierras. - -On reaching Castellar we expected to receive an escort from the -officer commanding a troop of cavalry quartered there, a necessary -protection against the banditti of Fabrique de Urquija, whose name -was now a terror to Andalusia. - -It was a Spanish day; the air was clear, ambient, and pure as light; -the sky was cloudless, and exhibited a deep immensity of blue, -rendering the most distant objects visible in the blaze of the -soaring sun, that whitened the rocks and the narrow horse path we -pursued; while the dark pine branches and the light cork trees were -unstirred by a breath of wind. - -We passed through San Roque, a town of some importance to Spain, -since Sir George Rooke in 1704 took Gibraltar, which was almost the -only acquisition of the English arms until the union with Scotland, -and consequent consolidation of the naval and military resources of -the two kingdoms. After leaving it, our route lay through that -beautiful forest of cork trees which spreads over a great part of the -country, and borders on the bay of Gibraltar. - -At Venla we passed several strings of galley slaves, who were chained -together, and at work upon the road. As we trotted past, they paused -to glare at us, and their dark sparkling eyes shone through the -tangled masses of their jetty hair, which was the sole covering of -their heads alike under the winter rain and the scorching summer sun. - -At Castellar we were disappointed in our expected escort, as the -cavalry had marched to Seville, so we halted at a venta, or inn, and -were strongly advised by the hostalero, or keeper, to tarry with him -awhile, for the approaching night at least, as several outrages had -lately been committed in the neighbourhood, and a band of broken -Carlist soldiers and runaway galley slaves had hovered for some time -in the Sierra de Ronda, making themselves the terror of all the -country from Cortes to Vente Quemada. - -"Disparate," said I; "nonsense!" - -"A sly trick to get us to stay over night," said Slingsby, as he took -a long draught of Xeres and cold water, and renewed his attack on the -boiled fowl, which was all the patron could as yet provide for us. - -"Madre maria purissima!" said the latter, turning up his glossy black -eyes; "may you be forgiven your incredulity; but, señores, did you -not remark the number of crosses by the wayside as you came along?" - -"We did," said Jack; "and what then?" - -"Each one marks the scene of some 'novedad.'" - -"Novelty--a new term for a murder, Señor Patron?" - -"And the poles, with robbers' heads on them?" - -"I observed one," said I. - -"And singular to say, a bird had built its nest in it," added Jack; -"it was a mere skull." - -"One--madre de Dios--are there not a hundred? yet, señores, you could -not ride without an escort, even so far as Alcala--the thing is not -to be thought of." - -"What think you of all this sort of thing, Ramble?" asked Slingsby. - -Before I could reply, a loud cracking of whips, the creaking of -ill-greased wheels, and the clamour of voices were heard. On this -the hostalero cried,-- - -"It is the convoy already--the convoy from Marbella to Medina--your -graces will excuse me." - -He hurried away, and in a minute after came breathlessly back with -intelligence that it had been fired on by Don Fabrique with at least -fifty thousand banditti, at Benelauria, near the foot of the Sierra, -and but for a case of reliques carried by a padre of Medina, every -soul must have perished; but would not the noble señores come down -stairs, and count the bullet-holes in the pannels? - -"The bullet-holes!" - -"By Jove, this affair becomes interesting," said Slingsby, and we -descended to the inn-yard, where we found ourselves amid a Babel of -tongues and dire confusion. Let the reader imagine four calessos, -all painted in bright stripes of red and yellow, the royal colours of -Spain, each with pannels full of glaring flowers and absurd -miraculous pictures, a body like a cabriolet, supported on a -ponderous under-carriage with high wheels, all splashed with mud. -Each calesso was drawn by two mules, the collars and bridles of which -were covered with clear jangling bells. These were each driven by a -Jehu who wore all the brilliant colours of the rainbow in his jacket, -sash, breeches, and embroidered leggings. These four calessos were -full of passengers. There were soap-boilers and potters of Seville, -sleek, well fed, and in easy circumstances; the old padre, José -Torquemada, the curate of Medina, in a broad hat and long black -cassock buttoned to the throat; over his shoulders he wore a broad -cape, and in his hands were his beads, breviary, and the case of -reliques which had just been of such signal service. There were -several cotton manufacturers on their way to Cadiz; but all--save a -military man who wore a green surtout and forage cap laced with -gold--most unwarlike personages to meet a party of robbers in a -Spanish sierra. - -The drivers, we were told, were singing merrily, the bells were -jangling, the passengers all smoking, chatting, and laughing, as they -entered a defile in the hills, when suddenly the rocks and trees -which overhung the rough path were found to be manned-- - -"Don Fabrique de Urquija!" was the cry, shots were fired--maladito! -and the escort, which consisted of a sergeant and four dragoons of -the Spanish army, turned their horses and fled at full speed, leaving -the convoy to the mercy of the outlaws, who captured the rear -calesso, cut its springs, shot the driver, and had retained it with -all its contents and passengers. The other four had escaped, and -came thundering down the narrow path to Castellar with all their -passengers shouting with terror, the mules galloping, the bells -jangling, and every vehicle plunging like a ship in a storm. - -"Morte de Dios!" added the military personage, whom they called Don -Joaquim, and from whom we had this account; "it was a narrow escape, -for Urquija is a very Tartar--a blood-drinker! You belong to the -British service, señores, I presume?" - -"Yes," said I. - -"To the garrison in Gibraltar, of course?" - -"Of course; we have no other garrison in Spain." - -"And you are on leave, señores?" - -"Si, señor, on leave, and going to Seville," said I, conceiving that -to tell our real object to this inquisitive officer might not be -conducive to the cultivation of mutual good-will. - -"I also am an officer," said he, bowing; "and belong to the -Portuguese service--Major in the ancient Regiment of St. Anthony." - -"But you are a Spaniard," said I. - -"The señor is right; but my father was tied to a post one fine -morning, and shot by Don Ramon de Cabrera; it gave me a disgust at -Spain, for I saw it done, so I entered the service of Portugal. -Come, hombres, I am glad to meet two brothers of the sword; we shall -have a fresh bota of Xeres, and be comfortable for the night. After -this devilish piece of work, the convoy cannot proceed without an -escort; it must halt till morning, so let us all be happy together. -I shall be in Seville myself ere long, and hope to have the pleasure -of meeting you there." - -Don Joaquim seemed to be about thirty-five years of age; in figure he -was somewhat short and punchy, his face was round and good-humoured, -though at times it became stern, sinister, and almost fierce, if -anything excited him. His hair was shorn short, but his moustaches -were long and lanky, and hung over his mouth like black leeches, -imparting to his face an aspect not unlike the old portraits of -Philip II. His light-green military surtout, like his scarlet -trousers, was edged with gold lace, and he wore an enormous sabre, -which clattered in a scabbard of polished brass. At a button-hole -hung a little order of merit; the bag, or end of his forage-cap, -drooped upon his right shoulder; his mouth was never without one of -those paper cigaritos of which he was constantly employed in the -manufacture from a little paper book and tobacco bag; and now I hope -the reader sees before him, or her, Major Don Joaquim of the Regiment -of St. Anthony, otherwise styled of Lagos. - -The hostalero was in high spirits at the arrival of so much good -company, and being assured of their detention for at least a night or -two before the escort could join them, he bustled about, applauding, -vociferating, and directing, while getting their baggage, -portmanteaux, and bales under cover, ever and anon pausing to count -or draw attention to seven or eight bullet perforations which had -been made in the calesso panels, to the great perturbation of the -"easy-going" soap-boilers and "well-to-do" cotton merchants, who had -no taste or predilection for such matters, and could not see how or -why Don Joaquim considered it such "a capital joke," that one had -received a bullet through his hat; another had received one through -the collar of his coat; and that a third had his cigar--demonio--the -very cigar carried out of his teeth! - -Soon we were all grouped together, some thirty or so of us, in the -large apartment of the venta, some seated on stools, others on -chairs, but many on piles of baggage; bottles of vinto tinto, and -skins of the common wine, were set abroach; fresh cigars were made up -from those little pouches and paper books which every Spaniard and -Turk carry about with him; Don Joaquim produced his guitar, and -favoured the company with a song. To my surprise it was -Paulina's--"Pues por bisarte Minguillo"--and we all became merry and -noisy. The soap-boiler forgot the hole in his sombrero; the potter, -the dangerous mode in which he had lost his cigar, even the old padre -José relaxed his grim solemnity, and slily relaxed the lower buttons -of his long cassock, to make more room for supper and the purple -contents of the thrice-blessed bota; while the patrona, a buxom dame -in a short skirt and scarlet stockings, and wearing large silver -ear-rings, superintended the cooking of a vast dish of ham and -eggs--'huevos y tocino'--from which the fragrant steam went hissing -up the chimney, while the drivers in their gaudy jackets sat near the -glowing hearth, chewing biscuits and bacalao, or roasting the -sputtering chestnuts, joining in our jokes and stories, while the -happy hostalero bustled about, superintending everything and -everybody. - -The company of the convoy soon recovered from the terror of their -late adventure, and anxious speculations or terrible surmises as to -the fate of their captured friends, sobered down into hopes that they -would soon join us; but the ruddy evening deepened on the beautiful -mountains of the Ronda; the darkening peaks threw their shadows on -the vine-clad plains, the stars began to gleam in the dark blue -vault, and the last slice of ham and egg had sent its fragrance up he -wide chimney, but no fugitive reached the now closed and barricadoed -gate of the venta at Castellar. - -As one may easily suppose, the late occurrence caused the -conversation to run very much upon robbers and their exploits; thus -we heard stories of wanton cruelty sufficient to make the hair of a -well-regulated Briton stand erect on end; but as these tales closely -resembled the common stock of robber narratives, especially such as -we are told by romancers, who have been smitten with what has been -termed the bandittiphobia, I will not attempt to rehearse them all. -One or two of these relations struck me as having something peculiar -in them. - -"I was once passing through Antequera," began the venerable José -Torquemada, "that city so famed for robbers and picaros-- - -"Ay de mi! señor padre," said a goatherd of Honda, "it was once famed -lor something better." - -"True, my child," replied the old priest, approvingly; "for it was -there Don Ferdinand the Just, the valiant Infante of Castile, in the -fifteenth century, founded the noble order of the Jar of Lilies, in -honour of our Blessed Lady, by whose aid his good and valiant knights -stormed the city from the Moors, and slew fifteen thousand of those -God-abandoned infidels. Ah mi hijo! it was something to be a -Spaniard then! But to return; I was once passing through that same -city of Antequera, when I had an adventure with Don Fabrique-- - -"With Fabrique de Urquija?" exclaimed all, drawing nearer the padre -and lowering their voices. - -"Ave Maria!" exclaimed Don Joaquim, "this must indeed be something -worth hearing." - -"The more so, as I realised a pretty round sum by it," continued the -priest. "You all know Antequera, señores, a handsome town on the -plain between Granada and Seville, and situated in a land that teems -with oil and wine. One night when the hour was late, and no moon had -risen, I was passing through the great street which leads to the old -Moorish castle, and counting ever and anon in the pocket of my -cassock three poor pistareens, which were all I possessed, but which -I was hastening to bestow upon a poor widow. Her husband, a brave -guerilla, had been taken in a skirmish at the Pena de los Enamorados -(or Lover's Rock), which stands a league from Antequera, and, after a -brave resistance, had been bound with cords, and shot that morning in -the Plaza--" - -"By the Count de Morella?" cried Don Joaquim. - -"Yes, by Cabrera." - -"Bah--I thought so," said the major, grinding his teeth; "proceed, -reverend padre." - -"The little pistareens were all I had in the world, and when I -thought of the poor widow and her six children weeping by the corpse -of their unburied father, and unable to buy masses for his sinful -soul, I paused to gaze at the old castle of the Moors, and sighed to -know the secret of the treasures that lay hid among its ruins; and -then I craved pardon of Madonna for the thought, as all the gold of -the infidels is buried under the spell of such enchantment as no man -may break and live. - -"Well, señores, I was just thinking of these strange things when a -hand was laid heavily upon my shoulder; I turned, and by the light of -a shrine at the corner of a street, saw a dark face and a tall figure -girdled by a scarlet sash full of daggers and pistols. - -"'Who are you,' I asked fearlessly. - -"'Fabrique de Urquija.' - -"'Go, go,' said I, feeling my heart leap at the name; 'I am but a -poor priest, and can give you nought but my blessing.' - -"'Your blessing be hanged! señor padre, hand over all you possess, or -by the Holy Face of Jaen,'--and grinding his teeth he grasped a -poniard. - -"'As I live I possess nothing but my cassock and these poor little -pistareens which are for a widow and her starving children.' - -"'Then off with the cassock, and give me the pistareens to boot. -Your garment I must have, for I mean to play the priest to-night, and -visit a dame whom I may make a widow, too, some of these days.' - -"In vain I begged him to leave me the pistareens, but this demon of -avarice only laughed, and touching his pistols said,-- - -"'Quick, quick, and here take my jacket and maldito, begone without -looking behind you.' - -"The exchange was soon made; with a hoarse laugh the robber thrust -himself into my threadbare cassock, and with loathing I drew on his -old velvet jacket, which was tattered and full of holes. He then -bade me farewell with mock solemnity; and glad to escape so easily I -hastened away, but had not gone many yards when I heard the voice of -the terrible Urquija commanding me to 'stop;' and believing that, -repenting of his clemency, he only meant to poniard me, I turned and -fled with all the spaed of my poor old legs, fervently invoking the -saints, and praying to Madonna that the vision of the sacrilegious -pursuer might be obscured, and that I might escape. - -"'Come back, padre, come back, there is a mistake,' I heard him -crying; 'por vida del demonio, stop, or it will be the worse for you!' - -"But, blessed be Heaven, I escaped and reached the humble house of -the widow, where her little ones gathered round me, and sought to -clutch as usual the long skirts of my cassock; but, ay de mi, they -were gone, and with them my pistareens, so that I was without the -means of buying bread for the children of the dead guerilla. - -"What shall I do!" thought I, and mechanically felt the pocket of the -jacket; it contained something hard: what is this! I pulled it -forth, and Madre Maria! found the sudden cause of the robber's oaths, -pursuit, and vociferations, for by the exchange of our apparel I had -become the possessor of one hundred golden pistoles! - -"I had never held so much money in my hands before; find for a long -time I was quite bewildered how to dispose of such a treasure. First -I made the hearts of the widow and her little ones glad, and the rest -I bestowed on the poor old nuns of St. Theresa, who had just been -stripped of all they possessed in the world, and were begging their -bread in the public streets of Antiquera--thanks to the liberal -Government of Spain." - -The idea of the robber so egregiously outwitting himself occasioned -great satisfaction among all the listeners; the goatherd was so -delighted that he thrice flung his hat up to the ceiling, and aloud -'viva' greeted the old padre as he finished his little story. - -"I once had a more narrow escape than yours, Padre José," said the -Major Don Joaquim, "and but for the intervention of the blessed St. -Anthony of Portugal whose brother officer I have the felicity to be, -I had not had the happiness of addressing you all to-night, or -enjoying these roasted castanos, or the most excellent vino tinto of -the worthy señor patron." - -"Through the intervention of San Antonio," exclaimed all present; "do -tell us, señor oficial, all about this." - -"You have heard of St. Anthony, señores?" said the major to us. - -"One of the seven champions of Christendom, who broke enchantments, -fought with giants, and did all that sort of thing," said Slingsby; -"of course, who has not heard of him?" - -"Ah, who, indeed?" said the major. - -His words smacked of a miracle, and every one present became at once -interested. Lighting a fresh cigar, and replenishing his wine-horn -from the big-bellied leathern bota, the major pushed his red forage -cap a little more on one side, fixed his dark eyes on the glowing -embers, and, with all the air of a man who is rallying his forces to -tell an interesting narrative, began in the following words. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE REGIMENT OF SAN ANTONIO. - -You must know, Señora patrona, and señores, my friends, that Saint -Anthony, the patron of Portugal and patriarch of monks, though born -at Heraclea in Upper Egypt, on the borders of Acadia, so long ago as -the third century, is now a member of the battalion in which I have -the honour to hold the commission of major; and that he has been many -times visible in its ranks, mounting guard, and always when under -fire, or engaged with the French or Spaniards. Under Wellington in -the last war he was frequently seen among our men, clad in a cloak of -white wool, and wearing an inner garment of hair-cloth, with a bell -tied to his neck, and a pig trotting beside him, for it was his -favourite animal when he was hermit near the village of Coma. When -our esteemed regiment was first embodied about a century and a half -ago at the city of Lagos, in the ancient kingdom of Algarve, the -blessed St. Anthony was enrolled in the muster-book thereof, as a -private soldier, that he might be its especial patron and protector, -even as he is the patron of the whole Portuguese nation. - -He conducted himself with such fidelity, valour, and distinction, -that he soon passed through the ranks of corporal and sergeant, and -having restored, no one exactly knows how, the colours of the -regiment, after they were lost at the battle of Almanza in 1706, he -was appointed captain, and his pay, together with four marevedis from -each soldier, were devoted to buy masses for the souls of our -comrades who die on service--a very pretty perquisite, padre José, -for mother church. - -It would be a vain task in me to attempt enumerating the miracles -performed by St. Anthony during the one hundred and eighty seven -years he has belonged to the valiant regiment of Lagos in the kingdom -of Algarve; for in danger, doubt, difficulty, or death, his comrades -have never sought his aid in vain. - -Our colours have been thrice lost in battle, after prodigious -slaughter you may be sure--being Portugese colours; and were thrice -restored to us, being found quietly in the colonel's tent the next -morning, with the naked footmarks of a man and a pig--the blessed pig -of course--impressed upon the turf! At the passage of the -Guadalquiver, our drum-major was swept away and would have been -drowned beyond a doubt, had he not called upon St. Anthony; and lo! -an old man of most venerable aspect, clad in skins like this shepherd -beside us, but with a long beard and leathern water-bottle hanging at -his girdle, suddenly appeared among the reeds by the river side, and -stretching out his crook, fished up the ponderous Anibale Pintado -lightly as a straw, though he was at that moment in heavy marching -order, with knapsack, blanket, great-coat, sword and his canteen, -which was full of brandy. Then to think of the wounds that have been -closed, the bullets that have been extracted, the bones that have -been set, the sick made whole and fit for service, by our soldiers -merely thinking on, or praying to, the glorious St. Anthony, would -occupy all the paper in the kingdom of Algarve; but his crowning -miracle was the birth of a child of the regiment, for one of our -soldiers' wives being in labour, during the siege of Roses, and -calling upon the saint in her pain, to the astonishment of the whole -allied armies was delivered of a little drummer boy in the uniform of -the battalion of Lagos! I hope I have now said enough to convince -you that the regiment, and every member of it, are under the peculiar -protection of the saint, and this, as I am about to have the honour -of telling you, I experienced myself, although not a Portugese, but a -native of the fair city of Seville; and as a further proof of what I -have adduced, I will take the liberty of reading to you from my -pocket-book, the following certificate of the military service -performed by the saint--which certificate I copied fairly from the -books of the noble regiment of Lagos in the kingdom of Algarve, being -the document which was forwarded by one of my predecessors, then in -command of the battalion, when recommending the blessed saint to -further promotion from the rank of captain which he had held since -the year 1706. (With this long and pompous flourish, the Spaniard -opened his pocket-book, and read a translation from the Portugese, -which ran as follows.)* - - -* See notes at end - - -"Don Herculeo Antonio Carlos Luiz, José Maria de Albuquerque e Arajo -de Magalhaens Homem, noble of Her Majesty's household, cavalier of -the sacred order of St. John of Jerusalem, and of the most -illustrious the military order of Christ, lord of the towns and -partidos of Moncarapacho and Terragudo, hereditary alcalde-mayor of -the ancient city of Faro by the sea, and Major of the Regiment of -Infantry of the noble city of Lagos in the kingdom of Algarve, for -her most faithful majesty, Donna Maria, Francesco Isabella the first; -whom God and the Blessed Virgin long preserve, &c., &c., &c. - -"I hereby attest and certify to all who shall see these presents, -signed at the bottom with my sign-manual, and the broad seal of my -family arms a little to the left thereof, that the Lord St. Anthony -of Lisbon (commonly and most falsely called of Padua) has been -enlisted, and has borne a place in this regiment since the 24th of -January, ever since the year of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ 1668. - -"I do further certify, upon my word of honour, as a noble, a knight, -and a good Catholic, what hereunder followeth. - -"That on the said 24th of January, 1668, by order of His Majesty Don -Pedro II. (whom God hath in glory), then Regent of the valiant -kingdoms of Portugal and Algarve for Don Alphonso VI.,--St. Anthony -was duly enlisted as a private soldier in this Infantry Regiment of -Lagos, when it was first formed by command of the same illustrious -prince; and of that holy enlistment there is a register extant in -vol. i. of the records of the said regiment, page 143, wherein he -gave as security or caution for his good conduct, the queen of -angels, who became answerable to the colonel that he would never -desert his colours, but always behave as became a good Portugese -grenadier. Hence did the saint continue to serve and do duty as a -private until the 12th of March, 1683, on which day the same Prince -Regent became King of Portugal by the death of his brother Don -Alphonso VI., when he was graciously pleased to promote St. Anthony -to the rank of Lieutenant of Grenadiers in the said regiment, for -having, a short time before, valiantly put himself at the head, of a -detachment of the regiment which was marching from Jurumenha to the -garrison of Olivença, both in the province of Alentizo, and beat off -four times their number of Castilians who had been lying in ambush -for them, with the intention of carrying them all prisoners to the -castle of Badajoz, the enemy having obtained information by spies, of -the march of the said detachment, every soldier of which saw our -blessed patron, visibly, and to all appearance in the body, and -attended by his pig. - -"I do further certify, that in all the above-cited registers, there -is not any note of St. Anthony being guilty of bad conduct, disorder, -or drunkenness; frequenting taverns, or other improper places; nor of -his ever having been flogged or sent to the guard-house when a -private: Thus during the whole time he has been an officer, now about -one hundred and nine years, he has constantly done his duty with the -greatest alacrity, at the head of the grenadiers, upon all occasions, -in peace or war, conducting himself like an officer and a gentleman -of good breeding; on all these accounts I hold him most worthy of -being promoted to the rank of aggregate-major to our noble regiment -of Lagos, with every other favour Her Majesty may be graciously -pleased to bestow upon him. In testimony whereof, I have hereto -affixed my name, at the Castle of Belem, this 25th day of March, in -the year of our redemption, 1777. - -"MAGALHAENS HOMEM." - - -(Thus ended this wonderful certificate, the contents of which, -together with the pompous gravity of the reader, made Jack and I -almost choke with suppressed laughter. The major then continued)-- - -Hereupon Her Most Faithful Majesty, who reigned at that time--now -seventy-eight years ago--was pleased to promote the saint to the rank -prayed for, and he is now our lieutenant-colonel by brevet. Once in -each year it is the custom to send an officer to Lisbon to receive -the pay and perquisites of St. Anthony from the royal treasury, and -in the course of last year this most honourable duty devolved upon me. - -We were then quartered at Barbacena in the jurisdiction of Elvas; and -to this place I travelled alone from Lisbon, with the pay of the -saint, which was to be given to the care of our chaplain. Being in -moidores, it was not very bulky, but its value was great--its -sanctity greater; and after traversing in safety the whole province -of Alentijo, it was with some anxiety I saw the mountain Sierra, -which lay between me and my destination, rising in my front, about -sunset. The hope of being able to get across those rocky hills -before the approaching night set fairly in never occurred to me. I -found myself in a solitary spot, without shelter near, or any place -where information of the right way could be gathered, and my horse -was growing weary. - -The sunlight died away behind me, and shed its last rays on the white -walls, the square campanile and tall cypresses of a convent which -crowned a height on my left; and on the red round towers of an old -castle that topped a rock on my right; but both were in ruins and -desolate, as the wars of the infidel Moors, ages ago, had left the -first, and the desolating retreat of Marshal Massena had left the -second. The older fragments of a Roman aqueduct lay between, and -half hidden among wild shrubs. The pathway was rugged; untamed goats -scrambled about; snakes hissed in the long grass, and eagles screamed -in mid air. Ave Maria! it was impossible to conceive a place more -dreary and desolate; but the way became still wilder, and as I -progressed into the gorge of the Sierra, even the ruined works of man -and the traces of his feet disappeared. I was in a desert, and, save -the faint crescent moon, without a light or guide. - -As I rode slowly on, thinking of the bright golden moidores of our -Lord St. Anthony, with which my pouch was blessed, and reflecting on -the prize they would be for any sacrilegious picaros who might be -hovering in this dark wilderness, ever and anon humming a song, -muttering an ave, and feeling the percussion caps on my pistols, I -suddenly met a strange figure in the dim moonlight--a goat-herd, as -he seemed to me. - -He was clad in a zamarra of sheepskin, which he wore with the wool -outwards; his white hair hung in tangled masses upon his shoulders; a -bota was slung at his girdle, and he carried a stout Portuguese -cajado, with a little cross stick nailed thereon, to give it more the -aspect of a pastoral staff, than a weapon of defence. - -"Vaya usted con Dios, Señor Major," said he. - -"God be with you," I reiterated, a little scared on finding that this -stranger knew my name; "you have the advantage of me, Señor Pastor." - -"Hombre, do you think so? but do not be alarmed, for I am an old -Christian, without stain of Moor or Jew in my veins. I am no -enchanter----" - -"Ave Maria, I should hope not!" - -"Yet I know that you have in your pouch the pay of St. Anthony of -Lisbon, whom rogues and fools style of Padua--what the devil should -he have to do with Padua?--in your left breast pocket, all in fair -round moidores of gold--eh, señor?" - -"Very true, pastor," said I, slipping a finger into my near holster, -and keeping my horse well in hand and beyond the reach of his cajado; -"but how came you to know me?" - -"I know every officer and soldier in the regiment of Lagos as well as -if I had made them--and you especially, Señor Major." - -"Well--and about the moidores," said I, uneasily; "you know of them, -and what then?" - -"Merely this, Señor Don Joaquim; that if you would arrive at -Barbacena to-morrow with the pay of the patron of the regiment of -Lagos----" - -"In the kingdom of Algarve," suggested Jack Slingsby. - -"Si, señor; and would hand it over safe and sound to the reverend -chaplain," continued the old man, in a manner so impressive that a -chill came over me, the more so as I saw his sunken eyes shining in -the dim moonlight like two bits of green glass; "you will beware, my -son and comrade, how you taste the wine of Xeres to-night." - -"The wine of Xeres, father pastor," said I, with a loud laugh; -"Heaven forgive you for the tempting thought; I am not likely to -taste aught to-night but the chilling dew; yet if a good cup of Xeres -did come my way----" - -"Avoid it as you would poison, or by the soul of St. Anthony you will -repent it." - -At that name I raised my hand to my cap in salute, like a good -soldier of the regiment of Lagos; while waving his hand -authoritatively, the old man hobbled up the slope of the mountain -pass and disappeared. As he did so I heard the tinkle of a bell, and -for the first time perceived a little pig trotting by his side as he -vanished in the shadow of the mountain and its moonlit rocks. - -The scales fell from my eyes; por el Santo de los Santos, he was no -other than our Lord Saint Anthony, whom I had seen. Who but he would -have termed me "son and comrade?" sinner and fool that I was. The -hair of my flesh stood up, as the Scripture says, and with a prayer -on my lips I gored my poor nag with the spurs and dashed along the -pass of the Sierra for two leagues more until the poor animal almost -sank beneath me; but perceiving rest necessary for him, I reined up -at the door of a lonely wayside inn, in a part of the country which -was entirely unknown to me, and which seemed to be overshadowed by -mountain peaks and masses of rock, the features and outlines of which -were strange, and to me gloomy and fantastic. In my excitement, and -the holy terror under which I laboured, I had evidently lost the -path, and thus mistaking my way, had ridden, Heaven and St. Anthony -alone knew whither. - -Solitary, dark, and desolate as this posada seemed,--and it was just -the kind of place we so often read of in romances as being a -rendezvous for robbers, and for having a landlord in their interest, -with trap-doors under the beds, stains of blood upon the floors, old -skeletons in the cellars, and a terrible reputation for mysterious -appearances and unaccountable disappearances--it was a welcome -halting-place for one so weary, so thirsty, and anxious as I was -then, and so full of supernatural fear, as I never, for an instant, -doubted having seen the blessed patron of our regiment, and to me at -that time the human countenance even of a robber had been thrice -welcome. - -Though the hour was late the hostalero had not gone to bed. He -seemed a civil and respectable man, and smiled with good-humour when -he saw me, with all the care of an old traveller and the suspicion of -a true Spaniard, transfer my pistols from their holsters to my -girdle, a movement which seemed to fill with alarm the miserable and -drabbish-looking Maritornes, who seemed to be the sole assistant of -the patrona. Vague fancies and a sense of alarm were floating -uppermost in the current of my thoughts; and being most anxious to -start betimes when day broke, I left the saddle on my horse, as I -stabled him in the lower apartment of the posada, for you may know, -señores, that the Portuguese inns are constructed exactly like those -among us here in Spain, the lower story being entirely one vast and -clay-floored chamber, appropriated to the cattle and baggage of -travellers. I merely relaxed the saddle-girth and curb-chain, but -left my Andalusian jennet all ready for marching, when the morning -came, and then ascended by a wooden trap-stair to the upper story, -where the patrona had a steaming supper of ham and eggs, just such as -we have had, well seasoned with pepper and garlic, spread for me, -with a bunch of raisins and a choice flask of--ah, demonio! my heart -leaped when I saw it--the wine of Xeres de la Frontierra. - -A prayer rose to my lips, I thought of St. Anthony, but felt strong -and composed, believing that I was under the peculiar care of that -blessed patron of the regiment of Lagos. I would have left the -little venta and betaken myself once more to the road, but, if any -snare was really laid for me, such a movement might only render me -more liable to an open and deliberate attack. - -"I will be wary," thought I; "let me watch well, even as our holy -patron watches me. Xeres! ouf, I would rather drink the salt lake of -Fuente de la Piedra than touch a drop of it." - -I felt morally certain that it was poisoned or drugged for some fatal -purpose, and that in the tasting of it lay the main part of my -danger. I finished the rasher of ham and the fragrant huevos; and to -lull all suspicion asked my host to join me in discussing the bottle -of Xeres as he uncorked it. - -"The señor would, perhaps, excuse him. Xeres always made him ill, -maldito--yes, and there was no doctor nearer than Elvas or Abrantes; -but he would take a glass of aguadiente to my health and successful -journey." - -"Rascally picaro!" thought I; "you have other reasons for declining -the Xeres, but I shall mar them yet." - -I might have forced him with my sword at his throat to drink a -cupful; but I dissembled, and filling out a bumper from the leathern -beta, raised it to my lips, pretending to taste. I saw, then, the -slow stealthy eyes of the hostalero watching me keenly. - -"It has a peculiar flavour," said I. - -"Flavour, señor?" he asked, anxiously. - -"But not unpleasant." - -"It is from the grapes of Puerto de Santa Maria, like those of -Tribujena, as the Señor Caballero will perceive; they have a peculiar -flavour--sharp, is it not?" - -"Yes, but as I said before, not unpleasant," continued I, placing my -pistols on the table, and availing myself of an opportunity to pour -the whole of my bumper back into the bota, and this I achieved -unseen. Some grounds which remained at the bottom of the crystal -glass assured me that the wine was drugged. - -"I have a pigskin full of wine from the grapes of Don Carlos, or -rather I should say of my Lord the Marquis de Santa Cruz, who now -owns the vineyard; and if your grace----" - -"Many thanks," said I, pouring out a second bumper, so that the wine -frothed in the glass; "but be assured I shall content myself with -this most excellent bottle of Xeres," and taking another opportunity, -while the patrona was telling her beads near the fire, and the worthy -patron was below pretending to groom my horse--but no doubt to -appraise its furniture which he expected to possess before morning--I -repeated the manoeuvre, and poured the wine back into its leathern -receptacle; thus my deluded entertainers were led to believe that I -had taken enough to drug a regiment of Asturians. - -I scrutinised my hostess; she was a swarthy and dark-skinned -Portuguese; her hair, which was coarse and thick as the mane of a -steed, she had knotted in a coronet round her head, and over this she -wore a yellow shawl. Her features were square, massive, and -repulsive; and her arms and legs, which her scanty garments fully -displayed, were disgustingly powerful and muscular. - -"Are you not somewhat lonely here, señora?" I asked, when her orisons -were over. - -"Yes; but then we are never disturbed. Once, indeed, some drunken -contrabandistas, riding to Gibraltar, made a noise at our door; but -my husband shot one with his escopeta, the rest fled, and we have -never been molested since. But erelong the new railway from Lisbon -to Abrantes will change everything--for so the priests predict." - -"You talk of this little shooting affair with delightful coolness," -said I, "and just as if that devil of a contrabandista had been a -crow. Ah, and so he was shot?" - -"Yes, and buried about a mile beyond this," replied the woman, over -whose dark eyes there passed a savage gleam; "perhaps, caballero, you -observed the cross as you came along?" - -"You forget that I came this morning from Montemor o Novo, where I -wish I had stayed with all my heart." - -"Ah, our caza is a very poor one, señor," growled the host, with a -glance at my glass and another at the bota: "but none ever complain -of it after they leave us." - -"I believe you, my lad," said I, with a glance at the cuchillo in his -sash; madre mia! it was at least twelve inches long in the blade. He -detected my expression and said,-- - -"I am always well armed, Señor Caballero, for my little wife, our -niece, and I, are the only inhabitants here. They are apt to be -timid at times; thus I always keep my escopeta loaded, and six -junkets of lead in that old brass-mouthed trabujo over the -mantel-piece; so with my knife and strong bolts, bars and shutters, -we could stand a very good siege, even if Don Fabrique de Urquija and -all his band were assailing us. One glass more of the Xeres before -you retire, señor--no?--well, how such a sober Caballero belongs to -the regiment of Lagos surpasses my--a thousand pardons, señor; I -meant no offence; but a poor man must have his little joke as well as -a rich one, and I am sure a noble Caballero will excuse it. So you -won't take one glass more of the Xeres before retiring, well, -well--this way, señor, up this stair--take care of the step, and now, -señor, Bueno noches, and may all good attend you." - -I was alone. I was in my sleeping apartment, a miserable loft, to -which I had ascended by means of a trap-door and trap-stair. The bed -was poor and shabby; a thousand discolorations, the combined result -of damp and dirt covered the ill-plastered walls and bare wooden -floor. A small and ill-glazed window opened to the dark mountains, -behind which the moon, a pale crescent, was just sinking, and to the -deep black gorge which yawned between their peaks like some vast -Titan's grave. There was not a sound upon those solemn hills, or in -that savage pass through which the roadway wound; there was no sound -in the posada below me, and as I set down the candle and listened, I -heard only its sputtering and the beating of my own heart. - -I knelt down, and drawing forth my beads and crucifix, said my -prayers like a good Catholic, and solemnly invoked the protection of -St. Anthony. After this, apprehension almost vanished. - -If any attempt was made upon me in the night, I had but one man to -oppose--the hostalero, and surely I was a match for him. But then -there was his wife, a powerful Asturian termagant, who had doubtless -the cunning of a fox with the strength of a bull. I looked about for -something wherewith to secure the trapdoor, but found nothing; my -bedstead was the only piece of furniture, and it was too weighty for -removal. I might have lain down and slept above the trap; but the -idea did not then occur to me; and at times, as my candle burned low, -such is the weakness of the human heart, that I began to mistrust -even the protection of my Lord St. Anthony, and think I was unwise in -not quitting this unblessed posada, instead of retiring to a -bed-chamber, as the hostalero might be joined by others more -ruffianly than himself, and thus overpower me. - -"No, no," thought I; "no others will come; the rascal trusts in his -Xeres, and I shall soon see the sequel." - -I drew off my boots and flung them heavily on the floor, as one might -do who was undressing; and having thus, as I supposed, deceived any -one who was listening, drew them carefully on again; tightened the -buckle of my waist-belt, and loosened my good Toledo sabre in its -sheath. I then examined my pistols; ay de mi! what were my emotions -on finding the percussion caps removed, and that my pouch, with the -remainder, was in my holsters below! - -My heart stood still on beholding this, and an emotion of rage shook -my heart, for I now remembered having laid them on the table beside -me in case of accident, for I once had a friend who was killed by a -pistol exploding in his belt. The patrona, while laying the supper -table, or bustling about me, had adroitly--but the saints alone know -how--removed the caps. - -Twenty times I searched every pocket, in the faint and desperate hope -of finding a stray one. Not one--they were all below with my -holsters. - -"Ass that I am!" thought I, replacing them with a sigh in my belt; -"this will be a lesson of prudence that may cost me dear." - -At that moment the candle-end sank down in the iron holder; it shot -one red flush upwards on the cobwebbed ceiling and damp, discoloured -walls; on the ill-jointed trap-door which led to the lower story, and -expired. I was in darkness at last, with no companions but my Toledo -and my own thoughts. The first was silent--the second sufficiently -uncomfortable. - -Sleepless and watchful, I lay on the miserable pallet for more than -an hour, till the silence began to oppress me, and in spite of -myself, my eyes were closing. Could it be the drug--could it be the -wine that slowly was sealing them up? Nonsense; I had but put it to -my lips, and I struggled to shake off the coming sleep. Yet, I must -have closed my eyes for a moment, for I started suddenly, like one -who dreams he is on the brink of a precipice. A strange shivering--a -minute, pricking sensation ran all over me from head to foot, and -from a state of drowsiness, I sprang all at once to the sharpest -wakefulness, and grasped the hilt of my drawn sabre. - -A dim light was now ascending from the floor of the apartment, and I -perceived the trap-door was lifted up, and the round bullet-head of -the hostalero appeared, with his deep-set stealthy eyes, scanning the -bed and its occupant, myself, who affected to be sound asleep. Up, -up he came, step by step, until he stood by my side, with one hand -grasping his long cuchillo, and a finger on his coarse, blubber-like -lips, as if he would impose silence on himself, and still his very -breathing. - -Mueran del Demonio, what a moment it was! I would not endure it -again for a million of reals. He came close to the bed; he stooped -over me, the knife was lifted up, and I saw its baleful gleam; but at -the same instant there was an upward flash, as I swept my sabre round -me, and one stroke cut off three of the robber's fingers, and cleft a -fair slice off his right temple--a stroke which stretched him without -a cry at my feet. Desperate and furious as a wild beast--half -blinded with his own blood, he sprang upon me and we grappled in the -dark; but as his wife, that diabolical Asturian, rushed up the -trap-stair, armed with a ponderous cajado, to his aid, I flung him on -the bed, for he was weak as a child now. Seeing a figure struggling -on the miserable pallet, the woman, who was as furious as an enraged -tigress, and who, in the uncertain light, believed that figure to be -mine, whirled round her head the cajado--which is the favourite staff -of the Portuguese, and is usually seven feet long, with a leaden knob -at one end of it--and by one blow dashed out her husband's brains as -completely as a cannon-ball would have done. - -Madre mia, some of that frightful mess flew over me, and that blow -ended the matter, for I uttered a cry of horror, and plunging down -the trap-stair, threw myself on my horse, and galloped away. On, on -I rode, with no wish but to leave that scene of crime behind me, and -at the very place where I was met by that venerable shepherd, whom, -until my dying hour, I will maintain to be no other than our blessed -St. Anthony, but for whose warning I had drunk that poisoned Xeres, -and perished--I overtook a troop of the Carbineros of Alentejo, to -whom I told my late adventure. - -A party was sent to the little inn, where they found the hostalero -brained, as I have said, in that miserable loft, and the hostess -almost bereft of her senses, such as they were. But the dragoons -placed her on a troop horse, and brought her before the Alcalde of -Vimiero, which is the nearest town, and before the next day's noon, -she had been garotted and buried by the wayside; and you may still -see her grave, one mile beyond the gates, on the side of the way that -leads towards Estremoz and the mountains. - -Two days after, I reached Barbacena, our headquarters, in safety, and -paid over to our Father Chaplain, the purse of moidores, containing -the pay of our extra Lieutenant-Colonel, the blessed St. Anthony. -Only a month ago, we marched through the pass of the Sierra, and I -found the old posada roofless by the roadside, for it is shunned like -that place of horror, the Rio de Muerte; the grass has grown on its -floor, and the wild vine overtops its chimney; the merriest muleteer -becomes silent as he passes the place, and whips his lagging team -down the mountain side, without looking once behind him. - ----------- - -The major of the noble Regiment of Lagos now paused, and looked round -with the air of a man who thinks his story has rather made an -impression; for he had told it well, and with much gesture and -spirit, and completely succeeded in arresting the attention of all in -the venta; but of none more than my matter-of-fact friend Jack -Slingsby, who had listened to the narrative with a degree of -attention which I thought unusual in one so volatile and heedless. - -"Your story, major, has had a peculiar interest for me by its -striking and close resemblance to an adventure of my own," said Jack, -"an adventure to which I can never recur without an emotion of -horror." - -"Is this the Spanish story you so often refer to, Jack?" said I. - -"The story our mess could never get out of me?--yes." - -"And shall we hear it now?" - -"With pleasure; because it will interest all here, whereas among our -own bantering fellows at Gibraltar it would only have subjected me, -perhaps, to jibes and jokes, and all that sort of thing, from those -who were, perhaps, more thoughtless than myself. Señora patrona, -please to have the wine replenished; give us more cigars, and stir up -the fire, Ramble, while I prepare to tell you a story--aye, a marvel -of a story, in which I had the misfortune to be a principal actor not -very long ago." - -"Bravo!" muttered every one. - -All were provided with a fresh supply of wine, new cigars were -lighted, and Jack found himself the centre of a circle of dark, -gleaming, and intelligent eyes, while every ear was waiting for the -promised narrative; for among the romantic, adventurous, and -marvel-loving Spaniards, as among the wandering Arabs, a story-teller -is at all times the principal person in company. - -It would be scarcely possible to find a scene more remarkable, or a -group more picturesque, than the great apartment presented, in which -we were all congregated. - -A large fire blazed on its broad hearth, and shed a ruddy glow upon -the rough architecture and ill-squared beams of the chamber, from the -roof of which hung innumerable bunches of raisins, strings of the -garlic onion, pigskins of wine, hams, baskets, and other etcetera. -The flood of steady red light that gushed from the hearth glared on -the striking forms and foreign faces of the listening group, among -whom were the well-conditioned potters and soap-boilers of Seville in -their black velvet jackets and gaudy sashes; our patrona, a plump and -pretty paisana of Valverde, in her provincial costume, a dark blue -skirt, the scantiness of which displayed her well-turned legs and -handsome feet encased in little shoes of untanned leather, while the -gathered masses of her smooth black hair shone in the glow of light; -there, too, sat the old padre José of Medina in his sable cape and -long cassock, and a grisly goatherd of the Honda clad from neck to -knee in sheepskins, with a weatherbeaten sombrero slouched over his -sallow visage; a knife and bota, castanets and flute, at his girdle, -to which descended his snow-white beard, giving him the aspect of St. -Anthony in the major's story; then there was the major himself in his -light green frock-coat, scarlet cap and trowsers, with a cigar -glowing like a hot coal in the centre of his heavy thick mustache; -then there was an old unhoused Franciscan, begging for that -subsistence of which the new Government had deprived his order; a -charming young Gitana, tall and beautiful in form, with a clear olive -complexion and magnificent eyes; and by her side sat a free, jolly -Catalan reaper, whom in defiance of all gypsy rule and immemorial -custom she had taken as her spouse; so it must be acknowledged that -if Jack's audience was not select, it had at least the merit of being -so remarkable in costume and character, that a painter or novelist -would have been delighted with the whole group, its background, and -accessories. - -"In many of its features," said Slingsby, "my story is so similar to -the one just related by the major, that I am assured you cannot fail -to be struck with the resemblance. The adventure made a deep -impression upon me; and though several months have passed since it -occurred, the whole affair is as fresh in my mind as if it had -happened only yesterday. On leaving the 6th Regiment," continued -Jack, turning to me, "I went for a few months into the Highlanders, -but, being an Englishman, I never felt at home in the kilt, so I -exchanged into our present corps, which will account for my being in -the Mediterranean at the time referred to.--So now for the story." - -"Bravo, señor!" said the major of the regiment of Lagos; "you speak -Spanish like a good Christian. We are all attention." - -Jack bowed, stuck his glass in his eye, tipped the ashes off his -cigar with the nail of his forefinger, and began the following story, -which deserves an entire chapter devoted to itself. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -LA POSADA DEL CAVALLO. - -In the summer of last year, I was proceeding home to Britain on leave -of absence from my regiment, the --th Highlanders, which were then, -and are still, lying in garrison at Malta. Favoured by the -friendship of her commander, and my good friend and old -school-fellow, Lieutenant John Hall, I had a passage given to me in -Her Majesty's Sloop Blonde, of twenty-six guns; and after a pleasant -run for a few days, a smart breeze, which we encountered off -Almuneçar, when sailing along the coast of Spain, brought down some -of our top hamper, and we ran in to Malaga to repair the damage. - -It was a beautiful and sunny evening when our anchor plunged into the -shining waters of that deep bay which presents so superb a line of -coast, and the background of which is formed by the undulating line -of the Sierra de Mija towering into the pure blue sky of Spain, and -bounding, in the distance, the flat and fertile Vega. - -From the quarter-deck of the Blonde, we had a magnificent prospect of -Malaga, with its stately mansions, its domes, its spires and snowy -kiosks, bathed in a warm yellow tint as the sun's rays faded along -the Vega, and the shadows deepened on its hills, clothed with -vineyards and plantations of orange, almond, lemon and olive trees. -The gaudy Spanish flag descended from the dark ramparts of the old -Moorish fortress of Gibral-Faro as the evening gun was fired from the -guard-ship; and then, as the sun set behind tha mountains, the bells -tolled for vespers in the lofty steeple of the square Cathedral, and -a red lambent light began to glimmer on the tall brick chimneys of -that extensive iron-foundry, which (alas for romance!) a thoroughly -practical Scotsman has built in Malaga, where it finds food and work -for hundreds, in smelting the ore of the adjacent hills, while it -pollutes the cerulean sky of Granada. - -Bent upon a ramble or adventure, the second-lieutenant (Jack Hall) -and I took our fowling-pieces, and, leaving our swords behind us--at -least I took only my regimental dirk--were pulled ashore in the -dingy, which landed us at one of those piers that project from the -city into the sea, forming part of that noble mole which measures -seven hundred yards in length. - -Leaving our guns and shooting apparatus at our hotel, we wandered -about the town; visited the Alcazaba, which must once have been a -fortress of vast strength; then the old Roman Cathedral and Bishop's -Palace; but we lingered longest in the Alameda--that beautiful -promenade--which is eighty feet wide, and is bordered by rows of -orange and oleander trees, and in the centre of which a magnificent -marble fountain was tossing its sparkling waters into the starry sky. - -Here we saw some bright-eyed Spanish women in their dark mantillas -and veils, and not a few in tha homely and assuredly less graceful -bonnet and shawl of London and Paris, whose fashions are gradually, -and, I think, unfortunately, superseding the more captivating dress -of old Spain; we saw too, ferocious-looking soldiers in dark dresses, -weaving yellow sashes, red forage caps, and enormous moustaches; old -priests gliding stealthily along, with an aspect of meekness, and -apparently crushed in spirit; for the Government presses with a heavy -hand on the ecclesiastics; citizens clad in light stuffs of bright -colours, with red sashes and low-crowned hats, having black silk -tufts at each side; queer-looking Caballeros in large brown cloaks -like that of Don Diego de Mendoza's "Poor Hidalgo," and wearing hats -'à la Kossuth.' As every man was smoking as if his salvation -depended upon his doing so with vigour, the whole air was redolent of -cigars. - -I had on my undress, a forage cap, and plain red jacket, with tartan -trews, my sash and dirk; for I have found that the British uniform -always ensures the wearer attention and respect in every part of the -globe. - -We wandered long in that lovely Alameda, until the last of its fair -promenaders had withdrawn; and then we returned to our hotel rather -disappointed, that of all the black eyes we had seen flashing under -veils of Madeira lace, not one had given us a glance of -encouragement; that of all the pretty lips, which had been lisping -dulcet Spanish mixed with the Arabic of Granada, none had invited us -to follow; that of all the sombre cavaliers, not one appeared to be -an assassin or a Grand Inquisitor; and that, of all the hideous old -duennas whom we had seen cruising about us, not one had approached, -and with finger on her lip, and an impressive glance in her eye, -placed a mysterious note into either of our hands, and "disappeared -in the crowd." - -Nothing remarkable happened, save that Hall had his pocket picked of -his handkerchief and cigar-case, and we returned like other men to -our hotel, where we supped on devilled turkey and the wine of the -district, Tierno and Malaga; after which we turned into bed, warning -the waiter to summon us early, and have a guide to lead us toward the -neighbouring hills, where we intended to make some havock among the -game next day. - -Punctually at five o'clock in the morning the mozo-de-cafe roused us, -and, after coffee, we shouldered our double-barrelled rifles, and -accompanied by a young 'gamin' named Pedrillo, for whose fidelity the -waiter pledged his "honour," we departed on our ramble. - -If ever you saw the Spanish beggar-boys, as depicted by Murillo in -his famous picture, which is now in Dulwich College, they will know -perfectly the aspect of Pedrillo, our little guide. - -He was about twelve years old; but, hardened by indigence and -sharpened by privation, his perceptive faculties were keener than -those of many a man. His sallow little visage was stamped with more -of the animal than the intellectual being; his eyes were black, -glossy, and glittered alternately with cunning and intelligence. His -sole attire consisted of a dilapidated shirt, a pair of -knee-breeches, and a cowl, which confined his luxuriant black hair; -he had zinc rings in his ears, and bore altogether the aspect of a -little Lazzarone. - -He was intelligent withal, and he told us a vast number of anecdotes, -which increased in wonder and ferocity as we paid him one peseta -after another; but he dwelt particularly on the achievements of a -certain Juan Roa, otherwise styled de Antequera, who was then -prowling in that savage range of mountains, from whence he descended -sometimes alone, sometimes with many followers, especially when the -Solano blew from Africa, to commit outrages among the quiet quintas -and villages of the fertile Vega, where he was said to be in league -with every posada-keeper for forty miles around Malaga. - -About mid-day we rested under the cool shadow of a cork wood, about -ten miles from the city; it was a beautiful place, where the sward -was soft as velvet, and where a thick border of blushing rose-trees, -and wild hydrangias flourished near us. Here we shared our -provisions with a paisano and two armed contrabandistas whom we met, -and who shared with us their wine in return. The two smugglers had -strong and active horses, and carried blunderbusses and pistols to -guard their bales of chocolate, soap, tobacco, and cigars; they were -fine, merry fellows, gaudily dressed, and full of fun and anecdote; -for in Spain the contrabandista is a species of travelling newspaper. -Now all their news were of the last feat or outrage of Juan Roa. - -"I would give a guinea to meet this interesting vagabond; the -interview would tell famously in some of the monthlies," said Hall, -with a heedless laugh. - -"I think I should know him," said I; "for we saw at least twenty -coloured prints of him in the shops on the Alameda, last night. He -is a ferocious-looking dog!" - -The contrabandistas looked round with alarm, and then laughed -immoderately. - -"Ferocious? Indeed, señor?" said the paisano; "I beg to differ from -you, having myself seen Juan of Antequera face to face; and so think -him quite like other men." - -I gazed at the speaker, whom, by his green velvet jacket, adorned by -four dozen of brass buttons, his sombrero, with its broad yellow -ribband, his black plush breeches, red scarf and shoe-buckles, I -supposed to be the substantial farmer of one of the adjacent quintas. -He had a fine dark face, a powerful figure, and two black eyes that -seemed to be always looking through me. Over one eyebrow, he had a -large black patch. He carried a riding switch, had a knife in his -girdle; and altogether, as he lolled on the sward, smoking a paper -cigar and sipping red wine, I thought he would make a fine and -striking sketch, and equal to any by Pinelli. - -"Juan Roa," said he, "has committed great outrages in the Vega of -Granada. The Duke of Wellington has there an estate, having on it -about three hundred tenants, who yield some fifteen thousand dollars -of rental; but Juan has thrice drawn every duro of it from the old -abagado, who acts as steward to the duke." - -The contrabandistas again laughed at this immoderately. - -"You have seen this Juan of Antequera, have you not?" said I. - -"Face to face--often, señor." - -"And so have I," said little Pedrillo. - -"You! and when was this, my little fellow?" said Jack Hall. - -"On the night old Barradas, the muleteer, was murdered." - -The Spaniard with the patch knit his brows. - -"Caramba!" said he; "ah! I remember that." - -"Tell us about this murder," said Hall. - -"You must know, señors," said Pedrillo, "that at the foot of the -Sierra de Mija, about five miles from this, there stands a wayside -inn, called La Posada del Cavallo, for the keeper, Martin Secco, had -a great horse painted on his signboard. This man is the uncle of -Juan Roa, or of Antequera. He has a wife, and had two daughters. -The place is lonely; and it often happens, that those who put up -there for the night forget the right path; for they are lost among -the mountains, or fall into the sand-pits--at least, they are seldom -heard of after. You understand, señors?" - -The Spaniard with the patch smiled grimly, and played with his knife. - -"One night last year, I guided Pedro Barradas, the Cordovan muleteer, -to the posada, when it was dark as pitch. Pedro was very old, and -half blind, and had never been that way before. A storm came on, and -he desired me to remain with him, saying he would pay me well; old -Barradas was rich; he had made money in the war of independence, and -in the last civil war between the Carlists and Christines; and had -given three silver images to the church of his native puebla in Jaen. - -"We supped on baccallao, raisins, and plain bread, for the season was -Lent. While we were at supper, in the common hall of the posada, I -heard the rain pattering on the wooden shutters (there is not a glass -window in the house); I heard the thunder grumbling among the hills, -and the wind howling as it swept over the fields and vineyards of the -Vega. It was a lonely place for a poor boy who had neither father -nor mother, señors; but, then, I was not worth killing, though many -fears flitted through my mind; for Martin's wife--an ugly and -wicked-looking Basque provincial--put some very alarming questions to -old Pedro Barradas. She told him that the neighbourhood was infested -by bandidos and contrabandistas; and asked if he was a heavy sleeper. - -"'No,' said Barradas, 'in the war against Joseph Buonaparte I learned -the art of sleeping lightly.' - -"'But what will you do if attacked?' - -"'That is as may be; but I have only twenty duros, and so shall sleep -soundly enough.' - -"These questions alarmed me very much; visions of murder and -slaughter came before me. I crept close to Barradas, who, as I have -said, was very old and very frail; but his presence seemed a -protection to me for a time. - -"When the hour for bed arrived, we, who were the only guests, were -somewhat imperatively requested to retire to our rooms by the wife of -Martin Secco. - -"Barradas saw, perhaps, his danger, and said that I should sleep in -the same room with him. - -"But Inez Secco told him roughly that he must be content to sleep -alone. Then the poor old man was half-led and half-dragged away. As -for me, I was but a boy; so they thrust me into a dark closet, where -some straw lay on the floor, and, desiring me to sleep there and be -thankful, left me. - -"I lay down on the straw, and finding it wet, arose in horror, -fearing that it was blood; and so I remained in the dark, praying to -our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, and trembling and listening to the -howling of the storm for more than an hour, when all the other sounds -in that terrible posada died away. - -"I was just beginning to dose when a ray of light streamed through -the keyhole of my door; I heard it opened, and lo! Martin's wife, -Inez Secco, appeared with a long and sharp cuchillo in her hand. A -man accompanied her. He was Juan Roa de Antequera! Terror paralysed -me; and she believed me to be asleep, for she felt all over my -clothes--that is, my poor shirt and breeches-pockets, from which she -took two quarter-duros--all I possessed in this world; and then, -passing the light thrice across my face, to assure herself that I -slept, the hag went away muttering-- - -"'Caramba! only a half-duro; this little wretch is neither worth -lodging nor killing.' - -"Immediately after this I heard them whispering with Martin Secco; -and then they knocked at the door of old Pedro Barradas, who, like a -cautious man, had fastened it on the inside. - -"'Get up,' said they, 'Señor Barradas--get up--you are wanted.' - -"But old Barradas either slept like a top, or he was too wary to -open; for he heeded them not. - -"Then I heard Juan and Martin muttering curses as they deliberately -forced open the door; next there came a terrible cry of-- - -"'Help! Pedrillo, help! Ayuda, por amor de neustra Señora -Santissima!' - -"This was followed by sounds like those made by a sheep when the -knife of the carnicero is in its throat; and, in the meantime, -Martin's two daughters were singing as loud as they could, and -dancing a bolero in the passage, to conceal these terrible sounds, -which froze the blood within me." - -Here Pedrillo paused. - -"Go on," said Jack Hall, impatiently; "and how did you escape?" - -"If the noble señors would help me to refresh my memory----" - -"Ah, I comprehend," said I, tossing a peseta to him; "now fire away, -Pedrillo." - -"You should not encourage this young picaro, Señor Caballero," said -the Spaniard, whose face was now darkened by a terrible frown; "for -it is my belief that he was the mere decoy, who led poor old Pedro -Barradas to that villanous posada." - -Instead of being angry, Pedrillo lifted up his hands, and prayed that -Heaven and our Lady of the Seven Sorrows would forgive the speaker -for his vile suspicions. - -"I never closed an eye that night. In the morning I was told by Inez -the Patrona, that old Barradas had departed across the hills of -Antequera without me. Martin Secco asked me how I had slept? I -said, like a dormouse; and as soon as I was free, I ran like a hare -back to Malaga; and to make up for the loss of my last night's rest, -slept like a torpedo under the trees of the Alameda." - -"You acquainted the magistrates--the alguazils, of course," said -Hall, knocking the ashes from his third cigar. - -"I was only a poor, ragged, little picaro," replied Pedrillo, in a -whining voice; "and who would believe me? Besides, old Barradas was -a stranger from Cordova or Jaen; and a man, more or less, is nothing -in Granada; but since that time Martin's two daughters have been sent -to the galleys at Barcelona, by the captain-general of the kingdom, -for intriguing in many ways with the contrabandistas of Jaen. Now, -señors, the noon is past; and if it please you, 't is time we were -moving, if you wish to reach the Sierra." - -While we were placing fresh caps on our rifles, and preparing to -start, the Spaniard with the patch, who had listened to Pedrillo's -story with great impatience, now seized that young gamin by the arm, -and grasping it like a vice, gave him a savage scowl, and said -something in Spanish; but so rapidly, that I could only make out that -he was reprehending him severely for telling us "a succession of -falsehoods." - -So I thought at that time; afterwards I was enabled to put a -different construction upon his indignation, at which Pedrillo seemed -to be considerably alarmed. - -Bidding adieu to him and the contrabandistas, we departed under -Pedrillo's guidance, and (sans leave) shot all along the sides of the -mountain range, on the slope of which stands the small but ancient -city of Antequera, so noted for the revolt of the Moors in the -sixteenth century; and had some narrow escapes from falling into -those remarkable pits, where the water settles in the low places, and -is formed into salt by the mere heat of the sun. - -We did not see much game, but knocked over a few brace of birds, and -with these, and two red foxes, our little guide Pedrillo was quite -laden. So he seemed to think; for, taking advantage of the -concealment afforded him by some olive groves, and the scattered -remnants of an abandoned vineyard, among which we had become -entangled, the young rogue slipped away with our game and made off, -either towards Malaga or Antequera; at least we saw no more of him, -or of his burden at that time. - -This was just about the close of the day, when Hall and I were -draining the last drop of our flask, and surveying from the mountain -slope the magnificent prospect of the verdant Vega, spreading at our -feet like a brightly-tinted map, having that warm and roseate glow, -which well might win it the name of Tierra Caliente. Malaga, the -ancient bulwark of Spain against Africa, was shining in the distance, -with its towers and gates, its flat-roofed houses, and vast -cathedral; its Moorish castles and gothic spires, all bathed in a -warm and sunny yellow; while beyond lay the broad blue Mediterranean, -dotted by sails, and changing from gold to purple and to blue. - -This was all very fine: but our pleasure was lessened by the -conviction that our little rascal Pedrillo was absconding with our -game; and we knew that it would never do to relate to the gun-room -mess how we had been outwitted, on returning to the Blonde next day. - -The foreground of this beautiful panorama was broken by innumerable -small hillocks and clumps of wood of many kinds; but principally -olive, pine, and cork trees, that grew on the slope of the great -Sierra; and though the sky and landscape darkened fast after the sun -set, we instituted a strict and angry search for Pedrillo, shouting -and whistling as we stumbled on, we knew not very well whither, -looking for our lost spoils--two foxes, with gallant brushes, and -eight brace of birds. - -No moon had risen: the wind began to whistle among the groves and -hollows; the night was very dark. - -"What, if we should meet Master Juan of Antequera?" said I. - -"If he had our game, I should be very well pleased," replied Hall; -"but I wish that Pedrillo had been with old Scratch when we hired him -yesterday. If I had the little lubber on board the Blonde, I would -show him the maintop." - -"Spain is a land of mishaps and events," said I. - -"Yesterday we were wishing for an adventure." - -"And to-night we have one with a vengeance!" said I. - -"Belay; I see some one moving in that hollow. Let us jump down--ahoy -below there!" - -"But we may lose the track," I urged. - -"True; so do you remain where you are, while I go down into the -hollow. Hollo now and then, to let me know your whereabouts." - -With his rifle in his hand, Hall, who was a fine active fellow, -sprang down into a ravine that suddenly yawned before us, and I -remained with my rifle cocked, and stooped low to watch what might -follow. Hall disappeared in the obscurity below. I halloed; but the -night wind tossed back my own shout upon me. Then I thought I heard -his voice, and sprang after him; but fell upon a point of rock, and -sank, completely stunned, to the earth. - -There I lay for nearly a quarter of an hour, unable to move, or rally -my senses. When I arose, I found myself at the bottom of the hollow, -and upon a narrow mule track; the moon was rising brightly at the -south end of the ravine, silvering the masses of rocks, tufts of -laurel-trees, and wild vines that grew in the clefts of the basalt. -I shouted, but received no reply; and after a long and fruitless -search could discover no trace of Hall in any direction. - -Considerably alarmed for his safety as well as my own--for to lie at -night upon those hills of Antequera, with the devilish stories of -Pedrillo and the contrabandistas haunting one's memory, was anything -but pleasant--I tried the charges of my rifle, looked again to the -percussion-caps, and set off in that direction where, by the rising -of the moon, I knew that Malaga must lie; but frequently paused to -hollo for Jack Hall, and received no reply save the echoes of the -rocks. - -The ravine descended and grew more open. Again I saw the Vega -sleeping at my feet in the haze; and, on turning an angle of the -road, found myself close to an inn or taberna, which I approached -with joy, concluding that my friend Jack must have gone that way, and -would probably be there. - -Like all Spanish inns, it was a large and mis-shapen edifice, the -lower story of which was nothing better than a great open shed, for -mules and vehicles; and, ascending from thence by a stair, I reached -a gallery, at the door of which I was received by the host, who -carried in his hand a stable lantern. - -"Entrar," said he, bowing profoundly; "entrar, señor." - -"I have been shooting on the mountains," said I, "and have lost my -companion, a British naval officer. Has he passed this way?" - -"No, señor," replied the host, (whose face I could not yet see,) as -he led me up another stair. - -"Then get supper prepared; for he must soon be here, as I have no -doubt he knows pretty well the direction of Malaga. And now," said -I, drawing a long breath, as I seated myself, "what place is this?" - -"La Posada del Cavallo." (!) - -"Eh! ah--and you?" I asked, in a thick voice. - -"Martin Secco, at your service, Señor Caballero!" - -"Here was a dénouement! - -"Good Heavens!" thought I, mechanically resuming my rifle; "if the -stories of Pedrillo should be true." - -I scrutinised my host and hostess. - -Martin had a broad and open visage, with keen eyes, and a black beard -as thick as a horse-brush; a wide mouth, that frequently expanded in -grins; but in those grins no radiance ever lit up his glassy eyes. -The mouth laughed; but they remained immovable--invariably a bad -sign. His forehead receded, and his ears were placed high upon his -head. At the first glance, I concluded that my señor patron was an -unmitigated brute. His figure was somewhat portly, and encased in a -brown jacket, brown knee-breeches, and black stockings; he wore his -hair confined in a caul, and had a yellow sash round his waist. - -His wife was, as Pedrillo had described Inez Secco, a Basque, for her -Spanish was almost unintelligible; and her coarse black hair was -plaited in one thick tail, which reached to her heels. Her gown was -of rough red cloth, with tight sleeves and a short skirt, displaying -a pair of yellow worsted stockings and leather sandals, fastened by -thongs above the ancle. Her face was coarse and bloated; but the -expression of her eye was terrible. It hovered between the bright -ferocious glare of a snake, and the glazed orb of an arrant sot. She -scanned me closely; and I thought the old devil (she was a Spanish -woman, and past forty,) was accurately appraising the value of all I -had on. - -"Well, señora patrona," said I, "what can I have for supper?" - -"The señor has come at a bad time, for we have little or no -provisions in our larder." (The larder of every Spanish inn has been -in the same condition since the days of Cervantes and Gongora.) "For -now this road between Malaga and Antequera is but little frequented -after noon-day, owing to the terrible robberies and the four -assassinations committed by Juan Roa, during the last Solano. -Caramba! 't is very hard that we should suffer for him." - -"What can I have, then?" - -"A roasted galina, dressed with a few beans," said the patrona. - -"And a glass of good aquadiente," added the host; "our Tierno has -soured in the wine-skins." - -"'T is poor fare this, for hungry men. I have said that I expect my -friend's arrival momently." - -The host gave a cold smile, and said, "We have had nothing ourselves, -for a week past, but Indian corn and boiled garbanzos (beans); but -the best we have is at the disposal of the señor caballero." - -The inn was old and crazy; the wind came in at one cranny, and -whistled out by another. The roof, walls, and floor of the large -apartment in which we three were seated, consisted of a multitude of -beams and boards, placed horizontally and diagonally, without skill -and without regard to design or appearance. There was but one candle -in the house (as the host assured me), and it was rapidly guttering -down in the currents of air. The patrona transferred it from the -lantern to an iron holder, and it was placed on the table to light -the room and my supper. - -An ostler, or nondescript servant, wearing fustian knee-breeches, -without braces, with a muleteer's embroidered shirt, and having a -yellow handkerchief tied round his head, spread a (not over-clean) -cloth on the table; knives, forks, and covers were laid for two, with -a cold fowl, a loaf of white bread, a dish of beans, garlic, and a -bottle of aquadiente. - -I observed this wild-looking waiter frequently glancing at my rifle, -and the jewelled dirk that dangled at my waist-belt; I became -suspicious of everything. - -"You are well armed, señor," said he. - -"It is natural; for arms are my profession," said I. - -I looked at my watch: the hands indicated eleven o'clock! Two hours -had elapsed since Hall and I had separated; still there was no -appearance of him. Twenty times I opened the shutters of the -unglazed windows, and listened intently; but the night wind that -swept down the dark ravine in the Sierra, brought neither shout nor -footstep; so I resolved to sup, go to bed, and trust to daylight for -discovering Jack, if he did not arrive at the posada before morning. - -I had just concluded supper, when the last remains of the last candle -in this solitary inn, sank into its iron socket, and left us in -darkness; at least with no other light than the red wavering glow -that came from the hearth, where a few roots of pine and corkwood -smouldered beside the brown puchero, in which the amiable patrona had -boiled the beans for my repast. - -"Here is a pretty piece of business!" said Martin Secco; "we have not -another candle were it to light a blessed altar; and the señor -Caballero must go to bed in the dark." - -"Heed not that, señor patron," said I; "for I am a soldier, as you -may see, and am used to discomfort." - -"'T is well; for I am sure that the señor has experienced nothing but -discomfort in our poor posada. When I am rich enough, señor, I hope -to have an hotel in the Alameda; and then should the Caballero ever -come to Malaga again, he will remember Martin Secco." - -At this remark, I heard the patrona utter a low chuckling laugh; but -whether at the prospect of the fine hotel, or the doubtful chances of -my ever again visiting Malaga, I could not say. - -"Now, señor patron," said I, rising and taking up my rifle, "I should -like to reach the town betimes to-morrow; so show me to my chamber, -and should my friend arrive, fail not to call me." - -"Will you not leave your gun here?" suggested the host. - -"Thank you--no," said I, while my undefined suspicions grew stronger -within me. "Do you lead the way, señor, and I shall follow. Good -night, señora patrona." - -"Bueno noche, señor," said she, stirring up the embers; and we -separated. - -To follow Martin was perhaps the most unpleasant part that I had yet -acted; for I had to grope my way after him along a dark passage, -about forty feet long, at the end of which he ushered me into a room, -where there was no other light than that given by the moon, which -shone through a small window glazed with little panes of coarse -glass. Here he bade me "Bueno noche;" and, after many apologies for -my miserable accommodation, left me. - -The apartment was small. In one corner stood a French bed, having -light-coloured curtains; this, with a basin-stand, two chairs and a -mirror, made up the furniture. Like a true soldier, I turned to -secure the door. - -Destitute of lock or bolt: it had only a small thumb-latch! - -Dismounting the ewer and basin, I placed the stand end-wise between -the bed and the door, firmly fixing it, and thus forming a barricade, -which none could force without awaking me. To make all sure, I again -dropped the ramrod into each barrel of my rifle, passed a finger over -the caps, unbuckled the belt at which my dirk dangled; and, without -undressing, for every moment I expected to hear Jack Hall hallooing -outside the house; in short, to be prepared for anything, I threw -myself down on the coverlet, and weary and worn by a long day's -ramble among the mountains, prepared to sleep. - -For a long time a species of painful wakefulness possessed me; the -moans of the passing wind, the flapping of a loose board in the -external gallery, the wavering shadows thrown by the moonlight on the -damp and discoloured walls; even the ticking of my watch disturbed -me, and kept me constantly thinking of poor Hall's unaccountable -absence, with many a fear that he might have fallen into the hands of -Juan of Antequera, and not a few reproaches for my having perhaps too -easily relinquished my search for him. - -These thoughts completely obliterated any sense of my own immediate -danger; but I was about to drop asleep when something moist that -oozed over my neck and face aroused me. I started, fully awake in a -moment; and, passing a hand across my cheek, looked at it in the -moonlight. - -"Blood!" said I, springing off the bed, while a thrill ran through -me. I had not been wounded or cut by my fall; then from whence came -this terrible moisture? I examined the pillow, and found the lower -part of it quite wet; I turned it, and lo! it was saturated with -blood! - -This was the reason, that Martin Secco had declined to give me a -candle. My heart beat thick and fast; apprehension of something -horrible came over me, and I remembered the stories of Pedrillo. I -also recollected that I had some excellent Spanish cigar fusees, and -tearing three or four blank leaves from my note book, I twisted them -together, lit them, and surveyed the dingy chamber. The boards in -front of the bed were marked by recent spots of blood; I raised the -little fringe or curtain, and, guided by some terrible instinct, -looked below, and saw--what? - -Poor Jack Hall lying there in his naval uniform, with his epaulette -torn off, and his throat literally cut from ear to ear! - -He had found his way here before me, and been assassinated. - -Almost paralysed, I continued for half a minute to gaze at this -terrible spectacle, till the paper burned down to my fingers and -expired. I heard my heart beating; and my head spun round as I -tightened my belt and grasped my loaded rifle. Before I could adopt -any plan of operations, I heard a rustling and whispering in the -passage near my door; and, looking through a crack in the panels, -saw, within a yard of me, Martin Secco, bearing in one hand the rifle -of my poor friend, and in the other a lighted candle, although he had -made to me so many apologies, about two hours before, for not having -another in the house. As he approached, he handed it to a boy, in -whom I discovered Pedrillo; and then the light flashed upon two other -men, in one of whom I recognised the ostler, and in the other, our -acquaintance of the noon, with the patch on his face, and wearing the -green velvet jacket and sombrero. This worthy had a pistol in one -hand and a knife in the other. The patrona was also there, with her -wolfish eyes and enormous Basque queue. - -Outrage and assassination were impressed on the hard lines of all -their cruel and savage visages; and I perceived at once that without -a vigorous effort I was lost--that my life was forfeited; and all the -anticipations of newspaper paragraphs; "a mysterious disappearance" -in the "Times" and "Military Gazette," flashed upon my mind. I had -youth, a noble profession, many kind friends, my regiment, and home, -with "the best of expectations," as old dowagers say, on one hand; a -horrible and sudden death--a lonely scene of unknown butchery, on the -other! - -I cocked the locks of my rifle, and resolutely removed the barricade -from the door. - -"Take time, Juan Roa," said the patrona. - -"Hold your tongue, old perra; I know well enough what I am doing," -growled the personage in green, whom I now knew to be that terrible -outlaw, who since the Carlist war, had laughed at the carabineros and -alguazils, and kept all Malaga, the Sierra de Mija, and the Vega of -Granada astir and in terror. - -Including the patrona, and the treacherous young rascal Pedrillo, I -had five desperate enemies, and only two bullets at their service. - -"Let us prove whether the Inglese is asleep, before we enter," said -the patron, knocking at the door gently, and placing the candle -behind him. - -"No answer--he is certainly asleep," whispered the patrona. - -"Knock again," growled Juan Roa. - -A smart blow was then given; but still I made no reply. Then the -patron applied his hand to the latch; but before he could open the -door, I fired right through the slender panels, and shot him dead by -one bullet, knocking over the ostler by the other, which he received -through his neck and shoulder. - -Clubbing my rifle, I then rushed out; and charging them in the smoke -and confusion, dealt Juan Roa a tremendous blow with the butt end, -which levelled him beside the two ruffians who lay bleeding in the -narrow passage. Escaping a pistol shot from Juan, but receiving two -desperate cuts from the termagant patrona and the wasp Pedrillo, I -reached the end of the passage, sprang through the common hall, and -found the outer door fastened. By main strength I tore it open, and -reached the external gallery, over which I dropped, though it was -fully twelve feet from the ground; and, just as I did so, the boy -Pedrillo fired one of Juan's pistols after me; but I escaped it, and -ran down the mountain slope, loading my rifle as I went, and driving -a bullet home into each barrel. - -Grey morning was spreading along the east, and the red flush of the -coming sun was brightening behind the dark towers of Gibral-Faro, and -sparkling on the lattices of Malaga. The aromatic plants were -putting forth their sweetest perfume, and the light foliage of the -sugar-cane, the cotton plant, and the citron tree, were shaking off -the heavy dews of night. The air was clear and cool; after the toils -of the past day, the sleepless night and its terrors, the fresh dewy -atmosphere revived me, and, dashing down the lonely mountain-side, I -reached a little puebla, and reported the whole affair to the officer -who there commanded a party of the carabineros of Antequera. - -A sergeant and twenty troopers galloped away to the posada, which -they found completely deserted by all its living tenants; but they -hung the body of the patron upon a tree, burned the house to the -ground, and conveyed the mangled remains of poor Jack Hall to Malaga, -where they were interred next day, with all the honours of war, in -that corner of the Campo Santo which is appropriated for the burial -of strangers; and there the marines of the Blonde fired three volleys -over the grave, where as noble a heart as Her Majesty's service -possessed was committed to the earth of Spain. - -An hour's examination before a magistrate, who swore me across my -sword as to the particulars, was all the judicial inquiry ever made; -we sailed next day, and reached Portsmouth, after a fine run, and -without any other mishaps; but I shall never forget that terrible -night among the mountains of Antequera, Martin Secco, his wife's -tail, and the horrors of La Posada del Cavallo. - -Jack's adventure elicited a burst of applause, and was voted the -story of the evening, notwithstanding the great spice of the -miraculous and holy, which had seasoned the narrative of the Major -Don Joaquim. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE HALT IN A CORK WOOD - -Next morning betimes we left the venta of Castellar where, overnight, -we had spent so many pleasant hours. The Major Don Joaquim was very -curious to know the object of our mission to Seville, of which he -announced himself a well-known citizen; but we declined to state the -reason of our visit in uniform to that far-famed city; neither did we -mention that our business lay with no less a personage than the -captain-general of Los Cuatros Reinos. - -In a country like Spain, where the people are so jealous of their -national honour and so revengeful, we did not conceive that it would -be conducive to our safety to state that we were the identical -officers whose affair with the guarda costa had caused so much -heartburning for some weeks past, and so much correspondence between -our governor and the minister Espartero; so, somewhat piqued by our -reserve, the major gave us a formal bow, and clambered into the -vehicle which was to convey him to Medina. We separated, the convoy -of calessos got into motion after much noise and vociferation on the -part of the drivers, the stable-boys, the hostalero, and the -passengers, who were all gabbling at once in full-toned Spanish as -they rolled away under the escort of a party of very ill-appointed -dragoons in the service of Donna Isabella la Catolica, while we rode -off in the opposite direction towards Alcala de los Gazules, a small -town, which lies on the Seville road, and through which we passed -soon after. - -"Let us push on," said I, to interrupt Jack, who had been rallying me -pretty smartly about Donna Paulina, and vowing that all this affair -of a trip to Seville had been foreseen and preconcerted by me for the -purpose of meeting her again and continuing a flirtation which was a -source of great merriment to the regiment. "Let us push on, Jack, -for I feel very anxious----" - -"To reach Seville, of course; but it won't run away; we shall find it -in its proper place on the left bank of the Guadalquiver." - -"You mistake me. I was thinking how awkward it would be for us if -the Himalaya was to come round during our absence; and if on our -return we should find the whole regiment embarked and steaming away -for the Crimea." - -"Awkward! I should think so, rather; but it is not likely they can -decamp in such a hurry. After all we heard last night about the -restless habits of the good people in these mountains, and their -vague or peculiar ideas regarding property, together with the -eccentricities of this Don Fabrique, do we not run a little risk in -proceeding without an escort?" - -"There is risk, certainly; but our return is not to be thought of -till the duty is done." - -"Of course not--what would the regiment say?" - -"And what should we think of ourselves?" - -"We are, I hope, a match for any six Spaniards, with our swords and -revolvers, in fighting; and with these good nags under us I should -think we are more than a match for them in flying. But the noon is -becoming so hot that I propose we should halt under that grove of -cork-trees and there take a siesta." - -We halted accordingly at the base of a steep mountain chain, between -the cleft peaks of which a noonday-flood of yellow light was gushing. -Sterile, abrupt, and bare above us rose the ridgy rocks: the little -valley at the base was teeming with verdure and fertility, but it was -silent and solitary, for not a sound was heard save the murmur of a -stream which bubbled from a fissure in a vine-covered cliff. It -meandered between meadows of aromatic plants, and sought deep pools -over which the oleander and the bay threw their branches, and the -cool shady thickets of the dark wood of olive and cork-trees. - -Just where we dismounted, we found a personage lounging on the grass. -He was smoking a cigar, and had a long gun beside him. Without -rising for a minute nearly, he scrutinised us and our horses with -marked curiosity. His costume was somewhat gay, being in the highest -style of the bull-ring, or that of a majo or dandified Spanish -ladrone, whose free aspect and gallant air make him the admiration of -the dark-eyed paisanas and the envy of their more peaceful male -relatives; for the majo is the bravo of our own time. - -This personage wore an ample brown cloak, which hung loosely about -his shoulders, a black velvet sombrero, with a large tuft of black -plush on one side thereof, and under its deep rim his coal-black hair -fell in heavy locks, and his flashing eyes watched all our motions, -with an indescribable expression of stealth and suspicion. A long -knife and a pair of brass-butted pistols were in his gaudy sash; he -wore leathern gaiters, and was playing with the blade of a navaja, or -clasp-knife, about ten inches long--a deadly instrument, which the -Spaniard is never without, for therewith he cuts his 'carne' and -bread, or his bacallao in Lent, slices his melon in summer, and -slashes the face of any person with whom he may chance to differ in -opinion. Indeed, the visage of this lounger bore the very -unmistakable mark of a long slash which had once laid it open from -eye to chin. Beside him stood a beautiful Andalusian jennet, high of -head, and bold in chest; its gaily-fringed bridle was thrown over the -branch of an olive tree, and it was accoutred with a high-peaked -saddle of antique form, covered by a piece of white sheepskin, which -was spread also over a pair of holsters. - -"Buenos dias, señor," said I; "a good morning--I fear we are -disturbing you." - -"Not at all, señores--the greensward, the shadow of those trees, and -the waters of this stream, flowing from yonder sierra, belong to us -all in common. Sit down, señores, and halter your horses, as you see -I have haltered mine. You belong to the Gibraltar garrison, I -presume--right--you are Inglesos." - -"No, Brittanicos," said I, with a smile. - -"And whither go ye?" - -"To Seville." - -"Ah, would I were going with you: it is a place of joy and merriment, -Seville. The sun shines on it once every day of the year; yet I go -there but seldom. Allow me to make you each a cigarillo." - -"With pleasure." - -To have declined would have been an affront as great as to refuse a -proffered snuff-mull in the country of the clans. Our Spaniard -produced one of those little books of soft blank paper (almost the -only volumes used in Spain), and tore out three leaves; he then took -tobacco from his silk pouch and made up three little cigars very -neatly and adroitly; but twice during the operation I detected his -stealthy eyes scanning us from under his bushy eyebrows. - -My little box of patent lights excited his wonder and admiration, as -he was about to exert his patience by having recourse to the -antiquated flint and steel. Then Jack Slingsby produced his -travelling flask; I brought forth mine, and the Spaniard had a -capacious bota of wine, a drinking cup of leather, a piece of -bacallao and biscuits; and we were just proceeding to lunch, when his -Andalusian jennet pricked up its ears and neighed uneasily. - -"Maldito!" said our companion, as a scowl came over his visage and -his hand fell mechanically on the lock of his gun; "some one -approaches." - -"An old woman on a donkey, and nothing more," said Slingsby, -carelessly; "amigo mio, you look as much alarmed as if you expected -the terrible Fabrique de Urquija, or Juan Roa of Antequera." - -The keen eyes of the Spaniard flashed, and he looked at Jack as if he -would have pierced him through. - -"I fear neither Don Fabrique nor any other man," said he gruffly; "a -woman on a burro--oh--it must be poor Sister Santa Veronica, of -Estrelo, a town about a league distant." - -"How is she named so?" I asked. - -"After the blessed Santa Veronica who wiped the pale face of our -Lord, when dying upon his cross," replied the Spaniard, lowering his -head; "and as she did so, on her kerchief there became impressed the -most wondrous of religious miracles--the Santa Faz--the holy -countenance of Jaen, where it is still preserved in our cathedral, -and from which the portraits of our Saviour are all taken; hence it -is that his sad and upturned face, with its crown of bloody thorns -and curling heard, and the long yellow hair parted over the smooth -pale brow, are so well known over all the Christian world." - -As he spoke, an elderly woman, habited like a nun, in a coarse and -well-patched dress of black serge, with a hood of spotless white -linen folded across her brow and chin, and having its long ends -drooping lappetwise down her withered cheeks, rode up to us on a -donkey, which displayed--what one seldom sees in a Spanish -ass--evident signs of being ill-fed and ill-groomed. The nun, who -had a careworn, grave, and, though stern, not unpleasing expression -of face, carried a covered basket on her arm. Our companion sprang -to his feet, and, doffing his sombrero, hastened to meet her and to -hold the bridle of her animal. - -She was abroad, as she told us, begging alms and food for the sisters -of her convent--ten ladies--all of whom were of noble rank, but the -most of whose kinsmen had fallen in battle under Don Ramon de -Cabrera, and thus left them friendless. They were now, by the -confiscation of the ecclesiastical revenues, and the seizure of those -sums which they had paid as a dowry into the convent treasury, -reduced to extreme penury in their old age, and were driven from -their pleasant convent in the beautiful vega of Jaen; since then they -had endeavoured to perform the duties of their order, and to serve -God, in a poor and half-ruined house, which belonged to a noble, -charitable. and religious lady, Donna Dominga de Lucena, y Colmenar -de Orieja, at Estrelo; and now would not the noble Caballeros give -something to the poor ladies of Santa Theresa, however small, for the -love of God and of blessed charity? - -All this, which she prettily told, was addressed to us, rather than -to the stranger, at whom she glanced uneasily from time to time, -although he stood bare-headed, with the deepest respect, and holding -her burro by the bridle. - -The circumstance of the sisterhood being befriended by the mother of -Donna Paulina would have sufficed to interest us, if the wrong done -them by the present Government of Spain had failed to do so. Our -purses were at once produced, and we respectfully raised our caps on -presenting the poor nun with a few pillared dollars, which no doubt -she little expected from two heretical Brittanicos. - -They had been robbed of everything, she continued--at least, all save -their cases of reliques and the bones of Santa Theresa, which they -had borne on their shoulders in sad procession from Jaen to Estrelo; -and, moreover, they had lost the wonderful portrait of their -patroness, which had been seized and sold by those hijos de Luiz -Philipe, the men of the new administration; but it was no fault of -the present Queen of Spain, for poor Isabella la Catolica had wept -her eyes out in the cause of the poor monks and nuns. The señores -had, no doubt, heard of the wonderful portrait of the blessed Theresa? - -In great sorrow we professed our ignorance thereof. - -"Madre Mia! It was said to be an Alonzo Cano, and had narrowly -escaped the clutches of the Marshals Soult and Massena, when they -swept away the golden moidores of the Portuguese and the divine -Murillos of the Spaniards. It belonged to the chapel in which the -saint was baptized, and was quite as veritable and wonderful as the -holy countenance of Jaen, and was usually placed over the great -altar; but one day when the chapel was undergoing repair, it was -placed at the porch, where it was seen by a certain ruined -gamester--a savage and desperate fellow, worse than Juan Roa or Don -Fabrique, as he came past that way. In a fit of mad despair, having -just lost everything, he struck his dagger into the bosom of the -picture, from which there immediately gushed out a torrent of blood -in the sight of the terrified people; while a faint cry was heard in -the air, as of one in pain afar off." - -"And the gamester?" - -"Went raving mad and died, chained like a wild beast in the Gaza de -Locos of Jaen." - -To our gift, our companion added a doubloon, a present so valuable -that it excited our surprise and kindled the fear of the poor nun, -who accepted it with reluctance, and, with abundance of genuflections -and thanks, whipped up her burro, which trotted away. - -"Shall I not have the honour of escorting you to Estrelo, reverend -señora?" cried our friend, hurrying after her. - -"Muchos gratias--no, no! a thousand thanks, señor," she replied, -hurriedly; "no one will molest a poor sister of Santa Theresa." - -Her ill-concealed repugnance to receive his alms evidently impressed -the Spaniard, who seated himself in silence, and smoked with a sullen -expression, as if somewhat depressed by the whole affair; but Jack -Slingsby, who hated silence more than anything in the world, began to -make some casual inquiries as to whether or not the famous Urquija -had been heard of hereabout, and where he was generally to be found. - -"Found," reiterated the Spaniard, with a frown of surprise; "he is -often found by those who least like such a discovery." - -"So it seems," replied Jack, "and by the accounts we heard of him at -the--how do you name it?--the venta last night, he seems to be ripe -fruit for the gallows." - -"Indeed," said the Spaniard, quietly making up another cigarillo, -"you are very loud, Señor Viajador, (traveller), in condemning this -poor son of Andalusia, this Don Fabrique; but you do so simply -because you know nothing about him; being, like most Englishmen, -totally ignorant of every country except your own portion of Britain, -and, believing that whatever is not English must be radically, -physically, and morally wrong, you have come among us predisposed to -ridicule and to condemn." - -"The deuce!" said Jack, with an air of pique; "I beg to assure you, -my fine fellow, that I could tell you a story of a posada----" - -"Enough, señor," replied the other, waving his hand with great -dignity of manner, while a savage gleam shot over his stealthy eyes; -"but allow me to inform you that a bandit--I do not mean a pitiful -picaro who steals purses and pocket-handkerchiefs on the prado, or a -swindling raterillo who cheats at cards, but an armed robber (and -here his hand struck the butt of his escopeta)--is a modern Spanish -hero, and the pretty paisana and the bluff muleteer sing of his -exploits in the same breath with those of Rodrigo de Bivar, the Cid -Campeador, Hernando de Cordova, and the chiefs of the war of -Independence, when we saw the fields of Vimiero, of Talavera and -Rorica; lend a new lustre to the names of Mina, of Murillo, and of -Wellington!" - -"Very likely; but this Don Fabrique commits such devilish atrocities, -and all that sort of thing," urged Jack, closing with his incessant -phrase. - -"Do you know why poor Fabrique took his gun and stiletto, and went to -the mountains?" - -"Shall I tell you?" - -"If you please." - -"Listen. There was an abogado, a lawyer of Jaen, named Jacop el -Escribano, who married the aunt of Fabrique--an aunt who had been a -mother to him after his own died, or rather was murdered by the -Chapelgorri's. She tended him, reared him, loved and educated him at -Alcala, and he was to be her heir, for she was rich, and had mines of -quicksilver and cinnabar on the confines of Murcia; and her heir he -had every right to be, for other kindred she had none. Well, this -good aunt fell sick; those who were more than usually acute, or more -than usually evil-minded, said that the abogado had poisoned her -mentally and bodily. At all events he wrote out her will, which -bequeathed all her property to himself, whom failing, to a certain -Gil Jacop, his son by a former marriage, and to poor Fabrique, the -son of her dead brother, not a peseta, not a pistareen! This limb of -Satan and the law, succeeding in all his ends and objects, poisoned -her ears against the poor student of Alcala. Well, the aunt died. -Full of sorrow Fabrique hastened to his home to find the door of it -shut in his face, and the malicious abogado in possession of -everything, even to his aunt's snuff-box and armed chair. Our poor -student rushed to the Alcalde, who heard him with a smile of -incredulity--why? because he was the cousin of the abogado, and he, -too, shut his door in the face of Fabrique. Bursting with -indignation he sought the corregidor, to pour out anew the story of -his wrongs; but, ay de mi! the corregidor, a Commander of the Knights -of Calatrava, was to dine that day with the abogado, who had invited -half the city to feast, and weekly gave a magnificent tertulia in the -house of the dead woman. - -"Fabrique lost all patience and, swore a dreadful vow of vengeance, -so the wise, just, and most illustrious corregidor expelled him from -the city, and by the alguazils he was driven forth by the Audujar -gate. His last money was in his pocket; so he bought a dagger and -musket, and shaking the dust off his feet at the puerta de Audujar, -he gathered together a band of gallant spirits who had followed Juan -Roa, and betook himself to the mountains, leaving the abogado in -possession of his aunt's house and her mines upon the Murcian -frontier." - -"And did he enjoy them long?" I asked. - -The Spaniard smiled grimly, and took a long quaff of the bota. - -"You wish to know, señor?' - -"Exceedingly." - -"Listen. A week after these events our abogado disappeared from -Jaen, and no man knew whence he had gone, and few cared. A month -after, a poor wretch, half crazed and in rags, emaciated, pale and -hollow-cheeked by hunger, illness, agony, and wandering, and whose -vision had been destroyed by the simple application of a red-hot -ramrod, was found near a village of the Sierra de Ronda. It was -Jacop el Escribano--whose scribbling was at an end, and whose eyes -were closed on the world for ever." - -"And his son, Gil Jacop?" - -"Was found shot one fine morning at the corner of that road, just -where you see a rough wooden cross, erected by the curate in memory -of the affair, and to beg a prayer of every passer-by for the dead -man's sinful soul. The corregidor has thrice been robbed of all he -possessed--his rents, fees, and the revenue of his commanderie; and -the alcalde has quite as often been beaten to the very verge of -death. Evil-disposed people lay those things to the charge of Don -Fabrique; but I say nothing, having no opinion on the subject." - -"Then you are afraid of him?" said Jack, laughing. - -"Afraid--ha, ha!" said the Spaniard, taking up his long gun; "no--not -so much as you were afraid of Juan Roa and Martin Secco, on that -night in the 'Posada del Cavallo' at Malaga. - -"How know you of that affair?" asked Jack, starting to his feet. - -"Did I not hear it told at full length last night in the venta at -Castellar?" - -"Were you there?" I inquired, with surprise. - -"You saw a goatherd present--an old fellow with a sheep-skin dress, a -long beard, a crook, and bota." - -"Yes." - -"'T was I. Last night I was a goatherd, because it suited my purpose -to appear so, and to laugh at the terror of those miserable -soap-boilers on hearing the whistle of bullets in the Sierra; to-day -I am Fabrique de Urquija, the friend of poor Juan Roa; and had you -been less kind to that poor nun than you were, it was my intention to -have shot and robbed you both, which I could easily have done, -despite your swords and revolvers, your English impudence and cool -assurance. Vaya usted con Dios, and may you have a pleasant ride to -Seville; but attend more to the rules of common politeness when next -you speak of Urquija beyond the security of your own lines at -Gibraltar. I am not a bad fellow, señores, at times, though more apt -to take the advice of a curer of fish than a curer of souls in Lent." - -With these words he leaped on his horse, and slinging his long gun by -his right leg, galloped into the cork wood, and disappeared. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE ALCALDE. - -This rencontre, by illustrating the danger of lingering and of making -chance acquaintance--dangers for which no credit would be given by -the Horse Guards, and against which we found no hints afforded by our -"John Murray"--caused us to hasten through Estrelo without paying a -visit to the nuns of Santa Theresa, which (on the base of our -acquaintance with Sister Veronica) we had proposed to do; and a ride -of ten miles further, through a fruitful and beautiful district, -brought us to the ancient ducal town of Medina Sidonia, where the -Spanish commandant invited us to dinner, and where, finding ourselves -in safe quarters, we spent a pleasant evening, and with cigars and -Ciudad Real, Tresillo and Monte, whiled away the hours until we -retired to our posada, where we slept undisturbed by rats or robbers, -as quietly as if we had been in the best hotel in London. - -We crossed a stream next day, and arrived at Arcos de la Frontierra, -a picturesque little town, situated upon a lofty rock, almost -insulated by the Guadalete, and so difficult of access on the south -and west that we had some trouble in discovering an entrance to it -anywhere. - -The aspect of the place, with all its flat-roofed or red-tiled houses -clustering on the summit of a steep and abrupt rock; its two large -parish churches, with the square campanile of Santa Maria, and the -façade of the palace of the reverend the vicar-general to the -metropolitan of Seville, all lit up by the flush of a Spanish setting -sun, and throwing a huge broad shadow across the girdling Guadalete, -and that rich undulating country which stretches far away beyond it, -pleased me so much that, dismounting at the foot of the eminence, I -seated myself among some fallen walls and prostrate -columns--doubtless fragments of the ancient Arcobriga--to make a -little sketch of the place. - -Reclined against a mass of vine-covered ruin, Slingsby of "Ours" had -fallen fast asleep with his horse's bridle buckled over his left arm, -and both he and the nag occupied a prominent place in the foreground -of my view, and a wayside cross, covered with rich creepers, and -having a sulky-looking raven seated on its summit, was in the middle -distance. My labours proceeded rapidly and greatly to my own -satisfaction when they were suddenly interrupted by a heavy hand -being roughly laid on my shoulder. I looked up. Four men, muffled -in the inevitable, invariable, and eternal dirty brown cloak, in -which we always see the mysterious characters stride, swagger, and -swell on the boards of minor theatres, and which a Spaniard is never -without, under any circumstances, appeared beside me. Two had drawn -swords, and two cocked blunderbusses. - -"The señores will understand that they are our prisoners?" said one. - -"Who the deuce are you--comrades of Don Fabrique, I suppose?" - -"Heaven forbid! we are honest men--alguazils of Arcos, and the -Caballeros must both come before the señor alcalde." - -"For what purpose?" I demanded hastily. - -"The señor will soon be informed," said one. - -"To his cost, perhaps," added a second. - -"Vaya, come along," growled a third, "or it may be the worse for you." - -Finding expostulation vain, I roused Jack, who after revolving in his -own mind whether or not he ought to revolve them--for his pistol had -six barrels, we took our horses by their bridles, and accompanied the -bravo-like alguazils, whose good-will we sought to cultivate by being -liberal with our cases of cheroots. - -The alcalde, a bustling little manufacturer of Cordovan leather, -received us in his office, stuck his barnacles on his nose, summoned -his escribano, and opened the case with an air of awful pomp and -chilling consequence; but he seemed to be about as well qualified for -the office of lawgiver as Mr. Justice Shallow. - -"The señores, who seemed to be British officers belonging to the -garrison of Gibraltar, of which her Most Catholic Majesty Donna -Isabella is sovereign, whatever Queen Victoria may assert to the -contrary, were found making a sketch--a military sketch, no doubt--of -her ancient city of Arcos, in the province of Andalusia; and the -señores, of course, knew the law framed by the Cortes on that point." - -"Of sketching the city of Arcos?" - -"No." - -"What then?" - -"Any city," returned the fussy little alcalde. - -"But this is not a fortified town." - -"But it might be fortified." - -"No doubt--but it is not fortified at the present moment." - -"Tonto de mi! what does that matter?" - -"Why you stupid old----" Jack Slingsby was beginning, but I placed a -hand upon his mouth, and the irritable little alcalde continued. - -"For what purpose was the sketch--this sketch made?--answer me that, -señor." - -"To please myself and to show my friends." - -"Of course, a likely story truly," he sneered, as he deliberately -tore my poor production into several pieces, threw them into the -brassero of charcoal which glowed in the centre of the apartment, and -watched until every fragment was entirely consumed. I gazed at him -in silence, but feeling an emotion of considerable disgust; for -although well aware that to sketch any fortified place or garrison -town, barrack, or citadel, was strictly forbidden, it never occurred -to me that the restriction could apply to the miserable -conglomeration of Spanish huts and crumbling Moorish hovels which -clustered round the churches on the rock of Arcos; but in their -ignorance of the arts the Spaniards, like the Turks, cannot see a -difference between a little artistic sketch and a regular plan drawn -for the most desperate military purposes. - -"So we are suspected of being spies," said Slingsby; "I am glad that -sketching was omitted in my education, and that I never could draw -aught but a cork or a bill in my life." - -"But this may prove no matter for laughter, Jack," said I, as the -alcalde, with awful gravity, after duly entering our names and -designations in a huge tome, turned to another part thereof, wiped -his spectacles and addressed us. I must own to feeling some -uneasiness, having once had a brother officer who went on sick leave -to Cadiz, where he was shot as a Christino priest; he was our senior -lieutenant, poor Bob Rasper, and was as much like a priest as the -great Mogul. I had an uncle who was very near being strangled by an -alcalde, who was persuaded he was Don Carlos; and we all know that -Lord Carnarvon was well nigh murdered in mistake for Don Miguel, -while Captain Widrington was about to be garotted by another -official, who thought he might be an agent of Marshal Baldomero -Espartero, now first minister of Donna Isabella II. These instances -of Spanish justice, clearness, and legal acumen were floating before -me when the little ruffian of an alcalde curled up his mustachios and -said,-- - -"The señores will have passports, no doubt?" - -"No passports," I replied. - -"Demonio!" ejaculated this Andalusian Solon, while the alguazils -(having finished their cheroots) began to clank their sabres and cock -their ominous-looking trabujos. "Then you must both be sent to -prison in irons, and kept under guard until we communicate with -Espartero." - -We lost alike our patience and temper at this piece of intelligence. - -"Beware, señor alcalde," said I, "for the very person you have named -may send you to the galleys for this insolent interference. We are -two British officers going on public duty to Seville, and being -passed through the Spanish lines by the officer commanding there, -require no other passports than our swords and our uniform, which you -had better respect, or we may play a mischief with you. Our -ambassador at Madrid----" - -"Vaya usted a los infernos!" exclaimed the alcalde, in a towering fit -of official indignation; "I shall show you how we treat those who -enter our city of Arcos without proper credentials, and I verily -believe you to be a couple of pitiful raterillos. Search and secure -them!" - -How this affair might have ended, I have no means of knowing; but -nothing saved us from much trouble and perhaps danger, but the sudden -discovery of a letter, which was found by one of the alguazils who -rudely plunged a hand into one of my pockets. It was addressed in -high-flowing terms to the most illustrious señor, the captain general -of Andalusia, and bore the great official seal of the Governor of Her -Britannic Majesty's garrison of Gibraltar. On beholding this, the -countenance of the alcalde fell. This human bladder, which was -inflated by so much wrath and Jack-in-office pride, suddenly -collapsed. His manner changed at once; he was profuse in his -apologies, and on a wave of his hand, those alguazils who, a moment -before, were ready to drag us to some foul prison and rudely too, -like ruffians as they doubtless were, slunk aside and withdrew; and -in five minutes after we were mounted, clear of Arcos, and trotting -along the road which ascended from the banks of the Guadalete. - -"Those Spaniards will never change," said Jack; "they will ever be -bullies or cravens; so cudgels or cannon shot are the only means of -argument with them." - -We then laughed at the whole affair--at the absurd pomposity of the -alcalde, and the idea of our being arrested as spies. - -At a trot we traversed the little town of Alcantarilla. It lies not -far from the Guadalquiver, a stream that wanders through a fertile -hollow, which in the days of the Cæsars was a hopeless march. We -crossed the bridge which was built by the hands of the Romans, who -placed a tower at each end for defence. Slingsby, with a waggish -smile, recommended me to make a sketch of these interesting remains; -but a wholesome terror of the alcalde of Arcos was yet too fresh in -my mind, so we pushed on towards Los Palacies, in company with a long -train of mules from the seaport of San Lucar de Barameda. Their -drivers were gaily attired, and were all sturdy and hearty fellows, -who beguiled the way with stories, laughter, and songs of love and -wine, or legends of the Avalos, the Moors of Ronda, and of Bravonnel -the Moor of Zaragozza and his ladylove Guadalara, while they sung to -the cracking of their whips, the merry jangle of the mule-bells, and -the thrum of a guitar. With all this, they were prepared for every -emergency, having poniards, blunderbusses, and other weapons--being -armed to the teeth, in fact; and with them we travelled until Seville -rose before us, with the fretted spires and gothic pinnacles of its -cathedral and Alcazar, and the gigantic tower of La Giralda, rising -above the domes of the Mohammedan times and the befrays of the -Christians; and all steeped in the unclouded blaze of an Andalusian -sunset, with the Guadalquiver winding through a low valley in the -foreground, bordered by groves of the orange and citron, and the -green undulating ridges of the Sierra towering in the distance, with -a golden vapour resting on the mellowed peaks, which bound a -landscape that, in the days of Alfonso the Wise, was studded by a -hundred thousand cottages and oil-mills. - -But the Guadalquiver seemed as muddy as the Thames, where it -approaches the ancient fane of St. John of Alfarache, and there its -turgid tide was lashed and beaten by the steamers from San Lucar; and -we could see them ploughing their way (with red lights hanging at -their fore cross-trees) into the evening haze that settled over -Seville. - -Our passports were demanded by the officer commanding an -ill-accoutered guard at the gate: but our letter addressed to the -captain general freed us from further question, and he politely -directed us to an hotel. - -We rode through the grass-grown streets of the lazy Sevillanos, I -reflecting on stories of Pedro the Cruel and the past glories of the -Arab city--Jack Slingsby reflecting on the thoroughfares, which he -said "were remarkably dingy, devilish dirty, and all that sort of -thing," until we discovered the hotel de la Reyna near the Lonja, or -Exchange, and close to the far-famed cathedral church. There we took -up our quarters for the night. - -"At last we are in Seville!" said I, as I threw myself into a down -fauteuil, after tossing off a glass of iced Valdepenas, and flung -aside the last week's Madrid papers, the 'Heraldo' and 'España;' "in -Seville, where Trajan, Adrian, and Theodosius were born, and -where----" - -"You shall flirt with the pretty Paulina to-morrow," said Jack; "pass -over the decanter; thanks; I can take you off your stilts in a -twinkling, my boy." - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE TERTULIA. - -In the morning, after coffee, a devilled bone and a cigar, we sallied -forth to deliver the dispatch of our Governor to the captain general, -and resolved, soon after, to bid farewell to Seville; for Jack was -full of fears that the whole corps would be off, bag and baggage, to -fight the Russians before we could return. The hour was somewhat -early, so we rambled about the beautiful city; but I do not mean to -inflict upon the reader a description of all we saw--of the gay -crowds who thronged the Plaza de Toros and the Alameda, with fan and -mantilla, sombrero and mantle; of the cathedral of Santa Maria, with -its carved buttresses and stupendous spires; of the Alcazar or palace -of the Moorish kings, with all its arabesques and oval arches; of the -Lonja and the huge tobacco factory. I beg my reader to imagine them -all, for I could easily devote five several chapters to describing -these five several edifices. It is enough that the Sevillanos have -an ancient proverb, that he who never saw Seville has never seen a -wonder; to wit-- - - "Que en no ha visto Sevilla, - Ne ha visto Maravilla." - - -As we issued from the cathedral, Jack's loquacity was somewhat -stilled by the grandeur of that stupendous pile and its dark -Murillos, the chief of which is the adoration of the Saviour by St. -Anthony of Padua--I beg pardon--of Lisbon and of Lagos--and full of -thoughts, which were rather solemn for such fellows as we are, we -walked slowly on with our eyes fixed on the far-famed tower of the -weathercock--the Giralda--which rises at the north-east angle of the -church, when a personage, whose eyes were raised to the same -altitude, came somewhat violently against us, and then we poured -forth mutual apologies. - -"Maldito--come esta, señores; well met." - -"Come esta, señor major--who would have thought of meeting you here?" - -"Why so?" asked Don Joaquim, for he proved to be our friend of the -noble regiment of Lagos; "I think that I mentioned Seville as my -native city--so you have reached the end of your journey?" - -"Yes, and mean to leave this to-morrow," said Jack. - -"So early! Maldito--a short visit. Is your business so soon -concluded?" - -"It is not yet begun; we have a dispatch for the captain general." - -"Indeed!" said he, with wonder in his face. - -"Where is his palace? We were just about to inquire the way." - -"You must pass the Lonja, our famous Exchange, a triumph of the -genius of Juan de Herrera--the architect of the Escurial; well, you -must pass it, and cross the Plaza de Toros; but allow me to have the -pleasure of escorting you." - -"Many thanks." - -"None are necessary, señores--hut this dispatch for the captain -general--Maldito! I am bursting with irrepressible curiosity to know -what it is about. Are we going to war with Russia too?" - -"Then, señor," said I, "we may as well inform you that it concerns -the killing of a man on board of a Spanish government guarda costa, -by a chance shot from the Mole Fort at Gibraltar." - -"He was in pursuit of a contrabandista, I presume?" - -"Exactly so." - -"Ah, those rascally contrabandistas! It is too bad of your -Government to protect them--quite as bad as making war on the Chinese -because they would not poison themselves with opium. I heard that -some of your people had shot at a guarda costa, and killed some one -on hoard. It has excited considerable animosity, and been much -spoken of." - -He led us through several dark and narrow streets, so narrow, indeed, -that people could easily have shaken hands from the windows on each -side of these quaint old Moorish thoroughfares. Issuing suddenly -into the full Haze of the scorching Spanish sunshine, we found -ourselves before a handsome palace decorated by Corinthian pilasters, -and having its lofty windows covered by external shades of brilliant -red and white striped stuff. Two sentinels of the line stood at the -portal under sunshades, with their muskets "ordered;" and they stared -at our uniform with black and lacklustre eyes. - -"The palace of the captain general," said Don Joaquim, bowing; "he -has just returned from Jaen, having gone on a pilgrimage to the Holy -Face." - -"We must have the pleasure of meeting you again," said I. - -"Our hotel is the Queen's--de la Reyna--near the Exchange," added -Slingsby. - -"Oh, I know the place very well," replied the Don, producing his -card, a token of civilisation little known in Spain; "my mother gives -a tertulia to-night, and we shall be delighted to see you--her -reception hour is eight--Donna Dominga de Lucena--Calle del Alcazar." - -"You are the son of Donna Dominga, whom we had the pleasure of -knowing in Gibraltar?" - -"The same, señores. Are you the gentlemen who were so kind and -attentive to her? It is quite a little romance this meeting. How -odd, to think that we sat a whole night in the venta of Castellar and -knew nothing about this! Then, doubtless, one of you must be that -accomplished cavalier, Don Leja Mag Leja, concerning whom she wrote -me so many letters when I was at Lagos." - -With some laughter, we professed that neither of us was the portly -Leechy Mac Leechy, to whose name the Donna had given somewhat of a -Castilian character in her epistles to the major. - -"But about the tertulia? we have no full uniform," urged Jack. - -"Full uniform--bagatella!--stuff--come just as you are; but as your -business here is about that unlucky guarda costa, 'tis as well my -brother Hernan has not arrived; for he is in our naval service, and -might feel piqued on the subject. Well, addio--I shall see you at -eight to-night--don't forget, the street of the Alcazar," and with a -salute he left us. - -The sentinels at the door "handled" their arms as we ascended the -flight of marble steps which led to the door of the captain general's -palace. - -"The last general officer with whom I had the honour of an interview -was old Towler, of the Kilkenny district," said Slingsby; "I have no -idea what manner of man our Spaniard may be." - -As the interview with the captain-general and all the various pros -and cons thereanent--as a Scotsman would say--may have appeared -already among the public intelligence of "our own correspondent," who -most likely was not in Seville, and knew nothing about the matter, I -will only state that we were received with great urbanity and -politeness by the Spanish officer who held the important post of -Governor of the four kingdoms. He was a fine old cavalier, and in -earlier years had served in the Peninsular war; he told us that he -had commanded a regiment under Cuesta; a brigade of Cazadores under -Hill, and a division under Murillo; that he had been wounded at -Vittoria in attacking the heights of La Puebla, and had received the -Grand Cross of the Bath from the hand of the Duke of Wellington, and -latterly the Order of Carlos III., which devoted him "to the pure -conception of the blessed Virgin Mary," from the Queen and the -Patriarch of the Indies, at the solemn chapter held in 1853. The old -fellow's eyes kindled with pleasure as he invited us to lunch, and to -share with him a bottle of choice Valdepenas, saying that he loved -the sight of the red coat for the memory of the olden time that would -never come again--the poor red coats--he had often seen them lying -thick enough on many a Spanish plain, and in many a crumbling breach -and trench--at Badajoz, at Ciudad Rodrigo, San Sebastian and Tarifa. - -Here, at least, was one noble old Spanish soldier--one true -cavalier--whose lively recollection of those great campaigns (which -are second to none the world has seen) and whose sense of what his -country owed to ours, formed a strong contrast to that cold -ingratitude which desecrated the tomb of the Scottish hero of -Corunna, and ploughed up the graves of our brave men, who were buried -in the little field beneath the ramparts of Tarifa; and for the -repose of whose bones our Government had to pay a sum to Spain. - -We received from him a letter to the Governor of Gibraltar, stating -that our explanations of the affair of the guarda costa had perfectly -satisfied him; and on our rising to retire he made us an offer of a -cavalry escort as far as San Roque, which lies within a few miles of -our garrison; but being aware that we should be obliged to maintain -both the horses and the men, and to make them a handsome donation at -parting, I declined, saying that we had an idea of returning by San -Lucar de Barameda, and would there take the steamer for Gibraltar. - -"But remember there is that restless gentleman, Don Fabrique de -Urquija," said the general, smiling; "he makes the roads very unsafe, -and does not hesitate to commit such outrages as have not been known -in the land since Marshal Massena marched through it." - -We assured him of our being without fear in the matter; on which he -laughed, saying that he knew "los Brittanicos, of old, and that, like -our fathers who fought under Wellington, Hill, and Grahame, we also -were without fear," and we parted, highly flattered and delighted by -our interview with this old Castilian hidalgo. - -We lounged long in the Alameda, where the notice our uniform -attracted was rather an annoyance. After dining at the hotel and -making the most of our costume that our light marching order would -admit, we appeared at the door of Donna Dominga's residence in the -Calle del Alcazar, just as the cathedral clock struck eight; for the -Spaniards are too well bred to esteem any one the more for being late -at a conversazione, for such is a tertulia in fact and in effect. - -A number of sedans, borne by servants in livery, were standing about -the steps of the mansion; and the links and torches flared on the -coats of arms that decorated the panels and the collars of Santiago -and Calatrava which surrounded them. Various long-visaged and -spindle-shanked representatives of the pure did blood of los Cuatros -Reinos, untainted by the stain of Moor, or Jew, or heretic, were -stalking through the vestibule with due gravity and grandeur. - -We were ushered forward by one servant, and were announced by another -on entering the saloon, where our old friend Donna Dominga sat with -fan and snuff-box in hand receiving her guests; and as her son had -prepared her for our visit, she was in a prodigious flutter, with her -fat round face forming the apex of a pyramid of black satin and black -Cadiz lace; for her veil, which was of the finest texture, fell over -all her person. - -By her side sat the pretty Paulina on a rich low tabourette, -gracefully as a Spanish lady sits at mass, or a Moorish maiden on her -little carpet, for it is from their Arabian conquerors that the low -seats of the Spanish dames are borrowed. - -The major, who wore the blue uniform and massive silver epaulettes of -"the noble Regiment of St. Anthony," and who had the order of St. -John of Portugal on his breast, hurried forward to meet and to -present us. Then the younger donna blushed crimson, while the elder -wished very much to do so too, and dropping her eyelids, fanned -herself, and affected to be much agitated. We bowed very low and -then stepped back, as it is not the custom in Spain to shake hands. -After a few of those complimentary remarks and those commonplaces, -which are customary in every country, we should have withdrawn a -little to make way for other tertulianos, had not Donna Dominga -especially invited us to remain beside her; and while the -presentation continued, and all that were noble (being rich or -beautiful went for nought in Seville) appeared in succession, and -while caballeros and grave and solemn hidalgos, with the red cross of -Calatrava, and the little sword of San Jago dangling at their -button-holes, advanced slowly, and with a faint smile and courtly bow -laid a hand on their heart and lisped the usual and invariable "A los -pies de usted, señoras" (I am at your feet, ladies), and then -retired; I was chatting gaily with Paulina, who had now become more -assured, and who overwhelmed me with a thousand inquiries about -Gibraltar and her friends. Meantime that rogue Jack Slingsby poured -into her mother's ear pretended messages from MacLeechy, our -doctor--messages so tender and so pitiful that the old lady relented -and forgave him being married, saying it was "his misfortune, not his -fault, poor man;" Jack asserted his belief that the doctor was quite -of her opinion; and then the bulbous-shaped fair one made a vigorous -use of her fan and snuff-box, as she conjured up the image of the -"gay deceiver." - -The saloon was a large apartment; the floor was of polished oak, and -was varnished until it shone like glass; the ceiling was of cedar, -and divided into deep, dark panels; the walls were painted white, and -were hung with several dusky pictures, principally of religious -subjects; one of these was by Roelas; another by Murillo, and both -had narrowly escaped abstraction by the French, during the War of -Independence, for Messrs. Soult, Suchet, and Co., made everything -march over the Pyrenees that was neither too hot nor too heavy. - -Our garrison evening parties in Gibraltar had shown Donna Dominga -that considerable improvements might be made upon the solemn gravity -of the Spanish tertulia; thus the company were pressed to stay longer -than usual in honour of us; we had a few airs on the piano--a very -antique instrument, said to have been found among Joseph's baggage at -Vittoria, and in no way calculated to give full effect to the -compositions of Donizetti, Verdi, or Orsini, which Paulina and her -companions attempted to give us; but then they had their guitars, and -the lively songs of old Spain, and legendary ballads of the brave -Avalos of the Ronda, which if destitute of science, had at least the -merit of being full of music and melody. - -Every sound was hushed as Paulina sang the song which was wont to -turn the heads of half Her Majesty's garrison. - - "Since for kissing thee, Minguillo, - Mother's ever scolding me; - Give me swiftly back, O dear one, - Give the kiss I gave to thee!" - - -Either by chance, or an irresistible inclination, our eyes met just -as she sang these very tender and pointed words, and a soft tinge -shot over her pure white cheek. My own heart filled with a tumult of -emotion, for the aspect of this noble Spanish girl, as she sat on the -low tabourette, in an attitude full of grace, with her high proud -head and the long veil of black lace that fell from it over her back -and shoulders, was so bewildering, that I felt convinced my peace of -mind would require an explanation with her before my bantering mentor -and I turned our horses' heads once more towards Gibraltar. - -We had now a little waltzing, and a quadrille or two, with plenty of -groseille and fleur d'orange. - -I had a thousand things to tell Paulina; but when she was the centre -of almost every eye in the room, it was no easy matter to be tender; -besides, whenever I looked round, the comical eye of Jack Slingsby, -with a glass stuck in it, was sure to meet mine; for whatever he was -about, in the waltz, the quadrille, in a quiet two-handed flirtation -(which, by the way, made the old hidalgos of Seville, who are not -wont to tolerate such things, shrug their shoulders and elevate their -eyebrows) in the middle of a tender speech, when handing fleur -d'orange, restoring a fallen fan, or reclasping a bracelet, he seemed -to watch all my proceedings with a species of amused interest--so -that nothing passed between Paulina and me but the merest -commonplaces. - -"The moment so ardently wished for has arrived at last," thought I; -"she is beside me, and I have not one word of interest for her." - -"And you leave Seville to-morrow?" said she, to break an awkward -pause. - -"No, señora, in two days." - -"A short visit--there are so many things to see here. There is the -great tower of Cabildo with its enchanted weathercock, a Pallas with -a standard which always indicates the quarter from which an enemy is -approaching Seville." - -"Ah--yes; I remember in the adventure of Don Quixotte with the Knight -of the Wood, the latter boasts, that among other deeds done in honour -of his mistress, he 'had challenged the famous fighting giantess, La -Giralda of Seville, who is strong and undaunted as one who is made of -brass.'" - -"And who without changing place is the most inconstant woman in the -world. Oh, Don Quixotte, he is charming! And then in Seville we -have the letters of Francisco Pizzaro, of Columbus and the valiant -Hernan Cortes; and more than all, we have the cathedral with its -Puerta de Perdon, which was the work of a Moorish necromancer, and -was all built by a spell between the night and morning. In two days -you can never see all these things." - -"Your own presence, Donna Paulina, is more than enough to detain me -here for ever." - -"Then why go so soon?" she asked, with her pretty Spanish lisp, while -her long lashes drooped. - -"Go I must, señora, for, being a soldier, I have nothing to urge; -but----" - -"But what?" - -"The stern necessity of obedience." - -"Ay de mi!" said she, gazing fully and honestly at me; "I am so sorry -to hear all this." - -"I am full of gratitude to hear you say so, señora; but there is no -remedy." - -"Señor," said she, smiling, "para todo hay remedio sino para la -muerte." - -"True, there is a remedy for everything but death, it is a good old -Spanish proverb," said I; "but is not absence from those we love but -a living death? so when I am far from Seville I shall have but the -memory of one most beautiful face, and one bright happy night." - -"Take this rose," said she, disengaging one from her bouquet; "it -will be a memento, though a small one." - -"Thanks, señora; but the rose will wither and fade." - -"So will the memory of the beautiful face and the one happy night," -said she, with a winning smile. - -"Never, never Paulina--you are so charming--so gentle and so good, -that----" - -"Hush, Dios Mio! the people are observing us, and--but ave Maria -purissima! what is the matter with my mother?" - -During this brief conversation, the servant Pedrillo had delivered a -note to Donna Dominga, who, on hurriedly glancing at its contents, -uttered a faint cry and fell upon the sofa, where all the ladies -crowded in an excited manner round her. Don Joaquim snatched up the -letter and read it with flaming eyes. - -"What, in Heaven's name, is the matter?" I asked, pressing forward. - -"A letter has come from the captain of the guarda costa, stating that -the son of Donna Dominga, his lieutenant, had been killed by a shot -from the garrison of Gibraltar," said Slingsby, in a rapid whisper. -"The absence of the captain general at Jaen prevented the Sevillanos -from learning that the person slain was a townsman. I find we are in -a mess here, and think we had better be off, my boy." - -Though Spain had a post-office in those days when James III. of -Scotland was fighting the battles of the people against his -traitorous nobility, and when the brutal Henry of England was -murdering his wives and burning Catholics and Protestants together at -Smithfield, she has so far receded in the arts of peace that this -unfortunate letter had been all these many weeks in finding its way -from the sea port of Malaga to Seville. - -Don Joaquim now said something to Paulina, who turned upon us with -eyes full of grief and dismay. - -"'T is my brother Hernan you have slain," she exclaimed, in tones -that went through me like a sword; "O madre mia, madre mia! they have -murdered our dear, dear Hernan!" and she threw herself beside her -mother. - -"Yes, señores," said Don Joaquim, folding up the letter with an air -of sombre ferocity; "her accusation is right, you have heard her; 't -is my brother Don Hernan who was killed by your accursed shot from -the mole fort of Gibraltar,--Hernan, lieutenant of the guarda costa, -and this letter is from his captain, detailing the circumstances of -that outrage on the Spanish flag--an outrage of which I have heard so -much since I left Portugal; but which I little thought--O Dios Mio! -how little indeed, that it would bring such sorrow to my own house, -and to hearts to me so dear. My poor boy brother, Hernan! So, -señores, you it is, who were the perpetrators of this foul act? Fit -men you were, and proper too, to detail it to our blockhead of a -captain general, who was worshipping an old rag at Jaen, when he -should have been seeking vengeance at Madrid. But look ye, señores, -I'll have it, sure and deep, and as certainly as there is a saint in -heaven, sure as my name is Joaquim de Lucena of the regiment of -Lagos!" - -"Mueran los gabachos--death to the miscreants!" growled a number of -voices, and I laid a hand on my sword. It was a natural impulse. - -The ladies clustered like a brood of terrified doves round Donna -Dominga and her daughter; the gentlemen drew round her son; Slingsby -and I were left together in the middle of the large saloon. - -"A pleasant predicament this!" said Jack, shrugging his shoulders: -"Ramble, I think we had better retire." - -"To remain is useless, for these people are alike past listening to -explanation or apology," I replied; and with an emotion of -mortification and sorrow, which the reader may easily imagine, we -took up our swords, made a profound bow to this ungracious company -(none of whom responded), and quitted the house. - -"Awful business this," said Jack, "is it not, Dick -Ramble?--speak--have you lost your tongue?" - -"A strange combination of unfortunate circumstances! To find -ourselves the honoured guests of the very woman whose son we slew! -In what light will Paulina view us, and Don Joaquim too?" - -"As an officer he ought to be aware that we did but our duty," urged -poor Jack, who felt himself the most guilty party; "but I did not -half like the expression of his eyes as we left the saloon." - -"How?" - -"I read in them more of hatred and malice, than of horror for the -event, or natural grief for his brother's fate." - -"You think so?" - -"I am sure of it!" - -"Well, the man is a Spaniard." - -"And being so, will not let us off easily." - -"We shall have a message from him in the morning, challenging us both -to fight, you think?" said I. - -"Not at all; your Spaniards don't fight duels; he will lay some -desperate snare for us between this and San Roque; so, depend upon -it, the sooner we make ourselves scarce in Seville the better. But -here is the hotel--for Heaven's sake let us have some iced champagne, -for this horrid business has made me as thirsty as if I had crossed a -whole county in the hottest hunting season." - -I must own that though I was pretty well assured of the truth of -Jack's surmises and suspicions, fear for my own safety was quite a -secondary emotion to my sincere sorrow for the bereavement we had -occasioned to poor old Donna Dominga and the lively Paulina. As for -that stormy fellow Joaquim, I felt no compunction for him in the -least; his grief was too noisy, and his sudden hostility too deep to -leave much room for natural sorrow; and so, while surmising, -considering, revolving, and talking the matter threadbare, we -finished several bottles of champagne; through the medium of these we -easily came to the conclusion that we were the most injured parties; -that we had been grossly insulted somehow, over night--that the usual -satisfaction was necessary; and then we retired to bed in a state of -just and proper indignation at the malevolent threats of Don Joaquim -and his friends, to whom the affair formed a notable subject for -discussion at those morning meetings, which are so dearly prized by -the Spaniards, who then debate everything from a ballet girl's ancle -to a rising in Catalonia; and for these gossips, the place of -rendezvous in Seville is the Plaza de San Domingo. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -DON FABRIQUE. - -We were awake betimes in the morning, and breakfasted early, in the -true Spanish style, on good stiff chocolate with fried eggs, purple -wine, and snow-white bread; but no hostile message came from Don -Joaquim. The hours stole on, and the sunlit streets threw the -shadows of their picturesque façades against each other. The events -of the last night, and their probable consequences, had given us a -decided distaste for prowling about the streets of Seville. We were -both somewhat thoughtful, and said little, or conferred only on the -nearest route by which we could reach Gibraltar, in coming from -which, we had made somewhat of a détour; and Jack hinted that we -should probably have some more brawls with alcaldes, rows at posadas, -skirmishes with banditos, and other pleasant adventures, before we -reported ourselves "as just arrived" at head quarters. - -"A letter for El Señor Capitano Don Ricardo," said the waiter, -approaching. - -"A letter for you, Dick," said Slingsby. - -"So it has come at last," said I, breaking the seal. - -"Will it be an affair of knives or pistols?" - -"Hush!" said I, as the waiter retired. - -"Slugs in a saw-pit, and all that sort of thing--a triangular duel, -eh? But an officer should have brought it." - -"Yes, had it been that for which you seem so very anxious." - -"Anxious! not I, believe me." - -"Well, this is from a lady." - -"The deuce--you quite interest me. I can perceive that it is penned -on pink paper, a little flourished, but without signature. It is -from Paulina, poor girl! I can imagine her writing it, and as Byron -says-- - - "'How tremulously gentle, her small hand--'" - - -"How can you run on thus?" I asked, imploringly. "Fie upon you, -Jack, after all the misery we have wrought to these poor people." - -"Well, perhaps you are right and I am wrong. I beg pardon; but the -letter--what is it about?" - -"Only the safety of our lives." - -"Our lives--indeed--how so?" - -"Read it." - -The note ran thus:-- - - -"SENOR DON RICARDO. - -"In the name of the Blessed Mother of God, I implore you and your -friend to leave Seville on receipt of this, and to take the nearest -road for San Lucar de Barameda, where you can reach a steamer, which -sails direct for Gibraltar. Don Joaquim vows to have a terrible -revenge for the death of our dear brother Hernan; and, last night, -was seen in conference with Fabrique de Urquija on the old Alameda. -The road you came will be beset--his band are, doubtless, now in hire -to waylay you. El santo de los Santos, forgive you the misery you -have caused to those who never wronged you, and may it deliver you -from the snares of death that lie in your homeward path." - - -"More melodramatic than pleasant," said Jack. - -"It is from Paulina, no doubt.--how considerate!" - -"Kind and gentle too," added Jack. "Well, all things duly -considered, I think we should take her advice--mount, and be off." - -"Poor--poor Paulina!" - -"Deuce take it, Dick, don't be faint-hearted. 'T will be all one -when the route comes for the Crimea, and sell or sail is the word." - -"Not among "Ours," I hope." - -"The San Lucar road be it." - -"Then the sooner we leave the better, for we have much to lose and -nothing to gain by lingering here." - -"For there is neither law, justice, nor honour among these -Spaniards," said Slingsby, making a smart application to the -bell-rope. - -"What! you say so in the face of this charming letter?" - -"Charming, indeed, to be told that a captain of robbers--a -picturesque ruffian in a steeple-crowned hat and red garters, has -been bribed to cut your throat--to 'do' for you in the flower of your -youth for a hundred pistoles." - -The letter raised a glow of sad, of kind, and regretful emotions -within me; but I stifled them all, and, calling for the bill, settled -with the landlord in person. - -"What manner of magistrates have you here in Seville?" asked the -unwary Jack. - -"How, señor?" - -"When they permit thieves to prowl about your streets at night." - -"Thieves, señor--Ave Maria!" - -"Yes, thieves, señor patron. Fabrique de Urquija was on the old -Alameda last night with a well-known bravo from Portugal." - -"Don Fabrique," reiterated our host, aghast at the name; "ah, he is -too great a man to be easily arrested, señor." - -"Is he not a mere ladrone?" - -"True, Caballero; but then his band is numerous. Yes, señor; Ave -Maria purissima!--tiene con exercito de 10,000 hombres--all -determined men, and armed to the teeth." - -"Ten thousand men--nonsense! A hundred, more probably." - -The host felt his veracity impugned, and he called upon all the -saints in the calendar to witness the truth of his assertions; and -while we had a decanter of wine before starting, he told us a vast -number of anecdotes, descriptive of the cruel and unscrupulous -character of the so-called Don Fabrique. Two of these occurred to me -as being peculiarly diabolical in their nature. - -On one occasion he plundered the house of a wealthy merchant near -Estephana, a town on the Grenada coast; and because the unfortunate -proprietor would not yield up the alleged treasures of his strong -box, and sign bills on his bankers in Seville, Fabrique snatched up a -camphine lamp from a marble side-table, and, with a dreadful oath, -poured the contents over the hair and whiskers of his prisoner. He -then deliberately applied a lighted candle thereto, and in a moment -the whole face and head of the miserable man were enveloped in -flames. His skull was roasted like a large castano, and he died in -great misery--his head being literally burned off! - -Another amiable little trait of Don Fabrique was the strange way he -took to remove his predecessor from the command of the troop. This -was a rough old guerilla, who in his youth had fought in the -campaigns of Wellington, under Don Julian Sanchez, the famous Captain -Harelip, as our soldiers named him, and latterly in the service of -the Carlists, under the banished Conde de Morella. - -The robber captain--Gomes el Guerilla--having incurred the animosity -of Fabrique, that worthy procured some gun-cotton (which our patron -believed to be a preparation by the devil himself), from a -drug-chest, when investigating the shop of a botarico (apothecary) at -Castellar; and some of this he placed in the folds of Gomes' -neckcloth in the night, and for three days the old and unsuspecting -sinner wore this dreadful thing under his well-bearded chin. On the -third, Fabrique, who began to lose patience, and vow to have -vengeance on the botarico, said, "Come, señor, let us make up a -little cigar;" so the cigar was made, and they proceeded to smoke, -until some sparks fell on the breast of the old guerilla; and then, -Madre de Dios! there was a dreadful flash and explosion like that of -a cannon; and to the consternation of all his band, the head of Gomes -was blown right off his shoulders, and not a vestige of it was ever -seen again. - -"The noble Caballeros," continued our host, "have no doubt heard of -the great robber-chief, Manuel de Cordova, who in January, 1853, -killed the commandant of the civic guard of Bute?" - -"No." - -"He was betrayed by Don Fabrique, and shot to death by a platoon of -infantry, in the Plaza of Cordova. Oh, señor, the saints deliver us -from the devil and Don Fabrique!" - -"So say I," added Jack, as the landlord left us, and thus, being -impressed alike by these communications and that of Donna Paulina, we -resolved to change our route and avoid this formidable personage who -took such an interest in our proceedings. - -To deceive any person who might be watching about the hotel, or be -bribed by Fabrique, or the major, we made particular inquiries of the -patron, the waiters, and stable-boys concerning the road to Gibraltar -by the way of Puerto Serrano; and having, as Jack said, "completely -thrown dust in their eyes," we took the route to San Lucar and left -Seville at a rapid trot about an hour after noon, pausing only to -give a peseta to a poor Franciscan who begged from us at the city -gate. - -I looked back to Seville as we galloped away. - -The tower of La Giralda and all its spires were sinking in the sunny -haze and lessening in the distance. - -"So ends an intimacy that might have ripened into something better," -thought I. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE RATERILLO. - -Passing Coria del Rio, a little province and partido, after a twenty -miles' ride we halted to dine at Lebrija, which is so famed for its -oil of olives, and there we got some prime Xeres, which bore the -private mark of the señores Gonzalez and Dubose, the famous wine -merchants; and now we enjoyed the hope that our acquaintance Fabrique -de Urquija and his "ten thousand hombres" (or whatever their number -might be) were sunning themselves on the mountains, and lying in wait -for us on the dusty road by Puerto Serrano; and any anxiety we might -have felt to reach the coast unmolested began to lessen when we set -forth again, while the evening sun was verging towards the western -sierras of the province, and pursuing an old and narrow path, so old -that perhaps the Christian knights of King Ferdinand might have -traversed it to battle with the Emirs of Granada, of Seville, and -Cordova, we rode on, amid varied scenery, where luxuriant creepers -almost veiled the granite rocks like natural curtains, where large -fields of maize surrounded ancient villages left ruined and roofless -in the late civil wars, where herds of half wild cattle browsed on -the green mountain slope; where the dead man's cross, the wayside -chapel, the groves of cork, of olive or orange trees bordered the -devious path, and the shattered atalaya that whilome watched the -frontiers of Mohammed of Cadiz, towered over all, a landmark to the -Guadalquiver. - -Charmed by the scenery, we allowed the reins to fall on the necks of -our horses, and careless as to whether or not we found quarters for -the night in an olive wood or in Trohniona, which we were now -approaching, and the little spire of which we saw peeping above its -bright green groves and tipped with a fiery gleam, we rode on slowly -until near a well which flowed into a stone basin, under a rude -representation of our Lady of Assistance--a wayside chapel, in -fact--a turn of the path brought us suddenly upon two armed -Spaniards, who were seated on the sward playing with cards in the -twilight, for the time was evening now. - -One of these, by his gay attire, his embroidered jacket with its -silver clasps, his sash of red and yellow stripes and his velvet hat, -as well as by the horse which stood near him, well laden with -packages, and having a long gun slung at its demipique saddle, I -perceived to be a professed smuggler; and on our nearer approach we -both recognised our old friend Pedro el Contrabandista, who supplied -our mess with cigars, and whose unlucky pursuit by the guarda costa -had been the source of so much travelling, turmoil, and inquiry to -Slingsby and to myself. - -There was no mistaking the other as a raterillo--that is, "a little -rat," or pickpocket, on whose cloth the regular armed bandit who robs -convoys, fights the carabineros, and burns a village occasionally, -looks down as the line do on the militia, or as the militia do on the -yeomanry. The only weapon of the raterillo is his knife, and perhaps -a concealed pistol. Polite almost to servility to the armed man, the -raterillo is usually a bully to the peaceable, and to those who are -too poor to carry that long musket which is the constant companion of -the provincial Spaniard. - -He doffed his threadbare sombrero and bowed with great humility as we -reined up beside them to greet honest Pedro, who received us with a -hearty shout of welcome. - -"Well, amigo mio," said I, "we were not aware that you did business -by land as well as by sea." - -"True, señor, I should have been a woman, for I am never constant to -anything; I am glad to meet two noble cavaliers of the garrison -travelling here--but why so far from Gibraltar, and without an -escort?" - -"All owing to you, Pedro, my valiant contrabandista, and your -troublesome affairs." - -"Pardon, señor, I do not comprehend." - -"That devilish shot from the Mole fort." - -"Oh, yes--ha, ha! it cut in two halves Don Hernan de Lucena, and -enabled me to run my little felucca safe into Gibraltar--eh." - -"Yes, but we had to visit the captain general at Seville, and to -explain the affair to him in person. So we are here." - -"On your way back." - -"Exactly so." - -"I owe you a thousand thanks for that little piece of attention from -the Mole fort, señores; but for that, I should now, perhaps, have -been chained to an oar in the Queen's galleys at Barcelona, for I was -as sure of being taken as there is a saint in heaven. Well, señores, -we shall sup together to-night at Trohniona--see, yonder is its spire -shining like a red star in the sunset; I have my guitar, and shall -sing to you the newest seguidilla and some jovial romances about the -Granadine Moors, the Castilian Caballeros, or the Carlists, and -enchanters; but, meantime, I must finish a game to which I was -challenged by this traveller, on whom I shall have, proper revenge, -for he has already won from me forty duros; and you the while will do -me the favour to accept some of my best cigars." - -There was no resisting this jolly contrabandista; so, as we had -before arranged to halt for the night at Trohniona, we were the -better for the companionship of another man, who knew the country, -and was doubtless a favourite with the people, and who, moreover, was -well armed, stout, and determined. We watched the game between him -and the raterillo, who won dollar after dollar with a facility that -soon left no doubt whatever in our minds that he was cheating poor -Pedro, so Jack and I exchanged frequent glances. - -"Whose cards are these?" I asked. - -"The señor travalero's," said Pedro, "and I begin to think he knows -the backs better than the fronts of them." - -The raterillo, whose quick eyes rolled in a restless manner, laughed -as he pocketed three other duros of Pedro, who began to lose all -patience and to flush, while a dark gleam shot over his eyes; and on -detecting in his adversary some real or suspected piece of foul play, -he dashed the cards full in his face, crying,-- - -"You are a rogue and a thief--a pitiful little rat, and if you do not -yield back every peseta you have won, 'por el nombre de Dios,' I will -be at you with my Albacete knife!" - -"Then the knife be it," retorted the raterillo, crushing his -well-worn hat over his eye-brows; "shall we have our feet tied -together?" - -"No, we shall fight it out on the grass, and I will have your black -blood and my hard-won dollars together," cried Pedro, who was choking -with sudden passion; and quick almost as thought, they confronted -each other, their dark faces contorted by ferocity, their eyes -flashing fire, their feet planted on the turf, their bodies bent -forward ready to spring, and their cuchillos held firmly in the right -hand, the thumb being pressed upon the blade in such a manner as to -enable them to stab or to cut with equal facility. - -Several blows had been given and skilfully eluded before Jack and I, -who had drawn our swords, could dismount and interfere; but just as -we pressed in between them, at the peril of our lives, we heard a -cheer like a yell ringing in the hollow, and saw a crowd of armed men -rushing down the sloping banks which bordered the road-way. - -"Ladrones--ladrones--fly, señores!" cried Pedro, as he leaped on his -horse and dashed at full speed towards Trohniona, followed by several -musket-bullets, while the raterillo vanished in the twilight as if -the earth had swallowed him up. - -In a moment we were surrounded by a crowd of armed banditti--oh, -there was no mistaking them!--I was collared and pinioned just as my -foot was in the stirrup, and poor Jack Slingsby was knocked off his -horse by the butt-end of a long Spanish gun; our swords and -revolvers, our watches, rings, purses, and cigar-cases; our horses -and valises, all in a moment became the spoil of the Egyptians, and -we found ourselves prisoners at the mercy of--Fabrique de Urquija! - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -LA RIO DE MUERTE. - -Dark-visaged and black-bearded, with long sable hair hanging over -their collars from under their battered sombreros, or gathered up in -net-work cauls, the robbers presented every picturesque variety of -Spanish costume. Some wore jackets of black or olive-coloured -velvet, richly covered with needlework on the breast and seams; their -waists were girt by bright-coloured sashes, and their legs encased in -velvet small-clothes and leathern gaiters; while others were sans -shirts and sans shoes; scantily attired in rough zamarras of -sheepskin, with tattered breeches--their brawny legs and muscular -chests being bare. All were well armed with muskets, Albacete -knives, and pistols, and all were ferocious, resolute, and reckless -alike in spirit and in aspect. A glance showed me all this, as we -were dragged by them through an olive thicket, where, upon the -prostrate column of some old Roman temple, we found their leader -seated. - -The moon had now risen brightly above the mountains, and in the -sashed and armed figure before me, with a jacket glittering with -embroidery, his carbine resting in the hollow of his right arm, I -recognised our former acquaintance whom we had met by the wayside -between Castellar and Estrelo, and with whom we were hobbing and -nobbing over a cigar and bota, when poor sister St. Veronica came to -ask alms of us. - -The cruelties of which, on that occasion, he had so freely avowed -himself guilty, and those other traits of character, such as the -affair of the camphine lamp and the neckcloth so pleasantly padded -with guncotton, occurred to us; and I must own, that when we found -ourselves bound as prisoners and confronting the cold, stern and -impassible visage of this celebrated Spanish outlaw, a restless -anxiety made our hearts throb with new and undefined emotions. In -all things his bearing and disposition were similar to those of his -friend* whom he betrayed in 1853, and whose atrocities have been -published, like his own, at length in the columns of the "Heraldo de -Madrid." Neither Slingsby nor I had ever been in such a desperate -predicament before, as the reader may easily conceive; thus we could -scarcely realise it, and, naturally enough, indignation was uppermost -in our minds. - - -* Francisco Manuel de Cordova. - - -The intellectual part of Fabrique's face, though exceedingly -handsome, was immovable as that of a statue, his two black eyes -remained fixedly regarding us, and even when his bearded mouth -relaxed into a grim smile, one-half of his face remained unmoved. He -seemed calm and pale in the white moon-light--but the cicatrised -wound which traversed his cheek was of a deep and dusky red. - -"Well, señor," said I, briskly, "are you fully prepared to answer for -the attack you have made upon us?" - -"Answer," he reiterated, with something between a frown and -disdainful smile; "to whom?" - -"The captain general of Andalusia." - -"I have so many things to answer for already to that illustrious -Caballero of Seville, that he will be very apt to forget your little -affair among others." - -"But the Governor of Her Brittanic Majesty's garrison at Gibraltar -will refresh both his memory and yours, rascal!" said poor Slingsby, -whose face was streaming with blood. - -"Stuff, señores. Our Lady Donna Isabella II. alone is Queen of -Gibraltar, whatever you may believe to the contrary." - -"Then there is our ambassador at Madrid," said I, swelling with -passion. - -"Let the Señor Embajador come hither to seek you, if he chooses," -replied Fabrique, with a scowl, while his band made the wooded hollow -ring with their laughter. - -"For what reason, and with what purpose, is this outrage committed -upon us?" asked Jack, more calmly. - -"The reason is here," said Fabrique, throwing up a heavy purse. -"From the noble Don Joaquim, Major in the service of the young king -Don Pedro V., I have received one thousand duros to intercept you----" - -"And the purpose?" - -"To avenge his brother's death." - -"In what manner?" - -"By taking your lives, that is all; blood for blood, you know; an eye -for an eye, a limb for a limb, and a life for a life, are law and -justice all the world over. If my friend the blind abagado of Jaen -were here, he could not explain the law better." - -Zumalacarregui, when giving a light from his own cigar to the Carlist -prisoners he was just about to shoot, could not have spoken more -coolly. - -"And so, fellow, you have received a thousand duros to murder us?" -said Jack, abruptly. - -"One thousand, señor," was the quiet reply. - -"Conduct us to the harbour of San Lucar, and I will give you my word -of honour that two thousand shall be sent to you." - -"You would not break your plighted word?" - -"I would rather die!" - -"Then bear in mind that I have pledged mine; and that I also would -rather die than break it. No, señores; all the gold in Madrid would -not save you." - -After a pause,-- - -"How came you to discover us so readily on this road?" I asked. - -"Easily. I had spies planted at every gate of Seville. A Franciscan -begged alms of you at the Puerto of the San Lucar road." - -"To whom I gave a peseta." - -"'T was I." - -"You! I wish that I had recognised you then." - -"Muchos gratias, señor--my own mother would not have known me. I -took care of that, and now I shall take care of you." - -"It is incredible that a companion so jovial as the Major de Lucena -could contemplate this intended atrocity," exclaimed Slingsby. - -"Have you not his sister's letter here?" asked Fabrique, displaying -that little document, of which his searchers had deprived me; "you -Inglesos would doubt the holy face of Jaen, even if it were placed -before you! I received a thousand dollars to shoot you down like -dogs or wild pigs, and here we are chattering away like so many -magpies. Vamos alla--to the mountains--cammarados, basta!" - -"We are not, then, to be shot?" I asked, as a gleam of hope -brightened before me. - -"No," said he, with an icy smile, as his dark fierce face came close -to mine, like that of a handsome spectre in the moonlight and as the -whole band began to move; "we will give you to drink of the Rio de -Muerte." - -The River of Death!--our blood ran cold at these words; but no time -was left us for expostulation, as we were hurried up the hills, over -wild and furzy banks, where the laurel, the vine, and the fair yellow -paunch of the gourd grew together in luxuriance; and among rocks, -where the nimble goat browsed, and the untamed porker flew before us, -squeaking from his lair, among the aromatic plants, the long reedy -grass, the giant fern, and the broad-leaved dock. Up, up we went, -alternately clambering, or being pushed and dragged, until we gained -the brow of a steep hill, from which we saw beneath us in the broad, -clear, liquid moonlight, the waters of the Guadalquiver winding away -between groves of the orange and the olive, to San Lucar, and in the -middle distance, but far down below us, the white houses of Trohniona -clustered round their little church. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -PEDRO THE CONTRABANDISTA. - -After a painful and anxious hour elapsed, and we had traversed about -two miles of a steep and craggy ascent, until we reached a part of -the mountain range which was entirely covered by a little forest of -laurels. Above us, in the dark blue sky, the moon was hanging like a -large silver globe, and the flood of clear cold light it diffused -over the distant landscape enabled us to distinguish objects with -great minuteness. Thus I could trace the gleaming course of the -Guadalquiver, as it wound down from Seville past Borminos, the mouth -of the Guadamar, and the hills that overhang Dos Hermanos; while -other sierras in the distance undulated afar off, like the waves of a -petrified sea, if such a simile may be allowed me. Light glinted at -times upon the river. It came from a passing steamer. Down there in -the valley was the civilisation of our own time; yet we were about to -perish by the hands of outlaws, whose bearing and character were -worthy of the middle ages, or the mistier time that lies beyond them. - -Jack Slingsby and I had scarcely spoken during our steep and rapid -clamber, but our thoughts were the same; anxiety--intense -anxiety--for our fate; repugnance for our captors, and a natural -horror of dying a barbarous death at their hands, on these remote and -lonely mountains; far from help, far from justice and from -civilisation; a death, of which our friends, our relations, and our -comrades would never hear--would never know; for our fate would -become a mystery, which all the captains general, the ambassadors, -the chargés des affaires, and even the correspondents of the "Times" -would be unable to clear up or unravel,--as it was the purpose of -these wretches, whose prey we had become, to hide for ever our -remains, and the very means of our death, as completely as if we had -been flung into Mount Etna. - -In this sequestered part of the mountain chain, hidden among the -thickly-twined laurels, the wild and straggling vines, and the -densely-matted jungle of gourds, and other luxuriant creepers, there -suddenly yawned a chasm in the granite rocks--a black profundity of -unknown depth. The gaping rent was about twenty feet broad by some -hundred in length, but its mouth was greatly diminished by the -bordering foliage and wild plants that overhung it. Far down, -perhaps five hundred feet below (for the bottom was unseen), there -rolled with a deep, hoarse, roaring sound the Rio de Muerte--the -River of Death--a subterranean tributary of the Guadalquiver; and its -strange and hollow voice as it gurgled, surged, and bellowed through -the clefts and fissures in the heart of the mountains, filled me with -a pang of horror. Here we paused, and our captors muttered one to -another under their thick beards, smoked their paper cigaritos, and -leaned leisurely on their short escapetas, or long-barrelled muskets, -and seemed to await the approach of Fabrique de Urquija, who was some -yards behind us, and came up very much at his ease. - -"My God!" said my friend, "if it be their purpose to--to----" - -"To throw us down there, you would say? My dear Slingsby, such seems -indeed to be their dreadful purpose, and I see here but little hope -of mercy or of charity, where bribes greater than those of that -infamous major have failed before a savage idea of honour and the -fulfilment of a villanous trust." - -"Heaven help us!" - -"If these are not your prayers, señores," said one fellow in Spanish, -with a slight Murcian accent, "you had better betake yourselves to -them, for in less than ten minutes you will be at the bottom of this -terrible place, and be swept through the bowels of the mountain -towards the Guadalquiver." - -The man spoke gently and with some emotion; it was evident that his -dreadful life had not yet obliterated every remnant of civilisation -and humanity. There was, moreover, something terribly impressive in -his words, when heard amid the hoarse rush of that deep and -subterranean torrent, whose waters came we knew not from where, and -traversed depths and caverns, of which we could have no conception, -in their way to the valley below. - -There was a refined cruelty in bringing us to such a place, and to -die such a death; for the mind "shrunk back upon itself and -trembled," when contemplating the dark profundity through which this -mysterious torrent poured. - -"Pray, good señores, pray," said this man, kindly again, as he -touched me on the shoulder, "down upon your knees, for here comes the -capitano, and he never tarries with his prisoners on the brink of the -Rio de Muerte, or the Cima de Cabra." - -"What does the fellow say?" asked poor Slingsby, who looked a little -pale, and whose nether lip was tightly clenched. - -"He bids us lose no time, but to pray." - -"Pray!" reiterated Jack, fiercely; "I pray to Heaven only that my -hands were loose for one moment, that I might strike a blow for life -or for revenge." - -"Threats are absurd, señor," said Fabrique de Urquija, throwing the -end of his cigar with perfect deliberation into the chasm that yawned -before us: "and bribes are alike useless----" - -"Can it be, brave Spaniards," said I, becoming desperate, and -encouraged by the evident sympathy of one to endeavour to soften the -rest; "can it be that you will prove so cruel and so merciless to two -unoffending strangers, who----" - -"Silence, señores!" exclaimed Fabrique, in a voice of thunder, while -drawing a pistol from his belt; "in attempting to tamper with my -followers you but anticipate your fate. Iago Pineda--Stephano el -Corcovado, over with them! dost thou hear me? presto! or by the -mother of God, this bullet shall see the brains of some of you." - -He ground his teeth; his eyes shot fire, and his broad nostrils -seemed to dilate as he gave this savage order. - -Stephano the humpbacked, and the other who was named Iago Pineda, and -who was no other than our sympathetic friend, threw down their -escopetas and grasped me. They were powerful and muscular men--aye, -men of iron frames and iron hearts, and a sickening emotion rose -within me as their hands were roughly laid upon my pinioned arms. -The moonlit mountains and the far-stretching Vega swam around me; the -forms of our murderers were multiplied a thousandfold; the -perspiration fell heavily from my brow, and a half-arrested cry to -Heaven for that pity which men denied us here, arose to my lips as -they were about to hurl me downward; when, lo! Pineda paused, looked -back, and listening, relinquished my right arm. - -"Do you think, do you dare to disobey?" cried Fabrique, as he -levelled a brass-barrelled pistol full at his head; "to work at once, -vile mutineer, or por vida del demonic----" - -"Hold--para--detenedos!" cried a breathless voice, and a man mounted -on horseback, and armed with a long gun, dashed his jennet at full -speed through the laurel bushes into the midst of the free company. - -"Who cries hold?" demanded Fabrique, almost choking with passion, -while turning his pistol against the intruder; and all his people -cocked or clubbed their muskets in high alarm. - -"I do--I, your brother Pedro the contrabandista." - -"Oho, and what seek you here?" - -"The safety of these two Caballeros, who at Gibraltar saved me from -the guarda costa of Hernan de Lucena in the first place, and from the -chain and the scourge in Her Majesty's galleys in the second place." - -"How! was it you, brother Pedro, whose felucca was concerned in this -business?" asked Fabrique, with an altered voice. - -"Yes, Fabrique, it was my little craft, La Buena Fortuna, which the -Lieutenant De Lucena pursued till a shot from the Mole fort shortened -him by two feet. I claim their lives, for they are my friends and -patrons, and would have supped with me to-night at Trohniona had not -your devilish fellows came upon us like a herd of wild cats, just -when I was kicking and cuffing yonder rascally raterillo, who has -made off with all my dollars. So I fled from the wayside-well, for I -knew not whose free company your lads had the honour to be, and -feared they might relieve me alike of life and all care for my -packages." - -Jack and I now began to breathe a little more freely; for as all this -took place in less time than I have taken to write it, there was some -difficulty in realising the conviction that we had been waylaid, -doomed to death and saved, with such rapidity: yet so it was, and so -ended the scene of that night to which I can never recur without a -chill of awe and horror, blended with a very decided sensation of -anger and just indignation. - -Notwithstanding the alleged solemnity with which his word was -plighted to the malevolent major of the sainted regiment of Lagos, -"in the kingdom of Algarve," Fabrique relinquished his cruel purpose, -unbound us at his brother's request, and restored to us our arms, -horses, and little baggage--everything, in short, not even excepting -the letter of poor Paulina. He gave us cigars, a hearty quaff from -his bota, and then a bow so low that his black velvet sombrero almost -swept the dewy sward. He then drew off with all his band towards the -Sierra de Honda, and in two hours afterwards we were comfortably -seated by the kitchen fire in the posada of Trohniona, at supper with -his brother the contrabandista, who was en route for San Lucar. - -For some time after, throughout the night in which these startling -events occurred, in fancy I saw before me the cold, stern visage and -fierce glaring eyes of Urquija, and above all other sounds I seemed -to hear the deep hoarse rush of the subterranean Rio de Muerte. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE SPANISH STEAMER. - -Whatever may have been the emotions with which we regarded the -formidable relative of our contrabandista, we spared him the -humiliation of listening to the just appreciation we had of the -character of Fabrique; and enlivened by those songs and stories with -which the honest fellow endeavoured to raise our spirits and efface -the terrible recollection of that hour upon the hills of Trohniona, -we supped upon a guisado and bottle of valdepenas. - -Now I may inform the uninitiated that the aforesaid guisado was a -stew, such as can only be made in a real Spanish pipkin. It -consisted of two chickens, a plump partridge, and a hare, well -seasoned with oil, garlic, pepper, and saffron all simmered together -When hot and steaming, the giblets, &c., are fished up from the -depths of the savoury pipkin, with just such a wooden spoon as -paunchy Sancho used, when diving therewith into his beloved -flesh-pots at the wedding of Camacho. - -Supper over, and a fresh bota ordered, Pedro assumed his guitar, and -while we cleaned and examined our swords and pistols, and all the -people of the posada, the patron and patrona, the waiteresses, the -stabler, and the little half-naked muchaco who cleaned the boots and -turned the spit, crowded near, he, the jovial contrabandista, turned -his dark eyes and well-bearded visage towards the dusky wooden -ceiling, and while his swarthy cheek glowed in the light of the -kitchen fire, struck up one of those lively seguidillas which are the -delight of the Spaniards, and skilfully he brushed the strings with -his finger-points in a manner which I believe is peculiar to the -Andalusians. - -A very amorous love ditty succeeded, and when the roguish eyes of -Pedro wandered knowingly from one person to another, the patrona -blushed with pleasure, and all the waiteresses simpered and spread -out their short but full-flounced skirts, or displayed their handsome -red stockings, to let their well-shaped legs be seen, as well as -their pretty zapatas; for the roving and romantic contrabandista, -whose habits are so full of life and energy, is ever a welcome guest -at the wayside inns of Spain, and to none more than their fairer -inmates. - -Now Pedro's gaudy brown jacket, all covered with silver bell-buttons, -bright silken lace, and spangles; his ample breeches of gay -velveteen; his brilliant sash and broad hat placed a little over the -right eye, made him a welcome visitor to all the women, while the -stories, news, or fibs which his incessant perambulations afforded -him ample means of collecting, made him equally acceptable to the -men; thus, like other bold contrabandistas, who by sea and land set -the laws of the Cortes at defiance, Pedro was always sure of the -brightest smiles, the oldest wine in the cellar, the best fowl in the -larder, the warmest corner by the kitchen fire, and the most snug -cama in the posada, while pretty hands stroked his docile jennet, and -readier ones removed his corded packages, and placed his guitar and -loaded gun by his bedside for the night. - -Pedro's songs, and the stories he told during the single night we -spent with him, would fill a volume; but the time passed rapidly -away; we were up betimes, mounted and armed to ride; and with -something of real satisfaction, Jack and I turned our backs on those -hated mountains, where a thicket of green laurels, diminished to a -black speck by the distance, indicated the locality of the Rio de -Muerte. - -Trotting pleasantly, we passed Isla-mayor, which lies about twelve -miles from the mouth of the Guadalquiver, and abounds in fruit-trees, -which were then in full blossom. - -By this time, Paulina, her dark eyes, and her witchery were alike -forgotten, and her little note on pink paper had been smoked away in -cigaritos. The keen interest taken in our affairs by the major had -completely cured me; so much for Spanish romance contrasted with -Spanish reality. - -"And you have decided on taking the steamer at San Lucar, señores?" -said Pedro. - -"Yes, and happy shall we be to find ourselves safe on board of her," -said I; "we have had too many devilish scrapes among you Spaniards to -wish for more travelling in the saddle. It is no joke to escape -being hanged as a spy by a blundering alcalde one day, and a terrible -death the next by drowning, at the hands of----" - -"My brother Fabrique," said he, good-humouredly, closing a sentence, -the termination of which might have proved unpleasant. "Well, -señores, my little felucca the 'Buena Fortuna'--you know her, with -her long brass gun and lateen sails--is lying concealed in a solitary -creek near Carbonera. I have run her in there, because a fleet--yes, -maldito--a whole fleet of guarda costas are at anchor in the harbour -of San Lucar; but we must put to sea to-morrow night, and if you will -so far honour me, Caballeros, as to accept a passage with me to -Gibraltar, the best valdepenas and the noblest Xeres that ever came -out of a madre-butt shall be at your service. Ah, you shake your -head, Señor Don Ricardo, and think you have had enough of me and my -poor little craft----" - -"Right, Pedro, and wish to have no more affairs with a guarda costa," -said Slingsby; "besides, if you were attacked and taken at sea, after -a fight, you would fight, of course----" - -"To the death, Señor, guerra al cuchillo, as the old guerillas say." - -"Well--what would be our fate?" - -"True, señor. If not killed, you would be sent to the galleys at -Barcelona, and so might as well have taken a dip in the Rio de -Muerte. Well, I will cease to urge you. Here is the gate of -Bonanza, which may be termed the port of Seville, though the city is -fifteen leagues distant; yonder is its castle, with the Spanish flag -flying, and here is the quay, where all large vessels laden with -goods discharge their cargoes, as the shallowness of the Guadalquiver -will not permit them to ascend higher--you understand, señores?" - -Here at this small town we bade farewell to Pedro, who promised to -visit us as soon as he came round to Gibraltar; and pushing on, after -a trot of a mile or two over a dreary and sandy waste, we found -ourselves amid the sunny and bustling streets of San Lucar de -Barameda, where we sought at once its harbour, the quays of which -were, as usual, piled chin deep with boxes of oranges, of raisins, -and of prunes, casks of salt, of wine, and of brandy; while the flags -of all nations--the stars and stripes of North America, the eagles -and tricolours of the South, the union jack and the crosses of -Scandinavia--were waving among a forest of masts; in short, we found -ourselves amid all the noise and lively stir of a Spanish seaport, -where the splash of the screw propeller furrowed the waters of the -Guadalquiver, and the steam, as it escaped at times, was like music -to us, who had just eluded the fangs of Fabrique's mountain wolves. - -We soon found the boat for Gibraltar, "Neustra Señora de -Assistencia," and embarked ourselves and our horses, which were taken -on board in stalls, that were slung from a whip at the yard-arm; and -in an hour after, muffled in our cloaks, with choice cubas to solace -us, we lounged on the paddle gangway as the vessel steamed out of the -harbour between the two castles of San Lucar--the same fortresses -which saluted the little fleet of Columbus, when departing in search -of a western world--and passed the roadstead and the dangerous -entrance, where the wild waves are ever beating in tumult; and thus -we left the port enveloped in a golden haze and diminishing astern, -as the sun set behind the mountain peaks of Seville. - -The bay of Cadiz soon opened on our larboard bow, and the city -itself, with all its lights and spires, and then the Isla de Leon -arose before us, white and glimmering in the moonlight. - -The silver waves seemed to toy with the golden sand, as their coy -riplets chafed the beach; but in other places the moonlit sea dashed -its spray like showers of diamonds and prisms against the abutting -rocks. - -Overhead, the dark blue sky was clear and cloudless, save where a -long black pennon of wavy smoke streamed far astern from the glowing -funnel of "Our Lady of Assistance," and all was still save the -ceaseless and monotonous dashing of the paddle-wheels, and the -measured clank of the engines, as we ploughed along the lovely -Spanish shore, and towards midnight saw that point of land on which -no Briton can gaze without an emotion of pride, the Cape of Trafalgar. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE CIRCASSIAN CAPTAIN. - -On board the steamer our attention had been repeatedly attracted, and -our interest--mine, at least--excited by a fellow-passenger, whose -manner, costume, and bearing were too remarkable to escape notice. - -His figure was tall and handsomely formed; his features, pale and -like marble, were cast in the most pure and severe model of classic -beauty; his nose was long and straight; his black eye-brows nearly -met over it in one unbroken line; a fierce mustache stuck out on each -side, giving great expression to a mouth, the lips of which were -generally compressed, and in expression stern. - -Altogether, his face had in it more of pure intellect and pictorial -manly beauty than any I had ever seen. His costume was a scarlet -forage cap, the tassel of which drooped on his right shoulder, and a -loose tunic of dark green cloth, the cuffs, collar, and skirts of -which were trimmed with sables; but this peculiar garment, like his -long military boots, seemed well worn, or as Jack said, "decidedly -shabby." - -He remained very much aloof from the passengers, and either sat or -walked apart, communing apparently with himself, and smoking a huge -pipe, the aspect of which was as foreign as his own. - -A figure so melo-dramatic on board of a steamer--even a Spanish -one--was too remarkable in the present day to escape notice, and I -repeatedly drew Slingsby's attention to him; but honest Jack had not -quite recovered the effect of the start given him last night on the -hills of Trohniona, and replied briefly,-- - -"An interesting foreigner, eh! that will sound very well to the ears -of a novel-reading miss at home; but such personages excite a very -different feeling in me. A seedy sharper! I am sick, Ramble, of -your interesting foreigners; they are invariably swindlers, refugees, -and all that sort of thing, unless we except the poor monkeys in the -Zoological gardens," and so Jack assumed a sulky air of reserve, -while our voyager in the furs and long boots smoked his huge -meerschaum to leeward, and all unconscious that he was an object of -remark or interest to any one. - -On visiting our horses in the stalls, we found that our -fellow-traveller had also a nag, and that this animal seemed the -object of all his cares; for he was by its side almost every half -hour, stroking its sleek coat and slender legs; tickling its square -nostrils and pointed ears, or wiping its fine liquid eyes with his -white handkerchief, and feeding it from the palm of his hands, which -were white and muscular, while he spoke caressingly in a barbarous -language, which the horse--a noble Arab-steed, with a magnificent -head, and limbs as slender as a girl's wrist--seemed to understand. -There was something so peculiar in all this, and especially in the -man's strong and tender regard for his horse, that Slingsby's John -Bullism began to relax, for the proverbial crustiness of his country -little became a frank fellow like him; so he ventured a few remarks -in English on horses in general, and this fine barb in particular. - -The foreigner shook his head, and smiled pleasantly, as he -articulated with difficulty that he scarcely knew a word of English; -whereupon Jack turned his remarks into very choice Spanish. - -Again the stranger smiled and bowed, showing under his close and -thick mustache that he had a set of teeth our brightest belles might -envy, as he said in the language of our allies,-- - -"I beg your pardon, sir, but I speak only French with my native -language; and it maybe a little--Russ." - -"Russ--indeed!" said I, with fresh interest; "are you a Cossack?" - -"No," said he, with a sudden air of haughty reserve, "do I look like -one?" - -"I cannot say," said Jack, "as I never saw one." - -He was about to withdraw, as if our notice was displeasing to him, -when it chanced that a puff of wind opened my cloak, and below it he -perceived the scarlet shell jacket, which was the undress of "Ours." -Then his bold dark eye lighted up with new animation, and raising his -forage cap, he said, smilingly, in French, which he spoke with great -fluency and a good accent,-- - -"Officers, I perceive, and, better than all, British officers! Would -that I had known this sooner, we might have had a pleasant evening -together; but now our voyage is nearly half over, as the captain has -just told me. I am so glad to meet you, gentlemen, for I, too, have -had the honour to wear a sword." - -"May I ask in what service?" said Jack. - -"The Russian, latterly." - -"Indeed!" - -"You are surprised," he said, with a sigh. - -"Rather." - -"It was the result of fate, or rather the fortune of war, that placed -me in their ranks. I was taken in battle, and had no alternative but -to serve in the imperial cavalry, or drag a chain over the snows of -Siberia; and thus I accepted the former, resolving to escape to my -own dear mountains on the first opportunity. I am a Circassian, and -fought under the heroic Schamyl, though latterly I held the rank of -captain in the Tenginski hussars; but tyranny and misfortune drove me -from the Russian ranks before a proper opportunity for escape had -come; and I have wandered over many lands with no companion save my -horse--my dear Zupi," he continued, caressing the Arab, which rubbed -its fine head upon his cheek, as if understanding the reference its -master had just made; "my beloved Zupi, who has shared with me many a -day of peril, and has thrice saved my life from Russian bullets and -from drowning; for there is no horse like thee, Zupi, between the -Kuban and the Caspian Sea." - -"He is quite a Mazeppa, this," said Jack, in English. - -"And you are now going to Gibraltar?" I asked. - -"Yes, gentlemen; but I merely make a visit there, and at Malta, on my -way home through Turkey; as I have a letter of introduction to an -officer of your garrison." - -"May I ask his name?" - -"It is here: John Slingsby, Esq., Lieutenant, H.M. --th Foot--perhaps -you know him?" - -"The deuce! It is for me; I am Slingsby of the --th," said Jack, in -astonishment, for he was puzzled to remember what friends he had -among the Tenginski hussars, or on the shores of the Caspian Sea; -"devilish odd, sir! I really don't know any one in Circassia, or any -one who ever was there, or likely to be so." - -"I received this letter in London," said the stranger, with a soft -smile; "at a clubhouse of the Guards, for the officers of the -Household Brigade were more than kind; being, indeed, as fathers to -me, and treating me as if I had been their own son, instead of what I -am--a poor waif, floating on the current of events." - -"I am the man," said Jack, tearing open the letter which the -Circassian produced from his breast-pocket, and delivered; but with -the slightest possible shade of anxiety on his fine but saddened -face. Poor fellow! he had doubtless been so often deceived and -misused, that he was learning to mistrust every one, and his eyes -were riveted on the face of Slingsby, who suddenly shook him by the -hand, saying,-- - -"This meeting is most remarkable; your letter of introduction to me -and to our mess is from my brother." - -"Bismillah, is it possible!" - -"From my brother, Sir Harry Slingsby, of the Grenadier Guards. I am -most happy to meet you, Captain Rioni, and with my friend, Captain -Ramble of "Ours," will do all in my power to assist you." - -Jack handed his brother's letter to me. It ran thus:-- - - -MY DEAR JACK,-- - -Allow me to introduce to you and to your brother officers of the old ---th Captain Osman Rioni (late of the--I am sorry to say it--Russian -service), who has been for some time in London teaching our Life -Guards the lance exercise, and who for the last three months has been -the lion of the club-houses. He arrived among us a staid and -respectable Mohammedan, very prone to sit cross-legged on the floor, -to dip his fingers in the gravy, and to grasp his knife if you gave -him a slice of ham with his fowl; but he leaves us much addicted to -balls, vingt un, champagne suppers, the polka, and the waltz. In -short, in one season, we have polished him up in good style, and -completed an education which had been somewhat neglected during his -rural life among the Caucasus. You, perhaps, know the history of -himself and his horse--for the morning papers get hold of everything. -Conyers of the Blues offered him £500 for the nag; but he won't sell -it for any known amount of the ready. Look at its legs and chest; I -never saw such an animal! The captain has been an honorary member of -our mess while in London--a hint this, for your fellows. He is now -on his way home to the Kuban (wherever the devil that may be), and so -you gentlemen of the Line in Gibraltar must look to the state of his -exchequer, and pass him on to the next station, as Conyers has given -him letters to some of the Rifles at Malta. I could easily have -procured him a troop in our new Turkish contingent; but home he must -and shall go, he says, and his own story will best let you know why. -To-morrow our battalion will change its quarters, and commence the -arduous march from St. John's Wood Barracks to those in -Portman-street, and from thence to Trafalgar-square, and I shall -follow in my cab; but you may see me ere long, for I am to sail with -the next draught of ours for the Crimea, where the shiny splendour -will be taken out of our Brahmins in the muddy trenches--ugh! Give -my remembrance to Dick Ramble--ask him what his next book is to be -about; and so, my dear Jack, - -I remain, &c., &c. - - -The wishes of Sir Henry, and the efforts he and his brother officers -of the Grenadier Guards (most of whom will remember the affair I -allude to) made it imperative upon "Ours" not to be behind them in -kindness to this stranger. - -Jack and I promised to leave nothing undone to serve him on our -arrival at Gibraltar, and assured him that we would see sufficient -funds raised to send him either to Malta, or by steamer straight to -Constantinople. His ignorance of English and Spanish had sadly -puzzled the brain of our poor Circassian, who had landed with his -horse and baggage at San Lucar, believing it to be Gibraltar, and had -thus lost several days, and, what was of more consequence, much of -his money; so that his mind was full of anxiety as to the future, and -how his horse--his Zupi--for they seemed one, like a centaur, were to -reach that mighty mountain range that lies between the Euxine and the -Cape of Alpcheron; and which, with all its black forests, wild rocks, -and snowy peaks was his beloved home; the altar of oriental -independence--the barrier of the Eastern world against the -encroaching Kuos. - -We supped together in the cabin; and while the Spanish passengers -were all smoking or asleep on the benches and lockers, we prevailed -upon the Circassian, over a bottle of good wine, to inform us how he -came to serve in the Russian cavalry, and why he declined Sir Harry's -apparently advantageous offer of a Captain's commission in our -Turkish contingent--a service for which he seemed so admirably -fitted, and in which he might have won honour and distinction; at -least such distinction as John Bull awards to those who are not on -the staff, and have no ministerial interest. - -He shook his head sadly, as I said something to this purpose, and -bowing, gave me a pleasant smile. - -"When you have heard me, you will understand more fully that the only -place for me is my native land--that home which is now so far off, -that when I trace upon a map the extent of sea and shore that lie -between its hills and me, my heart grows faint and sick; but patience -yet awhile, and one day I shall stand again an the black rugged -mountains of Kushaa, and see at my feet far down below, the fertile -plains of Georgia and Mingrelia. Zupi will snuff the pure air of -these Alpine peaks, and toss his proud mane on the wind; strong -warriors, in their shirts of mail, will be riding by my side; the -Albanian musket and the Tartar bow will be there, as we survey the -long dark lines that mark upon the green summer fields, or it may be -the winter snow, the columns of the Russian Emperor--columns that -advance but to defeat and death; for in thousands, yea, hundreds of -thousands, have they come to war against us, and to perish on the -Circassian hills, until the very soil has been drenched in their -blood, and fattened by the bones of men and horses! But my emotions -carry me away, gentlemen, and I am forgetting my own story." - -"Ah--yes, the story," said Jack, refilling the stranger's glass, and -pushing the decanters towards me, while our new friend began, as -nearly as I can remember, in the following words. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -OSMAN RIONI - -Bismillah! there is but one God, and Mohammed is His prophet; and on -earth He is the powerful hand of Him who moveth the stars, who giveth -light to the sun, and throweth darkness on the souls of the Russian -unbelievers. - -I am a Circassian, and, consequently, a Mohammedan, being a native of -those districts of the Caucasus which have waged a ceaseless war with -Russia--I mean that portion of our mountains which lies between -Tamrook and the strong fortress of Anapa, whose ramparts are washed -by the waves of the Euxine Sea. We are all soldiers from our birth; -thus, out of a population of three hundred thousand souls, our tribe -can at any time muster fifty thousand warriors, well mounted on fleet -Caucasian horses, and well armed, after our own fashion, in coats of -mail, with musket, bow and pistol, sabre, dagger, and cartridge box; -men, brave and handsome, and stubborn as their native rocks--men to -whom danger is a pastime, and death but the door to Paradise. - -Thus the mountaineers of the Caucasus, though mustering only about -two millions of souls, have never stooped before a conqueror; but, in -the face of all the world, have hurled back the legions of the -Russian Empire, and maintained against it a struggle for fifty -years--a struggle which, when our valour and disparity of numbers on -one side are contrasted with the ferocity and overwhelming force on -the other, has no parallel in the history of the modern world. The -Russians name us the Tcherkesses, which means literally "those who -bar the way;" for never did a foreign host leave their cursed -foot-prints, on the summits of the Caucasus. - -Our mountains have become the ramparts of Turkey and of Persia, as -our Declaration of Independence asserts; but they will become--unless -we are supported by Western Europe--the avenue to both! We -voluntarily submitted to the khans of the Crimea, and afterwards to -the sultans of Constantinople; but, alas! we have lost the chiefs, -whose banners could have summoned a hundred thousand warriors; yet -now are we all, as one man, united in a deep and undying hatred of -Russia! She has built forts on our territory, but dare her soldiers -venture a foot beyond their cannon? In short, sirs, Circassia is -free and independent; for neither the lying maps of Russia, which are -spread throughout the world, and which mark the Caucasus as her -territory, nor words, nor arts can enslave us. Arms may do it, but -the steel has never yet been forged, nor the cannon cast, that will -make the proud Circassian stoop his crest before the barbarous Russ! -Bismillah! The wild Tcherkesses are still free as the stormy wind -that sweeps from Azov down the Euxine. - -My father Mostapha was a chief; the head of one of those princely -houses which are of Kabardian descent; his will was a law to his -people; and the booty he took in his wars with the fierce Tartars and -faithless Muscovites was the reward of their fidelity. We were -Christians once--many ages ago--but it pleased God to open our eyes -to the blessed precepts of Islam, and now we turn our faces to the -Kaaba when we pray. Many nobles followed the banner of my father, -whose territories extended along the base of the mountain steppes, -from Marinskoi to the banks of the Kisselbash River; but one night, -in the year 1807, the Russian General Goudivitch, with ten thousand -cavalry, burst among us; stormed Anapa, and gave our men to the -sword, our roofs to the flames, and our children to the wolf and the -eagle. - -My father fought long and nobly; the war was desperate; the Russians -impaled their prisoners, and my father roasted his; but the tide of -battle turned against us. All our possessions became a prey to the -Russ, and our most beautiful damsels were given as wives or -handmaidens to those brutal Cossacks, whom the merciless Goudivitch -had brought from the banks of the Don. Azrael spread his dusky wings -over our beautiful country; all the land was burned up, and black as -night--being waste as a garden whose fruits have been gathered. - -Then the new chain of forts was built along the Kuban. These marked -the extended boundary of the Russian territory, and the land of my -father was lost for ever; his bones lay unburied, where he had -fallen, sword in hand, on the threshold of his own door, pierced by -the same bayonets that slew his faithful wife; and their three -children, myself and two brothers, sole heirs to his hopes and his -harvest of vengeance, received the bread of charity from another -Circassian tribe, the friendly Abassians, who dwell between the -mountains and the Euxine. - -Time rolled on, and from tending the flocks of the Abassians as -shepherd boys, my brothers Selim and Karolyi grew strong and hardy -men. The Abassians told us of our father's fate, and we longed to -avenge it, and to recover our lost patrimony. Day after day we spent -our time in acquiring the perfect use of arms, in talking of our -hopes, our projects, and desires; and often we looked with kindling -eyes towards those mountains, from whose summits the Muscovite -outposts were visible by the waters of the Kuban; for dear as war and -vengeance are the honour of his race and country to the proud and -free Tcherkesse. - -We could soon ride the wildest Arab steeds, and gallop them without -bridle or saddle along giddy rocks, and through the untrodden forest. -None surpassed us in the use of the sabre, the poniard, or the -pistol; few equalled Selim in handling the heavy Albanian musket; -while Karolyi was matchless in the use of the Circassian sling; and -in my hands, the bow was as unerring as the best Frankish rifle. I -was older than my brave brothers by a few years, and thus became, in -somewise, their preceptor. We were poor, but ardent and full of -enthusiasm; we worked, begged, and bartered--we were never satisfied -until each of us was possessor of a fleet and active barb, a bright -steel coat of mail; a helmet of tempered iron, such as our warriors -wear, and which covers all the face, except the eyes and nose; a -curved sabre of keen Damascus steel; an Albanian musket; breast cases -to receive our cartridges; a sharp Circassian dagger, and a Tartar -bow: and when thus accoutred, our hearts would swell with fierce -emotion, as we reined up our steeds upon the hills above Anapa, and -shook our lances in defiance at the Russian steamers and frigates in -the Euxine, while we longed for the time when the war-cry of Islam -would ring among the hills, and we should behold the Sangiac Sheerif, -the green banner of our confederated princes, with its three golden -arrows and twelve white stars, unfurled against the barbarous Emperor -Nicholas Romanoff. - -We loved each other strongly, dearly, and devotedly, my two brothers -and I, for we were alone in the world, the last of all our race. -Being the eldest, they frequently importuned me to marry, that I -might have children, and perpetuate our family; but I told them to -remember that it was the custom of our people for a prince to wed the -daughter of a prince; a noble to wed the daughter of a noble; a tocar -to wed the daughter of a tocar; and the poor serf to wed the daughter -of a serf. That I was neither prince nor tocar, noble nor serf, and -could not marry, being too poor to wed one in the rank of my father, -and too proud to stoop to a maiden beneath it. "Besides," I told -them, "we have other duties to perform than espousing wives, which -are ever a barrier to freedom of thought in peace, and bravery of -action in war; for the blessed Prophet said, that wives and children -were barriers to the performance of great deeds. God knoweth all -things, and will direct the heart of Osman. I will not marry yet -awhile, my brothers; for it is written that marriage disturbs a man -from his duty--the wedded care for the things of this world, even as -the unwedded care for those of heaven; and so we must watch and pray -for our country, to defend her from the infidel Russians, who, like -accursed locusts, blacken all the shores of the Kuban." Then my -brothers Selim and Karolyi kissed me on both cheeks, applauding my -resolution; and once more we shook our gauntletted hands in fierce -menace towards the ramparts of Anapa. - -But ere long there occurred circumstances which altered my -resolution; for before the eyes of a beautiful woman the strongest -heart is weak as water. - -One evening I was riding on the mountain slopes that overlook the -waters of the Euxine. The last rays of evening were lingering on -their peaks, and shedding a golden tint upon the waves that rolled -away towards the cliffs of the Crimea. At my feet lay Sundjik Bay, -glittering in the blaze of light that steeped sea, sky, and shore. -The snow-white walls of Anapa, which crown rocks a hundred feet in -height, were gleaming in the yellow sunshine, and grimly the black -iron cannon peered through the stone embrasures, or over the ramparts -of smoothly-shorn grass. - -The flat-capped Russian sentinels, muffled in their gray great-coats -walked to and fro upon their posts; and each time they turned I saw -their bayonets flash above the two square towers that guard the great -arched entrance. Over all was the white flag with the Muscovite -cross, but there was no wind to spread its folds upon the evening -sky, and it hung about the staff listlessly and still; not a blade of -grass stirred on the mighty plain of the Kuban, which spread far away -towards the north, silent as a land of the dead. Under my iron -helmet, grimly I surveyed Anapa and the rocks of Taman, and panted -for the time when the standard of the twelve confederated princes of -Circassia would be planted there, and when the black cross of the -God-abandoned Russ would be torn down and steeped in the blood of its -defenders. - -My heart was full of fierce and fiery thoughts, when suddenly the cry -of a woman, ringing upon the clear air of the hot summer eve, fell on -my ear, and I reined up my horse--the same winch I have now on board -with me--my noble Zuyi, to listen. - -"Yani, Yani!" cried a despairing voice, which in our language means -"mother, mother!" - -I spurred Zupi over a hillock, and perceived four Russian soldiers of -the Tenginski infantry, then garrisoning Anapa, dragging along a -Circassian woman, who made no resistance, but cried piteously for -mercy. - -Uttering a shout of anger and defiance, I lowered my lance, and -rushed upon them without a moment of hesitation. - -They immediately relinquished their prey, who sank senseless on the -ground, while they betook them to their muskets, crying,-- - -"Death to the Tcherkesse! down with the unbeliever!" and all four -fired upon me at once; but God, the common father of all mankind -(except the Russians) protected me. One bullet tore the plume from -my helmet, another was turned by the fluted pockets which (in lieu of -cartridge boxes) we wear across our breasts, the others whistled -harmlessly past me, and before one of these soldiers could reload or -club his weapon I was upon them. The first two I speared, and hurled -to the earth like ripe pumpkins; a third, I trampled under the hoofs -of Zupi; and afterwards slew at my leisure; the fourth sprung over a -ruined wall and escaped me, but for a few minutes only, as I pinned -him to the earth by an arrow, but he rose and staggered away. This -man was named Archipp Osepoff, of whom more anon. - -I now dismounted, and, throwing the bridle over the neck of my docile -Zupi, approached the insensible female I had rescued. - -She was attired in the richest fashion of our Circassian damsels. A -robe of costly silk open in front, and confined at her slender waist -by a glittering girdle of silver; trowsers of the finest pink muslin; -and the red slippers on her pretty feet were embroidered with gold; a -turban, composed of the most delicate shawl, fell in graceful folds -over her small and beautiful neck, and a large veil of lace entwined -with silver, enveloped her whole person, and floated like a white -mist about her. - -This I dared to draw aside that the air might play upon her face, and -so revive her. Oh, Mahmoud resoul allah! the beauty of our women is -proverbial, and as you know, gentlemen, the world acknowledges it; -but how shall I describe the loveliness of this Circassian damsel, -who proved to be the flower of the Abassian maids? Her complexion -was of the purest white, the result of excessive delicacy, and -perhaps of that seclusion which was necessary to conceal her from the -prying eyes of the Russian soldiers, or of the trading Turks; and -this paleness of skin, when contrasted with the blackness of her -massive braids of hair, was almost startling. Her eyes were also -dark, but beautiful and dove-like in expression, for a languishing -gentleness was in every feature, and over all her form. She was but -a girl; yet so full, round, and tall, that for the house of the -sultan I had seen many thousand piastres paid for an odalisque, who -was unfit to kiss even her slipper. Basilia was among the most -beautiful of our Circassian maids, or, as Schamyl calls them, the -daughters of the rocks and streams. - -She soon recovered on perceiving that she was free and that the -protecting arm of a Circassian was around her; but she tremblingly -drew the veil over her face, as I led her by the hand from the spot -where her late capturers lay dead on the sward, with their blood -congealing beneath them. - -"It pleased the Prophet to send me to your aid, fair damsel," said I; -"are there any other means by which I can serve you?" - -For a time she could only reply by incoherencies and with profuse -thanks, for her mind was bewildered by terror and agitation. - -"Fear nothing, maiden," said I, "for a strong hand and a stout heart -are at your service. I am Osman, whose people dwelt by the -Kisselbash River; you have heard of me, perhaps?" - -"Yes, Aga----" - -"Alas! no Aga am I; but a poor outcast, whose sword and bow are his -sole inheritance; yet you have heard of me?" - -"Yes, and of your two brothers, Selim and Karolyi, for to them and to -you the people look as leaders when war is made on the Muscovites." - -"As soon it must be, maiden; and then I hope to see the ramparts of -yonder fortress of Anapa flung into the Euxine. But may I ask your -name?" - -"Basilia," she replied, in a low voice, and drew her veil yet closer. - -"Basilia, the daughter of Abdallah ibn Obba, the rich merchant of -Soudjack Kaleh, who is said to be making pyramids of gold by trading -with Tartars of the Crimea, and exporting from Sampsoon the copper of -Tocat, and the silks and fruit of Amasia?" - -"I am the daughter of Abdallah, and, rich though he is, I assure you -he is yet poor in his own idea; for neither the Prophet nor the -santons can bound my father's idea of wealth; but convey me to him, -and for the good deed of to-day, he will reward you, noble Osman, by -the most gorgeous suit of armour, the richest weapons, and the -noblest horse a Tcherkesse warrior ever possessed." - -"I seek no reward; let the horse and armour be given to some poor -patriot who is without them; I seek no reward, Basilia," I continued, -with enthusiasm, "beyond your own approbation and the memory that I -have this day done a kind, and, it may be, a gallant deed, in -rescuing you from the fate which those sons of the devil had in store -for you; but how came you into their hands?" - -"We had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Santon Seozeres among -the mountains, when we fell in with these marauders; my father's aged -hands were unable to protect me; he was struck to the earth; his -reverend beard was spat on, and his turban torn off and flung in his -face, while I was dragged from the arms of my terrified attendants; -but see, Osman Rioni, they are now approaching us, and behold my -father." - -She uttered a cry of joy, and rushed to meet the old merchant -Abdallah ibn Obba, who now came forward on horseback, with rage, -alarm, and grief in his eyes, and his great turban awry. He -corroborated her story, saying, that having a large ship, which had -long been delayed on her voyage from Stamboul, he had paid a -propitiatory visit to the tomb of Seozeres, the most famous and -powerful of Circassian Santons, and the object of especial reverence -by all merchants, seamen, and dwellers on the coast; for the waves -and winds are reputed to be under his subjection, and the storm and -the thunderbolt are alike at his disposal; thus we celebrate his -festival in the early days of spring, and when on this mission had -Abdallah and his daughter fallen among the Russians. - -He gave me innumerable promises of remembrance and regard (which he -took especial care to forget), and made his horse curvet several -times over the dead Russians, which seemed to console him mightily, -and smoothing his ruffled beard, he muttered,-- - -"Death to them! death to them! the unbelievers, the dogs, the -infidels! They shall be destroyed like the wicked people of Noah and -of Lot, and like the army of Abraha, lord of the Elephant; and their -false gods and pretended saints of brass and of silver shall perish -with them! Unless a fear of the Russ prevent thee, Osman Rioni, I -shall be glad to see thee in Soudjack Kaleh, where a carpet and pipe, -with a cup of such coffee as Basilia alone can prepare, will be at -the service of her preserver; and so, God and Merissa take thee into -their holy keeping." - -With these words we separated; the old merchant and his daughter -remounted on her own horse, rode slowly away until they disappeared -in the deepening shades of evening; while I remained motionless, and -watching them, with a wild, sad beating in my heart, for the face of -Basilia seemed yet before me, and her voice was lingering in my ear. - -She was gone, but my soul went with her. - -Full, round, and red as a Tartar shield, the moon rose above the Isle -of Taman to light the waters of the Euxine; the mountains flung their -black shadows upon each other; the lurid glow-worm glittered on the -dewy grass, and the snakes began to hiss among the long reeds; while -the fierce vultures hovered in the starry sky, with their keen eyes -fixed on the grim banquet I had made for them; and I heard their -hoarse croak of impatience, for I lingered long on the spot where -Abdallah and his daughter had left me. - -Several days passed away. Men spoke much of the coming struggle with -the Russians; my brave brothers were as usual training their horses, -tempering their weapons, casting bullets, and pointing arrows; I -alone was silent, and full of soft, sad thoughts--melancholy, happy, -and anxious by turns; for my whole breast was filled by the image of -Basilia. - -I visited her father by stealth, for this old man was one who had -temporised with the Russians, and paid them a tribute that he might -dwell in peace under the cannon of Soudjack; but I found him gloomy, -thoughtful, and discontented; his ship had been stranded on the Isle -of Serpents, in the Black Sea, and sunk with all her crew, and what -was of more importance to Abdallah, with her rich bales of Indian -silks, of cashmere shawls, of amber pipes, and other valuables with -which she was freighted. This isle, the only one in the Euxine, is -infested by serpents of enormous size, say our voyagers. These guard -its boundless treasures and devour all who attempt to land; thus -Abdallah ibn Obba abandoned in grief all hope of recovering a vestige -of his property. - -He received me morosely, and after smoking a pipe and drinking with -him a cup of coffee, which we received from the white, gentle hands -of Basilia, who was enveloped as before in her veil of lace, I -departed, happy that I had seen but the tips of her dear fingers once -again; happy that I had been under the roof of her father, and happy -that for one brief hour I had shared a corner of his carpet, and -breathed the same atmosphere with one so beautiful and so -well-beloved as she. - -Again and again I came to visit Abdallah; for alas! I no longer -sighed for the unfurling of our green standard against the Russ; I -only counted the days and hours till again I should visit the house -of the merchant at Soudjack. - -Secluded as the old man kept Basilia--for he deemed her his last and -most valuable estate--a piece of property on which he could at any -time realise a thousand piastres in the Stamboul market--we had -nightly interviews; for what are the difficulties that love cannot -surmount? I had discovered that her chamber window opened into old -Abdallah's garden; its wall was easily crossed, and then three notes -on my lute were the signal which brought Basilia to me; but she was -beyond arm's length, and I never dared to climb, though, had the -wealth of Ormuz been mine, I had given it all to have kissed but once -her hand. Yet, until she was bestowed upon me by her father, what -hope had I of ever doing so? - -In the wild and half-civilised countries of the East, a lover invests -his mistress with a thousand imaginary attributes, such as a lover of -Europe or the West can never do. The seclusion in which we keep our -women, the danger and risk of approaching or even speaking of them to -their nearest relations, all enhance the charm, the secresy, and the -romance of an Oriental love; and thus, with such a heart as mine, it -became an all-absorbing and engrossing passion, in which to be -without hope was to be without life. Hourly I exclaimed to myself,-- - -"Bismillah! oh, Osman, happy thou to win a heart like hers!" for -Basilia responded as warmly as she dared, or as I could have desired. - -Nightly we conversed in whispers, and had our interchange of -love-letters; not that poor Basilia wrote, or that I then could -write; alas, no! Our letters were simply flowers, tied together with -a ribband, and in this symbolical language we conferred. It is a -language lovers easily learn, and the Circassian sooner than all. I -ransacked the bazaars of the Armenians and Muscovites for gaudy -trinkets and perfumes, as presents for Basilia; and fearless of the -Russ, I daily caracoled my horse--my Zupi--before her father's house, -that she might see me attired in the glittering arms and splendid -costume of a Circassian cavalier; and happy was I--oh, how happy! if -but once I saw the muslin-veiled form of my beautiful Basilia. At -her feet I laid the shawls of Cashmere and the beads of Bokhara. She -gave me a waist-belt embroidered by herself, and a morocco -breast-pocket to hold my cartridges, in return. - -Summoning up courage, I one day put on my most splendid habiliments; -my coat of mail, which shone like water in the sun; a helmet of -steel, damascened by my own hands; and I armed myself with weapons -which, like every Tcherkesse warrior, I had tempered and ornamented -with silver and precious stones, all by my own skill. Bathed, -perfumed, and anointed, I rode up to the door of Abdallah ibn Obba; -and while my heart trembled and died away within me, and my colour -came and went like that of a woman under the bowstring, I asked his -daughter in marriage. He heard me in ominous silence. - -"May God be with thee, Abdallah," said I. - -"With thee be God," said he, and paused again, on which I timidly -rehearsed all I had said. - -The old merchant, who was seated on a rich carpet, with his legs -folded under him, and a split reed, ink-horn, and piles of papers and -accounts on one side of him, and his fragrant narguillah on the -other, heard me without moving a muscle of his solemn visage; and -after smoking for some time, drew the yellow mouthpiece from his -mustachioed lips, and shaking his bushy beard, replied to me, -slowly,-- - -"May you be saluted, O Osman Rioni! No--no, Osman, this cannot be! -The son of a prince weds a prince's daughter, even as a slave weds -the daughter of a slave. Thus, the rich give their children in -marriage only to the rich, and thou, Osman, art very poor. Remember, -that this daughter may yet be a mine of wealth to me." - -I knew what the old wretch meant by these words--the market of -Stamboul--and my blood ran cold. - -"Her beauty," he resumed, "is a miracle, and her birth was also a -miracle; hence sho was born for great purposes, and may yet be a -source of delight to him who wears the sword of Omar, our Lord the -Sultan Abdul Medjid--who can tell? She was born of my first wife, -Tsha; when she was old, stricken in years, and hopelessly barren, on -seeing a hen feed her chickens one day, her heart was moved; she wept -and prayed the holy Prophet to give her a little child in her old -age, whereupon she had Basilia in the fulness of time; so thus I tell -thee, she was born for great things. Enough, enough, Osman Rioni, go -thy ways, for thou art very poor." - -"True, father," said I, while my heart became chilled with despair; -"I am poor, and my brothers Selim and Karolyi are also poor, for we -have no inheritance but the name of our father, and what we can -wrench in combat from the enemies of our country, and for every meal -of food we have to fight the convoys of the Russ on the mountain, or -the wild beasts in the forest; but a time is at hand when I shall -have all my father's patrimony again, when the forts of the Kuban -shall lie in ruins by its shore, while the wolf shall batten on the -bones of their defenders. A time shall come when I may ride from the -grassy steppes of Marinskoi to the reedy flow of the Kisselbash -River, lord of all the land my father bequeathed to me, with this -sword, when the Russian bayonets were clashing in his heart!" - -"God is great," replied the merchant, calmly; "when that time comes -return, and seek my daughter, but not till then." - -He replaced the amber tube of the narguillah in his mouth, waved his -hand to indicate that he wished to hear no more on the subject, and -dismissed me, with a heart swollen by grief and mortification. I -felt how low the son of Mostapha was fallen when a miserable trader -despised his alliance! God of Mohammed, had we come to this? - -As I rode slowly back to the poor village where with my brothers I -dwelt on the hills above Anapa, I revolved a thousand schemes of -daring and conquest; for Basilia was now to me a light--a star--a -guide; but between us I saw the dark battalions and the strong -ramparts of the abhorred Russians, and worse than all, the cunning -and the avarice of her selfish father. Could I repel one, or bound -the other? - -When riding slowly on I saw a raven in my path, and shuddering at the -bird of ill omen, turned aside, for I knew it was a sign of coming -evil; because there is an old tradition in the countries of the East, -that Cain, after committing fratricide, became sorely troubled in -mind, and bore about with him for many days the dead body of his -brother, until Heaven taught him how to bury it, by the example of a -raven, which after killing another in his presence dug a little pit -for it by beak and talon; and so scraping a hole with his hands, Cain -interred his brother at the foot of a palm, whose branches heretofore -erect drooped mournfully for ever after. Then the murderous raven -which had perched itself on a branch thereof flew away to Adam, and -croaked huskily in his ear that his youngest born was now slain and -buried, and from that hour the raven has been a bird of evil augury -to all the world. And now my heart became a prey to a thousand dark -and gloomy forebodings. The bird had not come to me for nought. - -I prayed Merissa, the mother of God, to take Basilia under her -protection, for, like the Christians, we believe in the intercession -of a woman, though, perhaps, her name is but a remnant of the faith -that was first preached to the Circassians before the banner of the -blessed Prophet swept the gods of error from the shores of the -Caspian Sea. - -Night was closing as I ascended the mountain, when suddenly from a -gorge there rose that wild and terrible yell which is the war-cry of -Circassia; and led by Schamyl, the conquering, the holy Murid -Schamyl, a host of mounted warriors, all clad in shirts of shining -steel and round helmets, armed with lance and musket, bow and sabre, -each with a bag of millet and bottle of skhou slung at his saddle for -service, dashed their fleet horses through the narrow way, and above -their heads waved the green standard of the confederated princes with -its three golden arrows and twelve white stars--the Sangiac -Sheerif--the sacred banner of our people, for green is the colour of -the Prophet. - -Selim and Karolyi were among them, and they sprang to my side with -joy and ardour. - -A vast Russian army of horse, foot, and artillery, they told me, had -just passed the shores of the Kuban, and entered among the mountains; -Schamyl, the holy murids who devote themselves to death, and all our -confederated princes, had summoned the land to battle, and every man -between the straits of Yenikale and the Mingrelian frontier was in -arms for Circassia Thus opened the Christian year 1840, so memorable -to us by the capture of all the frontier forts of the Russians by our -arms, but chiefly those of Mikhailov and Nikhailovska. - -The excitement, the glory, and the splendour of our mountain host -equipped for war, with the hopes of conquest and of triumph, filled -my soul with such ardour and exultation that my emotion nearly -overcame me. The hope of winning back in this war, if it was -successful, the land, the home, and the grave of my forefathers, and -with these the flower of the Abassian maids for my bride, made me -pant for the hour of battle with such ardour as never bridegroom -awaited the unveiling of his new-made wife. - -The great Dervish Mohammed Mansoor, from the misty land of Daghestan, -had foretold our triumph when he died at Anapa, and we never doubted -we should be victorious. - -Over my father's fugitive people a command was assigned me by the -confederated princes; my brothers, Selim and Karolyi, rode by my -side; all who followed us shared our ardour, and we were brave even -to ferocity: thus, pouring down from the snow-capped Alps of the -Caucasus towards the hosts of the Russ, then blackening and -desolating the banks of the Kuban, while their fleets of three -deckers and steamers scared the golden dolphins from our shores, we -commenced the desperate war of 1840. - -I was full of delicious hope, and the last words of Basilia, for I -had visited her in secret before we marched, were ever in my ears,-- - -"Hope for everything from Heaven, O Osman. The angels of Mohammed -will deliver you from the swords of the Russians, and like all, my -beloved, who fight against the spirit, they shall wither and perish!" - -Her prophetic words inspired me with new ardour. - -"Farewell, Basilia," I exclaimed, as I grasped the mane of Zupi; "we -go to teach those Muscovite liars who mark our country in their maps -that the Circassians have no masters save God and the Prophet." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE HUSSARS OF TENGINSKI - -How we swept the land of Kisliar, continued the Circassian captain; -how we baffled the foe beneath the towers of Dargo; how Schamyl the -Immortal did prodigies of valour at Unsorilla and destroyed the army -of Count Woronzoff, the Governor of New Russia, one hundred and fifty -thousand in number, whose bones yet lie in the forest of Itzkeri; how -we fought with desperation, neither asking nor giving quarter, and -how we hurled the Russians from the slopes of the Caucasus back upon -the shores of the Kuban, where they lay unburied save by the jaws of -the wolf and eagle, torn and disembowelled by hungry dogs, all Europe -knows full well; and how successive armies, full of barbarous pride -and military and religious enthusiasm, horsemen, artillery, and -infantry--hussars and Cossacks, Kurds and Tartar hordes, who had -stooped their necks to Russia's iron yoke, entered the valleys of -Circassia, valleys which seem but dark chasms or fissures where the -branches of the Koissons roar and leap from rock to rock in northern -Daghestan, and there they perished, too, beneath the bullet and the -arrow, the spear and sling of the unconquerable Tcherkesses. It was -my brother Selim who slew General Woinoff; it was Karolyi who stormed -the redoubts and spiked his cannon: and it was I who hewed off the -head of the gallant soldier Passek, and bore it for three days on my -spear. - -In this year of the Christians, 1840, I commanded that portion of the -Circassian troops which besieged the Russians in the fort of -Mikhailov. They defended themselves with the blind fury of men who -foresaw their doom was death! Selim pressed them with three thousand -men on one side; Karolyi, with the same number, pressed them on the -other; while I, with a chosen band of four thousand archers, -slingers, and musketeers, plied them from every quarter with -incessant missiles. Selim cut off the sluices which supplied them -with water, and Karolyi stormed their outworks, tore down their -stockades, and beheaded every defender whom they caught by the lasso. - -But Heaven has put much valour into the hearts of these infidels; -hence, though reduced to the verge of starvation (having picked the -bones of their last horse, and stewed their boot-tops and leather -shakoes), their commander, Ivan Carlovitch, colonel of the Tenginski -Hussars, resolved to make one gallant effort to escape, for his -soldiers had with them several old standards, which the Russians -regard as almost holy. - -His garrison was composed of the 37th or Tenginski Grenadiers; the -38th or Novoginski Regiment, which carried the famous banner of St. -George, the same that had been with their predecessors at the passage -of the Alps, and which waved on the field of Trebbia, where they -fought under Suvaroff. He had also two battalions of the Imperial -Guard, whose tattered and shot-riven standards had waved on many a -bloody plain, and been clenched in the dying grasp of many a gallant -man. - -Their desire of preserving these trophies was only second to the hope -of escape; for the standard is ever the palladium of a regiment, even -as the National Insignia are the palladium of a free people, and, as -such, should be preserved from degradation. - -Perceiving that, fearless of his cannon--those terrors of the simple -Circassians, who name them the great pistols of the Czar--I had made -every disposition for an assault, which must have been successful, -the valiant Ivan Carlovitch led out his shattered garrison among us, -sword in hand; and, favoured by a dark and tempestuous night, escaped -with a few, but a few only; for by sabre and by musket we made a -fearful slaughter among the soldiers of the Novoginski Regiment, and -taking their famous banner of St. George, tore it to fragments, and -spitting upon these, trampled them to the earth in blood and mire. - -Thanks to the Prophet and to my coat of mail, uncounted balls and -bayonets touched me without harm. Above the roar of that red -musketry which lit the darkness with its streaky gleams; above the -howling of the wind, which tore through every mountain gorge; above -the cheers of the desperate, and the shrieks of the dying, the wild, -shrill, and unearthly war-cry of the Circassians ascended to the -throne of Mohammed; and the approach to the breach was like the -bridge of hell, as we rushed through the battered gates to take -possession of the fortress; but at the moment that the 'enceinte,' or -interior wall which surrounded the place, and was composed of -bastions faced with brick, was crowded by our flushed and exulting -warriors, a tremendous explosion was heard the earth gaped, and -rocked, and rent; then it rose beneath our feet; a broad, hot, -scorching blaze of fire surrounded me, and blown up by a concealed -mine of powder, the whole fort of Mikhailov, with more than two -thousand Circassians, was torn from its foundations, and swept on the -whirlwind along the mountain slopes. - -Struck down by a stone in the moment of victory I became senseless, -and remember no more of that night of horrors! - -Heaven, I have said, has put great valour into the hearts of these -unbelievers. - -Archipp Ossepoff, the same grenadier of the Tenginski Regiment whom I -had wounded by an arrow and from whom I had rescued Basilia, -volunteered to remain behind his comrades; and in order to prevent -the fort from being of service to the confederated princes, laid his -hands solemnly on the standard of St. George, and promised to Ivan -Carlovitch, that he would fire the magazine--a noble act of -self-sacrifice and military enthusiasm. This man of course perished -with Mikhailov, and with our people; but in order to commemorate this -act of valour and devotion, the Emperor Nicholas ordained that his -name should be continued on the muster-roll of the Tenginski -Grenadiers; that it should be called daily on parade, and that on the -sergeant summoning "Archipp Ossepoff," the next grenadier on the list -should answer-- - -"Dead at Mikhailov for the glory of Russia!" - -When I recovered, I found myself lying on the hillside, many yards -from the fort, the site of which resembled the crater of the volcano; -for it seemed as if the powder had rent, torn, and blackened the -bosom of the earth, in its efforts to efface the fort for ever. The -free soft wind of the Caucasus was passing over the ruins; above me -the sky was bright, and blue, and sunny; the birds were twittering -among the mangled bodies of the slain; and about those ghastly heaps, -or between their piles of arms and limbered field-pieces, the Russian -soldiers (whom the flight of our people had left in possession of the -locality) were laughing and singing, as they drained their canteens -of sour quass, and prepared to cook their breakfasts, and to bury the -dead. - -Around us, the scenery was beautiful; there were summer woods in all -their heavy foliage; the terraced vineyards of lighter green, -screened by the dense and wiry pine; little cottages and pretty -mosques, with gilded minars shining in the sun; bright streams -dancing down the rocks; the sea, blue as the sky and rippling gently -in the wind; while in the back-ground of all, rose hills piled up on -hills, until their steeps reached Heaven, and every peak was capped -with pure white snow, or tipped by a golden gleam. - -Close by me a group of Russian officers were seated around one, who, -by his dark green uniform, his heavy silver epaulettes and -jack-boots; his varnished leather helmet surmounted by an eagle; his -enormous mustache and cruel expression of eye, I knew to be Ivan -Carlovitch; and I lay still and feigning death, believing that my -fate would be sealed, if life was discovered in me. - -They were loud in their praises of the Circassian leader--myself--and -expressed a great desire to capture me; others added their less -friendly hopes that I had perished in the explosion. - -"It is fortunate, however," said Carlovitch, "that we have taken his -two brothers, Selim and Karolyi; they, at least, have a long march -before them towards the north; and, believe me, that among the snows -there, with a chain to drag, and the occasional prick of a Cossack -lance in the rear, their hot rebellious blood will soon be cooled in -Siberia, and rendered mild as commissariat quass." - -Under their shaggy beards the officers laughed at this poor joke, -which made my heart almost die within me, for it acquainted me, that -my two brothers, Selim and Karolyi, were captives, and that Siberia -would be their doom. - -A soldier now approached to announce that the body of Archipp -Ossepoff had been found, shattered, scorched, and sorely mangled, but -still recognisable by the medals which he had won in the Polish war. - -"Then let him be buried apart from all the rest," said Carlovitch, -"with all honour, and let a cross mark the spot; but first, let us -put all these fellows who are lying about here under ground, before -the sun attains its noon-day heat." - -While lying there, receiving an occasional kick from the passing -soldiers, who had long since stripped me of my splendid arms, armour, -and ornaments, how terrible were my thoughts when the fierce, rough, -and merciless Cossacks proceeded to open a trench beside me, and dug -it deep to receive the dead. I endeavoured to stifle reflection, -believing that my last hour had come; and after praying--for prayer -is the pillar of religion, even as the sword is the true key of -paradise--I bent my thoughts upon Basilia, who was far away at -Soudjack Kaleh, and seated then perhaps in her rose garden, fanning -herself with feathers, and weeping for the poor Osman she would never -again behold on earth. - -At last the grave was finished, and one by one the dead were flung -therein, and laid in rows head and foot alternately; how heavily they -fell, with their lifeless limbs and clanking accoutrements! Suddenly -I felt myself seized by the neck and heels, and before I could utter -a sound, they flung me into that ghastly trench on the gashed and -bloody heap below, and then the shovelled earth flew fast over me. - -"Stop--halt!" cried Ivan Carlovitch, who was sitting on the sward -close by, smoking a magnificent pipe; "by St. George, that uppermost -Tcherkesse is alive yet!" - -"A matter easily repaired, my colonel!" said a Russian, raising his -shovel like a battle-axe to cleave my head. - -"Beware, I say!" thundered Carlovitch, and at his voice the bearded -soldiers cowered like slaves before a king; "fling him out, lay him -on the sward, and bring here a canteen of quass." - -This sharp, bitter draught revived me, and my native pride coming to -my aid, I stood erect, and boldly confronted the imperialist. - -"Who the devil are you?" he asked - -I replied, proudly,-- - -"Osman Rioni, the son of Mostapha. I might have concealed my rank, -but I scorn to lie, even unto a race of liars." - -Joy flashed in the cruel and cunning eyes of Carlovitch at this -announcement; his surprise and satisfaction at the importance of his -third prisoner were too great to leave space for anger at my speech. -He smiled, and said,-- - -"Tcherkesse, your wants and your wounds, if you have any, shall be -faithfully and kindly attended to; when in better humour I shall see -you again, having a little message to you from the emperor. Take him -away." - -I was conducted to an ancient tomb, under the dome of which I found a -Cossack guard, surrounding my two brothers Selim and Karolyi, with -several other Circassians, who were all suffering more or less from -wounds or scorches ha the explosion. All were dejected, and my -appearance among them increased their unhappiness. We communed in -whispers, and formed our plans for flight on the first opportunity. - -All that night we remained in the cold and dreary tomb, which before -morning some of our poor companions exchanged for an actual grave, -for they died of their undressed wounds; but about sunrise, we were -drawn out by the Cossacks, who truncheoned us with their lances, -driving us like a herd of cattle; and then their pioneers proceeded -to dig a grave under the dome, which was the resting-place of an -ancient king, a proceeding which we beheld with horror, for every -strict Mussulman deems sacred for ever the little spot of earth which -forms the last resting-place of a departed being. - -Then the sound of muffled drums rolled upon the wind and the wail of -the Muscovite dead march, as the funeral of Archipp Ossepoff -approached; the solemnity of the scene impressed us deeply, and we -forgot that it was by the mingled treachery and stern devotion of -this determined soldier we had lost Mikhailov and our liberty -together. - -Six grenadiers of the Tenginski Regiment bore on their shoulders the -coffin, the lid of which was off; a veil of fine linen covered the -body, which was dressed in uniform, with cross-belts, boots, gloves, -epaulettes of red worsted and copper medals. The head was borne -forward, not the feet, as in other countries. Then came four -soldiers, bearing the coffin lid, on which lay the leather helmet, -the musket, and knapsack of the deceased; then followed the regiment -of Tenginski Grenadiers, marching with their arms reversed, and -preceded by a grand military band of brass trumpets and muffled -drums. In front of all marched a priest of the Russian Greek Church, -attired in magnificent vestments of muslin, gold, and embroidery. -His aspect was venerable; his white beard was full and flowing; he -chaunted as he went, and sprinkled frankincense upon the path. - -A prayer, a roll upon the drums, and a flourish of instruments with -three volleys closed the ceremony, and there lies Archipp Ossepoff in -the tomb of a Circassian prince; but his memory as a brave grenadier -is still cherished, as I have related, by the orders of the emperor, -and in the traditions of his comrades. God rest that gallant spirit; -he died for his country, even as I would have died for mine. - -Pining for freedom and for the presence of Basilia, dreading I -scarcely knew what--but banishment to Siberia more than anything -else, for that had been but a living death and a separation for ever -from my country and my love--three dreary months rolled over me, and -with my two brothers I still found myself a prisoner with the Russian -army of the Caucasus, which marched along the left bank of the Kuban -towards the Sea of Azov, and consequently nearer to my home. - -One day Colonel Carlovitch sent for me, and again his face wore that -deep and cunning smile which so closely resembled a leer; for his -eyes were cold and snaky, even as his heart was stern and cruel. - -"I have sent for you, my valiant Tcherkesse," said he, politely, "to -make you a tempting offer from our beneficent father the emperor. It -is this. If you will enter the Russian service, all your father's -possessions from Marinskoi to the mouth of the Kisselbash River will -be restored to you, with the title of prince--neither of which can -you ever hope to regain by the impious sword you have drawn against -the house of Romanoff and the cause of Holy Russia." - -I rejected the offer with the scorn it merited, and reminded the -tempter, in the words of our "Declaration of Independence," how many -of our children had been stolen; how many of our princes had thus -been lured away; how many sons of nobles taken as hostages, and then -butchered in cold blood; how many noble houses had been reduced and -crushed by Russian treason and by Russian treachery; and lifting up -my hands, while I turned my face towards Mecca, I was about to take a -solemn vow, when interrupting me, he said, with an icy smile,-- - -"Enough, Osman Rioni--swear not--'t is needless! To-morrow you and -your brothers will commence the long, long march to Siberia." - -At these words my soul trembled, and my head fell upon my breast. -The Russian officer still smiled and continued to polish the eagle on -his helmet, with his leather glove, while whistling the popular waltz -of the Duchess Olga. - -Siberia! - -With that name, hope, love, liberty, my country and her cause sank, -and snow-covered wastes, with chains and stripes, despair and death, -rose up before me. - -If once I reached Siberia, I should live the life of the hopeless, -and die the death of the despairing; and my brothers--my poor -brothers! The alternative was terrible, but in the Russian service -we should daily have chances of escape to our native mountains; so I -accepted his offer in the name of myself, Selim, and Karolyi. - -"I knew that you would think better of it," said Carlovitch, sitting -down in his tent, and writing a memorandum; "thenceforward from this -day, you are a captain in the Tenginski Hussars, and your brothers -shall be the lieutenants of your troop. Allow me to present you with -a horse which was taken at Mikhailov. You shall fight against the -Tartars, not your own people; but to-morrow I have a piece of service -to propose to you. Come here after morning parade or at noon, and I -shall tell you all about it--meantime adieu." - -With a heart full of bitterness I left him, and careless of the -Cossacks, who still watched me, I took up a handful of gravel and -flung it towards his painted tent, spying, as Mohammed did at Bedr,-- - -"A curse upon thee, Muscovite--and a curse be on every hair of the -cur that begot thee! May thy face be confounded for ever!" - -Whichever way I turned, his cold smile seemed before me; but when I -reached the tent in which my brothers were confined, great was my -pleasure to find my favourite charger Zupi led up to the door by a -hussar, and I kissed and embraced my old friend, for we Mussulmen -deem the horse as the noblest of animals next to man; and the Koran -says, that the beasts which traverse earth and air are creatures like -ourselves--they are all written in the Book, and shall appear at the -last day; so when I die, I hope to take my faithful Zupi with me to -paradise, even as Ezra took his ass, after she had ceased to bray for -a hundred years. - -Like myself, at the first proposition of taking service under the -abhorred emperor, my brothers were full of fierce scorn; but when I -had calmly placed my views before them, showing that we had no -alternative but military service, with its chances of escape on one -hand, and perpetual slavery, with its stripes on the other, they -condescended to accept the lieutenantcies of my troop; and the next -day--oh, may it be accursed!--saw us attired in the green uniform of -the Tenginski Hussars, and on parade with Menschikoff's division of -the Caucasian army. - -In camp around us were bivouacked thousands of the Russian infantry -in their long great-coats and flat round caps; the Cossacks of the -Don with their fleet, rough, and active horses, and all armed with -long lances; the horse regiments of Tchernemorski glittering with -jewels and embroidery, and the Imperial Guard in their magnificent -uniform. Around us rang the clank of the armourer's anvil, the -springing of ramrods and fixing of flints; the limbering of artillery -and powder-waggons; the galloping of aides-de-camp; the hewing down -of palisades, and the plaiting up of fascines, all of which told us -of preparations making for the subjugation of our country, and we -were amid it all, attired in the Russian uniform! - -At noon I sought the tent of Carlovitch. - -"My colonel," said I, veiling my boiling hatred under a calm -exterior, as with a solemn salaam I raised a hand to the front of my -fur hussar cap; "you had a duty to propose to me?" - -"Yes, my stubborn Tcherkesse; I am glad to find that you have so -easily learned the task of obedience, as without it an army sinks -into a rabble. Well, the duty is this. There is an old fellow at -Soudjack Kaleh, who for some time past has traded with the Tartars in -various ways, and latterly with Turks in salted fish and pretty -women, both of which commodities he exports largely to Stamboul, to -the ancient city of Trebizonde, and to Sinope." - -My heart began to leap at these words. - -"You mean Abdallah ibn Obba." - -"The same; but you start--do you know him?" - -"Intimately," said I; "and your purpose, O son of a slave!" I had -almost added. - -"Well, Captain Rioni, this respectable old Tcherkesse is now -bargaining for the sale of a cargo of slave girls for the Turkish -market, and a small Stambouli craft, which has long baffled the -pursuit of our steam corvettes and the row-boats of our Kreposts, is -now concealed in some creek near Mezip. Unfortunately all our -vessels are over on the Crimean side, otherwise they would soon have -found those Turkish swine, who come to steal the subjects of our -father the emperor." - -Carlovitch gave another of his cold smiles, for he perceived how my -hot Circassian blood revolted on hearing my people called the -subjects of his emperor I asked haughtily,-- - -"Your orders, Colonel Carlovitch?" - -"You will select fifty of the Tenginski Hussars, and as you and your -brothers must know the country well, search every creek and cranny of -the coast until the Turkish ship is found. She will be safely -beached somewhere, and when discovered, burn her; cut the throats of -the Turks, and bring the cargo of girls here. You shall have a -couple of the prettiest for your trouble. The daughter of old -Abdallah is among them--Basilia, commonly known as the flower of the -Abassians. Archipp Ozepoff nearly brought me that girl once before, -but some rascal pierced him by an arrow. Take especial care of her, -for I am resolved that no great bison of a Turk shall ever call her -slave. No, no, her bright eyes will sparkle all the brighter among -the green uniforms and silver epaulettes of our Tenginski Hussars. -See to all this; you march in an hour, and till you return, farewell." - -Taking up a pen he resumed a dispatch which my arrival had -interrupted; and after standing for some time, overwhelmed by -confusion and the misery of my own thoughts, I withdrew to the foot -of a tree, and sat down to reflect on the strange duty I had to -perform, and the startling tidings I had just heard. - -The image of my beautiful Basilia--for I assure you, gentlemen, that -the Circassian maid is the most perfect and lovely creation of God--a -prisoner, a slave on board of a slave ship, and consigned a helpless -victim of the lust of the licentious Osmanli filled my soul with a -horror so great that I forgot my present situation in my anxiety to -discover this secret ship, to free her, and to put to the edge of the -sword all who were concerned in a transaction so infamous. I saw the -whole affair now. The loss of the rich argosy on the Isle of -Serpents had brought the difficulties of Abdallah to a crisis, and to -retrieve his broken fortune he had sold his only daughter to the -Turks! I invoked the curse of the Prophet, and of the twelve Imaums -on his avarice; and now my only fear was great that the Turks might -launch their boat and escape me: thus it was that with an ardour such -as I never thought to feel at the head of Russian troops, I rode from -the camp at the head of fifty hussars, with my two brothers by my -side; and we galloped along the sea-shore, with all our brilliant -appointments glittering in the splendour of the setting sun of Asia. - -"Basilia, my pure, my beautiful! this night may make thee mine," -thought I; "one stroke of a sabre may give what thy father would not -have sold to me, perhaps, for a million of piastres." - -I am ashamed to own that our Circassian beauties too often exchange -with joy the penury of their fathers' cottages and the hardships of -their frugal mountain homes, for the luxury and delight of the -Stambouli Kiosks and seraglios. From early childhood their ears are -filled, and their warm imaginations fired, with ideas of the riches -and pleasure of these places, and by the stories of their mothers, or -more generally their aunts, who have returned (when their Osmanli -lords grew weary of their faded charms) loaded with magnificent -jewels, with purses of sequins, and wardrobes of the richest stuffs -the world can produce, and with many a tale to tell of the -distinguished part they had played by their native superiority of -intellect over the ponderous and dreamy Asiatic. To purchase our -girls the Turkish vessels row by night along the shore, and seek some -wooded creek where they lie concealed from the steamers and cruisers -of the Russian Black Sea fleet, and from the squadrons of Cossack -row-boats attached to the Kreposts; then the bargain is concluded, -and the girls, who are always the most beautiful daughters of serfs -and freemen, are embarked, after a month, perhaps, has been spent in -bartering and chaffering between the merchants on one hand, and their -parents on the other.* - - -* It is calculated that one vessel out of six is taken. In the -winter of 1843-4, twenty-eight ships left the coast of Asia Minor for -Circassia, to purchase girls; twenty-three returned safely; three -only were burned by the Russians, and two were swallowed by the -waves.--WAGNER - - -As the distance increased between us and the Russian camp my brothers -looked with longing eyes towards our native hills, between whose -misty peaks a flood of golden light was falling on the waving woods -and on the rolling sea; and now they began to whisper and exchange -glances of intelligence. Their minds were full of the pledge we had -lately made to ourselves, that we would fly the hated yoke of Russia -on the first opportunity; but this was no easy task, believe me, -watched as we were by our own suspicious soldiers. At this time my -whole soul was full of Basilia, and in the hope of freeing, of -winning, and of loving her, even Circassia and her wrongs were -forgotten for a time--God of the Prophet, but only for a time! - -By a telescope I could see afar off the wild woods in which I had -wandered when a boy, and the familiar mountain peaks up which I had -clambered when fighting with the Muscovite riflemen, or hunting the -boar and jerboa. I could see the bright gleam of steel and the -flashing of chain armour between the shady oaks; for there armed -bands were hovering, and there the Tartar bow, the Albanian gun, the -Circassian lance, and the crooked sabre, awaited the Muscovite -invader; and there the holy banner of the twelve stars waved above -the tent of the glorious Schamyl. Watched as we were by the very men -we led, flight, as I have said, was hopeless; but then I had no -thought of flight even when within a cannon-shot of armed Circassian -bands which we could see with their camels laden with women, -children, and household goods, clambering up the hills to avoid the -Kalmuck scouts and Cossack foragers. - -As the night darkened we saw lurid flames shooting up between the -mountain clefts; and while our fierce hussars muttered in guttural -Russ and laughed under their matted beards, the hearts of my brothers -and myself grew sad, for we knew that the Tchernemorski lances were -spreading woe and desolation in the homes of our people. - -We searched every little bay, inlet, and river as we passed along the -beautiful coast from Anapa to Soudjack Kaleh, a fortress which was -then half in ruins, as General Williamoff had left it after storming -its defences at the head of fifteen thousand men. It seemed now so -lonely and so silent that no one could imagine the roar of war had -once awoke its echoes, for the flowers of the arbutus, the -rhododendron, and many other plants, most of them aromatic, filled -the air with perfume as they grew in luxuriance on its battered -walls, or twining round the old cannon's mouth as it lay half sunk -among the stones and grass, or wreathing the bare skulls and white -ribs of the dead on whose unburied bones, bleached by the sunshine -and the storm, devouring dogs and mountain wolves had battened. - -Evening had closed when we bivouacked near the beach, unbitted our -horses, lighted our pipes, and sent round our cups of quass to wash -down the black ration, bread and salt beef broiled among the embers -till it was encrusted with ashes and brine; and we were just -composing ourselves for the night, when my sergeant, a cunning and -active Cossack, who had crept a mile or two along the shore alone, -announced to me that he had seen some suspicious lights in a little -creek of the bay of Koutloutzi. "Mount and march," was the order, -and favoured by a brilliant moon, beneath whose light the Euxine -rolled like a flood of silver at the base of the steep Circassian -hills, we rode round the margin of this circular bay, and ascended -the beautiful vale of Mezip, towards where my sergeant asserted he -had seen the lights. - -Halting our party he and I dismounted, and, taking only our swords -and pistols, crept cautiously through a thicket towards where a river -entered the bay, and such a place we knew would be the most probable -rendezvous of the Turks with the slave merchant. The foliage was -dense and dark overhead, for in this district the sturdy oak, the -beech, and the chestnut grew to the water's edge, and the -cherry-tree, the fig, and the wild olive were all in full bloom. It -was a savage place. Toads croaked among the reeds, and rearing -serpents hissed among the sedges of the river, which brawled over a -ledge of rocks and fell into the bay, while the yellow-coated and -weasel-like suroke whistled on the branches of the pine, and the -fleet jerboa fled before us from its lair like an evil spirit. - -Suddenly we saw a gleam of light, and heard the sound of voices. A -few paces more brought us to the brow of a wooded bank, at the base -of which we saw a number of Turkish sailors seated round a fire, -smoking, drinking raki, and making merry, while one of their number, -a little humpbacked fellow, with a hooked nose and enormous beard, -sang to them, and twangled on a lute. They were sixteen in number (I -counted them carefully), and all fierce-looking fellows, with -enormous noses and mustachoes. Large trowsers, dirty red tarbooshes, -and red shawl-girdles stuck full of daggers and pistols. Most of -them had cuts and scars or patches on their dusky faces, and all had -a savage and sinister aspect, as the red gleams of the pinewood fire -fell on them. The captain was particularly happy; as he believed, -that if the Sultan Abdul-Medjid did but once see Basilia, the -fortunes of all who had a share in bringing such loveliness to -gladden his sublime eyes would be made for ever. - -In the back-ground, and drawn far up on the beach, lay their vessel, -with its large angular sail stowed on deck; the yard struck, and the -mast and rigging covered by green pine branches, the better to elude -the observation of scouts, and to blend its outline with the -surrounding trees, while heaps of branches, with dry leaves spread -over all, were piled against the sides. But over the gunnel we saw -several Circassian girls sitting very quietly, gazing at those rough -and noisy guardians, who were to convey them to that brilliant -Stamboul, which they had been taught to believe was an earthly -paradise. - -On that little deck, and apart from all the rest, sat one who did not -seem to share the placidity of her companions, or to share their -joyous anticipations. Her form was enveloped in her veil, and her -head was bowed upon her hands, her eyes were sad, and fixed on -vacancy. My breath came thick and fast. There was a swelling in my -throat, as if my heart was there, for I knew that lonely weeper was -Basilia. - -As thirty or forty girls are usually deemed a good cargo and only ten -were visible, it was evident to us that the Turks had no intention of -putting to sea for some days; thus my sergeant, who had frequently -been on expeditions of this kind, politely suggested--as we had -ridden a long way--the expedience of sleeping quietly for that night, -and slaughtering the Turks at our leisure in the morning; but my -impatience would brook of no delay. - -Again we mounted: I divided my party into two troops, and ascending -the valley of Mezip for a mile or so, descended from different points -towards the head of the Bay. - -"Spur and sabre!" was the cry. - -There was a brief but sharp discharge of pistols, a gleaming of -knives and flashing of sabres, and in five minutes the surrounded -Turks were all trampled under hoof, shot and headless beside the fire -which had lit the scene of their jollity, not one of them escaping -save their deformed messmate, who dashed his lute at the head of -Selim, sprung into the sea, and disappeared. The captain I sabred -with my own hand; but not before he gave me this wound by a pistol -shot, which grazed my left cheek like a hot iron. - -Inspired anew by love and triumph I sprang up the side of the vessel, -and sought the lonely figure--it was as my heart divined--Basilia. I -knelt before her, and took her hand in mine, trembling as I did so, -for never until that moment had I touched even the hem of her -garment. My soul was in my tongue, and weighed it down with words of -love and joy, but one alone found utterance,-- - -"Basilia!" - -She gave a cry of wonder, and as she gazed at me, her large black -eyes dilated and flashed with anger. - -"Basilia," said I, "do you not remember me?" - -"No," replied she, while trembling; "who are you?" - -"Osman, the son of Mostapha, your own Osman, who saved you at Anapa." - -"It is false," she answered, with eyes full of anger and sorrow; -"Osman was a brave Circassian warrior, and I loved him; oh! how -dearly and how well; but he fell in battle at Mikhailov. Thou art -either a base Muscovite, or some fiend in the shape of Osman; a ghoul -it may be, a son of Ifrit; begone, and leave me." - -I could have wept at these stinging words, which sank like poisoned -arrows in my heart, and I feared that grief had disordered her -intellects; but I did injustice to Basilia, for her language was the -first prompting of honest grief and indignation to find me in the -uniform of the Tenginski Hussars, and false, as she deemed, to my -country and to her. For so she told me, when more composed, and when -she heard my story, as we sat side by side under a broad chesnut tree -with the plunder of the Turkish ship around us, and the flames of its -burning timbers to light our little bivouac. When we fired it, with -all the branches and withered leaves that were piled over it, the -flames burned bravely, and shot above the copse-wood, as they licked -the mast and its well-tarred cordage. - -I sat at the feet of Basilia, my heart teemed with joy, half the -objects of existence seemed accomplished now, and I could no longer -believe that fortune had greater favours in store for me. - -In the language of our own beloved country, we formed innumerable -projects of happiness, or whispered plans of escape from the toils of -the Russians, and I had resolved in the night, if possible, to elude -my own sentinels, to mount Basilia on Zupi, and to depart by the vale -of Mezip towards the wilderness of mount Shapsucka, when my sergeant, -with a dark and singular expression in his eye, came to inform me -that my brother "the Lieutenant Selim was nowhere to be found." - -Karolyi, who was sitting beside us, looked up, and gave a deep smile -as the Cossack spoke. - -In short, after seeing the last Turk cut down, Selim, while our -dismounted hussars were overhauling the ship, had turned his horse's -head towards the mountains and escaped. - -I rejoiced at this for a time. - -"But brother Osman," said Karolyi, "Selim has done us a wrong in -this; we should all have fled together, for thou and I will now be -watched with double suspicion, and have our simplest actions -subjected to the severest scrutiny." - -"Remember, there is the maiden, whom I cannot leave behind; so let us -rejoice that Circassia has one brave warrior more." - -Karolyi made a gesture of impatience. - -"Circassia," said he, "has maidens enough and to spare; but for every -warrior on her hills, she requires at least a hundred. This is no -time for wedding or acting the lover, for twangling on the lute and -kneeling on the verge of a pretty maid's carpet." - -"These were my own words, Karolyi, when urged by you and Selim to wed -ere Schamyl rose in arms." - -"True, brother, true," replied Karolyi, "and in truth, this little -maiden is a miracle of beauty. My soul and sword are at her service, -command them; but in the name of Merissa think not of escape -to-night. Another and perhaps more favourable opportunity may soon -occur." - -The night passed quickly away. I watched Basilia while she slept in -my mantle. I was sleepless, but silent and happy, for my mind was -full of love and her. - -Next day I placed her on Zupi, and we set out for head-quarters amid -the maledictions of the ten rescued slaves, who saw all their -anticipated delights of a seraglio life suddenly cut short, and who -knew that fate would now consign them to high-cheeked Kalmucks, or -the rough, greasy Cossacks, in lieu of the wealthy Osmanlis, the -luxurious Pashas, and turbaned Agas, whom they had hoped to have as -masters; and they consoled themselves by reviling me as a renegade, -and invoking on my head all the ills that fell on the God-abandoned -Thamudites, and on the offspring of Saba, the son of Yarab. - -On arriving at head-quarters, I presented my prisoners, and the right -ears of fifteen Turks to Colonel Carlovitch. The ears he flung to -his dogs, and the ten girls, not finding favour in the sight of the -officers who crowded about them, were given to Cossacks, to make -wives or whatever they pleased of them, for such is the law of the -Russian military colonies on the Kuban; and to himself, despite my -prior claim by love and capture; despite my rage and grief, my -entreaties and ill-smothered threatenings--to himself--this accursed -Muscovite assigned Basilia as a hand-maiden! - -* * * * * - -(Here the Circassian, who had related this part of his narrative in -short and broken sentences, paused, and ground his teeth, while the -veins of his fine pale forehead swelled like rigid cords, and his -keen dark eyes became glazed with the ferocity, fire, and grief that -filled them.) - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -ZUPI. - -Ivan Carlovitch, he resumed, was a soldier insensible alike to pity -and to danger. His cold and rigid sternness had first brought him -under the notice of his imperial master, who raised him from the -humblest rank in the army. He had a strict and almost absurd idea of -the implicit obedience which should be rendered by the soldier to his -superior; and wild as I was then with passion and grief on finding -that I had only saved Basilia from one degrading condition to deliver -her over to one still more cruel and terrible--to be the mistress, -the plaything of a wretched Russian--I had sufficient tact to see -that resistance would only serve to destroy my own hopes of a -dreadful vengeance, and of achieving her freedom. On the first -symptom of disobedience, Carlovitch would have brought me before a -general court-martial. From this tribunal in Russia, the way to the -knout or the grave is short and rapid, especially to a poor Pole, or -a captive Tcherkesse warrior. - -It is related that early in life, Ivan Carlovitch, the son of Carl, a -porter of Moscow, was a soldier in General Ouchterlony's battalion of -the Imperial Guard, and was one day a sentinel on the private gate of -the palace at St. Petersburg, when a sudden inundation of the Neva -spread terror among the inmates of the edifice, and forced them to -retreat to the upper stories. - -The Empress Alexandrina was surveying the rising waters from a -balcony, when she perceived Carlovitch standing at his post -motionless, and mid leg in the water. In great alarm she desired him -to retire within doors. He "presented arms" when Her Majesty -addressed him, but respectfully declined. The flood increased. -Trees were swept away, railings and balustrades, vases of flowers, -dead cattle, boats, and logs of wood were surged and dashed against -the palace walls; again and again the Empress and her ladies called -in great agitation to the sentinel, desiring him to abandon a post so -perilous; but with admirable coolness he replied, that he "dared not -until properly relieved or withdrawn by an order from the captain of -the guard." That officer had by this time clambered to the roof of -the guard-house, from whence he sent the corporal, a good swimmer, to -bring off this obstinate sentinel, who was now up to his neck in -water. - -For this act of bravado or insensibility to danger, Carlovitch was -appointed a captain in the Infantry Regiment of Tenginski, and -marched with it against the Circassians. In due time he was -appointed colonel of the Tenginski Hussars (for there are two corps, -one of horse and the other of foot, so named), and as such I found -him when misfortune cast me in his way. - -He was a man without mercy, and often brought his bravest soldiers to -the knout for the most trivial fault; but he never broke into gusts -of passion, and though constantly using among the soldiers, the -serfs, and prisoners a heavy rattan, every blow of which brought away -a stripe of flesh, he always addressed them with a cold and cruel -smile, which filled those who knew him with fear and repugnance. - -Oh, how I loathe his memory and the recollection of that fiendish -leer, which I can picture so distinctly at this moment! - -But what of Basilia, you would ask me? - -Fain would I draw a veil over her fate; but a few words will relate -it. - -The insulting advances, the bold declarations of a love the most -repugnant to a heart so pure, the caresses and the presents of -Carlovitch she received with disdain. For three days and three -nights tears were her only protection; entreaties for mercy her only -weapon; but at last even they failed her. One night Carlovitch, -flushed with wine and fury on leaving a banquet given by Prince -Merischikoff, assailed her in his own tent, and to escape him, the -miserable Basilia pierced her throat with a poniard, and died at his -feet! - -Her pure, fair, beautiful form was wrapped in a horse-rug, and buried -by the rough hands of Cossack pioneers, at the foot of a rock on the -left bank of the Kuban. - -The grave of my love lay but a pistol shot distant from the tent of -her destroyer; yet his iron heart never smote him, and never -reproached him with his cruelty; he smoked, he drank the wine of the -Tcherkesses, and played at cards and chess, and with his brother -officers sang as merrily as ever, and no more regarded the death he -had caused and the misery he had wrought, than the ashes of his last -cigar. - -Where then was I? - -Forced to lead my troop against my own people, and watched by a -chosen few of my own soldiers, I had been sent towards Azov in -pursuit of fugitive Circassians. One whom we had tracked the -livelong day, riding over steep mountains, through pathless forests -and deep rivers, was taken at nightfall by his horse falling under -him. He was brought in, exhausted with fatigue and faint with -hunger, covered with blood, with scars, brambles, and heavily -fettered. The poor fugitive we had pursued so long, and taken at -last, proved to be my brother Selim, who had failed to reach the camp -of our confederated princes, and had wandered long on the Russian -side of Mount Shapsucka. - -I was filled with new dismay. It seemed that I required but this to -complete my misery. I rent my beard, and threw myself on the ground; -I cursed myself and Ivan Carlovitch in the same breath, and daringly -upbraided the Prophet with injustice to a Mussulman so devout as I. - -Poor Selim heard my words with terror. He raised me from the ground; -he kissed me on both cheeks, and besought me to be composed, and then -we were separated. I had to continue my march towards the shores of -the sea of Azov, while Selim, the miserable Selim, was dragged before -Carlovitch, who tried him as a deserter, had him degraded, and his -sword and commission trodden under foot; after which he was sentenced -to die--to die under the knout--"a terror to other Tcherkesses who -trifled with the service of their beneficent lord and father the -emperor." - -Three weeks afterwards I heard of his fate, and to nerve my soul for -the coming vengeance, I drank in the terrible description of the poor -boy's dying scene. I was told by my sergeant how the troops were -formed in a hollow square--ten thousand Russian slaves, misnamed as -soldiers, with bayonets fixed and colours flying; I was told how the -noble prisoner stood amid them, with the kingly air of a true -Circassian cavalier, though stripped of every article of attire, save -a pair of tattered drawers; how he was bound by the wrists, the neck, -and ancles, to a large gun-carriage, and how the executioner, a -gigantic Kalmuck, stood six feet distant to give his infernal weapon -a swing more full and heavy. I was told how Selim--for he was the -youngest of us--screamed in agony as each successive blow fell on his -bare and quivering shoulders, from which the flesh was torn in pieces -by every lash of the dreadful whip; how between every stroke this -giant Kalmuck dipped its bloody ends in brimstone, and how the victim -sank beneath the strokes, until at last their sound came dull and -dead, for poor Selim had expired with four words on his lips; they -were, "My brothers--my brothers." - -I did not shed a tear for him; a fiend seemed to possess me; a -devilish joy swelled within me, as I lay that night in the bivouac -beside the feet of Zupi, rolled in my mantle, with my sword and -pistols at my side. - -"Woe to thee, whining cur of the Czar, woe!" I repeated again and -again; "to-morrow I will see thee, Carlovitch--to-morrow shall thy -soul answer to heaven and to hell for these atrocities; and to-morrow -Mostapha's son shall cease to be the serf of this dog Emperor, -Nicholas Paulovitch!" - -The sunny morrow came, and loud and shrill rang the trumpets which -summoned the Hussars and Grenadiers of Tenginski to a general parade. -I examined my saddle girths, my bridle, and my arms, with scrupulous -exactness, for this would be the last parade I was ever to attend. I -threw away everything that might serve to encumber my motions or -overload my horse, and by my advice Karolyi did the same. - -We were now with that portion of the Russian army which had fallen -back from the Circassian Mountains to recruit and reform after their -defeats by Schamyl; and which, after recrossing the Don, was cantoned -principally in the Ukraine. The division to which we belonged -occupied Poltava, one of the richest and best parts of the adjoining -province for pasturing cavalry horses. - -On the very day after we halted at Poltava, a grand parade was formed -before Prince Menschikoff, and as I had marched with the baggage -guard, I saw Carlovitch for the first time since these atrocities had -cast a horror on my soul. The Prophet alone knows what were my -emotions at the sight of him. The voices of Basilia and of Selim -were rising from their graves--they were ever in my ears whispering -"vengeance," and I rode amid the troops like one in a stupor. The -parade was a magnificent one. - -There were present the Imperial Guard, under General Ouchterlony, a -Scotsman, and his three sons, all colonels of battalions; these men -were the flower of the Russian army; the six Grenadier battalions of -Prince Frederick of Hesse Phillipesthal; the veteran regiment of -Moscow, commanded by Prince Frederick of Mecklenburg; the Cuirassiers -of the Grand Duchess Olga, and the gorgeous Hussars of the Princess -Maria Paulowna (sister of the Emperor), whose trappings far eclipsed -those of the two Tenginski corps of Hussars and Infantry. But -Karolyi and I laughed at the splendour of these idolaters, and scorn -grew with hatred in our hearts; for it is of these, and such as -these--eaters of hogs'-flesh and drinkers of brandy--that our Prophet -spoke, when he said, "lo! they are like no other than brute cattle," -and they shall perish like the people of Irem, of Thamud, and those -who, as the Koran tells us, dwelt in al Rass. - -The review passed before me like a dream, for my mind was full of -other thoughts, and I saw only the mangled and bleeding body of Selim -bound to the field-piece, and the poor remains of Basilia asleep in -that uncouth grave where the Russian pioneers had buried her, when -suddenly my name resounded along the glittering ranks; Carlovitch -summoned me to the front, when all the cavalry were formed in line to -deliver a general salute. - -Something had gone wrong. I know not what, but I had neglected my -troop when deploying from close column into line, and Carlovitch, -usually so grave and impassible, was choking with passion. He called -me "a dog of a Tcherkesse," and smote me on the face with his rattan. - -The blow went straight to my heart! - -For a moment I felt as if a thunderbolt had struck me; but -transported with fury, I uttered the yell-like war cry of Circassia, -and buried my sharp sabre--the noble steel of far-away Damascus--in -his dastard heart! - -Again I thrust it to the hilt, as tottering he drooped upon his -holsters, dying and gushing of blood, and then I spurned the corpse -with my feet as it fell. I slew him on the spot, in the face of -fifty thousand men! May the curse of mankind fall upon the turf -which wraps the dog who begot him! - -I brandished my sabre, and shouted wildly to Karolyi,-- - -"To the hills--away, away! Tcherkesse! Tcherkesse!" - -Goring his horse with the spurs, he sprang from the ranks, as the -roar of a thousand voices ascended from them, on witnessing this act -of justice; together we dashed at a furious pace towards the nearest -mountains, and had already placed a deep and rapid torrent between us -and the Russians, before they had recovered from their astonishment, -or made proper arrangements for a pursuit. - -The most accomplished rider in Europe is acknowledged to sit his -horse like a clown when contrasted with a Circassian cavalier; and -fortunate it was for Karolyi and me, that we--both men and -horses--were bred and reared on the slopes of the Caucasus; as we -were hotly and fiercely pursued by relays of mounted men despatched -fresh and lightly accoutred from the innumerable military posts we -passed. The wild Tchernemorski Cossacks, with their long lances, and -wiry little horses; the Tenginski and Paulowna Hussars, and even the -heavy, helmeted, breast-plated and jack-booted Olga cuirassiers -spurred after us; but among the deep rocky gorges, the tangled -brakes, the shifting mosses, and the fordless rivers, we soon rid -ourselves of the latter, and most of the others, save the Cossacks, -who followed us like spirits of evil, unrelenting and unwearying, for -many a day and many a night. - -In desperate hope to reach the Prussian frontier, we had already -crossed the Dnieper, and traversed the palatinate of Minsk, where for -days we rode over a flat country, of which we were ignorant, and -where, in despair, we were frequently about to abandon the hope of -escape, when we found ourselves involved in the mazes of a wild -forest and dreary morass that lie on the banks of its rivers. But -our native hardihood preserved us; for a cleft in a rock, or the -branch of a tree with a sword for a pillow, is home enough at any -time for a Tcherkesse warrior. - -However, we now began to experience a serious difficulty in procuring -a knowledge of the route to be pursued. We knew little of the -language; our aspect was jaded, wan, and terrible; our uniform hung -about us in rags; our horses were sinking, and that we were deserters -was evident to every observer. And now the people of Lithuania -joined in the pursuit, and one evening, just as we were about to -cross a river named the Swislocz, our Tchernemorski Cossacks came -upon us, and their wild shout of joy at the termination of that -flight, which to them had been a long and exciting chase, rang in the -air above us, as they reined up their horses on the rocks that -overhung the stream, and brandished their spears. - -We were about to plunge in, when one more bold or more freshly -mounted than his comrades, wounded Karolyi by a lance thrust. - -"May demons defile thy beard, and their plagues fall on thee and -thine!" exclaimed my brother in a gust of fury; but now he had -dropped or broken every weapon save his dagger, so with that -quickness which is peculiar to the Circassian, he dismounted, rushed -upon the Cossack's horse, drove the weapon into its breast, and -bearing it back at the same time by the bridle, he hurled the -snorting steed over upon its rider, and crushed him to death in an -instant. - -Vaulting again into his own well-worn saddle, he plunged with me into -the stream, and gallantly we breasted it--while the carbines of the -Tchememorski Cossacks--the only soldiers in the Russian service who -can at all compete with our people--rang on every side, as they -commenced a simultaneous discharge upon us, and their bullets -flattened on the rocks, or raised incessant water-spouts around us. - -Suddenly I heard a low cry and a choking gurgle that filled my heart -with misery. I looked back; Karolyi, struck by a bullet, had sunk -from his saddle, and a spurred boot alone was visible, as horse and -rider was swept over a cataract, and borne away towards the Dnieper. - -So perished my second brother! - -Forcing Zupi up a bank where the reeds grew at least twelve feet -high, I still rode recklessly on; but brave as they were, not one of -the Cossacks dared to cross that foaming torrent in pursuit. Night -came down to shroud my flight; there was no moon. I reached a wood, -and flung myself down exhausted in mind and body. I was now dead to -the fear of discovery, and I cared not for wolves, or other wild -animals. - -The presence of Karolyi, his companionship and our brotherly love, -had alone sustained me thus far; now he was gone, and I was alone in -the world; but there was at least one consolation: he had died the -death of a warrior, with one hand on his bridle, and the other on his -weapon; he had fallen, like his father's son, in battle with the -enemies of his country, but he had found a tomb far from his father's -grave, and far from the banks of the Kisselbash River. - -Three days I lay without food, save a little wild honey, and without -repose in that Lithuanian forest, and careless whether I lived or -died; for want, misery, privation and mental agony had broken my -spirit, and destroyed alike every purpose, hope, and reflection. -There I prayed to the only Prophet of God, and remembered with -growing trust that in the blessed Koran, he enjoins us to seek aid -with perseverance; and I implored him to deliver me, even as the Lord -divided the sea of Kolzom with his hand to let his people pass, and -thereafter drowned the Egyptian host; and the Prophet heard me; for -even while I prayed with my bare head in the dust, there chanced to -pass that way a poor Tartar who dwelt on the skirts of the forest, -and who had come hither to cut wood. - -He heard me address the Prophet, and remembering the faith of his -fathers, felt his heart moved within him; so he had compassion upon -me, and took me to his hut, which, like all the Tartar dwellings, was -little better than a rabbit-hole, burrowed on the face of a hill, -with a rude verandah in front. Fortunately it lay in a wild and -secluded place; so I dwelt for some days in safety with this good -man, who guided me across the plains of Grodno, until I passed the -Prussian frontier, when I knelt with my face to the east, and gave -thanks to Heaven--thanks that I was safe from Russia, although eight -hundred miles lay between me and the hills of my beloved Circassia. - -Zupi, my horse, the noble animal which had borne me this incredible -distance, was my first care, and to procure new garments in lieu of -the tattered uniform of the Tenginski Hussars was the second; and -intent only on reaching Britain, which was about to declare war -against Russia, I travelled through part of Prussia by railway, a -mode of locomotion, which I there saw for the first time, and which -filled me with wonder and awe. - -On reaching that kingdom, I thought my troubles were at an end; but -there, alas! I found myself accused of a murder, stripped of the -little sum I had about me, separated from Zupi, cast into prison, and -in danger of being hanged; or what was worse, sent back to the -Russian General Todleben, who commanded at Grodno. It happened thus. - -I travelled towards Dantzig in a second-class carriage, in which the -only other passenger was a pale and careworn young man, whose -profusion of beard, braided coat, and small cap, with its square -peak, gave him somewhat the aspect of a student. Taciturn and -thoughtful, and being full of astonishment at the speed with which we -swept over plain and valley, across rivers and under -mountains--travelling as it were on the skirts of a whirlwind--I did -not address my companion, who after smoking a large pipe for some -time, covered his head with his cloak, and threw himself at full -length along the seat, where he lay, long, as I thought, asleep. A -jolt of the train threw him on the floor, and perceiving that he lay -motionless and still, I hastened to lift him; but how great was my -emotion, to find my hands covered with blood--for this silent -fellow-passenger was a suicide, who had cut his throat from ear to -ear, by a knife, which he grasped in his now rigid hand. - -I endeavoured to lower the windows, but I knew not the way; so I -dashed one to pieces, and cried aloud to the guards or drivers--I -know not which you name them; but I was unheeded, and still this -apparently infernal vehicle, in which I was enclosed with the bloody -corpse, swept on, screaming, whistling, jarring, clanking, smoking, -and whirling over wood and plain, over the roofs of towns, past the -weathercocks of churches, and the tops of lofty trees, with a speed -and din that would have carried terror and dismay to the hearts of a -Circassian host, and would have swept Kurds and Kalmucks to the -furthest confines of Asia. - -At Dantzig the train arrived in due time, and the doors were opened -by the conductors. I was found with "the murdered man;" my recent -cries were attributed to him; the broken windows to his dying -struggle, for my hands were cut and covered with blood! The Prussian -gallows threatened me on one hand and the Russian knout upon the -other. I was a poor unfriended foreigner, in a land of spies, -suspicion, and police agents; and in my own defence had not one word -to urge, for I was ignorant of the language. But fortunately next -day, a letter was found on the person of the deceased, who proved to -be a French artist, announcing his intention of destroying himself, -and adding, that "when he had no longer a sou, it was thus a -Frenchman should die--Vive la France! Vive le diable!" - -This relieved me, and explained the whole affair; but the Prussian -gens-d'armes kept my purse, as they said, to pay "all contingencies;" -and had not the captain of a large French ship taken pity upon me, -and brought me and my horse to London--the capital of Europe--I must -have begged for bread in the streets of Dantzig, and had to sell my -beloved Zupi to save the noble animal from starvation. - -Finding myself in the great city of London, I was likely to be in -greater distress than when in the vast forest of Lithuania; for in -London the whole population live in an atmosphere of snares, -suspicion, and mistrust, every man viewing his neighbour as one who -has a design upon him. Again I was starving, for the little sum with -which the French captain supplied me was spent upon Zupi, by whose -side I always slept at night in an old cart-shed. But remembering -that by birth and habit I was a soldier, I applied to the officers of -the Household Brigade; some of these smiled, and shook their heads -doubtfully, until Sir Henry Slingsby laid before them my commission -in the Tenginski Hussars; it was fringed with silver, and signed by -the Emperor Nicholas Paulovitch. Then they had a fellow feeling for -me, and treated me with a kindness, the memory of which fills my soul -with gratitude; for never, to the last hour of my life, shall I -forget it, or omit to pray for the good and brave Ingleez. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -WE REACH HEAD-QUARTERS. - -Such was the story of the Circassian captain, and it occupied the -greater part of the time during which the San Lucar packet steamed -along the south-west coast of Andalusia, passing Cape Plata, and -entering the Straits of Gibraltar, had rounded the promontory which -is crowned by towers and ramparts of Tarifa, after which a run of -seventeen miles brought us into the harbour of the great rock, where -the babble of Spaniards, Moors, Italians, French, and Gitanas was -ringing in our ears again, as we landed with our horses on the quay. - -Taking our new friend with us--for we could not but have a lively -interest in a brother patriot of the valiant Schamyl--the Washington -of the Caucasus, the Wallace of Circassia, we repaired at once to -headquarters, and related the success of our visit to Seville, -reserving future relations until we went to mess in the evening. - -We introduced Captain Osman Rioni to Morton, our colonel, who -immediately spoke to him of service in the Turkish Contingent, urging -it upon him the more vehemently, as there were then in the harbour -six transports full of French and British troops en route to -Sebastopol. But Osman thanked the good colonel, and shook his head, -saying,-- - -"Mohammed was the first Prophet of God, and the holy Murid Schamyl is -the second! Our destiny is written on our foreheads; may it be mine -to die in the ranks of war! Every man hath his part in life allotted -to him; may it be mine to fight for my country, and fight again I -shall! Is not her blood red on the Russian bayonets? I will carry a -lance under no flag but the green Sangiac Sheerif of Circassia. -Would to heaven I saw it now with the twelve stars of the -confederated tribes, for then I should see the Abassian peaks and the -wilds of Daghestan, the warriors in their mail of links, and the -linden trees that shade those cottage doors from which our women -bless us, and we ride to war against the Buss. Yes, yes; I will -return to Circassia on her shore alone to fight with Schamyl against -the foes of God, and to see once more the snowy rocks of Elbrus, -where the ark of Noah first rested before it lay on Ararat." - -His story, his peculiar language and bearing, his horse Zupi, and his -love for that gallant animal made him quite a seven days' wonder with -"Ours," and he was the lion of the mess table. Every one who had any -pretension to be a connoisseur in horse-flesh had visited, -criticised, and caressed Zupi, which was a long-bodied, wiry, and, to -our taste, somewhat short-legged nag, with small ears, a noble head, -full chest and flanks, compact and close. - -"A hundred times and more he has stood still as a stone wall, and -allowed me to fire my long Albanian gun between his ears, using his -head as a rest," said Osman; "courage, brave Zupi--courage! Ere long -thou shalt snuff the air in woody Daghestan, and drink of the foaming -Koissons." - -We raised a handsome subscription for him in one night at our mess -table, and procured him a passage in a French cavalry transport; so -he left us, with lips that quivered as he said "farewell," and a -heart that yearned with gratitude. He said that one day we should -hear of him when Schamyl and his host marched towards the shores of -the Sea of Azov. - -Whether Osman reached his own wild and war-like country we have yet -to learn; for since the day on which the "Napoleon III." steamed away -past the New Mole fort, with her deck crowded by Zouaves, and our -Circassian among them waving his red cap in adieu to us, we have -heard no more of him; for the tidings of the Caucasian strife that -reach Europe are meagre, doubtful, and vague, as those that came from -the Holy Land of old. - -Slingsby and I were complimented in garrison orders for the manner in -which we had accomplished our little diplomatic trip to Seville, and -were praised for the dangers we had encountered and escaped. - -Our adventures, with those of Osman Rioni, infected the mess with a -desire to "spin yarns," and the result was, that from being the most -matter-of-fact fellows in the world, every one of "Ours" had a -romantic story to tell. - -"Now, gentlemen," said the colonel, one evening when I had brought my -narrative down to the happy epoch of our embarkation on board the -steamer at San Lucar de Barameda, "how much more pleasant and -entertaining has all this been to us than the usual absurd chit-chat -which reigns supreme at a mess table; the everlasting quiz about the -curl of Ramble's mustachios; the banter about Bob's whiskers, or -Slingsby's bay mare, and how Shafton craned at the hedge in the -steeple-chase; the odds on the Derby; the last new singer; the latest -ballet importation, with the shape of her ancles, and so forth; the -last novel or polka, or belle, or piece of humbug; now is it not so?" - -Hereupon all those whose constant topics the colonel had just -enumerated, warmly assented that it was, and that the narrative had -proved immensely interesting. - -"Deuced instructive, too!" yawned the most stupid fellow at the table. - -"Might spin three volumes out of it, Ramble. 'Men and Manners in -Andalusia!'" said another. - -"No banter now, gentlemen!" said the colonel; "pass the bottles, -Shafton. Mr. Vice-President, another allowance of wine; I have a -proposal to make. We have been--that is, the most of us--have been -in all the quarters of the globe, and have seen life in all its -phases and varieties. Therefore, I beg to move that each of us who -has a story to tell should forthwith tell it for the amusement of the -mess, under the penalty of a dozen of wine." - -"Bravo," said every one. - -"I beg to second the motion," said Jack Slingsby. - -"With an amendment," added Shafton, "that the colonel should tell the -first story himself, the said amendment to be inserted in the minutes -of the mess committee." - -It was carried unanimously, amid much fun and laughter. - -Our colonel, who is a fine, frank, and brave-hearted old fellow, had -no idea that he was so suddenly to find himself in his own trap. He -laughed and reflected a little, as he stroked the wiry, grey mustache -which, in compliance with the late general order, he had just begun -to cultivate after forty years of close shaving; and then he smoothed -his thin white hair, for he was an old soldier, and (but for the -favouritism of the Horse Guards) would have been a general twenty -years ago, being one of the few survivors of that army which gave -battle to France on the shores of Aboukir, where, as he was wont to -say, "he had carried the colours of Geordie Moncrief's lambs--the old -Perthshire Greybreeks." He had also been through the whole -Peninsular war, and served in the Fifth Hussars, with Sir Colquhoun -Grant's brigade under Wellington in Flanders. - -"I have seen much in my time, gentlemen," said he, good humouredly, -as he tossed off a glass of claret, "but have no adventures of my own -to relate--at least none that are at all worth your attention. I -can, however, tell you the story of another, whose scrapes were -somewhat remarkable, and were in some respects--as far as Spanish -robbers were concerned--like those of Ramble and Jack Slingsby. They -were told me by a French officer, a gay fellow, but a regular -candle-snuffer at twelve paces, whom I met at Paris when the allies -were there; by this you will perceive that the affairs I refer to -happened many a year ago." - -The glasses were filled; the cracking of nuts ceased; the heavy -crystal decanters were slid noiselessly over the long smooth -mess-table, the well-polished surface of which reflected the red -coats around it, and all was hushed as our grave and gentle old -colonel began the following narrative, to which I beg leave to devote -my next three chapters. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -ST. FLORIDAN; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A NIGHT. - -The night was dark, and the lamps of the Rue du Temple had nearly all -been extinguished by a high wind; there was no moon visible. - -It was in the month after the capture of Paris, in 1815, that the -adventures I am about to relate occurred. - -The defeat at Waterloo, the rapid advance of the British troops, the -capture of Cambray by Sir Charles Colville, of Peronne, by the -Brigade of Guards under Major-General Maitland, and, last of all, the -seizure and military occupation of the great and glorious city of -Paris--the citadel of Napoleon--the heart of France, had exasperated -the French, and excited their animosity against us. Every citizen -greeted us with darkened brows and lowering eyes. - -No officer of the allied army could pass through the streets of Paris -in perfect safety without being armed, and few went abroad from their -billets or cantonments after nightfall, unless in small parties of -three or four, for mutual protection. On many occasions we were -openly insulted and severely maltreated in the more solitary streets -or meaner suburbs of the city; while in the taverns and restaurateurs -our quarrels were frequent with the old men of the Revolution, who -had witnessed the decapitation of Louis, and the demolition of the -Bastile; but still more so with the soldiers of Buonaparte, who were -swarming in every part of Paris, in plain clothes, or in the rags and -remnants of their uniform. - -Those French officers whom we met at the promenades, on the -Boulevards, in the Jardin des Plantes, at the theatres, or in the -salons and billiard rooms, sought quarrels with us quite as -frequently as their men; but these, of course, ended in hostile -rencontres, and for the first weak or two a morning seldom passed -without a French, or British, or Prussian officer being borne dead, -or wounded, through a mocking crowd at the barriers, from the Bois de -Boulogne. - -In all these wanton quarrels and street assaults the republicans -eminently distinguished themselves, and often vented their pitiful -spleen by spitting at us from the windows; by hissing and railing at -us in language that would have disgraced the denizens of the infamous -faubourg St. Antoine; but after a time, when it became generally -known that their great emperor had surrendered himself to Captain -Maitland, of the Bellerophon, and submitted to the clemency of -Britain, their virulence abated, and their manner became somewhat -changed towards us: though their hatred of the Russian troops, -sharpened by the bitter memories of the retreat from Moscow, was -undying and inextinguishable. - -It is an old story now; but Lord Wellington had taken every means to -insure the tranquillity of the city, and to repress any armed -outbreak, which must assuredly have ended in its utter destruction; -for the Black Eagle of Hapsburg soared above Montmartre, and the -Union of Britain waved over the splendid garden, the winding walks, -and leafy groves of the Champs Elysées; the brass cannon of Blucher -were planted at every barrier-gate, loaded with grape and canister, -to rake the streets at a moment's notice; while by night and by day, -his artillerists, in their blue great coats and bearskin caps, -remained by their guns, with swords drawn and matches lighted. A -regiment of Scottish Highlanders occupied the Tuileries; the Prussian -advanced guard was in position on the road to Orleans, cutting off -the remnant of the French army who had survived the 18th of June, and -still obeying the baton of Davoust, were lingering on the banks of -the Loire. Every approach to Paris was guarded by our infantry, and -a strong division of the Allies were encamped in the Wood of -Boulogne, and along the right bank of the Seine, so far as St. Ouen. - -Never was Paris, the glory of France, more completely humbled since -Henry of England unfurled his banner on its walls! - -My regiment, the Fifth Hussars, were in the third, or Sir Colquhoun -Grant's cavalry brigade. We were quartered at Ligny, a small town on -the Marne, about fifteen miles from Paris, where we occupied the -ancient Benedictine monastery, which had been founded in the eighth -century by St. Fursi, a Scot, as the old curé of the place informed -me; and there, with an irreverence for which the public utility, the -chances of war, and the orders of the quartermaster-general must -plead our excuse, we stabled our horses in the church, and stored our -rations and forage in the chapel of Our Lady of Compassion. - -It was while matters at Paris were in the state I have described, -that I obtained leave from parade one day, hooked on my pelisse and -sabre, and rode from Ligny to visit the city of sunshine and gaiety, -bustle and smoke, music and wine, intending to return to my billet, -which was in the house of the curé near the bridge over the Marne. - -I was in time to see the Russians reviewed by the Emperor Alexander, -and passed the day very agreeably, visiting the Champ de Mars, the -Tuileries, where the soldiers in the garb of old Gaul were keeping -guard, as in the days of the Ancient Alliance; the site of the -Bastile, the Hotel des Invalides, where many an old soldier of the -Empire saluted me with more of sternness than respect in their -aspect: the temple where the hapless Louis had been confined, and the -noble gallery of the Louvre, on the lofty walls of which were many a -blank where the officers of the Allied army had torn down and -conveyed away the artistic spoils of their several nations--spoils -wrested from every city in Europe by the invading armies of Napoleon. - -I dined at a restaurateur's on a beefsteak à l'Anglais and kickshaws, -a bottle of tent dashed with brandy, and walked forth to enjoy a -cigar on the Boulevards, where several of our bands from the Champs -Elysées, and those of the Austrians from Montmartre, were playing -divinely for the amusement of the thousands crowding those -magnificent promenades, which, as all the world knows, or ought to -know, encircle the good city of Paris, and were shaded by many a -stately plane and lime tree, that was levelled to form the barricades -of the last revolution. - -There were the officers of the Allies in all uniforms, the scarlet of -Britain, the white of Austria, the blue of Prussia, and the green of -Russia, with all the varieties of their different branches of -service, horse, foot, artillery, and rifles; Calmucks, Tartars, -Scots, Highlanders, and English guardsmen, jostling and mingling -among moustachioed students of l'Ecole de Medicine, French priests in -their long plain surtouts and white collars, and Parisian dandies in -their puckered trousers, short frock coats, and little hats; while -the ladies, seated on camp stools, formed each the centre of a -circle, in which revolved a little world of wit and chat and -laughter; and the vendors of cigars, of bon-bons, hot coffee, and -iced lemonade, pushed their way and a brisk trade through the crowd -together. - -I had tired of all this, and was thinking of my fifteen miles ride -back to Ligny, through a rural district to which I was a stranger, -though I had my sabre and pistols, and luckily the latter had been -loaded by my groom. Nine o'clock was tolling from the steeples of -Paris; the crowds on the Boulevards were dispersing; the bands had -all played the old Bourbon anthem, 'Vive Henri Quatre!' and with the -troops had repaired to their several cantonments. The trumpets of -the Austrians had pealed their last night call from Montmartre, and -the English drums from the Champs Elysées, and the shrill Scottish -pipes from the Tuileries had replied to them. The lighted portfires -of the Prussian artillery were beginning to gleam at the barriers. -The streets were becoming deserted and still. - -Turning down the Rue du Temple, as I have stated, from the Boulevard -St. Martin, I endeavoured to make my way to the stables of the hotel -where I had left my horse. - -The darkness had increased very much, and the oil lamps in the -thoroughfares were few and far between, and creaked mournfully in -concert with many a signboard as they swung to and fro to the full -extent of the cords by which they were suspended in the centre of the -way. - -Aware that the streets of Paris were then far from safe after -nightfall, and that the knife of the assassin was used as adroitly -within sound of the bells of Notre Dame as on the banks of the -Ebro--with my furred pelisse buttoned up, and my sabre under my arm, -I hurried on, anxious to avoid all rencontres with chevaliers -d'industrie and other vagrants, who from time to time, by the -occasional light of the swinging lanterns, I could perceive lurking -in the shadows of porches and projections of the ancient street. - -I soon became aware that two of these personages were dogging or -accompanying me, on the opposite side of the way; increasing their -pace if I quickened mine, and lingering when I halted or stepped -short. Anxious to avoid brawls, for on that point the orders of the -Duke of Wellington were alike stringent and severe, I continued to -walk briskly forward, keeping a sharp eye to my two acquaintances, -whose dusky figures seemed like shadows gliding along the opposite -wall, for the cold and high night-wind had extinguished so many of -the oil lanterns, that some of the streets branching off from the -Boulevard du Temple and the Rue St. Martin, were involved in absolute -darkness and gloom. - -I was somewhat perplexed after wandering for a considerable distance, -to find myself on the margin of the Seine, which jarred against its -quays, flowing on like a dark and waveless current, in which the -twinkling lights of the Quai de Bourbon, and the gigantic shadows of -the double towers of the church of Notre Dame were reflected. - -My followers had disappeared; but my uneasiness was no way -diminished, being well aware that the clank of my spurs might mark my -whereabouts; and I was conscious that the gorgeously-laced hussar -pelisse and jacket of the Fifth were more than enough to excite -cupidity. I shrunk back from the Seine, on thinking of the ghastly -Morgue (with its rows of naked corpses spread like fish on leaden -trays), and the five francs given by the police of Paris for every -body found in the river at daybreak. - -A low whistle made me start. - -I turned round, and at that moment received a blow from a bludgeon, -which would infallibly have fractured my left temple, had not my -thick fur cap, with its long scarlet kalpeck, saved me. I reeled, -and immediately found myself seized by four ruffians, who flung -themselves upon me, and endeavoured to pinion my arms, and wrench -from me my sabre, while they dragged me towards the edge of the Quai -de la Grève. - -Strong, young, active, and exasperated, I struggled with them -desperately, and succeeded in obtaining the hilt of my sabre, which I -immediately unsheathed, for the fellow who had been endeavouring to -drag it from my belt, grasped it by the sheath only; and an instant -sufficed to level him on the pavement, with his jaw cloven through, -and there he lay, yelling with rage and pain, and blaspheming in the -style of the Faubourg St. Antoine. Upon this his companions fled. - -Solitary as the quay had appeared, the cries of the wounded bravo -brought around me a swarm of vagrants from house stairs, from nooks -in the parapets of the Pont Notre Dame, and from all the various -holes and corners, where they had been nestling for the night, or -hiding from the patrols of the gensd'armes; and recognising me at -once as an officer of that detested Allied army, which had swept -their vast host from the plains of Waterloo, and prostrated the eagle -and tricolour, they assailed me with every epithet of opprobrium that -hatred and malice could suggest; and there was an almost universal -shout of "A la lanterne! à la lanterne!" in which, no doubt, my first -assailants joined; and immediately I saw a lamp descend, as the cord -was unfastened from the wall of the street, and lowered for my -especial behoof. - -Alarmed and exasperated by the danger and insult with which I was -menaced, I endeavoured to break through the press, by threateningly -brandishing my sabre, but though the circle around me widened, still -I was encompassed at every step, and made the mark at which a -pitiless shower of mud, stones, and abuse poured without a moment's -cessation. - -While some cried "à la lanterne!" others shouted for the gensd'armes -and accused me of murder. I could perceive, to my no small concern, -that the knave I had cut down lay motionless upon the pavement; and -most unpleasant ideas floated before me, that even if I escaped -immolation at the hands of these enraged Parisians, I might have to -encounter the greater humiliation and graver terrors of Monsieur le -Duc de Quiche--the Cour Royale de Paris--the Chamber of Appeals--the -Correctional Police, and heaven only knew what more. - -At this perplexing crisis, a young French officer, in the scarlet -uniform of the Garde du Corps of Louis XVIII., broke through the -crowd, exclaiming.-- - -"Halt! hold--in the name of the king--down with you, insolent -citizens! Is it thus you treat our allies? Nom d'un Pape! but I -will sabre the first that lays a finger upon him. Permit me--this -way, Monsieur Officier;" and he put his arm through mine. - -We were now in a low quarter of the city; the crowd of squalid -wretches was increasing around us every moment; lights flashed at the -opened windows of the neighbouring houses, and I could perceive the -glittering bayonets, and the great cocked hats of a sergeant and six -gensd'armes hurrying along the lighted quay, either to my rescue or -capture, but which was dubious, for the vagabond women and -rag-pickers continued to yell incessantly,-- - -"Arrest! arrest!--seize the English murderer! away with him to the -concierge!" - -My heart beat quick; but my new friend of the Garde du Corps seemed -to be quite 'au fait' in the management of such affairs, by the -admirable tact and decision he displayed. Calling lustily for the -gensd'armes, he suddenly grasped half-a-dozen of the foremost men in -succession, and rapidly--for he was a powerful fellow, threw them in -a heap over the wounded man, thus increasing the tumult, the rage, -and the confusion. - -Then seizing me by the hand, he said hurriedly, "Monsieur will pardon -me--but come this way, or you will be torn to pieces!" and half -leading, half dragging me, he conveyed me down a dark and narrow -street. "Nom d'un Pape! I could not see a brother of the epaulette -maltreated by these rascally citizens," he continued, laughing -heartily at the rage and confusion of the bourgeois. "Ha! ha! follow -me! I know how to escape. There are deuced few outlets, holes or -corners, byeways or sallyports in Paris, that I don't know. Ah -corboeuf! didn't they all tumble delightfully over like so many -ninepins? Ha! ha! but hark! they follow us. Hasten with me, -Monsieur Officier, and remember that a brawl in this neighbourhood -may prove infinitely more dangerous to you than to me." - -I was too well aware of that to resist his guidance and advice; and -having no ambition to suffer, like St. Stephen, at the hands of a -mob, or (escaping that) to figure next morning before the -correctional police, and in the evening endure a reprimand from -Wellington, I fairly turned, and, accompanying my guide, ran at full -speed along the dark alley, laughing heartily at the affair. -Gathering like a snowball, as it rolled along, the multitude came on, -puffing and shouting, and swearing and yelling behind us. - -"This way," cried my guide, who laughed uproariously, and seemed one -of the merriest fellows imaginable; "this way--Vive la joie! we are -all right now!" - -"Where are you leading me, in the name of all that is miraculous?" I -exclaimed, as my companion, laying violent hands upon my sash, almost -dragged me down a flight of steps, which apparently led into the -bowels of the earth. The appearance of the vast depth to which they -descended being increased by a few hazy oil lamps that twinkled at -the bottom. - -"Excuse me, Monsieur," said I; "what the mischief--'t is a strange -den this! I will go no further!" - -"Courage, mon brave! courage! why we have only descended about a -hundred steps or so;" replied the Frenchman, still continuing to -descend. "You will find this an old and odd place too; but if you -would escape an enraged rabble, the claws of the police, the maison -de force, the prison, and the devil, follow me, and trust to my -honour. I am Antoine St. Florian, Captain of the Garde du Corps, and -late of the 23rd Grenadiers under the Emperor. You are safe--I know -every nook in this subterranean world, for I have found a shelter in -its ample womb many a time before to-night." - -He still continued to speak as he descended, but the sound of his -voice became lost in the vast space of the hollow vaults; my -curiosity was excited: I still kept my sabre drawn, prepared for any -sudden surprise or act of treachery, and continued to descend some -hundred steps, to a depth which I afterwards ascertained to be 860 -feet. - -"This way, Monsieur; on--on yet!" exclaimed my conductor, hurrying me -forward through a gloomy vault, and at that moment I heard the uproar -of the multitude, and the buzz of their mingled voices resounding -afar off, and high above us at the mouth of the lofty staircase. - -The aspect of the place in which I so suddenly found myself was so -strange, so novel, so grotesquely horrible, that for some moments I -was unable to speak, and gazed about me in astonishment. The whole -place seemed hewn out of the solid rock, and the height of its roof -was about twelve feet from the floor, which was uniformly paved. In -every direction caverns were seen branching off lighted by lamps -which vanished away in long lines of perspective till they seemed to -twinkle and expire amid the noxious and foggy vapours of this -wonderful place, which appeared like a vast subterranean city, or the -work of enchantment. The atmosphere was cold as that of a winter -day, and I was sensible of the utmost difficulty of respiration. - -Myriads of human skulls, grim, bare, and fleshless, with grinning -jaws and eyeless sockets, piles of human bones, gaunt arms and -jointed thighs, basket-like ribs and ridgy vertebræ, were ranged in -frightful mockery along the sides of the vaulted alleys or avenues of -this subterranean city of Death. The ghastly taste of some grim -artist had arrayed all these poor emblems of mortality in the form of -columns with capitals and arcades of intertwisted arches, but from -every angle of which the bare jaws grinned, and the empty sockets -looked drearily down upon us, producing an effect that, when viewed -by the dim and uncertain light of the oil lamps, was alike wondrous -and terrible. I was now in the Catacombs of Paris, that place of -which I had heard so much. - -To me, who had but recently left the Peninsula, the appearance of -these remnants of the men of other years was less striking than it -would prove to visitors generally; for many a time and oft, I had -bivouacked where the dead of France and Britain lay unburied; and I -thought of Albuera and the plains of Salamanca, where we had encamped -within twelve months after battles had been fought there--and pitched -our tents and lighted our camp fires on ground strewn, for miles and -miles, with the half-buried skeletons of the brave who had fallen -there, producing an effect that was never to be effaced from the -memory. There the triumphs of death were calculated to impress the -mind with melancholy; but here it was too grotesquely grim and -horrible. - -Scraps of verses from Ovid, Virgil, and Anacreon, appeared over the -entrances of these caverns or crypts, in gilt letters that glimmered -through the gloom; while, with a strange incongruity, but in true -keeping with the morbid taste of the French, large red and yellow -bills, the advertisements of the theatres, the fashionable hotels, -concerts, and tailors, &c., appeared on different parts of the walls. - -At a little distance there bubbled up a sparkling fountain, the plash -of which rang hollowly in the vast vaults, as it fell into a large -basin, where a number of gold fish were swimming. Over it shone the -legend, in gilded letters-- - - "THIS IS THE WATER OF OBLIVION." - - -"They are strange and frightful places, these Catacombs, Monsieur St. -Florian," said I. - -"True, mon ami," he replied, pausing to take breath; "but famous for -the growth of asthmatic coughs, and all diseases of the lungs. -Peste! What an uproar these bourgeois make. The affair has quite -sobered me, for I was somewhat unsteady before. My face is -scratched, I think. Does it seem so?" - -"Rather." - -"Mille baionettes! do you say so? and I shall be for guard to-morrow -at the chateau--and with this swollen face. Morbleu! what will the -ladies think?" - -"I regret very much, Monsieur le Capitaine, that for me----" - -"Pho! my dear fellow, no apologies; I care not a sous about it," said -my new friend, whom I could now see to be a tall and handsome fellow, -whose scarlet uniform, faced and lapelled with blue, fitted him to -admiration. His face was prepossessing in its contour, and was very -much "set off," or enhanced, by his sparkling dark eyes, his jet -moustache, and smart red forage-cap; but he had quite the air of a -'roué,' and the unmistakable bearing of a man about town. "Ha! ha!" -he continued, "how messieurs the bourgeois were rolled over each -other; that was indeed a coup de grace--the trick of an old routier! -Ah! 't was poor Jacques Chataigneur taught me that." - -"How hollow our voices sound in these vaults," said I, after a pause; -for the Frenchman's merry tones and light remarks seemed strange to -me amid the deathlike stillness of a place so sad, so gloomy. "The -echoes seem to come from an amazing distance." - -"Oui: I will vouch for it, Monsieur never saw a place like this -before. The Parisian dead of a dozen centuries are piled about us, -and afford fine scope for philosophy and moralising. Diable! what an -uproar there will be among all these separated heads, legs, and arms, -when the last trumpet sounds; and many a hearty malediction will be -bestowed on Monsieur Lenoir, of the Correctional Police, who, to -please the morbid taste of the good bourgeoisie of Paris, made all -this ghastly display. Corboeuff! the skulls are all piled up like -cannon balls in the arsenal--there were more than two millions of -them at the last muster. But, hark!" - -At that moment we heard a distant cry of "A la lanterne! Death to -the Englishman!" and a rush of footsteps down the long staircase -followed. - -"We had better secure our retreat," said the French captain; "all the -avenues are closed, save that at the Val de Grace; and if messieurs -the gensd'armes possess themselves of it, we shall be captured like -mice in a trap. The lieutenant-general ordered all the other outlets -to be closed, because they afforded safe and sudden retreats for -chevaliers d'industrie, and other worthies, who, after nightfall, -become thick as locusts in the streets of this pious and good city of -Paris. Nombril de Belzebub! behold! our friends have been -reinforced." - -I looked back, and could see a party of about twenty gensd'armes -advancing, but at a great distance, and their fixed bayonets flashed -like stars in these misty caverns. The mob were in hundreds behind -them, and the clatter of their feet and their cries rang with a -thousand reverberations through the vast vacuity of these echoing -catacombs. We could see them all distinctly; for though a quarter of -a mile distant, the lamps burned brightly where they were passing. - -"I have my sabre, and will confront these rascals," I exclaimed, -becoming inflamed with sudden passion; "they dare not lay hands on -me, as a British officer." - -"Peste!" he replied, laughing; "I think you have seen whether they -will or not. 'T is better not to trust them; a bayonet stab I do not -mind, but think how unpleasant for a gentleman to be captured at the -instance of a few rascally citizens. 'T will never do! We are not -far now from the Val de Grace. This way, up the steps, and I will -lead you to a secret doorway, near a nice little house that I know -of, and where a pretty face will welcome us with smiles." - -By the hand he conducted me up several flights of steps, along an -excavated corridor, where the cold wind blew freely in my face, and -from thence by a doorway, the exact locality of which seemed well -known to him, ushered me into a dark and quiet street, in a part of -Paris quite unknown to me. - -"My friend, we are safe; that is the Val de Grace," said my frank -captain, pointing to a large mass of building; "there is the Rue -Marionette, and that large street still full of open shops, light, -and people, is the Rue du Faubourg St. Jacques, which leads straight -across the river. We can mingle with the crowd, and there all traces -of us will be lost." - -"Any way you please," I replied; "never having been in this part of -Paris before, I am quite bewildered. Lead on, if you please; it is a -dark place, this." - -"The Russians have probably been passing this way. It is well known -in Paris that these piggish Muscovites never return to their camp -from a ball or café without drinking up the contents of every lamp -within their reach; nor can all the alertness of the gend'armerie -prevent them." - -On gaining the main street of the faubourg, the blaze of the lighted -shops, the long lines of lamps, the gaiety and bustle which were seen -on every side, together with the free healthy breath of the upper -air, were a pleasant exchange for the dark and silent caverns we had -quitted, where breathing was almost impossible, and the mind was -oppressed by the gloom of surrounding objects. - -"Vive la joie!" exclaimed Captain St. Florian, almost dancing as he -took my arm; "how delightful is the free air of the streets after -leaving that pestilent pit. Ouf! I shall never trust myself down -there again. But now we must sup together at a restaurateur's. Come -to the Oriflamme; 'tis down the Rue de Bondy; Merci! there is a -pretty waiteress there--a perfect Hebe. Her smart lace cap and -braided apron--her red cheeks and roguish eyes will quite vanquish -you." - -"Well then, the Oriflamme be it." - -"You will behold teeth and eyes that some of our dames in the great -world of fashion would give fifty thousand francs to possess." - -Turning down the street, we entered a restaurateur's, on whose sign -the Eagle of Napoleon had lately given place to the ancient ensign of -the Bourbons. - -A very pretty girl who sat within the bar with a handkerchief over -her head, tied en marmotte, arose and welcomed us with a smile. - -"Ah, entrez Antoine St. Florian," said she, raising her arched -eyebrows with a true Parisian expression of pleasure and familiarity; -"entrez, Monsieur." - -St. Florian called her his 'belle Janette,' and saluted her cheek -with all the freedom of an old friend, as she ushered us along a -corridor, on each side of which were neat little chambers, or -cabinets, each having a single table and two chairs. - -That appropriated for us, had a lustre with two lights, and the walls -were decorated with coloured prints of Jena, Marengo, Leipsic, and -other hard-fought battles, on which St. Florian soon began to comment -with all the ardour and enthusiasm of a French soldier; and by his -sentiments soon revealed, that though poverty or policy had compelled -him to assume the scarlet trappings of King Louis' guards, his heart -was still with the fallen Emperor--the idol of a hundred thousand -soldiers. - -"And so your old regiment was the 23rd?" said I. - -"Ah, the 23rd of the Emperor," he replied with a sigh, while his eyes -lighted up at the name. - -"I remember that we charged your regiment at the passage of the Nive, -where I was on the very point of sabreing a young officer, before I -fortunately perceived that the poor fellow's sword arm was tied up in -a sling, and that he was quite defenceless." - -"Indeed, how singular! and you saved him from your troopers, and -conducted him out of the press----" - -"For which he gave me a draught of country wine from his canteen." - -"The same. Ah, monsieur, my friend, I am that officer, and I owe you -eternal thanks." - -We shook hands with ardour. - -"I had been severely wounded by the poniard of a villanous Spanish -peasant, and was still suffering from its effects. Ah, it was quite -a story, that affair; my evil eye brought it all about." - -"Your evil eye?" - -"Ah," he replied, laughing; "you would not think I had one, to look -at me--I seem so innocent; but so I have, or, at least, had when I -was in Spain; ha! ha! You have often heard the Spaniards speak of the -Evil Eye--the Malocchio of the Italians? and how the women will veil -themselves, cover up their children, and mutter a prayer if a -stranger but glances at them." - -"I have heard of that superstition, when on the borders of -Estremadura; but your affair--" - -"Listen, and fill your glass with the champagne--I call it 'The Evil -Eye.'--'T is a perfect romance, and was well known to many a brave -fellow of the 23rd, who has found his grave at the foot of Mont St. -Jean." - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE WIDOW; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A NIGHT. - -"I was quartered with my company of grenadiers at El Puerto, a -wretched village in Andalusia; a poor place it was, that had been -rifled by our foragers a dozen times, and we very unwisely made it -still more miserable, by burning the best cottages before we were -ordered to quit it. - -"I quartered myself on the best casa in the village, a red-tiled hut, -that belonged to a strange-looking fellow, whose long visage and long -legs, great black eyes, yellow trunk breeches, green doublet, and -sugar-loaf hat, made him seem half muleteer, half gitano. I believe, -from his superstitious observances, that he was the latter wholly. -You will know, doubtless, how famous Andalusia is for its women and -horses. Ha! I wish you had seen the wife of my long-legged patron. -She had the beautiful eyes and olive skin of her native province, -with teeth like pearls, lips like cherries, and a face full of the -sweetness of the mildest Madonna. Ha! ha! I am growing quite -poetical! but wine or love always make me so. You will never see, -even on our Boulevards, and that is a bold assertion, a pair of more -superb ankles, than the short red petticoats of that Andalusian woman -revealed to the pure gaze of your most obedient servant. Peste! I -was quite enchanted with my pretty patrona, and determined on sending -her husband, tied across a mule, as a spy to the British lines, that -so I might be rid of him for a time, or for ever. - -"They had a child, too, a merry little brat, with which I often -played and toyed, to please its mother, whose heart was quite won by -the bonbons I gave it; while her tall ghostly don of a husband stood -sullenly aloof, smoking a paper cigar, and regarding me from beneath -his broad sombrero, with eyes full of jealousy and malice. Now, as -the devil would have it, the little brat had long been ailing, and -seemed very likely to die at the time we came to El Puerto; and as -she watched her sleeping infant, the mother's eyes were often -suffused with tears. This, you may be aware, served but to make the -charming Spaniard more interesting; for her melting black orbs seemed -to be ever steeped in the most delicious languor. - -"One evening I became very much aware of this; and after toying a -little with the sickly infant, by tickling its neck with a braid of -the mother's long black hair, while I lisped soft nothings from time -to time, I departed to look for Jean Graule, my sergeant, to hold a -consultation about the safe transmission of the señor patron to the -British lines, and with my compliments to the officer commanding the -nearest out-picquet. - -"The evening was rather gloomy; I missed my way, and strolled into -one of those underground vaults, bodegas, as they are called, where -the peasants keep their wine in Andalusia. There I amused myself -probing the pigskins with my sword, and imbibing the cool balmy wine -from the orifice, till, somehow, a heaviness stole over me, and I -fell fast asleep. - -"About midnight I awoke, and found myself alone in the dark bodega, -drenched with the wine that had flowed from the wounded skins; and -feeling very cold, with the agreeable accompaniments of an aching -head and sore bones. - -"By the moonlight which struggled through a grated window, I sought -my way out of the vault, up the stair, and gained the street of the -silent Puebla, where I stood still for some time to rally my -scattered faculties, and recollect where I was. While this passed, a -man, who had been concealed under the shadow of a vine trellis, -rushed upon me, and furiously struck at my breast with a knife or -dagger. My shoulder-belt saved me from the stroke; 't was lucky that -I had it on, otherwise I should not have been enjoying monsieur's -society, and this glorious wine, to-night. - -"'Ah, mouchard, vagabond!' I exclaimed, and closing in a desperate -struggle with the would-be assassin, succeeded in striking him to the -earth; where, holding my sword at his throat, I demanded his reasons -for assailing me thus. - -"'To have slain you!' he growled. - -"'For what, you base rascal?' - -"'To have revenged the loss of my child,' replied the fellow, whom I -now recognised to be no other than my worthy patron, the long-legged -paisano. - -"'Ouf!' said I. - -"'Dog of a Frenchman! on the day you first came into my poor cottage -the child was well and strong, for it was under the protection of the -Blessed Virgin; but you turned an evil eye upon it, and, lo! it -sickened; day by day it grew worse, and to-night it died: not even -romero at its neck, nor the agua bendita on its brow, could shield it -from your evil influence. Son of Satan, I spit upon you!' - -"'A pest upon your brat, you insolent madman,' said I, almost -laughing, for the wine of the bodega had still its influence over me: -'had you said that I cast evil eyes on your wife, there might have -been some truth in the matter; but your child--ha, ha!' and I laughed -till the street of the Puebla rang again. 'Halloo, Sergeant -Graule--quarter guard--ho, there!' and a dozen of my grenadiers -rushed from a tavern to my assistance. - -"To Jean Graule's care I recommended the señor, and in five minutes, -at the end of a tent cord, he swung from the chimney of a -neighbouring house. - -"'Now, señor rascal,' said I, making him a mock bow, on leaving him -in the grasp of the soldiers, 'I will go and console your pretty wife -for the loss of her child, and more particularly that of her amiable -spouse. Both are so easily replaced, that I would recommend you to -die in peace, my jovial pagan.' - -"'My wife, my wife!' said he, in a terrible voice, striking his -breast and looking upwards. 'El Santo de los Santos--Holy of Holies, -forgive me.' - -"'Console yourself, my friend,' said I, while Jean Graule and the -soldiers laughed till their belts nearly burst. 'Console yourself, -señor paisano, for your little wife shall laugh and be merry -to-night.' - -"'She waits you,' said he, with a frightful smile. Diable! methinks -I can see his white face, as he grinned, like a shark, in the -moonlight; 'She awaits you.' - -"Graule dragged him off. - -"I hurried to the cottage of the paisano; but, mon Dieu, what a sight -awaited me! - -"On her bed, a miserable mat, lay the beautiful Andalusian girl, -stone dead; stabbed by a poniard thrice in the neck, and her little -infant, also dead, lay in her arms, pressed to her crimson bosom. In -the first gust of my fury I rushed out to slay the jealous -perpetrator of this horror; but he had, as I have already said, paid -the debt of nature, and his dying form was wavering in the moonlight -from the gable-end of a neighbouring house. - -"Bah! there is always something in this reminiscence that makes me -dismal--but let me think no more of it." - -And draining his glass of champagne, the gay St. Florian began to hum -an old camp song, beating time with his fingers on the well-polished -table. Though this episode of his life rather decreased my -admiration for this gay fellow, still the jaunty manner in which he -related it somewhat amused me. - -With the pretty Janette he appeared to be an old-established friend; -and a great deal of flirting, and that kind of conversation which -consists of pretty trifles, ensued each time she appeared on the -ringing of the bell. But the ci-devant grenadier of Napoleon was -doubtless on the same easy footing with all the waiteresses and -shop-girls in every warehouse, cabaret, and café in and about Paris. - -As the night was rather chilly, I proposed that we should have some -mulled port, spiced with cloves and sugar, in a mode I had often had -it prepared at Madrid by an old patrona on whom I was billeted. - -St. Florian's countenance changed at the mention of the mulled wine, -and with ill-concealed disgust and precipitation he protested against -it, swearing by the head of the Pope, that although he never drank -water when anything better could be had, he would rather drink it out -of a ditch, after a brigade of horse had passed through it, than -taste mulled wine of any kind. - -"And why so?" I asked, astonished by his vehemence. - -"Sacre nom--'tis another long story; but Chataigneur, of the 23rd, -and I, were as nearly brought to the threshold of death as may be by -some muddy liquor called mulled port, and I never could look upon it, -or think of it, with any degree of patience. You will find the story -in all the French and Spanish newspapers. Ouf! it made a devil of a -noise in the army." - -"I should be glad to hear it," said I, touching the bell-rope; "but -in the meantime----" - -"We will have some more champagne. Yes, the champagne of the -Oriflamme is delicious. I have drunk a tun here, I believe--aye, in -this very room, with Jacques Chataigneur. There are some caricatures -of Monsieur Vellainton which he chalked on the wall. Poor Jacques! a -shot from that cursed Chateau of Hougomont passed through his heart, -when, sword in hand, he was leading on the grenadiers of the great -Emperor to conquest or to death. He fell within a yard of me, prone -over his horse's crupper, and his last words were--'To the charge, to -the charge! Vive l'Empereur!' If true courage and bravery are -rewarded in heaven--but, ma foi! I am growing quite pathetic. Where -is the wine? Janette," he cried, down the passage, "Janette, my -princess!" - -"Ah oui, monsieur--me voila!" replied the girl, running in. - -"My dear girl, let us have some champagne, a few more cigars, and a -nice little tray of grapes, or bon-bons; but let the wine be bright -as your own eyes, my wanton." - -The girl was tripping away. - -"But halt, Janette," he added, catching her by the skirt; "how long -is it since a rough moustache has been pressed to that pretty cheek -of yours?" - -"Monsieur St. Florian, you are pleased to be very rude." - -"Come, coquette, do not affect to mistake pure admiration for -rudeness. Now you owe one salute, my pretty Janette, for remember -how you fled from me last night on the Quai de la Conference." - -"Well, then, one only," said she, tendering her cheek, which was -slightly rouged. - -St. Florian stole three. - -"Ah treacherous!" exclaimed the girl, striking him playfully with her -hand, and skipping away. - -"Peste!" said the captain, twirling his moustache; "but your little -fingers smart, my pretty one." - -"Now for the other story, Monsieur St. Florian," said I, when the -bright wine sparkled in the tall glasses, and our fair attendant had -withdrawn. "I would fain learn why an old soldier dislikes any sort -of wine. I have often drank ditch-water on the line of march, and -have gladly filled my canteen from the ruts of the artillery -wheels----" - -"And so have I a thousand times, but my dislike to mulled port arises -from something more than mere prejudice--bah! this is worth an ocean -of a muddy drench, boiled in a kettle with sugar and cloves. See how -it sparkles when the glass is raised to the light. Ma foi! 't is -like a glass full of diamonds. We shall drink to the emperor." - -"I have no objection." - -"I hope the door is closed, though. Paris is such a city for -espionage, police, and informers: Ouf! but 'Vive l'Empereur -Napoleon!'" and he drained his long glass, while his dark eyes -flashed with enthusiasm. - -"Long life to him!" said I, with a frankness that won the Frenchman's -heart; "and now let me know the cause of this horror of mulled wine." - -"Perhaps you have already heard it. I well remember that it made a -deuced noise at the time it occurred, and, save the maid of -Zaragossa, there never was a woman so extolled by the Spaniards as -she of whom I am about to speak,-- - - "THE WIDOW OF MADRID;" - -for so he named the following story. - -"It was in the month of December, when the immortal emperor and the -victorious army of France captured Madrid, that Jacques Chataigneur, -four officers of the Imperial Guard, and myself, were quartered, or -rather, according to the unceremonious custom of war in the like -cases, took the liberty of quartering ourselves, on a house in one of -the most fashionable streets in the city. - -"Every place within the walls was full of our troops; horse and foot -were swarming in tens of thousands; the red rosette and the banner of -Castile and Leon had disappeared; the French eagle soared in triumph -over the capital of the Spaniards. Every house, from the great -palace of the Duke d'Ossuna to the poorest casa on the margin of the -Manzanares, was undergoing a strict investigation, to discover where -Messieurs the Spaniards had hid their doubloons and other valuables, -for which the pouches and haversacks of our soldiers were yawning. - -"Our fellows were rather riotous, especially about the cafés and -wine-houses, where every man drank his fill, without being at the -expense of a single sou. The city was involved in chaos and uproar. -Merci! 't was such a hubbub as you in all your service can never have -witnessed; for, what with disarming the men, and running after pretty -women, searching for wine, provisions, and plunder, our soldiers had -quite enough of business on their hands. - -"The house which we honoured with our presence, on this auspicious -occasion, was a handsome mansion, with broad balconies, and lofty -saloons, having gilded ceilings, tiled floors, and rich furniture; -and you may imagine how acceptable the splendid bed-chambers were to -us, who had been under canvas for months. - -"It belonged to Donna Elvira de Almeria, whose family had just been -reduced to one daughter, by the unexpected deaths of her husband and -three sons, who had fallen on the previous day sword in hand, as she -told us, like true cavaliers, defending the palace of the Betiro, -which had been breached by the cannon of the Marshal Duke of Belluno; -but the ghastly gap had been defended with admirable resolution and -bravery by the Spaniards; so the soldiers of the emperor, petulant at -all times, were somewhat exasperated in consequence. - -"We, ourselves, were ripe for mischief, and I cannot rehearse all the -fine things we did in our ramble through the city that night: I -beseech you to suppose them. - -"The household of the Donna Elvira were, as may be imagined, -overwhelmed with terror and grief by the misfortune which war had -brought upon them; and their condition was in no way soothed or -ameliorated by our appearance among them, blackened with powder and -smoke, and bespattered with blood and dust, for we had hewn our way -in by the breach at the Retiro. - -"The ladies were both handsome, but more especially the daughter -Virginia, a timid girl of about fifteen; and at these years a -Spaniard is almost a woman. Her tears, I blush to say, made little -impression on me, but her beauty had a great effect on as all. -However, drunk as we were, we remembered Chataigneur was our senior -officer, and that his pleasure must be known before the officer next -in rank presumed to open the trenches; or, in other words, address -the ladies in the language of gallantry. - -"Jacques was a child of the revolution, an iron-hearted soldier, -penetrable only to steel and lead--half fox, half wolf; to anything -soft or sentimental, he was immovable as a cannon-ball. It was said -in the 23rd, that he had done some terrible things in La Vendée, and -certainly his more recent campaigns in Holland and Italy had taught -him to view with the coolness of a stoic the blood of the bravest men -and the tears of the most beautiful women. - -"Peste! he was a true philosopher, and one might march from Dunkirk -to Damascus without meeting such another. He was never troubled with -any unpleasant qualms of conscience--not he, because, like most of -those fierce soldiers, who had been trained and nurtured amid the -horrors of the revolution, he believed in neither God nor devil, -heaven nor hell, and, consequently, cared not a straw for any of -them." - -"A pretty picture of your friend and comrade," said I, with a smile. - -"Peste! yes. He should have appointed me to write his epitaph. -Chataigneur was the man it was a pleasure to follow to the breach or -battle-field; for he cared as little for riding headlong on the -charged bayonets of a solid square, or manoeuvring his regiment under -a storm of grape-shot, as for handing his partner through the figures -of a quadrille. But, to return. The ladies, on perceiving us enter -their mansion uninvited, gave us a specimen of Spanish hauteur, by -retiring to a distant apartment, and leaving us to provide for -ourselves. - -"This we were not long in doing. The servants had fled; but -Chataigneur ordered three grenadiers of the 23rd, who were in -attendance upon us, to break down the doors of the cellars and other -repositories: thus, in the twinkling of an eye, we had the sherry, -the Malaga, and the Ciudad Real of the old beldame in abundance. - -"We installed ourselves in the finest saloon of the mansion, while -messieurs our servants possessed themselves of the kitchen, where -they stripped off their accoutrements and coats, piled half-a-dozen -shutters, a door, and a chair or two on the hearth; and so zealous -were they in preparing a repast for us, that the rascals nearly set -the house on fire. All the pantries were laid under contribution, -and large conscriptions were levied on the poultry-yard, and we were -soon as merry as magnificent quarters, a plenteous supper, and wine -ad libitum, without having a sou to pay for them all, could make us. -We drank deadly bumpers in honour of the emperor, to the success of -his armies, to ourselves, to the continuation of the war, to the -girls we had left behind us in beautiful France, and the devil alone -knows what more. Oh, the exquisite delights of living at free -quarters in an enemy's country! Vive la joie! I need not expatiate -upon them to you, for I heard of your pretty doings after Badajoz -fell." - -"They could not compare with yours at Madrid." - -"You shall hear. 'In the ardour of our attack upon the savoury -viands,' said the Chevalier de Vivancourt, a gay sub-lieutenant of -the guard, 'we are quite forgetting the ladies!' - -"'Mon Dieu! yes--what negligence!' said one or two ironically. - -"'I shall make amends for our ungallantry,' said Chataigneur, -starting up and staggering unsteadily; for he had enough of Ciudad -Real under his belt to have served even a German. 'Hola! Pierre, -Jean Graule, where are the ladies, just now--eh? the sour-visaged -madame and plump little mademoiselle?' - -"'Shall I have the honour of conducting them to the presence of -monsieur?' said our sergeant, giving his military salute. 'The -mother----' - -"'Oh the devil take the mother, or you may have her yourself, honest -Jean.' - -"The sergeant bowed, and grinned. - -"'But sabre de bois! 't is the little daughter I want,' said -Chataigneur. - -"'They are at prayer in their little oratory, I believe,' urged the -chevalier, who was the least wicked among us. - -"'Praying!' reiterated Jacques with intense disgust; 'I shall soon -change their cheer. Are there any guitars or mandolins here? The -girl--what's her name? Virginia shall bear us company in a merry -chorus, or shall ride the cheval de bois with a vengeance.' - -"'Let us have her by all means,' said one of the Imperial guardsmen; -'we must teach this young creature the first rudiments of love and -coquetry.' - -"'Will some of you lend a hand to undo the clasp of this infernal -sword-belt?' grumbled Jacques, who was very tipsy. 'Avaunt, Jean -Graule, thou art drunk, man! Vivancourt, most redoubtable chevalier -of the immortal legion of honour, lend me thine aid. Corboeuf! I am -swollen like a huge tortoise with Ciudal Real. Now, messieurs, -remember that I am the senior officer here, and that whoever follows -me does so at his peril.' - -"And half-dancing, half staggering, he swaggered out of the room -accompanied by Jean Graule. - -"We continued to enjoy ourselves with supreme nonchalance, for the -Imperial Guard and the 23rd Grenadiers were the most reckless -routiers in the army. Believe me, we were too much accustomed to -storming to trouble ourselves much about the little Spanish girl; but -I am forgetting that you are not a Frenchman; so, fearing to shock -your cold British prejudices, I will, as the novelists say, draw a -veil over what passed;" and M. de St. Florian smiled complacently as -he emptied and refilled his glass. - -"Is it possible!" I exclaimed, with something of incredulity in my -manner; "is it possible that brave soldiers, and gentlemen of -France--France, once so famous for its spirit of honour and -chivalry--could behave thus?" - -"Monsieur, my word is never doubted," replied the other -good-humouredly; "how could you expect us to behave like saints or -apostles, or perhaps like the cool stoics that compose a regiment of -kilts? - -"Chataigneur was absent with Jean Graule about an hour, during which -time we scarcely missed him, so closely did we pay court to the -glittering decanters and bloated pig-skins, which we laid under -contribution without mercy. The wax lights, were becoming double; -the saloon was beginning to swim around us; and we were in the very -midst of singing the carmagnole in full chorus, at the utmost pitch -of our lungs, each having his drawn sabre in his right hand, and a -mantling cup in his left, when the door was dashed open and Jacques -Chataigneur entered, with Donna Elvira supported on one arm, and her -daughter Donna Virginia on the other. - -"With a triumphant and scornful air, he led or rather half dragged -them in, and forced them to sit down at table with us. - -"Although being so tipsy that I could scarcely know whether my head -or heels were uppermost, I can still remember the terrible expression -depicted in the faces of these two ladies. The mother's wore the -fury and rage of a tigress; the blood seemed to boil in the swollen -veins of her temples, and her large black Spanish eyes shot fire from -time to time as she surveyed us. Her daughter's appeared the very -reverse, and her face expressed only the darkness of despair. - -"She was very beautiful; her long black hair was loosened from its -braids, and hung matted in disorder about her shoulders, and half -concealed her face, which was pale as death. Her eyes--you will -remember the splendid eyes of the Spanish girls--her eyes were -bloodshot and red with weeping; their expression was wild, wandering, -insane; and there was a chilling air of desolation and abandonment in -her grief that had, indeed, a very considerable effect on me (for I -am not altogether such a bad fellow as monsieur may suppose me), -although her utter despair had none on Chataigneur and my more -intoxicated companions. - -"Her lips were quivering, and her graceful Spanish dress, her long -veil particularly, was torn to ribands. - -"'Messieurs,' said Chataigneur, bowing with an air of mock -politeness; 'I am permitted to have the high honour of introducing -you to the notice of Donna Elvira de Almeria, widow of a very brave -Caballero y Procuradore of new Castile, and her daughter the -enchanting Virginia, whom, as I have two ladies who equally claim the -title of Madame la Colonel, I shall advance to the ancient Spanish -dignity of being my Barragano,* which will square all matters between -us, so Vive la joie! let us drink and be merry!' - - -* See "Essayo Historico Critico on the Ancient Legislation, &c., &c., -of Castile and Leon," 4to., Madrid, 1808, for this term. - - -"The eyes of the Spaniards absolutely glared as he spoke." - -"The scoundrel!" I exclaimed, becoming excited by this revolting -narrative. "Would to heaven that I had been there with a few of my -English hussars." - -"That would have availed little," replied St. Florian, pouring out -his wine with slow sang froid; "every street and house within the -trenches was swarming with our soldiers; and such scenes as that I -have described were innumerable." - -"Excuse me, Monsieur le Capitaine; but I must pronounce your comrade -to have been a finished rascal." - -"Peste!" muttered the Frenchman, half angrily; and then he continued, -while laughing and twirling his moustache, "Opinion is the queen of -the world--'t is a proverb we have, and a true one. But poor -Chataigneur is gone now, and I must not hear him abused. - -"But, to continue. The excitement of the preceding day's fighting, -and the quantity of wine we had drunk, rendered us insensible to the -distresses of these poor women; and with shame and sorrow I now -remember that we permitted Chataigneur, by dint of many a savage -threat, to compel them to assume their guitars and sing in -accompaniment, while we chaunted a bacchanalian ditty suited only for -the meridian of the lowest cabaret in the faubourg St. Antoine. - -"What they sang Heaven only knows, for, nom d'un Pape! my comrade, -the horrible catastrophe to this little supper has fairly driven all -minor incidents from my memory. And there they sat and sang to -us--sang with shame on their brows, and rage, and grief, and agony in -their hearts--while a husband and three sons, a father and three -brothers, were lying dead in their harness by the walls of the Retiro. - -"We drank bumpers to Virginia, and made the ceiling shake with our -mad laughter and revelry. In the midst of this, unluckily, the -Chevalier de Vivancourt called for a bumper of mulled port. What -fiend prompted a request so useless I cannot imagine: but we all -joined in his demand vociferously; and the old dame, who appeared to -have somewhat recovered her equanimity, desired her daughter to -prepare it. She spoke in Basque Spanish, which we did not -understand, but which should have been sufficient to kindle our -suspicions; and I could perceive that a wild and almost insane -expression flashed in the eyes of the little Donna Virginia as she -flung aside her guitar and rose to execute the order. - -"With some trouble she extricated herself from Chataigneur, whose arm -was round her waist. He was very angry, and growled like a bear at -the chevalier, swearing by the sabre de bois that he would put him -under arrest for the trouble he occasioned. - -"While he was yet speaking, Virginia returned with the prepared wine -in a crystal vase, from which, with her own fair hands, she filled -our long, carved glasses. We drank to her, draining them to the -dregs; and, with a grim smile on her pallid lips, our youthful -cupbearer replenished our glasses. The flavour of the wine was so -exquisite, that Chataigneur embraced Virginia with drunken ardour, -and desired her to bring us more. - -"'You will require no more!' she cried, with a shriek, as she flung -the vase from her hands, and it was dashed into a hundred pieces. - -"We rose in alarm, but instantly sank again on our seats; and at that -moment a peculiar and horrible sensation came over me. Sacre! -methinks I feel it yet. I looked upon my companions of the carousal, -but read in their faces an expression that yielded me anything but -comfort. Three had dropped their glasses, and reclined upon their -chairs, with open mouths and fixed eyes, which gleamed with the -vacant wildness of insanity. The Chevalier de Vivancourt sank -prostrate on the floor, while Chataigneur, who seemed also about to -sink, turned and stared with a powerless aspect of rage and alarm at -Donna Elvira. - -"Virginia had sunk upon her knees and hid her face in the skirt of -her torn dress; but her mother stood erect, and, with her arms -outstretched towards us, shrieked in a frightful voice between a moan -and a yell, while a murderous rage, alike fiendish and terrible, -caused her tall form to tremble, her proud nostrils to dilate, and -her large dark eyes to gleam like those of a rattlesnake. - -"'At last we have avenged ourselves! Perros y ladrones! Frenchmen, -dogs, and murderers, let me scream into your dying ears, that we are -Castilian women, and have avenged our wrongs! I have lost my brave -husband and his noble sons--by numbers you destroyed them, and side -by side they fell on the palace threshold of the kings of Castile. -Oh, bloodhounds--worse than devils in the form of men, ye murdered -them, and now--my daughter (her voice became choked), my innocent -little daughter--but we are revenged--revenged--revenged! Oh, Santa -Maria, Virgin, y Madre de Jesu! let us be forgiven--but, fiends, the -sure, cold hands of death are upon you--you are dying, for the wine -you have drunk is poisoned!' - -"Mon Dieu!" said St. Florian, pausing while the perspiration almost -suffused his forehead, "still the screech-owl voice of that -detestable hag seems to ring in my tingling ears! - -"Inspired by terror and rage, I made an effort to spring up, to draw -my sabre, to run her through the heart; but the moment my hand -touched the hilt, a deadly numbness crept over me; I staggered -backward, and while sleep and despair came over my soul, sank prone -and insensible on the corpses of my comrades!" - -St. Florian paused again for an instant, for he really seemed -considerably excited by the recollection of the adventure. - -"Parbleu! 'twas a most unpleasant denouement--a devil of a -winding-up. Next morning I found my self lying prostrate on the -chilly floor of the Church of the Conception, which, with many -others, had been converted into a temporary hospital for the sick and -wounded. I was sick for seventeen days, and my head ached as if it -had been crushed in a vice; while my miserable throat was skinned by -the stomach pump and other engines of the medical science, which the -staff surgeon had kept at work on me, as they afterwards said, for -two consecutive hours. - -"Poor Jacques Chataigneur was in the same wretched condition, and lay -opposite to me, kennelled on a bed of straw, under the gothic canopy -which covered the grave perhaps of some long-bearded hidalgo of old -Castile. - -"We alone recovered. - -"The gay Chevalier de Vivancourt and his three comrades of la Garde -Imperiale died; so did poor Jean Graule and all our servants; for the -little fury Virginia had administered part of her infernal potion to -them too. So to this hour, my friend, I entertain such a horror of -all kinds of prepared wine, that I may safely say, 'tis not in the -power of man, or even woman, with all her superlative cunning and -witchery, to make me taste a single drop that is not pure as when it -came from the wine-press." - -"And the ladies--what became of them?" - -"Donna Elvira," continued my garrulous friend, "disappeared from -Madrid on that very night, taking with her the unlucky Virginia, and -for a time we heard no more of them, save in the columns of the -'Moniteur' and 'El Espanol,' where, the Lord knows, our malheur made -more than noise enough! May mischief dog their heels as two -revengeful vixens. But I afterwards learned that the girl assumed -another name, and, bestowing her hand on a certain hidalgo of Alava, -actually had the happiness to give me shelter one night on the -retreat from Vittoria. My whiskers had grown, and she did not -recognise me; sacre bleu, if she had! I was never discovered, and -blessed my stars that I was sound, wind and limb, when I left her -mansion in the morning--Ouf! let me think no more of it, for -altogether 't is a story that makes me shudder." - -"Excuse me, Captain St. Florian," said I, when he had ceased; "but on -my honour, you make me blush for the army of France." - -"Morbleu!" said he; "they were only Spaniards." - -"But I have heard many an episode of horror blacker even than that of -Donna Elvira, for I was one of those who followed up the retreating -army of Massena, from the frontiers of Portuguese Estremadura, -through desert fields and desolate cities, marked by fire and blood, -and all that the wantonness and wickedness your devastators could -inflict on a poor, a prostrate, and a defenceless people. I am warm, -monsieur, but I pray you pardon me----" - -"Ah! he was a stern old routier, Massena, and handled the dons so -roughly, that the Emperor named him rightly the 'child of rapine.' I -care not for being his apologist, as I never either loved or admired -him, and once positively hated the old pagan, for reprimanding me in -general orders, because, on our retreat from the lines of Torres -Vedras, I neglected to destroy the house of a poor old hidalgo near -Santarem, who had been so kind to me, that I omitted him in the list -of devastations to be made by my foragers. Ouf! I got a lecture -that was printed in the 'Moniteur,' and read at the head of every -regiment in the division. But in revenge, that very night I affixed -a scroll to the door of the marshal's quarters, saying-- - -"'This is the residence of the mighty Massena, Prince of Essling and -Duke of Rivoli, who has made more noise in the world by beating the -drum than by beating the British!' - -"Corboeuf! what a frightful rage the old Turk was in, but he could -never discover the author of the pasquil, which made him the -laughing-stock of the whole army. But the sparing of that hidalgo's -mansion and family was a most fortunate circumstance for me, as it -was the means of saving my life three days after." - -"In what manner?" - -"He ransomed me for a hundred dollars from some rascally frontier -guerillas who had captured me, and were on the point of putting me to -death. Ouf! 'twas a devil of an adventure that. Shall I tell it -you?" - -"If you please," said I, lighting a fourth cigar. - -"Well, then, listen, though perhaps it is not so much my story as -that of a poor peasant whom the Estremadurans named Perez the Potter." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -PEREZ, THE POTTER; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF A NIGHT. - -"When Massena retired before the impetuous advance of Lord -Wellington, and left behind the boasted lines of Torres Vedras, you -may remember that he selected the position of Santarem as one -admirably adapted to keep in check the advance of your troops through -the Portuguese frontier. While his division occupied their trenches -on the hill above the Tagus, I was one day despatched on duty to the -officer commanding the Cuirassier Brigade at Torres Novas, a town -five leagues from Santarem, situated in the middle of a beautiful -plain. It is surrounded by walls, and is overlooked by the castle -with the nine towers, from which it takes its name. - -"I rode without an orderly, or other followers, for the whole country -was covered with our troops, and I had no dread of molestation, -though desired by Marshal Massena to take with me a section of -dragoons, as part of the country through which I had to pass was -rendered very unsafe by the residence and outrages of a certain Don -Julian d'Aviero, a half-mad student of Alcala, who had gathered a -band of deserter guerillas, and become a captain of robbers in the -woods of Santarem. There his name had become terrible through all -the Spanish and Portuguese Estremaduras, Alentejo and Beira. His -midnight expeditions and attacks upon the detached houses and -solitary quintas of friend and foe were characterised by singular and -wanton cruelty; and in a state of warfare, where the country was -possessed by two hostile armies, the pretexts of treason and -espionage were never wanting. - -"A wild yell informed the inmates that their dwelling was surrounded -by the banditti of Don Julian; the doors were dashed in; the men, -half-starting from their beds, were hewn to pieces; their wives and -daughters were dragged away to suffer worse than death; the houses -were pillaged, and then reduced to ashes. And many of these -atrocities were doubtless attributed by us to you, and by you to us. -Captives were carried off daily, but they were generally ransomed; if -not, a shot from a carbine, or a stab from a poniard, and all was -over! - -"I thought of all these things as I pursued my solitary way by the -foot of the mountains that skirt the plain of Torres Novas; but it -was with less of alarm than pleasure. To me there seemed something -charming in the lonely and knight-errant-like fashion in which I had -thus ridden forth, in a strange country, among dangerous ways, and an -unscrupulous people, with neither friend nor ally save my sabre and -horse. - -"The sun was verging towards the darkening mountains of Alentejo; but -the atmosphere was still exceedingly close and sultry, for, hot and -bright, the rays of the western sun were poured from a clear and -cloudless sky, scorching with their warmth the waving corn, and the -myriads of wild flowers that covered the beautiful plain of Torres -Novas. - -"I was still far from the lines of Massena: the country seemed -desolate and depopulated. I had no guide, and became apprehensive of -losing my way, and wandering towards the British outposts. Once or -twice I questioned a passing peasant, but was provoked by their -sullenness and ignorance of their own locality. - -"'Señor,' said I, to a paisano, whom I met driving two mules -harnessed in a rude cart, which was simply composed of the rough stem -of a tree, from which two branches in the form of a fork rested, one -on each wheel, and formed the axle--'Señor, how many leagues is it -from this place to Santarem?' - -"'Three, señor Caballero,' replied the man, holding up three fingers. - -"'Bueno! are they long or short?' - -"'Short, señor.' - -"There is, I know not why, a difference in the length of the Spanish -leagues, as many a time and oft we found on the long line of march. -After riding four or five miles further, and, being still uncertain, -on meeting another peasant driving a borrico (an ass), laden with -kid-skins of the mountain-wine, I inquired of him the distance from -Santarem on the Tagus. - -"'Five long leagues, señor,' he replied, displaying four fingers and -a thumb. - -"'Diable!' I muttered, and spurred on, for the sun had now sunk -behind the blue waving line of the western Sierra. - -"Near a roadside fountain I passed the bodies of three or four French -soldiers, who had been wounded in a recent encounter with the outlaws -of Julian Aviero, and had crawled there to quench their thirst and -die. They had been completely stripped by the Spaniards, and their -gory but honourable scars were blackening in the heat of the sultry -day. - -"On the velvet turf that bordered the road I softly drew up my horse, -on observing behind the pedestal of the fountain a villanous son of -Israel practising dental surgery, by robbing the jaws of the dead; -for the soldiers being generally young men, their teeth brought a -good price in the dentist shops of Paris and Madrid. I had -frequently heard of this revolting practice, but never till that -moment had ocular proof that such existed. - -"The operator was a man about forty, lean and hollow-visaged, with -the brow of a villain, the eyes of a snake, the nose of an eagle, and -beard like a cossacque; he was enveloped in a loose blue gown, and -his head was surmounted by a steeple-crowned sombrero, that had long -lost every trace of its original colour. Near him lay a square -mahogany box, like a pedlar's wallet, in which he carried his -instruments and stock of dental wares. - -"He was so busy with the relaxed jaws of a young soldier that he did -not perceive my approach. - -"You know how jealous we soldiers are of the treatment given to the -remains of our dead comrades. Maladetto! my blood boiled. Dashing -spurs into my horse, I plunged him right upon the dog of an -Israelite; a kick from a hoof laid bare his skull, and stretched him -prostrate on the earth. As he fell backwards I obtained a glimpse of -his wallet, which bristled with poniards and pistols, from which I -concluded him to be a robber of the living as well as of the dead; -and I soon discovered my conclusions to be just. - -"This rencontre occurred near a great olive wood, which was known to -be the haunt of Aviero; and I rode as fast as possible to leave it -behind before nightfall; but I had not gone half-a-mile from the -fountain, when a sharp rifle shot whistled from a grove of olives on -my right. My horse gave a snort of agony, and fell heavily forward, -stone dead. A bullet had pierced his brain. I disengaged myself -from the stirrups, and drew my sabre, but ere I could strike one blow -in my defence, a hundred hands were upon me, and I was a prisoner, in -the power of a band of savage frontier guerillas--half soldiers, half -robbers, and wholly demons. Diable! my life hung by a hair. - -"Some wore broad hats, embroidered jackets, and yellow scarfs, with -plush breeches; others had little other garment than their olive -skins, and wore their flowing hair of the deepest black, gathered in -netted cauls; but all were armed with rifles, daggers, and pistols, -or with all manner of military weapons gathered from the fields of -those battles which were every day fought in their vicinity. - -"Oh, Monsieur! what a moment of misery was that when I found myself -so completely at the mercy of those ruffian Spaniards, whom I equally -despised and abhorred. - -"Many a knife was drawn and many a blow struck at me; but in their -very fury and anxiety to destroy me these wretches retarded, impeded, -and wounded each other. - -"'Down with him! down with the Frenchman! Death to the Buonapartist! -Maladetto!' was the cry on every side. - -"'Caramba!' cried one in a voice of thunder, 'I will blow out the -brains of the first that injures him. Frenchman and dog as he is, -our laws must be respected. Away with him to the mountains, for Don -Julian d'Aviero must decide his fate.' - -"Aviero! my heart sunk; I was then quite in the power of the devil. - -"Amid a storm of growling and swearing, and even fisticuffs, I was -conducted through the wood, which was almost pathless and covered the -face of the Sierra by which we ascended, to an old and ruined villa, -belonging to the Duke of Aviero. It stood on the edge of a precipice -that overhung the Tagus, and there Don Julian had for the present -established his head-quarters. A recent attempt had been made, by a -detachment of ours, under Jacques Chataigneur, to dislodge him; these -had been repulsed with great slaughter; and on approaching the villa, -I could discern vivid traces of the conflict--traces which its -amiable and philosophical inmates cared not to trouble themselves as -yet in removing. - -"This noble residence of Don Julian's ancestors, with its marble -vestibule and stately portico, its frescoed chambers and arcades of -columns, round which the vine and the rose were clambering, had been -no way improved by his occupation thereof. A balustraded terrace -encircled it, and within and around it the dead French and guerillas -were lying across each other in scores--many of them yet grasping -their adversaries, just as they had fallen, without their hold -relaxing, or the fierce expression which distorted their features at -the hour of death passing away. - -"Many of these men were my comrades, grenadiers of the 23rd, whom I -could recognise, notwithstanding the alteration of their features. - -"In the assault and defence, the doors and windows of this beautiful -villa had all been blown to pieces; the walls were studded with -bullets and spattered with blood, which appeared to have run like a -rivulet down the staircase, to mingle with the waters of a shattered -jet d'eau in the vestibule. At the head of the stair a barricade had -been formed by a sideboard, a piano, and other furniture, wedged with -bolsters and pillows, and books; and this point of assault had been -fought for, like any breach in the glacis of Badajoz. Everywhere the -bills and axes of the pioneers had been at work; but Chataigneur had -been repulsed, and Don Julian remained impregnable and triumphant. - -"In a noble apartment, the windows of which overlooked the Tagus and -the vast plain that spread in its beauty towards the castle and city -of Torres Novas, the ramparts of which were tipped with the last -gleam of the set sun, Don Julian, with several of his desperadoes, -sat over their cups of country wine, muffled in their mantles, and -enjoying paper cigars, while their feet rested on a great copper -brassero of charcoal that stood in the centre of the marble floor. - -"Don Julian, a remarkably handsome young man, but with a bold, -reckless, and ferocious cast of features, received me with a low bow, -which I could perceive to be partly ironical. His jacket of green -velvet was richly brocaded and fastened with silver clasps; his -breast was displayed by an open shirt, and had a crucifix engraven on -it by gunpowder. He wore yellow breeches girt by a sash, red -stockings and abarcas; but had no weapons save his sabre. - -"When he addressed me, I expected to hear but my death warrant; judge -how agreeably I was surprised by his saying,-- - -"'Señor, though you are a Frenchman, and I might this moment put you -to death as an invader of Spain, and as a revenge in some sort for -the recent attempt made by your ruthless marshal on my residence -here, I know you to be the officer who spared the mansion of old Don -Juan Lerma, when empowered by your orders to destroy it. Don Juan is -the only man for whom a lingering feeling of humanity has left in my -breast an atom of regard, for he loved the old cavalier, my father, -well. Being anxious to requite to you the kindness so lately done to -him, and to prove whether his gratitude surpasses that of a robber, I -request that you will write to him from this, my Villa of Aviero, and -beg the ransom of one hundred dollars to free you from my troop, as I -question very much if the state of Massena's commissariat will enable -you to have so much loose cash about you.' - -"'You are right, señor; a hundred dollars! Diable! I never had so -much money at any time. But what if the cavalier Lerma refuses?' - -"'You must die.' - -"'Morbleu!' said I, shrugging my shoulders. - -"'Such is the law of capture to which we have bound ourselves, by -such oaths as men seldom hear. You will be accommodated with writing -materials; address a letter to the Cavalier Don Juan Lerma, and one -of my people will convey it immediately to the city of Santarem.' - -"Upon this, I wrote a hurried but anxious note to the old hidalgo, -begging him to consider the kindness I had done him, the danger by -which I was menaced, and pledging my honour to repay the hundred -duros out of my first prize money. This system of kidnapping and -extortion had become so common that, being doubtful of the answer, I -saw the messenger depart with an anxiety which I laboured in vain to -conceal by folding my arms and planting my feet on the brassero, by -smoking a cigar, sipping the Lisbon vino, and joining in the half -frivolous and wholly ruffian chit-chat of Don Julian and his squalid -myrmidons. - -"In the midst of this I was a little startled to find my -acquaintance, the Jew dentist, enter, with his box under his arm, a -bloody cloth encircling his head and half concealing his basilisk -eyes, which bent on me a demoniacal scowl of recognition; and I -discovered to my consternation that this worthy, in virtue of being a -greater fiend than his fellows, was no other than the lieutenant of -Julian d'Aviero. But, without seeming to observe me, he advanced to -the side of the latter, and whispered a few words in his ear. - -"'Ha,' said Don Julian, 'is it so? then our hellish compact must be -observed. I am sorry for the little paisana, but there is no remedy. -Hold, there, cammarados! bring in the prisoners of Santarem--the -potter Perez and the girl who was captured with him last night by our -worthy Teniente Isacco Zendono.' - -"'The girl is his sister,' growled the Jew robber, in husky Spanish, -as he threw off his blue gown and revealed his gaudy Spanish dress, -and sash bristling with pistols and knives, 'and a fair sample of -mother Eve's flesh she is--Bueno!' - -"'Curses blast you! bring them in, or'--and Julian, who always -assumed the blustering ruffian to his own people, grasped a pistol. - -"The lieutenant quitted his presence; but almost immediately -returned, dragging in a stout peasant about three or four and twenty -years of age. He had all the lofty air, the well-knit and erect -figure of those peasantry on frontiers where the Portuguese are -improved by intermarriage with the Spaniards. He wore a brown vest -with loose sleeves, and breeches of bright yellow cotton, tied about -the middle by a red silk scarf. His long raven hair was gathered in -a wide silk netting, and hung in a heavy mass upon his neck. His -hands were tightly pinioned by a cord, but he gazed about him with an -air of reckless defiance, which, however, failed to intimidate the -thieves, or to encourage his sister, a pretty-looking girl of -sixteen, or thereabout, who clung to his arm in the utmost terror. - -"Her coal-black hair was plaited somewhat after the fashion of the -Basque women, in two gigantic braids, and reached below the flounces -of her yellow skirt, which was short enough to expose, half-way up to -the knee, her very handsome legs, encased in bright scarlet stockings -which were elaborately covered with white braiding. Her little feet -and ankles were equipped with open cut abarcas, interlaced with -thongs of morocco leather, like the hose of your Highland soldiers. -Her teeth and lips were a miracle, and her terror made her dark eyes -glitter like diamonds. Ah! merci, monsieur, she was excessively -captivating, that little paisana. - -"Though such a little beauty is not uncommon in Spain, the robbers of -Don Julian gazed upon her with gloating eyes of evil admiration and -longing; many of them licked their huge blubber lips with grim and -grotesque glee, as if anticipating kisses; while the poor sinking -girl shrunk from their bold and villainous gaze, as she would have -done from the eyes of so many serpents or fiends. - -"'Teresa, hold up your head, my dear girl; do not droop before these -base ladrones, stained as they are by a thousand atrocities. Dios! -should innocence quail before guilt?' said the young peasant with a -fearlessness that at once gained him my sympathy and admiration; and -for a time I forgot my own troubles in those of the strangers. 'Be -bold of heart, my sweet sister! We are possessed of that which can -touch even the hearts of these bad men, and unlock the doors of their -prison-house.' - -"'You are mistaken in this idea, Señor Perez el Cantarero,' said Don -Julian, with a quiet sneer, while his band crowded round with -lowering brows and gloating eyes. 'Quite mistaken, allow me to -inform you. Your honest uncle, the abagado (O most honest lawyer of -Santarem!) has refused to ransom you. Our messenger, the very -reverend rabbi, Isacco Zendono, has come back just now empty-handed.' - -"The girl shrieked and hid her face in the bosom of her brother, who -gazed around him with a look of rage, astonishment, and stupefaction. - -"Isacco, the Jew, burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, in -which Don Julian and his comrades joined. - -"'Out upon ye, villains,' exclaimed Perez the potter, shaking his -clenched hand at them. - -"'O Perez, por amor de mi,' urged his sister, in a breathless voice. - -"'Teresa, my poor Teresa,' muttered the brother through his hard-set -teeth, 'I had doubts, dreadful doubts; but I expected not this. -Answer, Señor Don Julian d'Aviero, does this black-hearted slave of -Mammon, this villain of an abagado, forget that he retains in his -repositories the inheritance left us by old Gil Perez, the alcalde of -Santarem?' - -"'In truth, most blustering señor, most valiant cavalier of crocks -and cans, your father's honest brother has not forgotten that -important fact,' replied Julian d'Aviero, in his cool, dry way. 'The -abagado will act true to his trade, by deceiving those who trust him. -His trade! May the great Devil confound it, for it has stripped me -of as fair an heritage as ever came from a miserly sire to a -spendthrift son. Well, Señor Perez, in short, to possess himself of -your two thousand dollars, and practise a little profitable -conveyancing, your relative the lawyer has stoutly declined to ransom -you, saith our messenger, swearing by the bones of St. James, he -would not yield the hundredth part of a pezzo to save you from the -jaws of hell.' - -"'Be it so,' muttered Perez, between his clenched teeth; 'in the -world that is to come, he will meet with his reward.' - -"'Were it but to provoke the abagado, I would willingly set you free, -Señor Potter; but the laws of this free community say nay.' - -"'But my sister----' - -"'Has found no more favour than yourself. Santos! You are a strange -fellow, Señor Perez. Who the devil ever expects to find an apostle -in the carcase of an abagado?' - -"'Madre de Dios! my poor Teresa!' said the young man, folding his -sister to his breast; while she responded by an agony of grief and -terror, such as I had never before witnessed. - -"On her knees she bent before Julian d'Aviero, imploring him to spare -her only brother, and to slay her, if he pleased; but her piteous -cries and supplications, rendered yet more plaintive by the beautiful -language of Spain, were drowned by the brutal jests, and whoops, and -yells of the Portuguese robbers. - -"When the hubbub subsided, 'Señor Cantarero,' said Don Julian, in his -wonted cold and sarcastic manner, 'I have said that your ransoms are -refused.' - -"'And what then, Señor Ladrone?' asked the paisano sternly. - -"You must die--that is all," replied the captain, quietly knocking -the ashes from his fragrant cuba. - -"'Die!' - -"'Si, morir, Micer Perez el Cantarero,' said he, with an ironical bow. - -"''T is hard to die thus, and unrevenged,' said the peasant, looking -round as if for a weapon; 'but I am content, so that you release my -sister, and swear upon the crucifix that she shall receive no harm.' - -"At this demand there was another horrid laugh; and the Jew, turning -up his eyes, swore something in Hebrew at a request so unreasonable. - -"'Keep your mind quite at ease, Perez, amigo mio,' said Julian -d'Aviero, whose potations were now affecting his brain, and imparting -to his manner a strange mixture of ferocity and jocose cruelty--'do -not be alarmed; your sister shall not die. Maladetto! dost think we -have no taste or discrimination?' - -"'The Holy Virgin thank you!' said the potter, with an odd mixture of -fervour and ferocity; 'my dearest Teresa, will----' - -"'Fall to the lot of the fortunate rascal to whom the happy dice -assigns her,' said the Jew lieutenant of the gang, pushing forward -and jostling me, with such insolence that I had some difficulty in -keeping my hands from his throat. - -"'Hark you, Master Potter,' he continued, in his husky Spanish, which -I cannot imitate. 'We cast lots for the women we capture, if they be -young and handsome. The men we poniard, if they cannot ransom their -heads and hides, and then we bury them honourably in the chasm of the -Tagus. The bones of some stout fellows are bleaching there, so you -will find yourself in good company, I promise you I owe you a grudge -for the stroke your 'cajado' dealt on my pate yesterday, and so claim -the first blow to-day. Arrojarse, camarados! fall on!' - -"He unsheathed his poniard and grasped the potter by the collar of -his buckram doublet; but the descending blow was arrested by the -uplifted arms of Teresa, who hung upon the villanous dog of Israel -with the determination, if not with the strength, of a tigress, and -poured forth a succession of cries and threats, which astonished even -the intended assassin; then, sinking upon her knees, the winning girl -pressed the murderer's hideous paw to her beautiful lips, beseeching -him, in those accents to which a woman in deadly terror can alone -give utterance, to spare her brother, her Perez, her dear and only -brother, and she would become the servant, the slave, of the robber -for her whole life. - -"'Oh, spare my brother; spare him! O Señor Judio; O Señor Don -Julian, Caballeros, gracias, bandidos, por Nuestra Señora Santissima!' - -"'My slave? Demonios!' chuckled the ruffian Jew; 'that you may be at -all events, or I may make short work with you, and so disappoint some -honest fellow here. Off, off with you!' and he shook her from him -with so much violence, that on sinking to the floor, the blood gushed -from her mouth and nostrils. - -"The Jew again raised his dagger, but Perez, filled with fury at the -treatment of his sister, snapped, as if it had been a straw, the cord -that bound him, and, grappling with the athletic ruffian, dashed him -on the floor where he placed a foot upon his breast, and trod him -down as one would do a serpent. The blood of the potter was up; -grasping another by the sash, he hurled him back with such force that -the bandit was instantly slain; for, on staggering, his head came so -violently in contact with an angle of the wall, that in a moment his -brains were dashed out, and he presented a dreadful spectacle as he -lay, breathless and quivering, with his battered skull empty, as if -struck by a grapeshot, and his blood and brains forming an oozy pool -beside him. - -"Even the banditti seemed struck with horror for a moment, and a -stillness ensued. They glared at their dead comrade and at each -other, heedless of the groans and struggles of the half-stifled -Zendono. The voice of the girl was again heard supplicating, for I -had raised her up; and she implored me to save her brother, for he -had done no wrong, but shed blood only in his own defence, and now -remained motionless and terrified at his own temerity. The faint and -half-articulate voice of Teresa recalled the band from the spell -which, as I have said, their comrade's death had cast around them; -and simultaneously they rushed with their knives upon the poor -potter, and, pierced at once by innumerable and reiterated wounds, he -sunk lifeless among their feet; and long after the last vital spark -had fled, they continued to stab and slash, and otherwise mutilate -the corpse until its bloody garments hung about it in tatters. - -"'Tonnere!' thought I, 'if my friend the hidalgo has neither the cash -nor the inclination to ransom me, I shall be in a bad way.' - -"By order of Don Julian, who had watched this scene of butchery with -folded arms and an immovable aspect, the body was tossed over the -window, from whence I heard it falling heavily from rock to rock -before it reached the deep, dark water of a tributary of the Tagus, -that struggled through a chasm in the cliffs, two hundred feet below. - -"While the half-drunken banditti cursed and yelled like fiends, they -cast the dead body of their comrade after that of the unfortunate -potter, then wiped and sheathed their poniards; and all traces of the -horrible occurrence disappeared, save the red blood gouts upon the -floor, which these European Thugs never thought of cleansing; but -trampled to and fro among that frightful puddle as heedlessly as if -it had been so much spring water spilt by accident. - -"Teresa had swooned, and hung on my arm in a happy state of -insensibility. - -"Isacco Zendono, who had suffered severely in the melée, during his -prostrate position on the floor, now scrambled up, his heart burning -with fury, and his body smarting with pain. He was plastered with -the gore of the slain men; and its dripping from his sable beard and -matted hair no way improved his personal appearance, or increased the -benevolence of his features. - -"Growling at the weight of his comrades' heels, he demanded in a -stentorian voice that lots should be cast for possession of the -Señora Teresa; a proposition at once acceded to. - -"Dice were produced, and the beetle-browed banditti crowded round a -table, where they rattled and threw the dice in succession. - -"The Jew uttered a yell. - -"He had won! - -"Diable! how like a victorious fiend he seemed, as, with a shout of -villanous joy, he snatched the poor insensible victim from my arms, -and with his poniard menacing any man who dared to follow, bore her -off, bent double over his left arm, as easily as he would have done a -folded mantle. - -"Poor Teresa! she was so slight and young. - -"Monsieur, I am not quite such a bad or wild fellow as, perhaps, you -may think me; and I do assure you that I then felt my impetuous blood -tingling in every vein. I sprang after the dog Zendono, but was -restrained by the powerful and perhaps friendly arm of Don Julian -d'Aviero. - -"'Señor!' he exclaimed, in a whisper, 'are you mad? Remember your -life is at stake, and ponder well on the helplessness of your -condition among us.' - -"The truth of this came bitterly home to my heart; I gave the speaker -a fierce and reproachful glance, and folded my arms in silence. - -"My heart bled for the unhappy girl. - -* * * * * * - -"Frequently in that long and dreary night, when the mountain blast -howled drearily through the shattered villa of Aviero, and moaned in -the gorge through which the Tagus wound, I heard the cries and -lamentations of the miserable girl, and the oaths and revelry of -those to whom she was now abandoned. - -"Ere daybreak her cries had ceased. Mille Baionettes! they nearly -drove me mad. - -"What became of her I know not, as I never saw her again. - -"Next day, an old Padre of Santarem came with a message from the -hidalgo Don Juan Lerma, whose mansion I had spared. The priest had -volunteered on this errand of mercy, as no other man in Santarem -would venture within the reach of the terrible Aviero, to whom he -paid two hundred pillared dollars, and I was conducted to within a -few toises of the advanced sentinels of our out-piquets, by Don -Julian in person, and we bade each other adieu with a very good -grace, but without either tears or regret on my side, as may be well -assumed; and so ended my mal-adventure in the wood of Santarem." - ----------- - -The Captain St. Florian concluded his story. - -"Parbleu!" said he, "how dry my throat is with speaking so long, and -I dare say I have tired you to death. But let us have one more -bottle of Janette's champagne, and then we shall decamp soberly to -look for more adventures. But I must be cautious, being for guard at -the chateau to-morrow. You cannot mean to return to Lagny to-night?" - -"I must; and 't is high time we were off, Captain St. Florian; -besides, I see Janette is decidedly sleepy." - -"Ah! poor girl, yes." - -"My horse is at an hotel in a street leading from the Champ Elysées." - -"Ouf! a devil of a way from this. There is a church clock striking -five. Nombril de Belzebub, 't is morning!" - -We hurriedly rose to depart. Janette had fallen fast asleep in the -bar, and St. Florian kissed her brow as he passed and deposited the -reckoning in her lap. The portière of the cabaret let us out, and we -sallied through the street to find my hotel. - -At the chateau, as the Parisians name the palace, I bade adieu to the -captain, and getting forth my horse, rode off. - -The trumpets of the Austrian cavalry and the English drums were -ringing on the early morning wind, as the reveille roused the -soldiers of the allied host in their several camps and cantonments. - -The patrols of the gensd'armes were retiring to their quarters; the -sun was coming up in his glory, and ruddily in his morning light, -amid the morning smoke of Paris, shone the huge façade of Notre Dame, -and the burnished dome of the Hotel des Invalides. - -Paris, with its tented parks and guarded barriers, was left behind; -and I dashed at full gallop along the dusty road that under the -shadow of many a vine trellis, and many an apple bower, led to my -cantonments at Lagny on the Marne. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE MAJOR'S STORY. - -On the Colonel concluding, there arose a contention between our -surgeon, Mac Leechy, and the senior major, as to who should tell his -story first; for "the steam" was now fairly up; but the matter was -adjusted by seniority, like choice of quarters, or having the best -bed in a billet, and the right of first mounting a breach, and other -little contingencies of a military life. - -"I was once nearly hanged by Wellington," said the Doctor to tempt us -to listen; "for when I first joined the service, it was as an ensign, -though I had my diploma of M.D." - -"Hanged?" said Slingsby; "then you proved a King's bad bargain, -Doctor?" - -"Not half so bad as you, Jack," retorted our old medico; "but I'll -tell you in a few words how it came to pass. When our troops were -falling back from Quatre Bras, upon the village of Waterloo, on that -stormy 17th of June, which preceded the great battle, I was sent -forward with sixteen men of the Scots Brigade to take possession of -the principal inn as quarters for the Great Duke and his staff, and -to save the house from being plundered or forcibly seized by any one -else. We entered the village double-quick: I soon found the inn, and -after posting my sentinels in front and rear, preceded to investigate -(from motives of personal interest) the contents of the pantry before -the Duke arrived. In twenty minutes afterwards we heard -musket-shots; I rushed out of the kitchen (where I had been consoling -the terrified landlady, and deviling a drumstick,) to find my fellows -firing at the French tirailleurs, who were now at the end of the -village where they had lined a stone wall. We peppered them briskly; -but four of my men had just fallen, when a Belgian officer, all -covered with stars and lace, galloped up to me, crying, as he took -the road to Brussels, - -"'Fall back--fall back--Waterloo is surrounded, and you will be cut -off!' - -"I drew out my men and left the village double quick. At the other -end of it, I passed a mounted general officer with his staff, who -were sitting quietly and composed in their saddles; but he called to -me with a loud voice,-- - -"'Halt, sir--halt your men, and come here!' - -"I obeyed, and lowered the point of my sword. Oh, there was no -mistaking the keen grey eagle eyes, the high nose and white -neckcloth; the little blue cloak and brass sabre of this personage. -It was Wellington himself. - -"'In God's name, sirrah,' said he, fiercely, 'why have you abandoned -your post?' - -"'The village is surrounded----' - -"'It is not surrounded--a few sharpshooters fired a shot or two at -our cavalry, but they have been all killed or taken.' - -"'A Belgian officer-- - -"'Cowardice--rank cowardice,' said Wellington. 'and at a time like -this! Provost Marshal--where are the Provost Marshal and his guard? -A rope--get a rope, and hang this young fellow from the nearest tree.' - -"I was in deadly terror, for I was then a raw lad, and did not -perceive that this was, perhaps, only to frighten me; but at that -moment Sir Denis Pack dashed up with some intelligence which was of -more importance to Europe than the hanging of Ensign Mac Leechy, so -Wellington troubled himself no more about me; I shrunk away to pick -my half-devilled bone and to rejoin the Scots Brigade, who were -bivouacked in a field near the Brussels road. - -"Soon after Waterloo, I exchanged my ensign's commission for a -medical one, and have never since been in terror of being hanged by a -Provost, or shot by a court martial." - -"Tush," said the major, "I was once nearer being hanged than you, -doctor; for I was tried, and sentenced, and, moreover, only escaped -one noose to be caught by another--for I got my wife by it." - -Our major was a jolly and cozy old fellow, who was addicted to a -little flirtation with married dames of mature age, and to making -downright love to widows (if his good lady was absent), and -invariably opened the trenches by affecting to consider them the -sisters of their handsome daughters. He was a great favorite with us -all; but, being married, he never dined at mess, unless when -specially invited by some one. Thus we warmly welcomed our old -major's story, which he began without further preamble. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -"ESTELLA." - -"I entered the service," quoth the Major, "when the Peninsular War -was at its height, and my commission was signed by the first -gentleman in Europe, then Prince Regent; truly we had queer ideas of -what constituted a gentleman in those days, - - "'In my hot youth, when George III. was king.' - - -"I joined our first battalion in Spain, and had more than enough of -marching, fighting, and starving in the desolate province of -Estremadura, where Marshal Macdonald and General Foy never gave us a -moment to spare. I was wounded at La Nava, and at the storming of -Almarez. When I scrambled over the palisades, with my sword-arm in a -sling, I remember a voltigeur officer rushing upon me with his sabre -uplifted; but, on perceiving my wound, he lowered his weapon -gracefully in salute, and passed on to encounter another. We took -the garrison prisoners, blew up the works, and threw the guns into -the Tagus. At night, when we buried the dead, by flinging them into -their own trenches, I was shocked to perceive my generous and gallant -voltigeur among them--cold and stiff--slain by a shot in his heart, -and with his right hand still grasping the hilt of the same sabre -with which he had threatened and so chivalrously spared me. I was at -the defence of Alba, and with the covering army at Badajoz, and I -fought at Victoria, where our colonel, the gallant Cadogan, was -killed, and where we put up a statue to his memory; but so unlike -him, that I am sure if the good man ever looks at it out of Heaven, -he will never recognise himself. - -"We had always hard fighting, for I belonged to the light troops; and -so far as the head was concerned in those days, I was very well -adapted for that branch of the service. - -"My regiment, the Highland Light Infantry, belonged to the first -brigade of the second division of infantry (Sir Rowland Hill's), and -at the time when this little narrative opens was quartered at -Aranjuez, a small town of Toledo, about twenty miles south of Madrid, -on the left bank of the Tagus. Though we had been for some months in -quarters of refreshment on the Portuguese frontier, and had there -received several supplies of clothing, &c., from Britain, in -consequence of the rapid movements of the army, which, by turning the -positions on the Ebro and Douro, had driven back the French under -Joseph and Jourdan, making them to traverse the whole length of Spain -in one short month, and the incessant activity of the light troops, -my uniform was reduced to a mere mass of rags. My cap, a kind of -Highland bonnet, checquered, but without feathers (like that still -retained by the 71st and 74th Regiments), was worn into many holes, -and the rain came through upon my head. My epaulettes, or wings, -were reduced to black wire; my coatee, turned to purple and black, -was, like my Tartan trews, patched with cloth of every hue; my sash -had shrunk to a remnant; the pipeclay had long disappeared from my -shoulder-belt, and the sheath of my claymore was worn away until six -inches of the bare blade stuck through it And such was the general -appearance of the officers of our regiment, as, with our canvas -haversacks, our blankets and cloaks slung in our sashes, and carrying -wooden canteens, similar to those of the privates, we marched into -Aranjuez, and defiled, with pipes playing and drums beating, towards -the great summer palace of Philip II., which occupies a little island -formed by the Tagus and the Xarama, and is surrounded by the most -beautiful pleasure-grounds. - -"In one hand I carried my sword, in the other a ham, which I had -picked up when overhauling a French caisson. My lieutenant had a -small wine-skin, and my ensign a round loaf under his arm; thus, we, -the officers of the 1st company, looked forward, to what we deemed, -in those hard times, a sumptuous repast, on halting in the quadrangle -of the vast and silent palace, from which Joseph and his court had -fled but a few hours before, leaving behind many a sign of their -hasty departure. Here lay Turkey carpets half torn up; there, velvet -hangings but half torn down; in one room were bales of furniture, -ornaments, and plate, packed but abandoned; in another lay the -remains of a sumptuous feast, the wine was yet in the half-emptied -glass; the fork remained in the breast of the turkey; the ashes of a -large fire yet smouldered in the vast kitchen, and in each apartment -of these long and magnificent suites, which traverse the whole palace -of Philip II., were splendid Parisian clocks, with their gilt -pendulums yet wagging under crystal shades, and all remaining in -statu quo, just as the French fugitives had left them, on the -approach of our advanced guard. - -"We chose our apartment, seized utensils, and, after a bath in the -sandy Xarama to refresh us after our long and dusty march, we sat -down to a supper on my ham, the ensign's loaf, and the lieutenant's -skin of the country wine. Fresh from the royal gardens we took fruit -in abundance; for the season was summer, and the purple grape, the -golden apple, and the ruddier orange, with the ripe pomegranate, were -all to be had at arm's length from the tall, painted windows. Nor -were cigars wanting: for, when investigating the contents of a -certain press, I found several boxes, from which we supplied -ourselves, and gave the remainder to the men of our company, who were -solacing themselves in the adjacent apartments, and lounging on the -velvet sofas, down ottomans, and satin fauteuils, on which the fair -demoiselles of the usurper's court had sat but the day before. - -"The quarter-guards were set; the out-pickets had been posted in the -direction of the enemy; in the palace court, our ten pipes had -sounded for the tatoo, and, wearied to excess, we lay down, some on -beds, and some on benches, but many more on the hard floor, where we -slept soundly, and heedless of the advancing, the marching, and -skirmishing of the morrow; for we light troops had always our full -share of the latter. - -"I was in this luxurious state--for dry quarters, and a sound sleep -after a hearty meal, are great luxuries to the campaigner--when I was -shaken by the shoulder, and I heard the devilish voice of our -sergeant-major saying-- - -"'I beg your pardon, Captain ----; the first officer for duty is -required to take convalescents to the rear They march an hour before -daylight, and the adjutant sent me to warn you, sir, and say, the -piper will blow the rouse in twenty minutes.' - -"He retired, having delivered his orders; and then, as a pleasant -sequel to them, I heard the rain--the heavy rain of Castile, where -every drop is the size of a walnut--pattering on the long range of -palace windows which faced the east. No man ever left a warm down -bed more unwillingly than did I the hard tiled floor of the sala. I -rolled up my cloak and blanket, slung them with my haversack and -canteen, and then groped about for a small portmanteau which -contained all my goods and gear; and, without disturbing my two -comrades to bid them 'good-bye'--for, poor fellows! after so long a -march as that of yesterday, to have done so would have been positive -inhumanity--with half-closed eyes, I hurried along, stumbling over -the sleeping soldiers, muskets, knapsacks, and broken furniture with -which the vast halls and suites of chambers were encumbered. After -losing myself for a time in that famous apartment of mirrors, where -Godoy and the Queen were wont to perform fandangos, I reached the -bridge of Toledo, as it is named from the road which crosses it; and -there I found the convalescents assembling, in the dark of a cold and -rainy morning, for daylight was yet an hour distant, and I heard the -heavy drops battering the tarred canvas covers of the wretched -caissons, wherein the sick and wounded lay. I heard the rain also -lashing on the parapets of the bridge, and raising bubbles on the -rapid stream which swept below its arches. - -"There were not less than thirty waggons or bullock-cars filled by -officers alone, many of them sick, or suffering from diseases -produced by hardship and starvation; others from wounds, and the -amputation of legs and arms, by the stupid apothecaries' boys, who -composed almost wholly our medical staff in the Peninsula. In rags -and misery, almost shirtless and shoeless, they lay closely packed in -the caissons among a little straw; and one--the weakest and most -reduced--was the famous Irish assistant-surgeon, Maurice Quill, of -the 31st Regiment. I had one officer of the 1st Dragoon Guards, who, -being mad as a March hare, had an entire waggon to himself, and I -heard him bellowing like a wild bull, above the rushing rain and the -howling wind as I approached this mournful assemblage on the old -bridge of Toledo. - -"I received the lists and commissariat papers, &c., in the dark, from -the brigade-major, who carried a lantern under his cloak, and, in -bidding me adieu, bade me beware of Barba Roxa, or Red-bearded -Sancho, a thief, whose exploits were then making some noise in Toledo -and La Mancha. The few soldiers who accompanied me were also -convalescents, on their way home to be discharged, and, consequently, -were barely able to carry their arms. I had a French troop horse, -captured in the scramble at Arroyo del Molino, and by my side rode -the only effective man in the detachment, my orderly dragoon; who, -for the good service he rendered me by his inborn bravery and -fidelity, I shall ever remember with gratitude, Darby Crogan, a -private of the 4th, or Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, and when I say he -was every inch a true Irish soldier, further comment is needless. - -"Though we had enough and to spare of fighting, I own that it was -with no ordinary feeling of dissatisfaction I departed on this duty, -leaving my comrades to push on towards the south, to fight and win -the great battle of Vittoria, and drive the French from Spain; while -I had the foreknowledge that there was never an instance known of an -officer leaving the army, in charge of convalescents, without being -involved in the most serious quarrels with the Spanish authorities, -both civil and military. But there was no alternative for me; so, -muffling myself in my cloak, after sharing with Darby Crogan a glass -of brandy from a certain convenient flask, which hung at my -waist-belt, and after a good deal of galloping to and fro, swearing -at muleteers and bullock-drivers, the cars were put in motion, and -the march began just as the first streak of dawn glimmered dimly -above the distant sierras. - -"A company of Les Chasseurs Brittaniques (who, though French -deserters and ragamuffins of every kind, wore the red British -uniform), under a Captain H----, marched also for Ciudad Real, and -nearly at the same time, but were ordered to pursue a route apart -from mine, by Santa Cruz de la Zarza, and down the other side of the -mountains, by Corral de Almuguer and Madridejos. - -"The morning had broken clear and cloudless, when, passing through an -open tract of country, we reached Yepes, and the summer sun of -Castile came up in all his burning glory. I generally rode about -fifty yards in front of my party to avoid the incessant complaints -and cries of the sick and wounded, whose ailments or sores were -exasperated by the increasing heat and pitiless jolting of the -bullock-cars, which had neither springs nor iron axles. The day was -cloudless and scorching; the plain hot, dry, and dusty, all -vegetation being burned out of it. No breeze came from the distant -mountains; but a vast swarm of black flies, which floated like a -vapour about us, gave incredible annoyance. - -"A poor young officer (lieutenant in an English light cavalry -regiment) expired under the pain of his mortifying wounds and -accumulated sufferings. This event caused a temporary halt. By the -side of the mule-track, which crossed that arid plain, we hastily -made a little grave, about a foot deep, and laid him down, yet warm, -in his uniform, and coffinless. A little of the blood-stained straw -from the waggons was spread over his face, and then we covered him -up, heaping the dry dusty soil over him by our feet, by the butts of -muskets, and blades of bayonets, to keep the wolves from disturbing -his rest. Near this lonely grave there flowed a little fountain from -a rude stone duct, which had been made in the days of old, 'en tiempo -antique,' as a mule-driver told me. In twenty minutes after, we were -all again en route, with the mule-bells jangling and the wheels -jarring, as if nothing had happened; but his place in the waggon was -soon supplied, as every hour some of my convalescent guard became -unable to endure the weight of their trappings, and had to be placed -among the sick. Thus our progress was so slow that night was closing -before we entered La Guardia, a small town, about sixteen miles from -Aranjuez. - -"As we clambered and toiled up the rocky ridge which it crowns, on -the right bank of the Cedron, Crogan and I, who rode in front, were -surprised to find the little town almost deserted, and that a few of -the inhabitants who had lingered until we were close at hand, were -retiring from it on the other side, some on foot and others on mules, -but all bearing away their goods and chattels, beds and furniture. -Entering, we found it empty; and as there were neither alcalde nor -alguazils to go through the farce of distributing billets, we -quartered ourselves wherever we best could. After conveying all the -wounded from the waggons into the great convent (I carried Dr. Quill -on my back, for he was weak as a child), there we laid them, in rows, -on the tiled floors; and, after filling their canteens with water, -left them to warm themselves the best way they could, for we were -wearied almost to death by the slow loitering march of the past day, -under a scorching Castilian sun. - -"La Guardia is surrounded by a strong but ruinous fortified wall, -which was built in the olden time to defend the district from the -incursions of the Moors; and at each end it had a gate, whereon I -posted a guard of a corporal and three men; for as the whole country -swarmed with thieves and guerilla deserters, I knew not what picaros -might be lurking in the old gypsum quarries near the Cedron. - -"Darby Crogan and I took possession of a deserted house in the main -street. He lighted a fire, and being scarce of fuel, made pretty -free use of the doors and shutters, chairs and tables; and we broiled -on a ramrod, or boiled in a camp-kettle, our poor ration beef, -sprinkling it with flour, and eating it without salt, for that was a -commodity extremely scarce among us in Spain; hence, the flavour of -our commissariat beef, after being carried in a canvas haversack, on -a long day's march, under a burning sun, would have driven Soyer or -his majesty of Oude into fits. - -"We had scarcely concluded this miserable meal, which we shared -fraternally--for on service, though discipline is never forgotten, -the officer and private are more blended together, as real soldierly -sentiment replaces empty etiquette--when we were startled by the -report of two or three muskets in our immediate vicinity. - -"'Hollo!' said Crogan, springing to the door of the house, 'the inimy -'ill be on us before we can say peas!' - -"'Some guerillas, or picaros, or perhaps, Barba Roxa,' said I, -setting down my flask of aguardiente, to listen. - -"'Darby Roxy!--sure it 'ill be pleasant to meet a namesake.' - -"'Not if he beats up our quarters, when we are in so poor a condition -to resist any who might attempt it; and the watches and rings, &c., -of so many sick officers are booty enough for a few enterprising -Spaniards, who might try to knock the guard on the head. Look to our -pistols, Crogan; bring up the horses, and we will ride forth to -reconnoitre.' - -"'Right, yer honour--I'm the man,' replied the active Irishman, as he -looked to the priming of our pistols, loaded his carbine, and hurried -to the shed close by, where our horses were chewing their rations of -chopped straw; he saddled, and brought them to the door; and thus, in -three minutes, we were both mounted. Meanwhile, the guards at each -gate of the little town had turned out; and, leaving word to get the -whole party under arms in the street, accompanied by Crogan, I rode -at a rapid trot towards that direction in which the flashes had been -seen by our sentinels. - -"La Guardia lay buried in obscurity; the night was dark, and a thin -vapour veiled the stars; but no moon was visible, though at times a -red meteor flashed across the sky. As the warm night-wind passed -over the vast tracts of waste and untilled land, it was laden with -the rich aroma of those innumerable little plants like mignionette, -which flourish by the wayside in all the wild parts of Spain. - -"'Soft ground, sir,' said Crogan, as his horse stumbled among the -dry-scorched soil; 'by the holy! this is just like still-hunting, -only the bog, bad luck to it! is as dhry as a bone.' - -"'Hush!' said I, reining in my horse; 'do you not hear something?' - -"'By my troth I do,'replied Darby; and as he spoke, a musket flashed -about a quarter of a mile distant; and then we heard a faint cry, -like a woman's. - -"'There are no French in this neighbourhood,' said I, surprised. - -"'But plinty of thaves and robbers, sir; and a nice meetin' it 'id be -for us.' - -"'Forward!' said I; 'we must just take them, like our wives, Crogan, -for better or worse.' - -"'And, like the wives, a sorry takin' it may be for some of us,' said -Darby, with a reckless laugh, as we rode on in the dark; and reaching -the skirt of a cork wood, found a large Spanish coach, drawn by two -mules--such a turn-out as one might have met in those days on the -prados of Seville or Madrid--being ransacked by five or six ruffians, -armed with pistols, knives, and carbines. A man lay dead among the -long grass, near the trees; the mules were kicking and plunging in -the traces; and while one ruffian dragged out two ladies, the others -were cutting open and emptying their portmanteaus. I drew my a word. - -"'Make your horse rear, sir, the moment we are fired at,' cried -Crogan, who was a practised trooper--' 'twas by not doing so that -Corporal Lanigan, of ours, got a ball in his chest, at Talavera--his -first battle too.' - -"'Forward!' cried I, 'cut them down!' - -"'Whoop--hubaboo! this baste ov mine 'ud clear the rock of Cashel at -one spring!' exclaimed Crogan, who uttered an Irish yell, as we fell -suddenly on the marauders; and though we were but two to six, routed -them in a moment. Three shots were fired at us: I cut one fellow -across the hand, and severed his fingers, which grasped the barrel of -his musket; Darby stretched another among the grass, and, whether -scared by his Irish shout, our sudden onset, or the dread that there -were more of us, I know not but in a twinkling they had vanished into -the wood, and we sprang from our horses to assist the ladies. - -"'Ay de mi! señor oficial!' cried the younger, grasping me by the -left arm; 'a thousand prayers and thanks.' - -"'Ay! mi señor Caballero, muchias gracias,' added the elder, making a -stately, but profound curtsy to Crogan. - -"'Why, mam, you make a regular Irish dip,' said he, raising his hand -to the peak of his helmet 'But, sure you've dhropped something,' he -added, picking up a flask. 'Oh, it can't be this, at all--aggadenty, -the thafe! Hurroo! it's like raal Cork, but out of a bran-new cask.' - -"The old lady now turned to me, perceiving that I was the officer, -and prayed 'el santo de las santos,' and all the saints in heaven -might bless us, for our courageous and timely succour. - -"'We are on our way to Ciudad Real from Madridejos, and were attacked -in the wood. My señor escudero was shot, our outriders fled; and the -ladrones would undoubtedly have maltreated me--not that I cared for -myself, señor, but my dear little goddaughter--la nina--the child--la -nina Estella. It was all for her that I trembled'--and so forth. - -"By the moon, which glinted for a time through the hazy clouds, I -could perceive that the speaker was a middle-aged lady, very dark -complexioned; and, though not handsome, possessing a tolerably good, -even stately presence; and that her goddaughter, whose features were -blanched by terror, had fine dark Spanish eyes, and a graceful -figure, though somewhat undersized. - -"I begged of them to be no longer alarmed. - -"'Señoras,' said I, 'my detachment is at La Guardia, close at hand; -allow me to offer my escort to you, so far as Ciudad Real, for that, -also, is my destination.' - -"'We owe you a thousand thanks, señor oficial,' replied the gentle -voice of la nina Estella, who seemed to be somewhere about eighteen. -'Oh, I shall never forget that fellow's red beard! Madre de Dios, -what a size and colour it was!' - -"'O ho! then our friend was Sancho himself.' - -"'Ah, señor,' said the old lady, 'how happily we will avail ourselves -of your kind offer.' - -"'Good--I shall have pleasant companions for the remainder of this -most unpleasant journey,' thought I, beginning to repack the -half-rifled mails. - -"'We are travelling in great haste,' said the señora. 'Is your -detachment composed of horse or foot, caballero?' - -"'It partakes of both, señora; being thirty waggons of sick and -wounded.' - -"'Sick and wounded! O madre de Dios! 'tis quite a travelling -hospital; thirty waggons--a lazarretto--and I have lost my priceless -relic of St. Margarida the Scot. Oh, señor valaroso, we owe you a -million of favours, but will rather proceed alone. And here is this -rogue, Pedro, come back with his mule. Ah, false coward, to leave -your young mistress in such peril. I will have you well beaten when -we reach Ciudad Real; I will, sir. What would have become of us, but -for the miraculous arrival of the señor oficial?' - -"While I assisted the trembling Pedro to restrap the portmanteaus, -and put the mules in order, a colloquy was proceeding between Darby -Crogan, and the Spaniard whom he had levelled when the fray first -began. - -"'Silence, now,' I heard him say, while striking the butt of his -carbine to shake the priming; 'it will soon be all over wid ye; so -die aisy--do, and don't be bothering me.' - -"'Ay, por amor de Dios, Señor Inglese,' implored the Spaniard on his -knees. - -"'Señor Inglese, indeed!' said Darby, testily, as the aquardiente -mounted into his brain; 'is it an Englishman you'd call me, you -rascally Spaniard, and I, praise God! a dacent Irishman, like my -father and mother before me?' - -"'Ay de mi, Señor Dragone----' - -"'Dragon, is it, now! I have a name, Mr. Spaniard, as good as your -own, for lack of a better, and that is Darby Crogan, ould Widda -Crogan's boy, at the four cross roads, near the bog of ----; but what -am I prating about? To make a long story short, prepare for your -wooden surtoo, and make a clane breast you spalpeen of the earth, -you!' - -"'Come, come, Darby,' said I, 'let him go; he is only a poor rascal -of a Murcian.' - -"'It's only makin' game of him I am, your honour; but sure I am that -his being, as you say, a marchent won't make him feel dyin' a bit -more,' replied Darby, uncocking his carbine with an air of -discontent. 'Richly he desarves to die, for he fired his pistols at -me twice; the curse of Cromwell be on him!' - -"'Away now,' said I, pointing to the wood; 'vayan usted con Dios, or -demonic, if it suits you better; and see, villain, that we meet no -more!' - -"With a dark gleam in his eye the disarmed robber slunk away, and I -saw that his face, where not streaked with blood from Darby's sword -cut, was ghastly pale with hate, fear, and fury. - -"We placed the ladies in their antique caravan-looking coach; buckled -their baggage on the pyramidal top thereof; furnished Pedro and -another servant with the arms and ammunition of the two robbers; -promised to see the unfortunate escudero interred, a promise which we -never performed; and after escorting them some miles beyond the cork -wood, bade them adieu, receiving a pressing invitation to visit them -at Ciudad Real, 'where every one knew Donna Emerenciana de -Alcala-de-los-Gazules,' which name I give myself no small credit for -remembering. We then returned to La Guardia, and for a time thought -no more of the affair. - -"I had ordered the drum to be beaten before daylight, but it was not -until two hours after it that the whole of the sick and wounded were -again stowed into their waggons, and en route; for in the back-garden -of the convent we had to bury those whom we found dead. - -"Then again began that melancholy chorus of groans and cries of pain, -mingled with curses in English and Spanish, the cracking of whips, -and jingle of bells, as the obstinate mules and lazy bullocks, which -drew the rude cars, were urged to motion; and over wretched roads we -departed from La Guardia, towards the mountains. - -"Passing over the ground of the last night's adventure, Crogan picked -up something which glittered amongst the grass; it proved to be the -portrait of a young lady, in a veil, flowing over a high comb; and in -her well-arched eyebrows, fine dark eyes, roguish mouth, and -fascinating smile, I recognised Donna Estella. - -"'Bravo! a delightful souvenir of La Guardia,' said I; and, after -admiring it for a time, consigned it to my breast-pocket. 'Darby, I -will owe you a dollar for this when I draw on the paymaster.' I -gazed at it frequently on the march, and every time I did so ray -interest in the original increased (but bah! do not think I was fool -enough to fall in love with a mere miniature), and I resolved that if -she was to be found in Ciudad Real I would certainly discover and -visit her. - -"Again a black cloud of flies covered the whole of us; several cars -broke down; and such was the terrible nature of the road that one -fell entirely over a precipice, bullocks, wounded, and all; and then -so great was the delay occasioned by the various casualties, that -evening came on before we reached Mora, which is only ten miles from -La Guardia. So the reader may have some idea of the tedium of our -progress. - -"Mora I found also abandoned by its inhabitants, who fled at our -approach, carrying with them all provisions and everything else which -could be borne away. Many of the houses appeared to have been -recently burned, for flames were yet smouldering in three of them, -and in another two men were lying dead; one shot, the other -bayoneted. Being certain that there were no French in the -neighbourhood, or nearer than Burgos and Navarre, I was at a loss to -comprehend the source of this terror and outrage: but, influenced by -anxiety to be nearer Ciudad Real, and to have my defenceless -detachment disposed of for that night, I pushed on, in hope of -reaching a small village, which, as my 'route' indicated, lay about -ten miles further off. - -"Descending from Mora, we traversed a plain which lies between two -sierras that terminate at Porzuna, in La Mancha: and if our progress -was slow by day, it was slower still by night. The heat was yet -excessive; a thick impalpable dust floated about us; the air was -close and still; there was not a breath of wind. Our thirst was -intense, and a murmur of satisfaction arose from my mournful -cavalcade when the blackened sky, and the croaking of the frogs, -announced rain; and when it did come, it came in torrents. Then, -raising the covers of the waggons, the wretched patients thrust out -their pallid faces and trembling hands to catch the heavy drops. The -dusty plain soon became transformed into a sea of mud, and the poor -convalescent guard sank above their ankles at every step, while, -deeper still, the mules went above their fetlocks. - -"Anxious and impatient, accompanied by my orderly, I rode forward a -few miles, but failed to discover the said village; the whole -district was desolate, and being without a guide, I feared that we -had lost the way. On returning I found matters still worse; for, -taking advantage of my absence, the villanous Spaniards, by a -preconcerted arrangement, had simultaneously cut the traces of their -mules and bullocks, and (though my guard shot a few of them in the -attempt) had fled, leaving the sick and wounded to die in the -wilderness. - -"I cannot say whether anger or despair was my prevailing emotion; but -to be left thus, with three or four-and-twenty waggons (for their -number was now reduced), full of sick and dying men, among the -mountains of Toledo, without provisions, and without a medical -officer, was not very pleasant. Though the rain was still falling, -as it falls only in Spain (like one ceaseless and tremendous -shower-bath), Crogan and I departed at a gallop after the runaways, -but could only overtake one; and, as he would neither halt nor obey -us, we fired at him with our pistols, and, breaking his leg, left him -in the same condition he had left so many of our comrades. - -"Aware that not a moment should be lost in procuring a fresh team, we -turned in the direction of Toledo, and ascended the sierra, half -blinded by the rain which lashed in our faces, and, by swelling the -streams from the hills, was fast making the valley between them a -sheet of water - -"'A fine thing it will be, your honour,' said Crogan--'for I'm just -in the mood to be savage--if we fall in with the Rapparees that -rummaged over the ould lady, last night, and sacked Mora and La -Guardia.' - -"'Never mind, Darby, my boy, you will die in the bed "of honour" -then.' - -"'Divil a one of me cares--though, by my sowl,' he added, as our -horses plashed fetlock-deep in water, 'I would like that same bed of -yer honour's to be a dhry one.' - -"'So would I, Darby, but remember-- - - "'Why should we be melancholy, boys, - Whose business 'tis to----die?' - - -"'By the hokey! that ditty sounds very like as if the man that made -it, sir, had been up to his neck in a bog at the time. But there are -lights!' - -"'And the rain is abating, too.' - -"To be brief. After a ten miles' ride, we reached Almonacid de -Zorita, a small town of New Castile, where we roused the alcalde from -his bed. He summoned his alguazils, and they, after an infinite deal -of trouble, collected by impress all the cattle in the place, -amounting to about twenty mules, and as many bullocks. The alcalde -assisted us with ill-concealed reluctance, and told me that he and -the alcalde of Mora had that morning transmitted to the commandant at -Ciudad Real an account of certain outrages, and lawless impressment -of mules, committed by a British detachment, at Mora and La Guardia.' - -"'You must mistake, Señor Alcalde,' said I, angrily, for I was -drenched to the skin at the time; 'the only plunderers of La Guardia, -if I may judge from personal experience, are true Castilians.' - -"'The Marquis of Santa Cruz shall judge,' said the alcalde, showing -us to the door. 'Adieu, señores.' - -"'Good-bye, old gentleman, and bad manners to you,' said Crogan, as -we leaped on our horses, and, recrossing the sierra reached the -waggons about daybreak: and though sleepless and exhausted, I was but -too happy when the new team was traced to them, and the whole were -once more on their way towards La Mancha. - -"Slowly and wearily we toiled on by the banks of the Algador, and -again crossing the mountains, near a lake into which it flows, -reached Guadalerza, all but overcome by heat and fatigue. I remember -that near the lake (which was literally alive with adders and small -snakes) there stood a solitary convent; and as we passed its walls, -the fair recluses waved their handkerchiefs from their narrow -gratings, with many a cry of 'viva los Inglesos,' so long as we were -within hearing. From Guadalerza, fortunately, the inhabitants had -not fled, and they answered promptly and readily the piteous cries of -our sufferers for water, which was supplied to them in crocks and -jars, that were filled and emptied as if to quell a conflagration. - -"The village of Fuentelfresno, which overlooks those sands from -whence the Guadiana is supposed to spring, was our next -halting-place, but its miserable and impoverished inhabitants were -totally unable to afford us rations of any kind; and there several of -the wounded, whose sabre-cuts or gun-shot wounds, by the jolting of -the waggons, had broken out afresh, expired. There were two officers -and four soldiers, whom we buried in one hole (alas! I cannot call it -a grave), under an old orange-tree, near the Jarama. Finding that it -was useless to halt in a place where we were in danger of starving, -we went further on, and bivouacked nine miles beyond it. near a -little runnel of spring water, on a fine green plain. The soundest -sleep that ever closed my eyes was enjoyed there, on that soft grassy -sward, beside my horse's heels; but I cannot omit to mention the -terror by which it was broken. - -"My charger snorted, reared, and tried madly to break away from the -peg to which I had picketted him. - -"I raised myself on inv elbow, and looked around me. The waggons -were all closely drawn up side by side: the escort were sleeping -among their piled arms, and, muffled in their great-coats, our four -sentinels stood motionless, about three hundred yards distant. The -moonlight was clear and beautiful. Suddenly something reared its -head close beside me; I shrunk under my blanket, and, lo! a frightful -snake, nearly fifteen feet long, passed over the whole bivouac, -hissing and gliding; but, fortunately, without biting any one, it -disappeared into a little thicket of laurels and underwood which grew -near us. - -"'Och, this Spain!--snakes, too--divil mend it!' I heard Crogan -muttering in his sleep; 'more ov it yet! and I have never had a raal -good potato down my throat since I came into it.' - -"Next day, the sun-burnt plains of La Mancha lay before us; but ere -the intense heat of noon, we reached Fernancaballero, in the partida -of Piedrabueno; and there (so exhausted were my soldiers, and so -terrible the complaints of the wounded), though my route permitted me -to tarry but one night, I was compelled to halt for two additional -days, an indulgence which nearly cost me my life. In the early -morning, when visiting the quarters of the sick and wounded, to -render them any assistance in my power before marching, I became -aware that a person was following me through the dark, muddy, and -unpaved streets of the mountain Puebla. - -"As a soldier, habitually cautious, and, as a campaigner, aware of -the Spanish character, I grasped the hilt of my Highland sword, and -walked watchfully on. - -"This man, by whom I had certainly been dogged and followed for some -time, was now joined by two others, and the three accompanied my -steps, remaining close behind. Crogan was looking after our horses, -and I had no other orderly or attendant; but resolving that if their -intentions were bad to anticipate them, I halted, and confronting the -trio, said, as if without suspicion.-- - -"'Señores, que hora es?' - -"'Son los quatro, Caballero,' replied one, gaping at me with surprise -on being so suddenly accosted; but I saw the ominous gleam of two -knives, as they were secretly drawn from the broad worsted sashes of -his companions, who skilfully endeavoured to conceal the act. Quick -as lightning, drawing a pistol from my belt, I fired a bullet right -at the head of one, whose enormous red beard the flash revealed to -me. The hall tore open his cheek, and carried away his left ear. -His comrade rushed upon me, but I received him by thrusting the -muzzle into his mouth, and hurling him furiously back. On this they -all took to flight; but not before I perceived that the wounded man -had his left hand swathed in a bandage. - -"'O ho, Señor Sancho, la Barba Roxa!' said I, recognising the robber -whom I had maimed at La Guardia; 'I thought your voice was not -unfamiliar to me.' - -"I hurried to the muster-place, in a frame of mind that struggled -between wrath at my narrow escape, and triumph at the victory I had -won; but, in ten minutes after, the drum beat, and, replacing the -sick in the waggons, we moved off. - -"Our march of fifteen miles from Fernancaballero we got rapidly over; -for Crogan and I having found no less than twenty-five mules grazing -near the Alzuer, which there flows through a fertile, plain, many of -them bridled, as if just abandoned by their riders, we yoked them to -the waggons, and entering Ciudad Real, the capital of La Mancha, -passed at a rapid pace through its broad, straight, and well-paved -streets, to the great Plaza, or principal square. - -"'The Lord be praised!' thought I, as the train halted, and I gave in -my papers to the Spanish town-major, Don José Gonzales y Llano, a -field-officer of that regiment of Leon, which fled, en masse, from -the field of Vittoria. 'My duty and my troubles are over together.' - -"But I was grievously mistaken, as I might have augured from the -manner of the town-major, who curled his mustaches, and shifted from -one foot to the other, like a man who has something unpleasant to -say, but dares not. - -"While the occupants of the waggons were being conveyed to hospital -by fatigue-parties of Spanish soldiers, and my guard joined a -detachment of convalescents, who, under another officer, were on -their march towards the castle of Belem. I soon became aware that I -was an object of marked attention to the denizens of Ciudad Real. A -vast crowd had gathered in the Plaza, and I saw many men, -particularly paisanos, gesticulating violently, and pointing to me, -while the muttering gradually rose into shouts of 'Maldetto! mueran -los Inglesos! Perro! ladrone! bandido!' - -"'What the devil is the meaning of all this?' thought I; and -indignantly pushed my horse right through them. On this the cries -redoubled, and the crowd increased so fast, that I was fain to ride -at a trot towards the house of a guantero (a maker of those gloves -for which Ciudad Real is famous throughout Spain), on whom I had been -billeted. There I found Darby Crogan awaiting me, breathless, -exasperated, and carbine in hand, for he, too, had been followed in -the same manner by a mob, who shouted, yelled, threw mud, stones, and -rotten melons, with every missile which the uncleaned streets so -readily afforded. We were perfectly at a loss to comprehend the -cause of treatment so unusual and so unmerited. - -"'El guantero, our patron, is as cross as two sticks, or a bag of -ould nails, devil mend him! and unless your honour has a coin about -you, it's but a cowld supper we'll have,' said Crogan, as we entered -the sala, or principal apartment of the house. - -"'I have not had a peseta since we left Mora,' said I; 'but here is -the patron at supper, on a cold fowl, too! we are just in time.' - -"'Sure he'll ask us to ate wid him--Och! for the smallest taste in -life!' sighed poor Darby, for our food had been principally roasted -castanos during the two previous days, so miserably was the Spanish -commissariat conducted. The patron was certainly at supper; but, -instead of welcoming us to his house as the deliverers of Spain, who -had driven the usurper from Torres Vedras to the Douro, from the -Douro to the Ebro, and from thence towards the Pyrenees, he barely -bestowed a bow upon us, and desired his servant to conduct me to one -room and Crogan to another. Amazed at the coldness of this reception -within, which corresponded so exactly with the ungenerous treatment -of the mob without, a storm of indignation gathered in my heart; but -being aware that a strong Spanish garrison occupied the citadel, and -that the Dons were lads who did not stand on trifles, I pocketed my -wrath and turned away, resolving on the morrow to discover Donna -Emerenciana and la nina Estella. - -"'Blue blazes!' grumbled Darby; 'are we not to have a ration of -something to-night? Lord, sir, you don't know how hungry I am, for -the two insides o' me are sticking together. I wish we had hould of -that darling pullet.' - -"'So do I, Crogan, and that the old guantero had hold of the horns of -the moon.' - -"'Wid his fingers well greased, the ould thief! Never mind, sir, -wait till they're all asleep, and if I lave a place unransacked, I am -not the boy of ould Widdy Crogan, at the four cross-roads.' - -"The sulky looks of the glover were reflected by those of his wife -and servant, a buxom Basque woman, who wore her coal-black hair -plaited into one long tail, which overhung her thick woollen -petticoat of bright yellow. Her stockings were scarlet; and I saw -Crogan squinting at her well-turned ankles, cased in their neat -leather abarcas, as she tripped before us, up the steep wooden stair -that led to my apartment. The brown-cheeked Basque bade us -'good-night,' in bad Spanish, set down the light, and on being told -that one room would do for the soldier and myself, withdrew. Crogan -placed a few chairs against the door, and near them lay down on the -floor, with his carbine loaded and half-cocked. Without undressing, -I threw myself on the bed, with my drawn sword beside me, for the -uproar still continued in the street; but long before its din had -died away, we were both buried in profound sleep--the deep and -dreamless slumber of long weariness and toil. - -"From this happy state I was aroused about midnight by a loud noise. -Sword in hand, I sprang up, and Darby's promise to overhaul the -patron's pantry flashed upon my mind. But, lo! a lantern glared into -my eyes; and I saw the brown uniforms, red facings, silver -epaulettes, bronzed features, and enormous mustaches of several -Spanish officers, who surrounded me with drawn swords. Among them I -recognised Don José Gonzalez y Llano, the town-major, by whose orders -I was roughly seized and disarmed. The lantern was held rudely -before my face, then to my belt-plate and the buttons of my coat. - -"'The seventy-first regimento infanteria de Escotos,' said one. - -"'La division de Don Roland Hill,' said another. - -"'Señores, what is the meaning of this intrusion, and how dare you -lay hands thus upon me?' - -"'The Marquis of Santa Cruz de la Zarza will tell you that,' said the -little major, insolently. - -"'Then where is the marquis?' asked I, furiously. - -"'At his palace, where he waits you, and requires your presence,' -said a young officer, who wore the cross of St. James and the -splendid uniform of an Ayudante de Campo. 'Come with us, señor,' he -added, politely. 'I beg to assure you that resistance is worse than -useless; so permit me, for the present, to receive your sword.' - -"I handed the young aide-de-camp my belt and scabbard. - -"'Gentlemen, I beg you to remember that I am an officer bearing his -Britannic Majesty's commission.' And without saying more, I -accompanied them from the house of the glover, under escort of four -Spanish soldiers, who surrounded me with fixed bayonets. In silence -we traversed various streets, which were buried in darkness and -obscurity; and I saw nothing of Crogan (for I had been seized while -he was on his exploring expedition); yet though anxious and -perplexed, I maintained a haughty silence, and disdained to question -my conductors. - -"The bell of the cathedral tolled midnight as we entered the great -Plaza, and saw before us the stately palace of the marquis -brilliantly illuminated, for he was giving a magnificent fete in -honour of his patron saint, whose festival had occurred on the day -that had passed. From the lofty latticed windows, four-and-twenty -lines of variously-coloured light fell across the great Plaza of the -bull-fights, and shed their prismatic hues on its plashing fountains. -A flight of marble steps led us to the vestibule, where a Spanish -guard of honour was under arms, with fixed bayonets; and, passing -between their ranks, we ascended to the grand saloon of the palace. - -"In that magnificent apartment, decorated in the florid and -profusely-gilded style of Charles the Fifth's time, filled with a -deluge of light from crystal chandeliers, and over a slippery floor -of clear and tesselated marble, I was led by my conductors through -the glittering crowd of guests. On every hand I saw the brown -uniforms, red facings, and silver epaulettes of the Spanish line, the -blue and silver of the Portuguese, the green of the Cazadores, and -the black velvet suits of old-fashioned cavaliers, wearing the -crosses of St. James and of Calatrava. The ladies wore, almost -uniformly, dresses of black or white, but with a profusion of the -richest lace. Many of them looked like beautiful black-eyed brides, -for their brows were wreathed with flowers, or they had one fresh red -rose among their dark glossy hair, placed just beside the comb, from -which fell that sweeping veil which like a gauzy mist floated about -their superb figures. For years I had not looked on such a scene. - -"'Madre de Dios! what an officer!' 'O! Santos! that a British -officer!' 'Morte de Dios! he a cavalier!' were the exclamations in -every varying tone. I was led along the saloon; the music ceased in -the gilded gallery; the dancers paused, mingled, and crowded about -us; then reflecting that I had come straight from the camp and field, -where my comrades were facing danger and death for these same -Spaniards, I thought the exhibition made of me by the Major Don José -Gonzalez, of the regiment of Leon, alike scurvy and ungrateful. Our -division of the army had not received a farthing of pay for six -months at that time, and many a brave fellow fell at Vittoria and the -Pyrenees without receiving his hard-won arrears, which, more than -probably, his relations never obtained either. - -"I was in the same plight in which I had marched from Aranjuez; my -wings worn to black wire; coat purple, and patched with grey and blue -at the elbows; my Tartan trews a mass of darns; scabbard, as I have -said, six inches too short for the claymore; shoes all gone at the -toes; and my last shirt all gone too, save the wrists and collar. -But I was weatherbeaten as a smuggler; and I looked more like a -soldier than the pomatumed Dons of the Spanish line, or the Cavaliers -of Calatrava, who turned up their mustaches and muttered 'basta!' as -I passed them, to where the Marquis stood, with a lady leaning on his -arm. - -"Don Christoval, of Santa Cruz, was a tall, gaunt man, with a long -Castilian visage, black lack-lustre eyes, and a solemn air of lofty -pomposity. His mustaches were curled up to his ears. He had an -enormous basket-hilted toledo depending from a sling-belt, and -carried his handkerchief stuffed into the hilt thereof. He wore the -uniform of a Spanish lieutenant-general, and had various little gold -and silver ornaments sparkling on his breast. I was aware that a -graceful and bright-eyed young girl, in white lace, with her head -wreathed by a superb tiara of brilliants, leaned on his arm; but so -solemnly severe was the brow of the Marquis and so brief his -greeting, though in the old style of Castilian courtesy, that he -riveted my whole attention. Besides, I was not a little indignant at -the unceremonious manner in which I had been brought before him, and -made a spectacle to his guests. - -"'Señor Don Christoval,' said I, 'for what am I brought--I may say -dragged--hither from my billet, after a tedious march, and after -having duly delivered over my detachment, according to my orders from -head-quarters?' - -"'Señor official,' replied the Marquis, with a look of grave -severity, 'you are charged with murdering two Spaniards, carrying off -twenty mules from La Guardia, and levying other contributions in the -partida.' - -"'Who dare to be my accusers?' I asked, thunder-struck at such a -charge. - -"'The alcalde of La Guardia, whose brother is one of the slain; and -Alonzo Perez, a master-muleteer of Fuentelfresno, whose mules you -carried off.' - -"'Marquis, on my honour as a British officer and gentleman, I deny -this.' - -"The Marquis smiled coldly, as he replied,-- - -"'To-morrow we will confront you with the worthy alcalde; and as for -the mules, the owner recognised them this morning, drawing your -waggons into Ciudad Real. Each animal has a private notch in its -ears.' - -"'Marquis, I beg to assure you----' - -"'Sir--no more. Here I cannot listen to explanations. I might place -a guard over you, but nevertheless consider yourself a prisoner, and -believe that any attempt to escape will be deemed but a proof of -guilt. Retain your sword--partake of our hospitality; and I hope, -señor, that the morrow will find you prepared to refute these dark -charges.' - -"He waved his hand with such an air as a Castilian noble could alone -assume, and with a lofty gait strode away: then in his daughter, who -swept on by his side, for the first time I recognised the young lady -I had rescued at La Guardia, the original of the portrait Darby had -found, and which at that moment I had upon my person. - -"Her large dark eyes dilated with astonishment, and then sparkled -with the recognition, which the punctilio of the place or her -father's pride and severity, together with my tatterdemalion aspect, -prevented her avowing; and thus, though I had saved her life--yea, -more than her life--at the risk of my own, this dazzling creature -passed away and left me, without a word of thanks or courtesy. - -"I do not remember that I felt either the alarm, horror, or -astonishment that might be supposed consequent to an accusation so -startling as murder and marauding. I can only account for this by -the deadness of feeling and of all sense of danger which results from -actual service and warfare. But there was one emotion which I felt -deeply--an angry pride; aware that I was an object of aversion and -suspicion to the gay guests of the Marquis, among whom the fat and -ferocious little town-major made himself very conspicuous in laying -down the Spanish military law on the enormities I had committed. The -hidalgos gazed at me indignantly through their eye-glasses; the -dark-eyed donnas peeped timidly through the openings of their veils, -and 'matador, borrachio, Inglese ladrone,' were the gentlest of the -epithets I heard muttered by many a pretty lip. My heart swelled -with rage, and instead of joining the dancers, or aiding in the -onslaught made upon the viands which covered the long tables of an -adjoining saloon, between lofty epergnes and vases of crystal and -silver, filled with summer flowers, I stood aloof with folded arms, -and felt the smarting of a wound received but a few months -before--and that wound was received for Spain, and on Spanish ground! - -"At a little distance I saw the Donna Estella whispering to her -father's aide-de-camp. A minute afterwards he approached me. - -"'Señor,' said he, 'if you will pardon the advice of a friend, I -beseech you to retire to your quarters, for all here view you with -hostile eyes; and, as a brave soldier, to whom my little cousin owes -(as she has told me) her life, I cannot afford to see you thus -misused. To-morrow, I hope, will see these clouds dispelled; -meantime, allow me to accompany you. I have here a spare apartment, -to which you are welcome.' - -"All places were alike to me; I accepted his offer with gratitude; -and, as we descended to the vestibule, the first person I met was -honest Darby Crogan, with his sword under his arm, and his keen grey -Irish eyes sparkling with rage; and he pushed the laced lacqueys -right and left. - -"'I have heard it all, sir,' said the brave fellow, who had been -anxious about me; 'and mighty hard it will go wid you. It was all -the doin' of that capthin of the Chaseers Britaneeks, who came out of -his own route into ours, ransacked La Guardia, and carried off the -mules (bad cess to them!). They were found with us, and the owner is -ready to swear by this and by that, and by everything else, that you -are the man, and these are his mules, as he knows by the holes -punched in their ears, and to these holes he is as ready to swear as -to his own two eyes.' - -"'True, Darby; but how is all this to be explained to these hostile -and obstinate Spaniards?' - -"'Kape your mind aisy, sir; there are four good hours till daybreak -yet, and if I don't astonish them thaving Dons, I am not Darby Crogan -of the 4th Dragoon Guards.' - -"On the terrace of the palace, which had anciently been the -head-quarters of that celebrated fraternity, the Santa Hermandad, -founded in 1249 for the suppression of robbers, I walked to and fro -for half an hour with the aide-de-camp, enjoying a cigar, talking of -the war, my own mishap, and longing to ask a few questions about his -dark-eyed cousin, with whom her miniature had made me so intimately -acquainted. The glorious moon was rolling through an unclouded -Spanish sky, pouring a flood of silver light into the Plaza and court -of the palace, on the towers of the great church, and the magnificent -hospital of Cardinal Lorenzana, the good and wise Archbishop of -Toledo. The gardens of the Marquis were all lighted up by the same -white radiance; the foliage of the citron trees was edged with silver -and laden with perfume; the rose-trees hung their dewy blossoms over -the marble fountains, the clear waters of which plashed and sparkled -in the moonlight. After a pause, I ventured to ask-- - -"'What is the name of the--the Marquis's daughter?' - -"'My cousin--la nina--Estella de la Zarza.' - -"'A pretty one enough; and she is about to change it, I presume?' - -"'Change it!' reiterated the Ayudante de Campo, who did not perceive -that I was fishing for a certain information. 'Oh! I see--marriage. -She is about to marry, Corpo de Baccho! yes, but our Spanish ladies -do not change their names when they marry.' - -"'And who is the happy man--yourself, señor?' - -"'Nay, nay--we Catholics cannot marry our cousins. Next week she is -to wed old Don José Gonzalez.' - -"'What! that old beer-barrel, the town-major?' - -"'Si, señor,' replied he, twirling his mustaches, with a doubtful -look: while I felt that I was beginning to abhor that town-major -immeasurably. - -"About eight o'clock next morning I saw sixteen Spanish officers in -full uniform, with their swords and belts, preceded by the said Don -José, marching in file through the court of the palace, at the -side-door of which they entered. A few minutes afterwards my friend, -the aide-de-camp, came to acquaint me, that "the court-martial, by -which I was to be tried, was constituted, and awaited me." Without -any futile protestation against the illegality and rapidity of this -measure, I followed him to a spacious apartment, having four large -windows, which opened clown to the floor, and overlooked a grass park -which lay behind the palace. The members of the court, over which -the town-major (who, from the first, had constituted himself my -deadly enemy) presided, were solemnly sworn across their swords; they -promised to administer justice according to the laws of war, and so -forth, and then the prosecution proceeded. - -"I was charged with murdering, or causing to be shot, two peasants; -robbery, in levying contributions; blasphemous sacrilege, in -destroying a statue of the Blessed Virgin. My horizon was now black -as it could be! I knew very little of the language. Save Crogan, -who remained beside me in court, I had not a friend or a comrade near -me; for the whole of my guard had marched for Belem four hours -before, while Maurice Quill, and the other sick officers, could -neither defend nor succour me. I perceived in a moment, that, as -Crogan said, I had been accused of outrages committed by les -Chasseurs Britanniques (who wore scarlet uniform); but I resolved, -that unless matters went hard with myself, not to criminate their -officer, who, by leaving his own proper route, and relaxing his -discipline, had become guilty of the acts for which I was that day to -suffer. The three principal witnesses against me were, the alcalde, -the muleteer, and a farmer from the partida of La Guardia. - -"The first--old, stupid, half-blind, and obstinate--swore to my face -that I was the officer who had ordered his dear brother Vincentio, -the abogado, to be shot on his own threshold, and another man to be -bayoneted. In vain I drew his attention to the Highland cap of the -71st, and to my tartan trews, assuring him that I was an Escoto. He -shook his head--I wore a red coat--I was the very man! - -"Then came the muleteer, a sturdy Catalonian, clad in a fur jacket -and yellow cotton breeches, wearing a broad sombrero, under which his -black hair hung in a red net. He, too, swore across his knife, that -I had carried off his train of mules, or at least, that at the -bayonet's point, my soldiers had done so, to travel more at their -ease. - -"'He did not see me, neither did he then see any waggons of sick, but -he knew his mules as well as if he had been the father of them, the -moment they appeared in the streets of la Ciudad Real.' - -"'You will swear to your mules, hombre?' - -"'By the marks in their ears, Don José, as readily as I would swear -to my own nose.' - -"'Lead forward some of those mules to the window, and let the witness -see them.' - -"An uproar of voices was heard in the park, and the witness, who went -to the window, uttered a cry of dismay. The ears of his twenty mules -had been shred off close by the bone! - -"'Morte de Dios!' growled the officers, twirling their mustaches; -'these Inglesos are devils!' - -"'It was murtherin cruel for the poor bastes,' whispered Darby -Crogan; 'but it was all to save your honour's life I cropped them; -and sure it is worth a bushel of mules' ears; for it was a good -bushel ov 'em I buried this blessed morning. The Lord reward Misther -Quill, for it was his best docthor's knife he lint me, to make -croppies of them all.' - -"The little Major Don José was bursting with wrath. - -"'Call the next witness,' he exclaimed, furiously. - -"A tall, powerfully-formed, and fair-complexioned man, who, contrary -to the Spanish custom, was closely shaven, now came forward, and -stated himself to be a farmer, or jardinero, at Mora and La Guardia. -He had a large patch on his cheek, and kept one hand constantly -thrust into the red and yellow sash which girt his waist. - -"Confronting me boldly and vindictively, with all the glare of hate a -cold grey eye can pour, he accused me of destroying for firewood a -statue of the Virgin at Mora, and swore to having seen the act -committed. A growl of anger followed his evidence; and I found that -shooting an alcalde's brother, and carrying off twenty mules, were -mere jokes, compared to this. I was startled by his voice, which, -assuredly, I had heard before--but where? What could be the origin -of a charge so false, so strange, as sacrilege? I turned to question -him, but he was at that moment ordered to withdraw. - -"'Señor Ayudante de Campo,' said Don José, 'read from the -RECOPILACION of the military penalties the first article.' - -"'El que blasfamare el santo nombre de Dios, de la Vergén ó de los -Santos, será immediamente preso y castigado por la primero vez con -la,' &c. - -"'Read the fourth article, concerning outrage to divine images, for -the prisoner has been alike sacrilegious and blasphemous.' - -"'El que con irreverencia y deliberation cannocida de desprecio ajare -de obra las sagradas imagenes, ornamentos ó cualquierro de las casas -dedicados al Divino culto, ó las hurtare, servá ahorcado,' &c. - -"'The plot thickens,' thought I. - -"In short, they sentenced me to be hanged. - -"The Marquis, as Governor of Ciudad Heal, dared to confirm this -unjust sentence, which he directed should be put in execution in the -Plaza, at eight o'clock on the following morning. - -"Far, far from aid and my comrades; wholly at the mercy of men, whose -hearts the cunning charge of the last witness had totally closed -against me; aware of the futility of denial and defiance, and the -hopelessness of rescue or escape, I sat in a grated room of the -public carcel, or gaol, of the town, almost stupefied by the -suddenness, the shame, and opprobrium of my impending fate. 'Poets -and painters,' says a certain writer, 'have ever made the estate of a -man condemned to die one of their favourite themes of comment or -description.' By heavens! I never met one of either which came -within a thousand degrees of the agony I endured that night at Ciudad -Real. I, a gentleman, a soldier, bearing on my person three wounds, -won on that accursed Spanish soil; innocent of all they alleged; -young, with a long life and rapid promotion before me, to be cut off -thus--strangled like a garotted villain--hanged like a dog, to glut -the noonday frenzy of a Spanish rabble! Horrible! I had often faced -death without shrinking; but now, like a coward's, my whole soul -shrunk from such a death as that which these Spaniards meted out to -me. - -"The night came on: I sat in darkness, revolving a myriad futile -plans of escape. I was to die to-morrow, and that conviction seemed -palpably before me. I heard it, saw it, felt it; there was a dull -sound humming in my ears--a tingling in my heart. I recollected, -with remorse and shame, how coldly, calmly, and unmoved I had seen -the provost-marshal's guard hang six soldiers on the retreat from -Burgos. I remembered their struggles, their agonies, and wondered -how they felt. I passed a hand over my throat, compressed it a -little, and shuddered. - -"And now, in the man who had accused me of sacrilege, I suddenly -remembered Barba Roxa, the robber, and the hand I had maimed was that -which he retained in his sash. - -"'Fool! fool! that I am,' I exclaimed, bitterly; 'where were my eyes, -my ears, my faculties, that knew him not before? This is his -revenge--his Spaniard's triumph.' - -"Even my friend, the aide-de-camp, seemed to have abandoned me; and -could it be that the pretty daughter of the Marquis had not pleaded, -or said one kind word to save the poor officer who had so freely -risked his life for hers? - -"All at once my stupor left me. I sprang to the bars of the window, -and from their solid sockets, madly strove to wrench them with a -tiger's strength. I felt every corner; the vast iron lock of the -door, the door itself moveless as a wall of adamant. Vain, vain! I -was to die to-morrow, and my swollen heart almost burst with emotion, -when I thought of my friends, my family, and my regiment, all -canvassing the various causes of a death so ignominious. - -"A face appeared suddenly at the window, which was raised. - -"'Don't be alarmed, yer honour, it's only me,' said a voice. - -"'Crogan--you!' I exclaimed, in the confusion of my thoughts; 'are -you not dead--in heaven?' - -"'In heaven--the Lord forbid! I'm here, standing on my two feet, not -that I think people there stand on their heads; but don't be spakin' -in that doleful way, sir, at all, for you must prepare to lave this -place in less than no time. Do you hear the knockin' of hammers? -It's them thavin' Spaniards puttin' up the dancin' post in the -Plaza--blazes take that same!' - -"'Leave this! Crogan; but how?' - -"'By the door, to be sure. It will be opened in ten minutes; and -horses are waitin' for the three of us, I hope, at the corner of the -sthreet.' - -"'The three of us, Darby?' - -"'Ay, sir, just the three of us; for isn't there a darlin' young lady -goin', too?--but I must be afther lookin' to the girths and straps of -our cattle.' - -"He was scarcely gone when the door of the room opened, and the -daughter of the Marquis stood before me, together with a man bearing -a light; and in that man I recognised the under carcelero, or turnkey. - -"'Oh! señora,' I exclaimed, my heart bounding with gratitude and joy, -'you have not forgotten me--or abandoned me to this cruel and -unmerited death.' - -"'Hush, señor; not a word of thanks or of transport, for that would -spoil all,' she replied, with calmness and decision. 'I do, indeed, -owe you a debt of gratitude; but the mention of that to my father, -and more than all to Don José----' - -"'Ah, you shudder at that name.' - -"'Would but accelerate your fate. I have bribed the carcelero,' she -whispered, 'and he will sleep sound. His deputy is about to join the -guerillas of the great Don Julian Sanchez, and for twenty dollars -will guide you to Madrid, sent by my cousin, the ayudante; your -horses are waiting at the corner of the Plaza. No more,' she added, -shortly, when I attempted to kiss her hand, which the thick folds of -her ample veil concealed. - -"In a minute we had left the detested prison-house, and crossed the -garden which lay between it and the Plaza. Again the glorious moon -was rolling in its silver splendour over Ciudad Heal; and as I gazed -on my fair companion, the interest I felt for her returned vividly, -and became stronger, as the moment approached when I should leave her -for ever. I saw her magnificent eyes sparkling through her veil. - -"'Señora,' said I, with hesitation, as our attendant, by hurrying on -before, had left us for one instant alone--'Señora,' I continued, -urged by a kind, a grateful, and a stronger impulse than I could at -that time analyse, 'though to remain here is remaining but to die, I -leave Ciudad Real with the most sincere sorrow.' - -"'And why?' - -"'Because I may never see you again.' - -"'But I also am going to Madrid--and this night, too.' - -"I remembered the words of Crogan; I knew alia Spanish love was -capable of; my heart leaped within me. - -"'Madrid!' I reiterated. - -"'With you and your brave dragoon. Ah, señor, do not refuse to -escort me. My father is bent on marrying me to Don José----' - -"'What!--that rascally old town-major? My dear señora, I beg you not -to think of it.' - -"'Ah! I have thought a great deal of it, and wept for it too.' - -"'Then,' said I, drawing my breath more freely, end seeing a prospect -of vengeance on the pot-bellied major, 'you do not love him?' - -"'Oh no; I hate, abhor, detest him; and to avoid him, am about to -retire to Madrid, where my aunt lives. She is reverend mother at our -Lady of Attocha. You know the great convent where the little Jesus -is that works the miracles, and looks so beautiful, a love of an -infant, on the altar of the Hundred Lamps. My aunt will save me from -this detested union if you, señor, will but afford me your escort. I -am friendless,' she continued, weeping; 'for such is the terror of my -father's name that there is not a man in Ciudad Real whom I can -trust. Yet I shall confide in your goodness; indeed I am sure--I -know--I think, I may. The British officer has a high sense of -chivalry 'and honour, but Ay de mi! el Espanol no tiene nada.' - -"'Madam,' said I, touched to the heart by the compliment, and her -confiding nature, 'trust to me, and while life remains, by heaven, -and that honour, I will see you safely to Madrid.' - -"Crogan, with three saddle-horses, stood at the gate. We mounted, -the fair Estella springing on her jennet, à la cavalier, in the -fashion of Old Castile. We left Ciudad Heal by the northern gate, -and then put our horses to their mettle, as we avoided the direct -route to Madrid, and struck off into the mountains towards Carrion de -Calatrava. - -"I might spin my story beyond the limits allotted to me, but surely -it requires no conjuror to guess the sequel! The interest begun by -the miniature, so fortunately found, the charming society, -confidence, and generous spirit of the original strengthened and -confirmed. In four days we reached Madrid, in four more we were -married in the convent chapel of Attocha. - -"The Marquis sent the Major Don José expressly to Wellington, -requesting him to hang and behead me. His grace declined to accede, -but the name of Captain ----, of Les Chasseurs Britanniques, was -struck out of the army-list. My head is still safe on my shoulders, -though somewhat powdered by time. Thanks to his Grace of Richmond, I -have got my medal with eight clasps, and La Señora Estella (now known -by another name) is, though somewhat old like myself, one of the -dearest and most affectionate wives in the world, and I crave a -bumper in her honour, gentlemen." - -Such was the story of our worthy major, whose toast I need scarcely -say was drunk with enthusiasm. - -Our doctor was the next, and like every one who has a story to tell -he had listened with considerable impatience to the adventures of the -major, and the moment his toast had been duly honoured and silence -was restored, he began his tale without further preface, and was then -followed by our rough old Highland quartermaster. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -A LEGEND OF FIFE. - -I can only give you an old Scottish story of the last century, with -the incidents of which I became familiar in my student days when -attending the ancient university of St. Andrew's, where I worked my -way manfully through the classes of chemistry, anatomy, and natural -philosophy; and felt as proud of my academic gown as I have done in -later years of my red coat and epaulettes, and perhaps as happy, too, -for some of the most joyous days, and certainly the most uproarious -nights of my past life, have been spent in the auld East Neuk of -Fife--God bless it! - -And now for my legend. - -It was a cold night in the March of the year 1708. The hour of ten -had tolled from the old Gothic collegiate church; beating on his -drum, the drummer in the livery of the burgh had proceeded from the -Market-cross to the ruins of St. David's Castle, and from thence to -the chapel of St. Rufus, and having made one long roll or flourish at -the point from whence his peregrination began, he adjourned to the -"Thane of Fife" to procure a dram, while the good folks of Crail -composed themselves for the night, and the barring of doors and -windows announced that those who were within had resolved to make -themselves comfortable and secure, while those unfortunate wights -that were without were likely to remain so. - -Hollowly the German Sea was booming on the rocks of the harbour; and -from its hazy surface a cold east wind swept over the flat, bleak -coast of Crail; a star peeped at times between the flying clouds, and -even the moon looked forth once, but immediately veiled her face -again, as if one glance at the iron shore and barren scenery, -unenlivened by hedge or tree, were quite enough to prevent her from -looking again. - -The town-drummer had received his dram and withdrawn, and Master -Spiggot, the gudeman or landlord of the Thane of Fife, the principal -tavern, and only inn or hostel in the burgh, was taking a last view -of the main street, and considering the propriety of closing for the -night. It was broad, spacious, and is still overlooked by many a -tall and gable-ended mansion, whose antique and massive aspect -announces that, like other Fifeshire burghs before the Union in the -preceding year, it had seen better days. Indeed, the house then -occupied by Master Spiggot himself, and from which his sign bearing -the panoplied Thane at full gallop on a caparisoned steed, swung -creaking in the night wind, was one of those ancient edifices, and in -former days had belonged to the provost of the adjoining kirk: but -this was (as Spiggot said), "in the auld-warld times o' the -Papistrie." - -The gudeman shook his white head solemnly and sadly, as he looked -down the empty thoroughfare. - -"There was a time," he muttered, and paused. - -Silent and desolate as any in the ruins of Thebes, the street was -half covered with weeds and rank grass that grew between the stones, -and Spiggot could see them waving in the dim starlight. - -Crail is an out-of-the-way place. It is without thoroughfare and -without trade; few leave it and still fewer think of going there, for -there one feels as if on the very verge of society; for even by day, -there reigns a monastic gloom, a desertion, a melancholy, a uniform -and voiceless silence, broken only by the croak of the gleds and the -cawing of the clamorous gulls nestling on the old church tower, while -the sea booms incessantly as it rolls on the rocky beach. - -But there was a time when it was otherwise; when the hum of commerce -rose around its sculptured cross, and there was a daily bustle in the -chambers of its Town-hall, for there a portly provost and bailies -with a battalion of seventeen corpulent councillors sat solemnly -deliberating on the affairs of the burgh, and swelling with a -municipal importance that was felt throughout the whole East Neuk of -Fife; for, in those days, the bearded Russ and red-haired Dane, the -Norwayer and the Hollander, laden with merchandise, furled their -sails in that deserted harbour where now scarcely a fisherboat is -seen; for on Crail, as on all its sister towns along the coast, fell -surely and heavily that decay of trade which succeeded the Union in -1707. - -On the sad changes a year had brought about, Spiggot pondered sadly, -and was only roused from his dreamy mood by the sudden apparition of -a traveller on horseback standing before him; for so long and so soft -was the grass of the street that his approach had been unheard by the -dreamer, whose mind was wandering after the departed glories of the -East Neuk. - -"A cold night, landlord, for such I take you to be," said the -stranger, in a bold and cheerful voice, as he dismounted. - -"A cauld night and a dreary too," sighed poor Boniface, as he bowed, -and hastened to seize the stranger's bridle, and buckled it to a ring -at tha door-cheek; "but the sicht of a visitor does gude to my heart; -step in, sir. A warm posset that was simmering in the parlour for -myself is at your service, and I'll set the stall-boy to corn your -beast and stable it." - -"I thank you, gudeman; but for unharnessing it matters not, as I must -ride onward; but I will take the posset with thanks, for I am chilled -to death by my long ride along this misty coast." - -Spiggot looked intently at the traveller as he stooped, and entering -the low-arched door which was surmounted by an old monastic legend, -trod into the bar with a heavy clanking stride, for he was accoutred -with jack boots and gilded spurs. His rocquelaure was of scarlet -cloth, warmly furred, and the long curls of his Ramilies wig flowed -over it. His beaver was looped upon three sides with something of a -military air, and one long white feather that adorned it, floated -down his back, for the dew was heavy on it. He was a handsome man, -about forty years of age, well sunburned, with a keen dark eye, and -close-clipped moustache, which indicated that he had served in -foreign wars. He threw his hat and long jewelled rapier aside, and -on removing his rocquelaure, discovered a white velvet coat more -richly covered with lace than any that Spiggot had seen even in the -palmiest days of Crail. - -According to the fashion of Queen Anne's courtiers, it was without a -collar, to display the long white cravat of point d'Espagne, without -cuffs, and edged from top to bottom with broad bars of lace, clasps -and buttons of silver the whole length; being compressed at the waist -by a very ornamental belt, fastened by a large gold buckle. - -"Your honour canna think of riding on to-night," urged Boniface; "and -if a Crail-capon done just to perfection, and a stoup of the best -wine, at least, siccan wine as we get by the east seas, since that -vile incorporating Union----" - -"Vile and damnable! say I," interrupted the stranger. - -"True for ye, sir," said Spiggot, with a kindling eye; "but if these -puir viands can induce ye to partake of the hospitality of my puir -hostel, that like our gude burrowtoun is no just what it has been----" - -"Gudeman, 'tis impossible, for I must ride so soon as I have imbibed -thy posset." - -"As ye please, sir--your honour's will be done. Our guests are now, -even as the visits of angels, unco few and far between; and thus, -when one comes, we are loath to part with him. There is a deep -pitfall, and an ugly gulleyhole where the burn crosses the road at -the town-head, and if ye miss the path, the rocks by the beach are -steep, and in a night like this----" - -"Host of mine," laughed the traveller, "I know right well every rood -of the way, and by keeping to the left near the Auldlees may avoid -both the blackpit and the sea-beach." - -"Your honour kens the country hereawa, then?" said Spiggot with -surprise. - -"Of old, perhaps, I knew it as well as thee." - -The gudeman of the Thane scrutinised the traveller's face keenly, but -failed to recognise him, and until this moment, he thought that no -man in the East Neuk was unknown to him; but here his inspection was -at fault. - -"And hast thou no visitors with thee now, friend host?" he asked of -Spiggot. - -"One only, gude sir, who came here on a brown horse about nightfall. -He is an unco' foreign-looking man, but has been asking the way to -the castle o' Balcomie." - -"Ha! and thou didst tell of this plaguey pitfall, I warrant." - -"Assuredly, your honour, in kindness I did but hint of it." - -"And thereupon he stayed. Balcomie--indeed! and what manner of man -is he?" - -"By the corslet which he wears under his coat, and the jaunty cock of -his beaver, I would say he had been a soldier." - -"Good again--give him my most humble commendations, and ask him to -share thy boasted posset of wine with me." - -"What name did you say, sir?" - -"Thou inquisitive varlet, I said no name," replied the gentleman, -with a smile. "In these times men do not lightly give their names to -each other, when the land is swarming with Jacobite plotters and -government spies, disguised Jesuits, and Presbyterian tyrants. I may -be the Devil or the Pope, for all thou knowest." - -"Might ye no be the Pretender?" said Spiggot, with a sour smile. - -"Nay, I have a better travelling name than that; but say to this -gentleman that the Major of Marshal Orkney's Dragoons requests the -pleasure of sharing a stoup of wine with him." - -"Sir, it mattereth little whether you give your name or no," replied -the host bitterly; "for we are a' nameless now. Twelve months ago, -we were true Scottish men, but now----" - -"Our king is an exile--our crown is buried for ever, and our brave -soldiers are banished to far and foreign wars, while the grass is -growing green in the streets of our capital--ay, green as it is at -this hour in your burgh of Crail; but, hence to the stranger; yet say -not," added the traveller, bitterly and proudly, "that in his warmth -the Scottish cavalier has betrayed himself." - -While the speaker amused himself with examining a printed -proclamation concerning the "Tiend Commissioners and Transplantation -off Paroch Kirkis," which was pasted over the stone mantlepiece of -the bar, the landlord returned with the foreign gentleman's thanks, -and an invitation to his chamber, whither the Major immediately -repaired; following the host up a narrow stone spiral stair to a -snugly-wainscotted room, against the well-grated windows of which a -sudden shower was now beginning to patter. - -The foreigner, who was supping on a Crail-capon (in other words a -broiled haddock) and stoup of Bourdeaux wine, arose at their -entrance, and bowed with an air that was undisguisedly continental. -He was a man above six feet, with a long straight nose, over which -his dark eyebrows met and formed one unbroken line. He wore a suit -of green Genoese velvet, so richly laced that little of the cloth was -visible; a full-bottomed wig, and a small corslet of the brightest -steel (over which hung the ends of his cravat), as well as a pair of -silver-mounted cavalry pistols that lay on the table, together with -his unmistakable bearing, decided the Major of Orkney's that the -stranger was a brother of the sword. - -"Fair sir, little introduction is necessary between us, as, I -believe, we have both followed the drum in our time," said the Major, -shaking the curls of his Ramilies wig with the air of a man who has -decided on what he says. - -"I have served, Monsieur," replied the foreigner, "under Marlborough -and Eugene." - -"Ah! in French Flanders? Landlord--gudeman, harkee; a double stoup -of this wine; I have found a comrade to-night--be quick and put my -horse to stall, I will not ride hence for an hour or so. What -regiment, sir?" - -"I was first under Grouvestein in the Horse of Driesberg." - -"Then you were on the left of the second column at Ramilies--on that -glorious 12th of May," said the Major, drawing the high-backed chair -which the host handed him, and spreading out his legs before the -fire, which burned merrily in the basket grate on the hearth, "and -latterly----" - -"Under Wandenberg." - -"Ah! an old tyrannical dog." - -A dark cloud gathered on the stranger's lofty brow. - -"I belonged to the Earl of Orkney's Grey Dragoons," said the Major; -"and remember old Wandenberg making a bold charge in that brilliant -onfall when we passed the lines of Monsieur le Mareschal Villars at -Pont-a-Vendin, and pushed on to the plains of Lens." - -"That was before we invested Doway and Fort-Escharpe, where old -Albergotti so ably commanded ten thousand well-beaten soldiers." - -"And then Villars drew off from his position at sunset and encamped -on the plain before Arras." - -"Thou forgettest, comrade, that previously he took up a position in -rear of Escharpe." - -"True; but now I am right into the very melée of those old affairs, -and the mind carries one on like a rocket. Your health, sir--by the -way, I am still ignorant of your name." - -"I have such very particular reasons for concealing it in this -neighbourhood, that----" - -"Do not think me inquisitive; in these times men should not pry too -closely." - -"Monsieur will pardon me, I hope." - -"No apology is necessary, save from myself, for now my curiosity is -thoroughly and most impertinently whetted, to find a Frenchman in -this part of the world, here in this out-o'-the-way place, where no -one comes to, and no one goes from, on a bleak promontory of the -German Sea, the East Neuk of Fife." - -"Monsieur will again excuse me; but I have most particular business -with a gentleman in this neighbourhood; and having travelled all the -way from Paris, expressly to have it settled, I beg that I may be -excused the pain of prevarication. The circumstance of my having -served under the great Duke of Marlborough against my own king and -countrymen is sufficiently explained when I acquaint you, that I was -then a French Protestant refugee; but now, without changing my -religion, I have King Louis' gracious pardon and kind protection -extended to me." - -"And so you were with Wandenberg when his troopers made that daring -onfall at Pont-a-Vendin, and drove back the horse picquets of -Villars," said the Major, to lead the conversation from a point which -evidently seemed unpleasant to the stranger. "'T was sharp, short, -and decisive, as all cavalry affairs should be. You will of course -remember that unpleasant affair of Wandenberg's troopers who were -accused of permitting a French prisoner to escape. It caused a great -excitement in the British camp, where some condemned the dragoons, -others Van Wandenberg, and not a few our great Marlborough himself." - -"I did hear something of it," said the stranger in a low voice. - -"The prisoner whose escape was permitted was, I believe, the father -of the youths who captured him, a circumstance which might at least -have won them mercy----" - -"From the Baron!" - -"I forgot me; he was indeed merciless." - -"But as I left his dragoons, and indeed the army about that time, I -shall be glad to hear your account of the affair." - -"It is a very unpleasant story; the more so as I was somewhat -concerned in it myself," said the Major, slowly filling his -long-stemmed glass, and watching the white worm in its stalk, so -intently as he recalled all the circumstances he was about to relate, -that he did not observe the face of the French gentleman, which was -pale as death; and after a short pause, he began as follows:-- - -"In the onfall at Pont-a-Vendin, it happened that two young Frenchmen -who served as gentlemen volunteers with you in the dragoon regiment -of Van Wandenberg, had permitted--how, or why, I pretend not to -say--the escape of a certain prisoner of distinction. Some said he -was no other than M. le Mareschal Villars himself. They claimed a -court-martial, but the old baron, who was a savage-hearted Dutchman, -insisted that they should be given up unconditionally to his own -mercy, and in an evil moment of heedlessness or haste, Marlborough -consented, and sent me (I was his aide-de-camp) with a written order -to that effect, addressed to Colonel the Baron Van Wandenberg, whose -regiment of horse I met 'en route' for St. Venant, about nightfall on -a cold and snowy evening in the month of November. - -"Snow covered the whole country, which was all a dead level, and a -cold, leaden-coloured sky met the white horizon in one unbroken line, -save where the leafless poplars of some far-off village stood up, the -landmarks of the plain. In broad flakes the snow fell fast, and -directing their march by a distant spire, the Dutch troopers rode -slowly over the deepening fields. They were all muffled in dark blue -cloaks, on the capes of which the snow was freezing, while the breath -of the men and horses curled like steam in the thickening and -darkening air. - -"Muffled to the nose in a well-furred rocquelaure, with my wig tied -to keep the snow from its curls, and my hat flapped over my face, I -rode as fast as the deep snow would permit, and passing the rear of -the column where, moody and disarmed, the two poor French volunteers -were riding under care of an escort I spurred to the baron who rode -in front near the kettle drums, and delivered my order; as I did so, -recalling with sadness the anxious and wistful glance given me by the -prisoners as I passed them. - -"Wandenberg, who had no more shape than a huge hogshead, received the -dispatch with a growl of satisfaction. He would have bowed, but his -neck was too short. I cannot but laugh when I remember his strange -aspect. In form he looked nearly as broad as he was long, being -nearly eight feet in girth, and completely enveloped in a rough blue -rocquelaure, which imparted to his figure the roundness of a ball. -His face, reddened by skiedam and the frost, was glowing like -crimson, while the broad beaver hat that overshadowed it, and the -feathers with which the beaver was edged, were encrusted with the -snow that was rapidly forming a pyramid on its crown, imparting to -his whole aspect a drollery at which I could have laughed heartily, -had not his well-known acuteness and ferocity awed me into a becoming -gravity of demeanour; and delivering my dispatch with a tolerably -good grace, I reined back my horse to await any reply he might be -pleased to send the Duke. - -"His dull Dutch eyes glared with sudden anger and triumph, as he -folded the document, and surveyed the manacled prisoners. Thereafter -he seized his speaking trumpet, and thundered out,-- - -"'Ruyters--halt! form open column of troops, trot!' - -"It was done as rapidly as heavily-armed Dutchmen on fat slow horses -knee deep among snow could perform it, and then wheeling them into -line, he gave the orders-- - -"'Forward the flanks, form circle, sling musquetoons! trumpeters ride -to the centre and dismount.' - -"By these unexpected manoeuvres, I suddenly found myself inclosed in -a hollow circle of the Dutch horsemen, and thus, as it were, -compelled to become a spectator of the scene that ensued, though I -had his Grace of Marlborough's urgent orders to rejoin him without -delay on the road to Aire." - -"And--and you saw----" - -"Such a specimen of discipline as neither the devil nor De Martinet -ever dreamed of; but thoroughly Dutch, I warrant you. - -"I have said it was intensely cold, and that the night was closing; -but the whiteness of the snow that covered the vast plain, with the -broad red circle of the half-obscured moon that glimmered through the -fast-falling flakes, as it rose behind a distant spire, cast a dim -light upon the place where the Dutchmen halted. But deeming that -insufficient, Van Wandenberg ordered half-a-dozen torches to be -lighted, for his troopers always had such things with them, being -useful by night for various purposes; and hissing and sputtering in -the falling snow flakes, their lurid and fitful glare was thrown on -the close array of the Dutch dragoons, on their great cumbrous hats, -on the steeple crowns of which, I have said, the snow was gathering -in cones, and the pale features of the two prisoners, altogether -imparting a wild, unearthly, and terrible effect to the scene about -to be enacted on that wide and desolate moor. - -"By order of Van Wandenberg, three halberts were fixed into the -frozen earth, with their points bound together by a thong, after -which the dismounted trumpeters layed hands on one of the young -Frenchmen, whom they proceeded to strip of his coat and vest. - -"Disarmed and surrounded, aware of the utter futility of resistance, -the unfortunate volunteer offered none, but gazed wistfully and -imploringly at me, and sure I am, that in my lowering brow and -kindling eyes, he must have seen the storm that was gathering in my -heart. - -"'Dieu vous bénisse, Officier,' cried the Frenchman in a mournful -voice, while shuddering with cold and horror as he was stripped to -his shirt; 'save me from this foul disgrace, and my prayers--yea, my -life--shall be for ever at your disposal.' - -"'Good comrade,' said I, 'entreat me not, for here I am powerless.' - -"'Baron,' he exclaimed; 'I am a gentleman--a gentleman of old France, -and I dare thee to lay thy damnable scourge upon me.' - -"'Ach Gott; dare--do you say dare? ve vill zee,' laughed Van -Wandenberg, as the prisoner was dragged forward and about to be -forcibly trussed to the halberts by the trumpeters, when, animated to -the very verge of insanity, he suddenly freed himself, and rushing -like a madman upon the Baron, struck him from his horse by one blow -of his clenched hand. The horse snorted, the Dutch troopers opened -their saucer eyes wider still, as the great and corpulent mass fell -heavily among the deepening snow, and in an instant the foot of the -Frenchman was pressed upon his throat, while he exclaimed-- - -"'If I slay thee, thou hireling dog, as I have often slain thy -clodpated countryman in other days,' and the Frenchman laughed -fiercely, 'by St. Denis! I shall have one foeman less on this side -of Hell.' - -"'Gott in Himmel! ach! mein tuyvel! mein Gott!' gasped the Dutchman, -as he floundered beneath the heel of the vengeful and infuriated -Frenchman, who was determined on destroying him, till a blow from the -baton of an officer stretched him almost senseless among the snow, -where he was immediately grasped by the trumpeters, disrobed of his -last remaining garment, and bound strongly to the halberts. - -"Meanwhile the other prisoner had been pinioned and resolutely held -by his escort, otherwise he would undoubtedly have fallen also upon -Van Wandenberg, who, choking with a tempest of passion that was too -great to find utterance in words, had gathered up his rotund figure, -and with an agility wonderful in a man of his years and vast obesity, -so heavily armed, in a buff coat and jack boots ribbed with iron, a -heavy sword and cloak, clambered on the back of his horse, as a clown -would climb up a wall: and with a visage alternating between purple -and blue, by the effects of rage and strangulation, he surveyed the -prisoner for a moment in silence, and there gleamed in his piggish -grey eyes an expression of fury and pain, bitterness and triumph -combined, and he was only able to articulate one word-- - -"'Flog!' - -"On the handsome young Frenchman's dark curly hair, glistening with -the whitening snow that fell upon it, and on his tender skin -reddening in the frosty atmosphere, on the swelling muscles of his -athletic form, on a half healed sabre-wound, and on the lineaments of -a face that then expressed the extremity of mental agony, fell full -the wavering light of the uplifted torches. The Dutch, accustomed to -every species of extra-judicial cruelty by sea and land, looked on -with the most grave stolidity and apathetic indifference; while I -felt an astonishment and indignation that rapidly gave place to -undisguised horror. - -"'Flog!' - -"The other prisoner uttered a groan that seemed to come from his very -heart, and then covered his ears and eyes with his hands. Wielded by -a muscular trumpeter, an immense scourge of many-knotted cords was -brought down with one fell sweep on the white back of the victim, and -nine livid bars, each red, as if seared by a hot iron, rose under the -infliction, and again the terrible instrument was reared by the -trumpeter at the full stretch of his sinewy arm. - -"Monsieur will be aware, that until the late Revolution of 1688, this -kind of punishment was unknown here and elsewhere, save in Holland; -and though I have seen soldiers run the gauntlet, ride the mare, and -beaten by the martinets, I shall never oh, no! never forget the -sensation of horror with which this (to me) new punishment of the -poor Frenchman inspired me; and, sure I am, that our great Duke of -Marlborough could in no way have anticipated it. - -"Accustomed, as I have said, to every kind of cruel severity, unmoved -and stoically the Dutch looked on, with their grey, lacklustre eyes, -dull, unmeaning, and passionless in their stolidity, contrasting -strongly with the expression of startled horror depicted in the -strained eyeballs and bent brows of the victim's brother, when after -a time he dared to look on this revolting punishment. Save an -ill-repressed sob, or half-muttered interjection from the suffering -man, no other sound broke the stillness of the place, where a -thousand horsemen stood in close order, but the sputtering of the -torches in the red light of which our breaths were ascending like -steam. Yes! there was one other sound, and it was a horrible -one--the monotonous whiz of the scourge, as it cut the keen frosty -air and descended on the lacerated back of the fainting prisoner. -Sir, I see that my story disturbs you. - -"A corpulent Provost Mareschal, with a pair of enormous moustaches, -amid which the mouth of his meerschaum was inserted, stood by, -smoking with admirable coolness, and marking the time with his cane, -while a drummer tapped on his kettledrum, and four trumpeters had, -each in succession, given their twenty-five lashes and withdrawn; -twice had the knotted scourge been coagulated with blood, and twice -had it been washed in the snow which now rose high around the feet of -our champing and impatient horses; and now the fifth torturer -approached, but still the compressed lips and clammy tongue of the -proud Frenchman refused to implore mercy. His head was bowed down on -his breast, his body hung pendant from the cords that encircled his -swollen and livid wrists; his back from neck to waist was one mass of -lacerated flesh, on which the feathery snowflakes were melting; for -the agony he endured must have been like unto a stream of molten lead -pouring over him; but no groan, no entreaty escaped him, and still -the barbarous punishment proceeded. - -"I have remarked that there is no event too horrible or too sad to be -without a little of the ridiculous in it, and this was discernible -here. - -"One trumpeter, who appeared to have more humanity, or perhaps less -skill than his predecessors, and did not exert himself sufficiently, -was soundly beaten by the rattan of the trumpet-major, while the -latter was castigated by the Provost Mareschal, who, in turn for -remissness of duty, received sundry blows from the speaking-trumpet -of the Baron; so they were all laying soundly on each other for a -time." - -"Morbleu!" said the Frenchman, with a grim smile, "'t was quite in -the Dutch taste, that." - -"The Provost Mareschal continued to mark the time with the listless -apathy of an automaton; the smoke curled from his meerschaum, the -drum continued to tap-tap-tap, until it seemed to sound like thunder -to my strained ears, for every sense was painfully excited. All -count had long been lost, but when several hundred lashes had been -given, Van Wandenberg and half his Dutchmen were asleep in their -saddles. - -"It was now snowing thick and fast, but still this hideous dream -continued, and still the scourging went on. - -"At last the altered sound of the lash and the terrible aspect of the -victim, who, after giving one or two convulsive shudders, threw back -his head with glazed eyes and jaw relaxed, caused the trumpeter to -recede a pace or two, and throw down his gory scourge, for some -lingering sentiment of humanity, which even the Dutch discipline of -King William had not extinguished, made him respect when dead the man -whom he had dishonoured when alive. - -"The young Frenchman was dead! - -"An exclamation of disgust and indignation that escaped me woke up -the Baron, who after drinking deeply from a great pewter flask of -skiedam that hung at his saddlebow, muttered "schelms" several times, -rubbed his eyes, and then bellowed through his trumpet to bind up the -other prisoner. Human endurance could stand this no more, and though -I deemed the offer vain, I proposed to give a hundred English guineas -as ransom. - -"'Ach Gott!' said the greedy Hollander immediately becoming -interested; "but vere you get zo mosh guilder?' - -"'Oh, readily, Mynheer Baron,' I replied, drawing forth my -pocket-book, 'I have here bills on his Grace the Duke of -Maryborough's paymaster and on the Bank of Amsterdam for much more -than that.' - -"'Bot I cannot led off de brisoner for zo little--hunder ponds--dat -ver small--zay two.' - -"If one is not enough, Mynheer Baron, I will refer to the decision of -his grace the captain-general.' - -"'Ach, der tuyvel! vill you?' said the Dutchman, with a savage gleam -in his little eyes which showed that he quite understood my hint, -'vell, me vont quarrel vid you; gib me de bills and de schelm is -yours.' - -"Resolving, nevertheless, to lay the whole affair before Marlborough, -the moment I reached our trenches at Aire, I gave a bill for the -required sum, and approaching the other Frenchman requested him to -remain beside me; but he seemed too much confused by grief, and cold, -and horror to comprehend what I said. Poor fellow! his whole soul -and sympathies seemed absorbed in the mangled corpse of his brother, -which was now unbound from the halberts and lay half sunk among the -new-fallen snow. While he stooped over it, and hastily, but -tenderly, proceeded to draw the half-frozen clothing upon the -stiffened form, the orders of Van Wandenberg were heard hoarsely -through his speaking-trumpet, as they rang over the desolate plain, -and his troopers wheeled back from a circle into line--from line into -open column of troops, and thereafter the torches were extinguished -and the march begun. Slowly and solemnly the dragoons glided away -into the darkness, each with a pyramid of snow rising from the -steeple crown and ample brims of his broad beaver hat. - -"It was now almost midnight; the red moon had waned, the snow-storm -was increasing, and there were I and the young Frenchman, with his -brother's corpse, left together on the wide plain, without a place to -shelter us." - -"Proceed, Monsieur," said the Frenchman, as the narrator paused; "for -I am well aware that your story ends not there." - -"It does not--you seem interested; but I have little more to relate, -save that I dismounted and assisted the poor Frenchman to raise the -body from the snow, and to tie it across the saddle of my horse, -taking the bridle in one hand, I supported him with the other, and -thus we proceeded to the nearest town." - -"To Amientieres on the Lys," exclaimed the Frenchman, seizing the -hands of the Major as the latter paused again; "to Armentieres, ten -miles west of Lisle, and there you left them, after adding to your -generosity by bestowing sufficient to inter his brother in the -Protestant church of that town, and to convey himself to his native -France. Oh! Monsieur, I am that Frenchman, and here, from my heart, -from my soul, I thank you," and half kneeling, the stranger kissed -the hand of the Major. - -"You!" exclaimed the latter; "by Jove I am right glad to see you. -Here at Crail, too, in the East Neuk o' Fife--'t is a strange chance; -and what in heaven's name seek ye here? 'T is a perilous time for a -foreigner--still more, a Frenchman, to tread on Scottish ground. The -war, the intrigues with St. Germains, the Popish plots, and the devil -only knows what more, make travelling here more than a little -dangerous." - -"Monsieur, I know all that; the days are changed since the Scot was -at home in France, and the Frenchman at home in Scotland, for so the -old laws of Stuart and Bourbon made them. A few words will tell who -I am, and what I seek here. Excuse my reluctance to reveal myself -before, for now you have a claim upon me. Oh! believe me, I knew not -that I addressed the generous chevalier who, in that hour of despair, -redeemed my life (and more than my life), my honour, from the -scourge, and enabled me to lay the head of my poor brother with -reverence in the grave. You have heard of M. Henri Lemercier?" - -"What! the great swordsman and fencer--that noble master of the -science of defence, with the fame of whose skill and valour all -Europe is ringing?" - -"I am he of whom Monsieur is pleased to speak so highly." - -"Your hand again, sir; zounds; but I dearly love this gallant science -myself, and have even won me a little name as a handler of the -rapier. There is but one man whom Europe calls your equal, Monsieur -Lemercier." - -"My superior, you mean, for I have many equals," replied the -Frenchman, modestly. "You, doubtless, mean----" - -"Sir William Hope, of Hopetoun." - -"Ah! Mon Dieu, yes, he has indeed a great name in Europe as a fencer -and master of arms, either with double or single falchion, case of -falchions, back-sword and dagger, pistol or quarter staff; and it is -the fame of his skill and prowess in these weapons, and the -reputation he has earned by his books on fencing, that hath brought -me to-day to this remote part of Scotland." - -"Zounds!" said the Major, shaking back the long powdered curls of his -Ramilies wig, and looking remarkably grave; "you cannot mean to have -a bout with Sir William. He hath a sure hand and a steady eye; I -would rather stand a platoon than be once covered by his pistol." - -"Monsieur, I have no enmity to this Sir William Hope, nor am I -envious of his great name as a fencer. Ma foi! the world is quite -wide enough for us both; but here lies my secret. I love -Mademoiselle Athalie, the niece of Madame de Livry----" - -"How--the old flame of the great Louis!" - -"Oui," said Lemercier, smiling; "and many say that Athalie bears a -somewhat suspicious resemblance to her aunt's royal lover; but that -is no business of mine; she loves me very dearly, and is very good -and amiable. Diable! I am well content to take her and her thirty -thousand louis-d'or without making any troublesome inquiries. It -would seem that my dear little Athalie is immensely vain of my -reputation as a master of fence, and having heard that this Scottish -Chevalier is esteemed the first man of the sword in Britain, and -further, that report asserts he slew her brother in the line of -battle at Blenheim, fighting bravely for a standard, she declared -that ere her hand was mine, I must measure swords with this Sir -William, and dip this, her handkerchief, in his blood in token of his -defeat, and of my conquest." - -"A very pretty idea of Mademoiselle Athalie, and I doubt not Hopetoun -will be overwhelmed by the obligation when he hears of it," said the -Major of Orkney's, whose face brightened with a broad laugh, "and so -much would I love to see two such brisk fellows as thou and he yoked -together, at cut-and-thrust, that if permitted, I will rejoice in -bearing the message of M. Lemercier to Sir William, whose Castle of -Balcomie is close by here." - -"Having no friend with me, I accept your offer with a thousand -thanks," said Lemercier. - -"Sir William did indeed slay an officer, as you have said, in that -charge at Blenheim, where the regiment of the Marquis de Livry were -cut to pieces by Orkney's Scots' Greys; but to be so good and -amiable, and to love you so much withal, Mademoiselle Athalie must be -a brisk dame to urge her favoured Chevalier on a venture so -desperate; for mark me, Monsieur Lemercier," said the Major, -impressively, "none can know better than I the skill--the long and -carefully-studied skill--of Sir William of Hopetoun, and permit me to -warn you----" - -"It matters not--I must fight him; love, honour, and rivalry, too, if -you will have it so, all spur me on, and no time must be lost." - -"Enough; I should have been in my stirrups an hour ago; and dark -though the night be, I will ride to Balcomie with your message." - -"A million of thanks--you will choose time and place for me." - -"Say, to-morrow, at sunrise; be thou at the Standing-stone of -Sauchope; 't is a tall, rough block, in the fields near the Castle of -Balcomie, and doubt not but Sir William will meet thee there." - -"Thanks, thanks," again said the Frenchman, pressing the hand of the -Major, who, apparently delighted at the prospect of witnessing such -an encounter between the two most renowned swordsmen in Europe, drank -off his stoup of wine, muffled himself in his rocquelaure, and with -his little cocked hat stuck jauntily on one side of the Ramilies wig, -left the apartment, and demanded his horse and the reckoning. - -"Then your honour will be fulehardy, and tempt Providence," said the -landlord. - -"Nay, gudeman, but you cannot tempt me to stay just now. I ride only -through the town to Balcomie, and will return anon. The Hopetoun -family are there, I believe?" - -"Yes; but saving my lady at the preachings, we see little o' them; -for Sir William has bidden at Edinburgh, or elsewhere, since his -English gold coft the auld tower from the Balcomies of that Ilk, the -year before the weary Union, devil mend it!" - -"Amen, say I; and what callest thou English gold?" - -"The doolfu' compensation, o' whilk men say he had his share." - -"Man, thou liest, and they who say so lie! for to the last moment his -voice was raised against that traitorous measure of Queensbury and -Stair, and now every energy of his soul is bent to its undoing!" -replied the Major, fiercely, as he put spurs to his horse, and rode -rapidly down the dark and then grassy street, at the end of which the -clank of his horse's hoofs died away, as he diverged upon the open -ground that lay northward of the town, and by which he had to -approach the tower of Balcomie. - -The Frenchman remained long buried in thought, and as he sipped his -wine, gazed dreamily on the changing embers that glowed on the -hearth, and cast a warm light on the blue delft lining of the -fireplace. The reminiscences of the war in Flanders had called up -many a sad and many a bitter recollection. - -"I would rather," thought he, "that the man I am to encounter -to-morrow was not a Scot, for the kindness of to-night, and of that -terrible night in the snow-clad plain of Arras, inspire me with a -warm love for all the people of this land. But my promise must be -redeemed, my adventure achieved, or thou, my dear, my rash Athalie, -art lost to me!" and he paused to gaze with earnestness upon a jewel -that glittered on his hand. It was a hair ring, bound with gold, and -a little shield bearing initials, clasped the small brown tress that -was so ingeniously woven round it. - -As he gazed on the trinket, his full dark eyes brightened for a -moment, as the mild memories of love and fondness rose in his heart, -and a bright smile played upon his haughty lip and lofty brow. Other -thoughts arose, and the eyebrows that almost met over the straight -Grecian nose of Lemercier, were knit as he recalled the ominous words -of his recent acquaintance-- - -"Mademoiselle Athalie must be a brisk dame to urge her favoured -Chevalier on a venture so desperate." - -One bitter pang shot through his heart, but he thrust the thought -aside, and pressed the ring to his lips. - -"Oh, Athalie," he said, in a low voice, "I were worse than a villain -to suspect thee." - -At that moment midnight tolled from the dull old bell of Crail, and -the strangeness of the sound brought keenly home to the lonely heart -of Lemercier that he was in a foreign land. - -The hour passed, but the Major did not return. - -Morning came. - -With gray dawn Lemercier was awake, and a few minutes found him -dressed and ready. He attired himself with particular care, putting -on a coat and vest, the embroidery of which presented as few -conspicuous marks as possible to an antagonist's eye. He clasped his -coat from the cravat to the waist, and compressed his embroidered -belt. He adjusted his white silk roll-up stockings with great -exactness; tied up the flowing curls of his wig with a white ribbon, -placed a scarlet feather in his hat, and then took his sword. The -edge and point of the blade, the shell and pommel, grasp and guard of -the hilt were all examined with scrupulous care for the last time; he -drew on his gloves with care, and giving to the landlord the -reckoning, which he might never return to pay, Lemercier called for -his horse and rode through the main street of Crail. - -Following the directions he had received from his host, he hastily -quitted the deserted and grass-grown street of the burgh (the very -aspect of which he feared would chill him), and proceeded towards the -ancient obelisk, still known as the "Standing Stone of Sauchope," -which had been named as the place of rendezvous by that messenger who -had not returned, and against whom M. Lemercier felt his anger a -little excited. - -It was a cool March morning, the sky was clear and blue, and the few -silver clouds that floated through it became edged with gold as the -sun rose from his bed in the eastern sea--that burnished sea from -which the cool fresh breeze swept over the level coast. The fields -were assuming a vernal greenness, the buds were swelling on hedge and -tree, and the vegetation of the summer that was to come--the summer -that Lemercier might never see--was springing from amid the brown -remains of the autumn that had gone, an autumn that he had passed -with Athalie amid the gaieties and gardens of Paris and Versailles. - -At the distance of a mile he saw the strong square tower of Balcomie, -the residence of his antagonist. One side was involved in shadow, -the other shone redly in the rising sun, and the morning smoke from -its broad chimneys curled in dusky columns into the blue sky. The -caw of the rooks that followed the plough, whose shining share turned -up the aromatic soil, the merry whistle of the bonneted plough-boys, -the voices of the blackbird and the mavis, made him sad, and pleased -was Lemercier to leave behind him all such sounds of life, and reach -the wild and solitary place where the obelisk stood--a grim and -time-worn relic of the Druid ages or the Danish wars. A rough -mis-shapen remnant of antiquity, it still remains to mark the scene -of this hostile meeting, which yet forms one of the most famous -traditions of the East Neuk. - -As Lemercier rode up, he perceived a gentleman standing near the -stone. His back was towards him, and he was apparently intent on -caressing his charger, whose reins he had thrown negligently over his -arm. - -Lemercier thought he recognised the hat, edged with white feathers, -the full-bottomed wig, and the peculiar lacing of the white velvet -coat, and on the stranger turning he immediately knew his friend of -the preceding night. - -"Bon jour, my dear sir," said Lemercier - -"A good morning." replied the other, and they politely raised their -little cocked hats. - -"I had some misgivings when monsieur did not return to me," said the -Frenchman. "Sir William has accepted my challenge?" - -"Yes, monsieur, and is now before you," replied the other, springing -on horseback. "I am Sir William Hope, of Hopetoun, and am here at -your service." - -"You!" exclaimed the Frenchman, in tones of blended astonishment and -grief. "Ah! unsay what you have said. I cannot point my sword -against the breast of my best benefactor--against him to whom I owe -both honour and life. Can I forget that night on the plains of -Arras? Ah, my God! what a mistake: what a misfortune. Ah, Athalie! -to what have you so unthinkingly urged me?" - -"Think of her only, and forget all of me, save that I am your -antagonist, your enemy, as I stand between thee and her. Come on, M. -Lemercier, do not forget your promise to mademoiselle; we will -sheathe our swords on the first blood drawn." - -"So be it then, if the first is thine," and unsheathing their long -and keen-edged rapiers, they put spurs to their horses, and closing -up hand to hand, engaged with admirable skill and address. - -The skill of one swordsman seemed equalled only by that of the other. - -Lemercier was the first fencer at the Court of France, where fencing -was an accomplishment known to all, and there was no man in Britain -equal to Sir William Hope, whose "Complete Fencing Master" was long -famous among the lovers of the noble science of defence. - -They rode round each other in circles. Warily and sternly they began -to watch each other's eyes, till they flashed in unison with their -blades; their hearts beat quicker as their passions became excited -and their rivalry roused; and their nerves became strung as the hope -of conquest was whetted. The wish of merely being wounded ended in a -desire to wound; and the desire to wound in a clamorous anxiety to -vanquish and destroy. Save the incessant clash of the notched -rapiers, as each deadly thrust was adroitly parried and furiously -repeated, the straining of stirrup-leathers, as each fencer swayed to -and fro in his saddle, their suppressed breathing, and the champing -of iron bits, Lemercier and his foe saw nothing but the gleam, and -heard nothing but the clash of each other's glittering swords. - -The sun came up in his glory from the shining ocean; the mavis soared -above them in the blue sky; the early flowers of spring were -unfolding their dewy cups to the growing warmth, but still man fought -with man, and the hatred in their hearts waxed fierce and strong. - -In many places their richly-laced coats were cut and torn. One lost -his hat, and had received a severe scar on the forehead, and the -other had one on his bridle hand. They often paused breathlessly, -and in weariness lowered the points of their weapons to glare upon -each other with a ferocity that could have no end but death--until at -the sixth encounter, when Lemercier became exhausted, and failing to -parry with sufficient force a fierce and furious thrust, was run -through the breast so near the heart, that he fell from his horse -gasping and weltering in blood. - -Sir William Hope flung away his rapier and sprang to his assistance, -but the unfortunate Frenchman could only draw from his finger the -ring of Athalie, and with her name on his lips expired--being -actually choked in his own blood. - -Such was the account of this combat given by the horrified Master -Spiggot, who, suspecting "that there was something wrong," had -followed his guest to the scene of the encounter, the memory of which -is still preserved in the noble house of Hopetoun, and the legends of -the burghers of Crail. - -So died Lemercier. - -Of what Sir William said or thought on the occasion, we have no -record. In the good old times he would have eased his conscience by -the endowment of an altar, or foundation of a yearly mass; but in the -year 1708 such things had long been a dead letter in the East Neuk; -and so in lieu thereof, he interred him honourably in the aisle of -the ancient kirk, where a marble tablet long marked the place of his -repose. - -Sir William did more; he carefully transmitted the ring of Lemercier -to the bereaved Athalie, but before its arrival in Paris she had -dried her tears for the poor chevalier, and wedded one of his -numerous rivals. Thus, she forgot him sooner than his conqueror, who -reached a good old age, and died at his castle of Balcomie, with his -last breath regretting the combat of that morning at the Standing -Stone of Sauchope. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -THE PHANTOM REGIMENT--THE QUARTERMASTER'S STORY. - -Though the continued march of intellect and education have nearly -obliterated from the mind of the Scots a belief in the marvellous, -still a love of the supernatural lingers among the more mountainous -districts of the northern kingdom; for "the Schoolmaster" finds it no -easy task, even when aided by all the light of science, to uproot the -prejudices of more than two thousand years. - -I was born in Strathnairn, about the year 1802, and, on the death of -my mother, was given, when an infant, to the wife of a cotter to -nurse. With these good people I remained for some years, and thus -became cognizant of the facts I am about to relate. - -There was a little romance connected with my old nurse Meinie and her -gudeman. - -In their younger days they had been lovers--lovers as a boy and -girl--but were separated by poverty, and then Ewen Mac Ewen enlisted -as a soldier, in the 26th or Cameronian Regiment, with which he saw -some sharp service in the West Indies and America. The light-hearted -young highlander became, in time, a grave, stern, and morose soldier, -with the most rigid ideas of religious deportment and propriety: for -this distinguished Scottish regiment was of Puritan origin, being one -of those raised among the Westland Covenanters, after the deposition -of king James VII. by the Estates of Scotland. England surrendered -to William of Orange without striking a blow; but the defence of -Dunkeld, and the victorious battle of Killycrankie, ended the -northern campaign, in which the noble Dundee was slain, and the army -of the cavaliers dispersed. The Cameronian Regiment introduced their -sectarian forms, their rigorous discipline, and plain mode of public -worship into their own ranks, and so strict was their code of morals, -that even the Non-jurors and Jacobins admitted the excellence and -stern propriety of their bearing. They left the Scottish Service for -the British, at the Union, in 1707, but still wear on their -appointments the five-pointed star, which was the armorial bearing of -the colonel who embodied them; and, moreover, retain the privilege of -supplying their own regimental Bibles. - -After many years of hard fighting in the old 26th, and after carrying -a halbert in the kilted regiment of the Isles, Ewen Mac Ewen returned -home to his native place, the great plain of Moray, a graver, and, in -bearing, a sadder man than when he left it. - -His first inquiry was for Meinie. - -She had married a rival of his, twenty years ago. - -"God's will be done," sighed Ewen, as he lifted his bonnet, and -looked upwards. - -He built himself a little cottage, in the old highland fashion, in -his native strath, at a sunny spot, where the Uisc Nairn--the Water -of Alders--flowed in front, and a wooded hill arose behind. He hung -his knapsack above the fireplace; deposited his old and sorely -thumbed regimental Bible (with the Cameronian star on its boards,) -and the tin case containing his colonel's letter recommending him to -the minister, and the discharge, which gave sixpence per diem as the -reward of sixteen battles--all on the shelf of the little window, -which contained three panes of glass, with a yoke in the centre of -each, and there he settled himself down in peace, to plant his own -kail, knit his own hose, and to make his own kilts, a grave and -thoughtful but contented old fellow, awaiting the time, as he said, -"when the Lord would call him away." - -Now it chanced that a poor widow, with several children, built -herself a little thatched house on the opposite side of the drove -road--an old Fingalian path--which ascended the pastoral glen; and -the ready-handed veteran lent his aid to thatch it, and to sling her -kail-pot on the cruicks, and was wont thereafter to drop in of an -evening to smoke his pipe, to tell old stories of the storming of -Ticonderago, and to ask her little ones the catechism and biblical -questions. Within a week or so, he discovered that the widow was -Meinie--the ripe, blooming Meinie of other years--an old, a faded, -and a sad-eyed woman now; and poor Ewen's lonely heart swelled within -him, as he thought of all that had passed since last they met, and as -he spake of what they were, and what they might have been, had fate -been kind, or fortune roved more true. - -We have heard much about the hidden and mysterious principle of -affinity, and more about the sympathy and sacredness that belong to a -first and early love; well, the heart of the tough old Cameronian -felt these gentle impulses, and Meinie was no stranger to them. They -were married, and for fifteen years, there was no happier couple on -the banks of the Nairn. Strange to say, they died on the same day, -and were interred in the ancient burying-ground of Dalcross, where -now they lie, near the ruined walls of the old vicarage kirk of the -Catholic times. God rest them in their humble highland graves! My -father, who was the minister of Croy, acted as chief mourner, and -gave the customary funeral prayer. But I am somewhat anticipating, -and losing the thread of my own story in telling theirs. - -In process of time the influx of French and English tourists who came -to visit the country of the clans, and to view the plain of Culloden, -after the publication of "Waverley" gave to all Britain, that which -we name in Scotland "the tartan fever," and caused the old path which -passed the cot of Ewen to become a turnpike road; a tollbar--that -most obnoxious of all impositions to a Celt--was placed across the -mouth of the little glen, barring the way directly to the -battle-field; and of this gate the old pensioner Ewen naturally -became keeper; and during the summer season, when, perhaps, a hundred -carriages per day rolled through, it became a source of revenue alike -to him, and to the Lord of Cawdor and the Laird of Kilravock, the -road trustees. And the chief pleasure of Ewen's existence was to sit -on a thatched seat by the gate, for then he felt conscious of being -in office--on duty--a species of sentinel; and it smacked of the old -time when the Generale was beaten in the morning, and the drums -rolled tattoo at night; when he had belts to pipeclay, and boots to -blackball; when there were wigs to frizzle and queues to tie, and to -be all trim and in order to meet Monseigneur le Marquis de Montcalm, -or General Washington "right early in the morning;" and there by the -new barrier of the glen Ewen sat the live-long day, with spectacles -on nose, and the Cameronian Bible on his knee, as he spelled his way -through Deuteronomy and the tribes of Judah. - -Slates in due time replaced the green thatch of his little cottage; -then a diminutive additional story, with two small dormer windows, -was added thereto, and the thrifty Meinie placed a paper in her -window informing shepherds, the chance wayfarers, and the wandering -deer-stalkers that she had a room to let; but summer passed away, the -sportsman forsook the brown scorched mountains, the gay tourist -ceased to come north, and the advertisement turned from white to -yellow, and from yellow to flyblown green in her window; the winter -snows descended on the hills, the pines stood in long and solemn -ranks by the white frozen Nairn, but "the room upstairs" still -remained without a tenant. - -Anon the snow passed away, the river again flowed free, the flowers -began to bloom; the young grass to sprout by the hedgerows, and the -mavis to sing on the fauld-dykes, for spring was come again, and -joyous summer soon would follow; and one night--it was the 26th of -April--Ewen was exhibiting his penmanship in large text-hand by -preparing the new announcement of "a room to let," when he paused, -and looked up as a peal of thunder rumbled across the sky; a red -gleam of lightning flashed in the darkness without, and then they -heard the roar of the deep broad Nairn, as its waters, usually so -sombre and so slow, swept down from the wilds of Badenoch, flooded -with the melting snows of the past winter. - -A dreadful storm of thunder, rain, and wind came on, and the little -cottage rocked on its foundations; frequently the turf-fire upon the -hearth was almost blown about the clay-floor, by the downward gusts -that bellowed in the chimney. The lightning gleamed incessantly, and -seemed to play about the hill of Urchany and the ruins of Caistel -Fionlah; the woods groaned and creaked, and the trees seemed to -shriek as their strong limbs were torn asunder by the gusts which in -some places laid side by side the green sapling of last summer, and -the old oak that had stood for a thousand years--that had seen -Macbeth and Duncan ride from Nairn, and had outlived the wars of the -Comyns and the Clanchattan. - -The swollen Nairn tore down its banks, and swept trees, rocks, and -stones in wild confusion to the sea, mingling the pines of Aberarder -with the old oaks of Cawdor; while the salt spray from the Moray -Firth was swept seven miles inland, where it encrusted with salt the -trees, the houses, and windows, and whatever it fell on as it mingled -with the ceaseless rain, while deep, hoarse, and loud the incessant -thunder rattled across the sky, "as if all the cannon on earth," -according to Ewen, "were exchanging salvoes between Urchany and the -Hill of Geddes." - -Meinie grew pale, and sat with a finger on her mouth, and a startled -expression in her eyes, listening to the uproar without; four -children, two of whom were Ewen's, and her last addition to the clan, -clung to her skirts. - -Ewen had just completed the invariable prayer and chapter for the -night, and was solemnly depositing his old regimental companion, with -"Baxter's Saints' Best," in a place of security, when a tremendous -knock--a knock that rang above the storm--shook the door of the -cottage. - -"Who can this be, and in such a night?" said Meinie. - -"The Lord knoweth," responded Ewen, gravely; "but he knocks both loud -and late." - -"Inquire before you open," urged Meinie, seizing her husband's arm, -as the impatient knock was renewed with treble violence. - -"Who comes there?" demanded Ewen, in a soldierly tone. - -"A friend," replied a strange voice without, and in the same manner. - -"What do you want?" - -"Fire and smoke!" cried the other, giving the door a tremendous kick; -"do you ask that in such a devil of a night as this? You have a room -to let, have you not?" - -"Yes." - -"Well: open the door, or blood and 'oons I'll bite your nose off!" - -Ewen hastened to undo the door; and then, all wet and dripping as if -he had just been fished up from the Moray Firth, there entered a -strange-looking old fellow in a red coat; he stumped vigorously on a -wooden leg, and carried on his shoulders a box, which he flung down -with a crash that shook the dwelling, saying,-- - -"There--dam you--I have made good my billet at last." - -"So it seems," said Ewen, reclosing the door in haste to exclude the -tempest, lest his house should be unroofed and torn asunder. - -"Harkee, comrade, what garrison or fortress is this," asked the -visitor, "that peaceable folks are to be challenged in this fashion, -and forced to give parole and countersign before they march in--eh?" - -"It is my house, comrade; and so you had better keep a civil tongue -in your head." - -"Civil tongue? Fire and smoke, you mangy cur! I can be as civil as -my neighbours; but get me a glass of grog, for I am as wet as we were -the night before Minden." - -"Where have you come from in such a storm as this?" - -"Where you'd not like to go--so never mind; but, grog, I tell -you--get me some grog, and a bit of tobacco; it is long since I -tasted either." - -Ewen hastened to get a large quaighful of stiff Glenlivat, which the -veteran drained to his health, and that of Meinie; but first he gave -them a most diabolical grin, and threw into the liquor some black -stuff, saying,-- - -"I always mix my grog with gunpowder--it's a good tonic; I learned -that of a comrade who fell at Minden on the glorious 1st of August, -'59. - -"You have been a soldier, then?" - -"Right! I was one of the 25th, or old Edinburgh Regiment; they -enlisted me, though an Englishman, I believe; for my good old dam was -a follower of the camp." - -"Our number was the 26th--the old Cameronian Regiment--so we were -near each other, you see, comrade." - -"Nearer than you would quite like, mayhap," said Wooden-leg, with -another grin and a dreadful oath. - -"And you have served in Germany?" asked Ewen. - -"Germany--aye, and marched over every foot of it, from Hanover to -Hell, and back again. I have fought in Flanders, too." - -"I wish you had come a wee while sooner," said Ewen gravely, for this -discourse startled his sense of propriety. - -"Sooner," snarled this shocking old fellow, who must have belonged to -that army, "which swore so terribly in Flanders," as good Uncle Toby -says; "sooner--for what?" - -"To have heard me read a chapter, and to have joined us in prayer." - -"Prayers be d--ned!" cried the other, with a shout of laughter, and a -face expressive of fiendish mockery, as he gave his wooden leg a -thundering blow on the floor; "fire and smoke--another glass of -grog--and then we'll settle about my billet upstairs." - -While getting another dram, which hospitality prevented him from -refusing, Ewen scrutinised this strange visitor, whose aspect and -attire were very remarkable; but wholly careless of what any one -thought, he sat by the hearth, wringing his wet wig, and drying it at -the fire. - -He was a little man, of a spare, but strong and active figure, which -indicated great age; his face resembled that of a rat; behind it hung -a long queue that waved about like a pendulum when he moved his head, -which was quite bald, and smooth as a cricket-ball, save where a long -and livid scar--evidently a sword cut--traversed it. This was -visible while he sat drying his wig; but as that process was somewhat -protracted, he uttered an oath, and thrust his cocked hat on one side -of his head, and very much over his left eye, which was covered by a -patch. This head-dress was the old military triple-cocked hat, bound -with yellow braid, and having on one side the hideous black leather -cockade of the House of Hanover, now happily disused in the British -army, and retained as a badge of service by liverymen alone. His -attire was an old threadbare red coat, faced with yellow, having -square tails and deep cuffs, with braided holes; he wore -knee-breeches on his spindle shanks, one of which terminated, as I -have said, in a wooden pin; he carried a large knotted stick; and, in -outline and aspect, very much resembled, as Ewen thought, Frederick -the Great of Prussia, or an old Chelsea pensioner, or the soldiers he -had seen delineated in antique prints of the Flemish wars. His -solitary orb possessed a most diabolical leer, and, whichever way you -turned, it seemed to regard you with the fixed glare of a basilisk. - -"You are a stranger hereabout, I presume?" said Ewen drily. - -"A stranger now, certainly; but I was pretty well known in this -locality once. There are some bones buried hereabout that may -remember me," he replied, with a grin that showed his fangless jaws. - -"Bones!" reiterated Ewen, aghast. - -"Yes, bones--Culloden Muir lies close by here, does it not?" - -"It does--then you have travelled this road before?" - -"Death and the Devil! I should think so, comrade; on this very night -sixty years ago I marched along this road, from Nairn to Culloden, -with the army of His Royal Highness, the Great Duke of Cumberland, -Captain-General of the British troops, in pursuit of the rebels under -the Popish Pretender----" - -"Under His Royal Highness Prince Charles, you mean, comrade," said -Ewen, in whose breast--Cameronian though he was--a tempest of -Highland wrath and loyalty swelled up at these words. - -"Prince--ha! ha! ha!" laughed the other; "had you said as much then, -the gallows had been your doom. Many a man I have shot, and many a -boy I have brained with the butt end of my musket, for no other crime -than wearing the tartan, even as you this night wear it." - -Ewen made a forward stride as if he would have taken the wicked -boaster by the throat; his anger was kindled to find himself in -presence of a veritable soldier of the infamous "German Butcher," -whose merciless massacre of the wounded clansmen and their -defenceless families will never be forgotten in Scotland while oral -tradition and written record exist; but Ewen paused, and said in his -quiet way,-- - -"Blessed be the Lord! these times and things have passed away from -the land, to return to it no more. We are both old men now; by your -own reckoning, you must at least have numbered four-score years, and -in that, you are by twenty my better man. You are my guest to-night, -moreover, so we must not quarrel, comrade. My father was killed at -Culloden." - -"On which side?" - -"The right one--for he fell by the side of old Keppoch, and his last -words were, 'Righ Hamish gu Bragh!'" - -"Fire and smoke!" laughed the old fellow, "I remember these things as -if they only happened yesterday--mix me some more grog and put it in -the bill--I was the company's butcher in those days--it suited my -taste--so when I was not stabbing and slashing the sheep and cattle -of the rascally commissary, I was cutting the throats of the Scots -and French, for there were plenty of them, and Irish too, who fought -against the king's troops in Flanders. We had hot work, that day at -Culloden--hotter than at Minden, where we fought in heavy marching -order, with our blankets, kettles, and provisions, on a broiling -noon, when the battle-field was cracking under a blazing sun, and the -whole country was sweltering like the oven of the Great Baker." - -"Who is he?" - -"What! you don't know him? Ha! ha! ha! Ho! ho! ho! come, that is -good." - -Ewen expostulated with the boisterous old fellow on this style of -conversation, which, as you may easily conceive, was very revolting -to the prejudices of a well-regulated Cameronian soldier. - -"Come, come, you old devilskin," cried the other, stirring up the -fire with his wooden leg, till the sparks flashed and gleamed like -his solitary eye; "you may as well sing psalms to a dead horse, as -preach to me. Hark how the thunder roars, like the great guns at -Carthagena! More grog--put it in the bill--or, halt, d--me! pay -yourself," and he dashed on the table a handful of silver of the -reigns of George II., and the Glencoe assassin, William of Orange. - -He obtained more whiskey, and drank it raw, seasoning it from time to -time with gunpowder, just as an Arab does his cold water with ginger. - -"Where did you lose your eye, comrade?" - -"At Culloden; but I found the fellow who pinked me, next day, as he -lay bleeding on the field; he was a Cameron, in a green velvet -jacket, all covered with silver; so I stripped off his lace, as I had -seen my mother do, and then I brained him with the butt-end of -brown-bess--and before his wife's eyes, too! What the deuce do you -growl at, comrade? Such things will happen in war, and you know that -orders must be obeyed. My eye was gone--but it was the left one, and -I was saved the trouble of closing it when taking aim. This slash on -the sconce I got at the battle of Preston Pans, from the Celt who -slew Colonel Gardiner." - -"That Celt was my father--the Miller of Invernahyle," said Meinie, -proudly. - -"Your father! fire and smoke! do you say so? His hand was a heavy -one!" cried Wooden-leg, while his eye glowed like the orb of a hyæna. - -"And your leg?" - -"I lost at Minden, in Kingsley's Brigade, comrade; aye, my -leg--d--n!--that was indeed a loss." - -"A warning to repentance, I would say." - -"Then you would say wrong. Ugh! I remember when the shot--a -twelve-pounder--took me just as we were rushing with charged bayonets -on the French cannoniers. Smash! my leg was gone, and I lay -sprawling and bleeding in a ploughed field near the Weser, while my -comrades swept over me with a wild hurrah! the colours waving, and -drums beating a charge." - -"And what did you do?" - -"I lay there and swore, believe me." - -"That would not restore your limb again." - -"No; but a few hearty oaths relieve the mind; and the mind relieves -the body; you understand me, comrade; so there I lay all night under -a storm of rain like this, bleeding and sinking; afraid of the knives -of the plundering death-hunters, for my mother had been one, and I -remembered well how she looked after the wounded, and cured them of -their agony." - -"Was your mother one of those infer----" began MacEwen. - -"Don't call her hard names now, comrade; she died on the day after -the defeat at Val; with the Provost Marshal's cord round her neck--a -cordon less ornamental than that of St. Louis." - -"And your father?" - -"Was one of Howard's Regiment; but which the devil only knows, for it -was a point on which the old lady, honest woman, had serious doubts -herself." - -"After the loss of your leg, of course you left the service?" - -"No, I became the company's butcher; but, fire and smoke, get me -another glass of grog; take a share yourself, and don't sit staring -at me like a Dutch Souterkin conceived of a winter night over a 'pot -de feu,' as all the world knows King William was. Dam! let us be -merry together--ha, ha, ha! ho, ho, ho! and I'll sing you a song of -the old whig times." - - "'O, brother Sandie, hear ye the news, - Lillibulero, bullen a la! - An army is coming sans breeches and shoes, - Lillibulero, bullen a la! - - "'To arms! to arms! brave boys to arms! - A true British cause for your courage doth ca'; - Country and city against a kilted banditti, - Lillibulero, bullen a la!'" - - -And while he continued to rant and sing the song (once so obnoxious -to the Scottish Cavaliers), he beat time with his wooden leg, and -endeavoured to outroar the stormy wind and the hiss of the drenching -rain. Even MacEwen, though he was an old soldier, felt some -uneasiness, and Meinie trembled in her heart, while the children -clung to her skirts and hid their little faces, as if this singing, -riot, and jollity were impious at such a time, when the awful thunder -was ringing its solemn peals across the midnight sky. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -THE PHANTOM REGIMENT.--THE UNCO' QUEST. - -Although this strange old man baffled or parried every inquiry of -Ewen as to whence he had come, and how and why he wore that -antiquated uniform, on his making a lucrative offer to take the upper -room of the little toll-house for a year--exactly a year--when Ewen -thought of his poor pension of six-pence per diem, of their numerous -family, and Meinie now becoming old and requiring many little -comforts, all scruples were overcome by the pressure of necessity, -and the mysterious old soldier was duly installed in the attic, with -his corded chest, scratch-wig, and wooden-leg; moreover, he paid the -first six months' rent in advance, dashing the money--which was all -coin of the first and second Georges, on the table with a bang and an -oath, swearing that he disliked being indebted to any man. - -The next morning was calm and serene; the green hills lifted their -heads into the blue and placid sky. There was no mist on the -mountains, nor rain in the valley. The flood in the Nairn had -subsided, though its waters were still muddy and perturbed; but save -this, and the broken branches that strewed the wayside--with an -uprooted tree, or a paling laid flat on the ground, there was no -trace of yesterday's hurricane, and Ewen heard Wooden-leg (he had no -other name for his new lodger) stumping about overhead, as the old -fellow left his bed betimes, and after trimming his queue and wig, -pipeclaying his yellow facings, and beating them well with the brush, -in a soldier-like way, he descended to breakfast, but, disdaining -porridge and milk, broiled salmon and bannocks of barley-meal, he -called for a can of stiff grog, mixed it with powder from his wide -waistcoat pocket, and drank it off at a draught. Then he imperiously -desired Ewen to take his bonnet and staff, and accompany him so far -as Culloden, "because," said he, "I have come a long, long way to see -the old place again." - -Wooden-leg seemed to gather--what was quite unnecessary to him--new -life, vigour, and energy--as they traversed the road that led to the -battle-field, and felt the pure breeze of the spring morning blowing -on their old and wrinkled faces. - -The atmosphere was charmingly clear and serene. In the distance lay -the spires of Inverness, and the shining waters of the Moray Firth, -studded with sails, and the ramparts of Fort George were seen jutting -out at the termination of a long and green peninsula. In the -foreground stood the castle of Dalcross, raising its square outline -above a wood, which terminates the eastern side of the landscape. -The pine-clad summit of Dun Daviot incloses the west, while on every -hand between, stretched the dreary moor of Drummossie--the Plain of -Culloden--whilome drenched in the blood of Scotland's bravest hearts. - -Amid the purple heath lie two or three grass-covered mounds. - -These are the graves of the dead--the graves of the loyal -Highlanders, who fell on that disastrous field, and of the wounded, -who were so mercilessly murdered next day by an order of Cumberland, -which he pencilled on the back of a card (the Nine of Diamonds); thus -they were dispatched by platoons, stabbed by bayonets, slashed by -swords and spontoons, or brained by the butt-end of musket and -carbine; officers and men were to be seen emulating each other in -this scene of cowardice and cold-blooded atrocity, which filled every -camp and barrack in Continental Europe with scorn at the name of an -English soldier. - -Ewen was a Highlander, and his heart filled with such thoughts as -these, when he stood by the grassy tombs where the fallen brave are -buried with the hopes of the house they died for; he took off his -bonnet and stood bare-headed, full of sad and silent contemplation; -while his garrulous companion viewed the field with his single eye, -that glowed like a hot coal, and pirouetted on his wooden pin in a -very remarkable manner, as he surveyed on every side the scene of -that terrible encounter, where, after enduring a long cannonade of -round shot and grape, the Highland swordsmen, chief and gillie, the -noble and the nameless, flung themselves with reckless valour on the -ranks of those whom they had already routed in two pitched battles. - -"It was an awful day," said Ewen, in a low voice, but with a gleam in -his grey Celtic eye; "yonder my father fell wounded; the bullet went -through his shield and pierced him here, just above the belt; he was -living next day, when my mother--a poor wailing woman with a babe at -her breast--found him; but an officer of Barrel's Regiment ran a -sword twice through his body and killed him; for the orders of the -German Duke were, 'that no quarter should be given.' This spring is -named MacGillivray's Well, because here they butchered the dying -chieftain who led the Macintoshes--aye bayonetted him, next day at -noon, in the arms of his bonnie young wife and his puir auld mother! -The inhuman monsters! I have been a soldier," continued Ewen, "and I -have fought for my country; but had I stood that day on this Moor of -Culloden, I would have shot the German Butcher, the coward who fled -from Flanders--I would, by the God who hears me, though that moment -had been my last!" - -"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" rejoined his queer companion. "It seems -like yesterday since I was here; I don't see many changes, except -that the dead are all buried, whereas we left them to the crows, and -a carriage-road has been cut across the field, just where we seized -some women, who were looking among the dead for their husbands, and -who----" - -"Well?" - -Wooden-leg whistled, and gave Ewen a diabolical leer with his snaky -eye, as he resumed,-- - -"I see the ridge where the clans formed line--every tribe with its -chief in front, and his colours in the centre, when we, hopeless of -victory, and thinking only of defeat, approached them; and I can yet -see standing the old stone wall which covered their right flank. -Fire and smoke! it was against that wall we placed the wounded, when -we fired at them by platoons next day. I finished some twenty rebels -there myself." - -Ewen's hand almost caught the haft of his skene dhu, as he said, -hoarsely,-- - -"Old man, do not call them rebels in my hearing, and least of all by -the graves where they lie; they were good men and true; if they were -in error, they have long since answered to God for it, even as we one -day must answer; therefore let us treat their memory with respect, as -soldiers should ever treat their brothers in arms who fall in war." - -But Wooden-leg laughed with his strange eldritch yell, and then they -returned together to the tollhouse in the glen; but Ewen felt -strongly dissatisfied with his lodger, whose conversation was so -calculated to shock alike his Jacobitical and his religious -prejudices. Every day this sentiment grew stronger, and he soon -learned to deplore in his inmost heart having ever accepted the rent, -and longed for the time when he should be rid of him; but, at the end -of the six months, Wooden-leg produced the rent for the remainder of -the year, still in old silver of the two first Georges, with a few -Spanish dollars, and swore he would set the house on fire, if Ewen -made any more apologies about their inability to make him -sufficiently comfortable and so forth; for his host and hostess had -resorted to every pretence and expedient to rid themselves of him -handsomely. - -But Wooden-leg was inexorable. - -He had bargained for his billet for a year; he had paid for it; and a -year he would stay, though the Lord Justice General of Scotland -himself should say nay! - -Boisterous and authoritative, he awed every one by his terrible -gimlet eye and the volleys of oaths with which he overwhelmed them on -suffering the smallest contradiction; thus he became the terror of -all; and shepherds crossed the hills by the most unfrequented routes -rather than pass the toll-bar, where they vowed that his eye -bewitched their sheep and cattle. To every whispered and stealthy -inquiry as to where his lodger had come from, and how or why he had -thrust himself upon this lonely tollhouse, Ewen could only groan and -shrug his shoulders, or reply,-- - -"He came on the night of the hurricane, like a bird of evil omen; but -on the twenty-sixth of April we will be rid of him, please Heaven! -It is close at hand, and he shall march then, sure as my name is Ewen -Mac Ewen!" - -He seemed to be troubled in his conscience, too, or to have strange -visitors; for often in stormy nights he was heard swearing or -threatening, and expostulating; and once or twice, when listening at -the foot of the stair, Ewen heard him shouting and conversing from -his window with persons on the road, although the bar was shut, -locked, and there was no one visible there. - -On another windy night, Ewen and his wife were scared by hearing -Wooden-leg engaged in a furious altercation with some one overhead. - -"Dog, I'll blow out your brains!" yelled a strange voice. - -"Fire and smoke! blow out the candle first--ha, ha, ha! ho, ho, ho!" -cried Wooden-leg; then there ensued the explosion of a pistol, a -dreadful stamping of feet, with the sound of several men swearing and -fighting. To all this Ewen and his wife hearkened in fear and -perplexity; at last something fell heavily on the floor, and then all -became still, and not a sound was heard but the night wind sighing -down the glen. - -Betimes in the morning Ewen, weary and unslept, left his bed and -ascended to the door of this terrible lodger and tapped gently. - -"Come in; why the devil this fuss and ceremony, eh, comrade?" cried a -hoarse voice, and there was old Wooden-leg, not lying dead on the -floor as Ewen expected, or perhaps hoped; but stumping about in his -shirt sleeves, pipe-claying his facings, and whistling the "Point of -War." - -On being questioned about the most unearthly "row" of last night, he -only bade Ewen mind his own affairs, or uttered a volley of oaths, -some of which were Spanish, and mixing a can of gunpowder grog -drained it at a draught. - -He was very quarrelsome, dictatorial, and scandalously irreligious; -thus his military reminiscences were of so ferocious and -blood-thirsty a nature, that they were sufficient to scare any quiet -man out of his seven senses. But it was more particularly in -relating the butcheries, murders, and ravages of Cumberland in the -highlands, that he exulted, and there was always a terrible air of -probability in all he said. On Ewen once asking of him if he had -ever been punished for the many irregularities and cruelties he so -freely acknowledged having committed,-- - -"Punished? Fire and smoke, comrade, I should think so; I have been -flogged till the bones of my back stood through the quivering flesh; -I have been picquetted, tied neck and heels, or sent to ride the -wooden horse, and to endure other punishments which are now abolished -in the king's service. An officer once tied me neck and heels for -eight and forty hours--ay, damme, till I lost my senses; but he lost -his life soon after, a shot from the rear killed him; you understand -me, comrade; ha, ha, ha! ho, ho, ho! a shot from the rear." - -"You murdered him?" said Ewen, in a tone of horror. - -"I did not say so," cried Wooden-leg with an oath, as he dealt his -landlord a thwack across the shins with his stump; "but I'll tell you -how it happened. I was on the Carthagena expedition in '41, and -served amid all the horrors of that bombardment, which was rendered -unsuccessful by the quarrels of the general and admiral; then the -yellow fever broke out among the troops, who were crammed on board -the ships of war like figs in a cask, or like the cargo of a slaver, -so they died in scores--and in scores their putrid corpses lay round -the hawsers of the shipping, which raked them up every day as they -swung round with the tide; and from all the open gunports, where -their hammocks were hung, our sick men saw the ground sharks gorging -themselves on the dead, while they daily expected to follow. The air -was black with flies, and the scorching sun seemed to have leagued -with the infernal Spaniards against us. But, fire and smoke, mix me -some more grog, I am forgetting my story! - -"Our Grenadiers, with those of other regiments, under Colonel James -Grant of Carron, were landed on the Island of Tierrabomba, which lies -at the entrance of the harbour of Carthagena, where we stormed two -small forts which our ships had cannonaded on the previous day. - -"Grenadiers--open your pouches--handle grenades--blow your fuses!" -cried Grant, "forward." - -"And then we bayonetted the dons, or with the clubbed musket smashed -their heads like ripe pumpkins, while our fleet, anchored with -broadsides to the shore, threw shot and shell, grape, cannister, -carcasses, and hand-grenades in showers among the batteries, booms, -cables, chains, ships of war, gunboats, and the devil only knows what -more. - -"It was evening when we landed, and as the ramparts of San Luiz de -Bocca Chica were within musket shot of our left flank, the lieutenant -of our company was left with twelve grenadiers (of whom I was one) as -a species of out-picquet to watch the Spaniards there, and to -acquaint the officer in the captured forts if anything was essayed by -way of sortie. - -"About midnight I was posted as an advanced sentinel, and ordered to -face La Bocca Chica with all my ears and eyes open. The night was -close and sultry; there was not a breath of wind stirring on the land -or waveless sea; and all was still save the cries of the wild animals -that preyed upon the unburied dead, or the sullen splash caused by -some half-shrouded corpse, as it was launched from a gun-port, for -our ships were moored within pistol-shot of the place where I stood. - -"Towards the west the sky was a deep and lurid red, as if the -midnight sea was in flames at the horizon; and between me and this -fiery glow, I could see the black and opaque outline of the masts, -the yards, and the gigantic hulls of those floating charnel-houses -our line-of-battle ships, and the dark solid ramparts of San Luiz de -Bocca Chica. - -"Suddenly I saw before me the head of a Spanish column!" - -"I cocked my musket, they seemed to be halted in close order, for I -could see the white coats and black hats of a single company only. -So I fired at them point blank, and fell back on the picquet, which -stood to arms. - -"The lieutenant of our grenadiers came hurrying towards me. - -"Where are the dons?" said he. - -"In our front, sir," said I, pointing to the white line which seemed -to waver before us in the gloom under the walls of San Luiz, and then -it disappeared. - -"They are advancing," said I. - -"They have vanished, fellow," said the lieutenant, angrily. - -"Because they have marched down into a hollow." - -"In a moment after they re-appeared, upon which the lieutenant -brought up the picquet, and after firing three volleys retired -towards the principal fort where Colonel Grant had all the troops -under arms; but not a Spaniard approached us, and what, think you, -deceived me and caused this alarm? Only a grove of trees, fire and -smoke! yes, it was a grove of manchineel trees, which the Spaniards -had cut down or burned to within five feet of the ground; and as -their bark is white it resembled the Spanish uniform, while the black -burned tops easily passed for their grenadier caps to the -overstrained eyes of a poor anxious lad, who found himself under the -heavy responsibility of an advanced sentinel for the first time in -his life." - -"And was this the end of it?" asked Ewen. - -"Hell and Tommy?" roared the Wooden-leg, "no--but you shall hear. I -was batooned by the lieutenant; then I was tried at the drumhead for -causing a false alarm, and sentenced to be tied neck and heels, and -lest you may not know the fashion of this punishment I shall tell you -of it. I was placed on the ground; my firelock was put under my -hams, and another was placed over my neck; then the two were drawn -close together by two cartouch-box straps; and in this situation, -doubled up as round as a ball, I remained with my chin wedged between -my knees until the blood spouted out of my mouth, nose, and ears, and -I became insensible. When I recovered my senses the troops were -forming in column, preparatory to assaulting Fort San Lazare; and -though almost blind, and both weak and trembling, I was forced to -take my place in the ranks; and I ground my teeth as I handled my -musket and saw the lieutenant of our company, in lace-ruffles and -powdered wig, prepare to join the forlorn hope, which was composed of -six hundred chosen grenadiers, under Colonel Grant, a brave Scottish -officer. I loaded my piece with a charmed bullet, cast in a mould -given to me by an Indian warrior, and marched on with my section. -The assault failed. Of the forlorn hope I alone escaped, for Grant -and his Grenadiers perished to a man in the breach. There, too, lay -our lieutenant. A shot had pierced his head behind, just at the -queue. Queer, was it not? when I was his covering file?" - -As he said this, Wooden-leg gave Ewen another of those diabolical -leers, which always made his blood ran cold, and continued,-- - -"I passed him as he lay dead, with his sword in his hand, his fine -ruffled shirt and silk waistcoat drenched with blood--by the bye, -there was a pretty girl's miniature, with powdered hair peeping out -of it too. 'Ho, ho!' thought I, as I gave him a hearty kick; 'you -will never again have me tied neck-and-heels for not wearing -spectacles on sentry, or get me a hundred lashes, for not having my -queue dressed straight to the seam of my coat." - -"Horrible!" said Ewen. - -"I will wager my wooden leg against your two of flesh and bone, that -your officer would have been served in the same way, if he had given -you the same provocation." - -"Heaven forbid!" said Ewen. - -"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" cried Wooden-leg. - -"You spoke of an Indian warrior," said Ewen, uneasily, as the -atrocious anecdotes of this hideous old man excited his anger and -repugnance; "then you have served, like myself, in the New World?" - -"Fire and smoke! I should think so, but long before your day." - -"Then you fought against the Cherokees?" - -"Yes." - -"At Warwomans Creek?" - -"Yes; I was killed there." - -"You were--what?" stammered Ewen. - -"Killed there." - -"Killed?" - -"Yes, scalped by the Cherokees; dam! don't I speak plain enough?" - -"He is mad," thought Ewen. - -"I am not mad," said Wooden-leg gruffly. - -"I never said so," urged Ewen. - -"Thunder and blazes! but you thought it, which is all the same." - -Ewen was petrified by this remark, and then Wooden-leg, while fixing -his hyæna-like eye upon him, and mixing a fresh can of his peculiar -grog, continued thus,-- - -"Yes, I served in the Warwomans Creek expedition in '60. In the -preceding year I had been taken prisoner at Fort Ninety-six, and was -carried off by the Indians. They took me into the heart of their own -country, where an old Sachem protected me, and adopted me in place of -a son he had lost in battle. Now this old devil of a Sachem had a -daughter--a graceful, pretty and gentle Indian girl, whom her tribe -named the Queen of the Beaver dams. She was kind to me, and loved to -call me her pale-faced brother. Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho! Fire and -smoke! do I now look like a man that could once attract a pretty -girl's eye,--now, with my wooden-leg, patched face and riddled -carcase? Well, she loved me, and I pretended to be in love too, -though I did not care for her the value of an old snapper. She was -graceful and round in every limb, as a beautiful statue. Her -features were almost regular--her eyes black and soft; her hair hung -nearly to her knees, while her smooth glossy skin, was no darker than -a Spanish brunette's. Her words were like notes of music, for the -language of the Cherokees, like that of the Iroquois, is full of the -softest vowels. This Indian girl treated me with love and kindness, -and I promised to become a Cherokee warrior, a thundering turtle and -scalp-hunter for her sake--just as I would have promised anything to -any other woman, and had done so a score of times before. I studied -her gentle character in all its weak and delicate points, as a -general views a fortress he is about to besiege, and I soon knew -every avenue to the heart of the place. I made my approaches with -modesty, for the mind of the Indian virgin was timid, and as pure as -the new fallen snow. I drew my parallels and pushed on the trenches -whenever the old Sachem was absent, smoking his pipe and drinking -fire-water at the council of the tribe; I soon reached the base of -the glacis and stormed the breastworks--dam! I did, comrade. - -"I promised her everything, if she would continue to love me, and -swore by the Great Spirit to lay at her feet the scalp-lock of the -white chief, General the Lord Amherst, K.C.B., and all that, with -every other protestation that occurred to me at the time; and so she -soon loved me--and me alone--as we wandered on the green slopes of -Tennessee, when the flowering forest-trees and the magnolias, the -crimson strawberries, and the flaming azalea made the scenery -beautiful; and where the shrill cry cf the hawk, and the carol of the -merry mocking-bird, filled the air with sounds of life and happiness. - -"We were married in the fantastic fashion of the tribe, and the -Indian girl was the happiest squaw in the Beaver dams. I hoed cotton -and planted rice; I cut rushes that she might plait mats and baskets; -I helped her to weave wampum, and built her a wigwam, but I longed to -be gone, for in six months I was wearied of her and the Cherokees -too. In short, one night, I knocked the old Sachem on the head, and -without perceiving that he still breathed, pocketted his valuables, -such as they were, two necklaces of amber beads and two of Spanish -dollars, and without informing my squaw of what I had done, I -prevailed upon her to guide me far into the forest, on the skirts of -which lay a British outpost, near the lower end of the vale, through -which flows the Tennessee River. She was unable to accompany me more -than a few miles, for she was weak, weary, and soon to become a -mother; so I gave her the slip in the forest, and, leaving her to -shift for herself, reached head-quarters, just as the celebrated -expedition from South Carolina was preparing to march against the -Cherokees. - -"Knowing well the localities, I offered myself as a guide, and was at -once accepted-- - -"Cruel and infamous!" exclaimed honest Ewen, whose chivalric Highland -spirit fired with indignation at these heartless avowals; "and the -poor girl you deceived----" - -"Bah! I thought the wild beasts would soon dispose of her." - -"But then the infamy of being a guide, even for your comrades, -against those who had fed and fostered, loved and protected you! By -my soul, this atrocity were worthy of King William and his Glencoe -assassins!" - -"Ho, ho, ho! fire and smoke! you shall hear. - -"Well, we marched from New York in the early part of 1760. There -were our regiment, with four hundred of the Scots Royals, and -Montgomery's Highlanders. We landed at Charleston, and marched up -the country to Fort Ninety-six on the frontier of the Cherokees. Our -route was long and arduous, for the ways were wild and rough, so it -was the first of June before we reached Twelve-mile River. I had -been so long unaccustomed to carry my knapsack, that its weight -rendered me savage and ferocious, and I cursed the service and my own -existence; for in addition to our muskets and accoutrements, our -sixty rounds of ball cartridge per man, we carried our own tents, -poles, pegs, and cooking utensils. Thunder and blazes! when we -halted, which we did in a pleasant valley, where the great shady -chestnuts and the flowering hickory made our camp alike cool and -beautiful, my back and shoulders were nearly skinned; for as you must -know well, comrade, the knapsack straps are passed so tightly under -the armpits, that they stop the circulation of the blood, and press -upon the lungs almost to suffocation. Scores of our men left the -ranks on the march, threw themselves down in despair, and were soon -tomahawked and scalped by the Indians. - -"We marched forward next day, but without perceiving the smallest -vestige of an Indian trail; thus we began to surmise that the -Cherokees knew not that we were among them; but just as the sun was -sinking behind the blue hills, we came upon a cluster of wigwams, -which I knew well; they were the Beaver dams, situated on a river, -among wild woods that never before had echoed to the drum or bugle. - -"Bad and wicked as I was, some strange emotions rose within me at -this moment. I thought of the Sachem's daughter--her beauty--her -love for me, and the child that was under her bosom when I abandoned -her in the vast forest through which we had just penetrated; but I -stifled all regret, and heard with pleasure the order to 'examine -flints and priming.' - -"Then the Cherokee warwhoop pierced the echoing sky; a scattered fire -was poured upon us from behind the rocks and trees; the sharp steel -tomahawks came flashing and whirling through the air; bullets and -arrows whistled, and rifles rung, and in a moment we found ourselves -surrounded by a living sea of dark-skinned and yelling Cherokees, -with plumes on their scalp locks, their fierce visages streaked with -war paint, and all their moccasins rattling. - -"Fire and fury, such a time it was! - -"We all fought like devils, but our men fell fast on every side; the -Royals lost two lieutenants, and several soldiers whose scalps were -torn from their bleeding skulls in a moment. Our regiment, though -steady under fire as a battalion of stone statues, now fell into -disorder, and the brown warriors, like fiends in aspect and activity, -pressed on with musket and war-club brandished, and with such yells -as never rang in mortal ears elsewhere. The day was lost, until the -Highlanders came up, and then the savages were routed in an instant, -and cut to pieces. 'Shoot and slash' was the order; and there ensued -such a scene of carnage as I had not witnessed since Culloden, where -His Royal Highness, the fat Duke of Cumberland, galloped about the -field, overseeing the wholesale butchery of the wounded. - -"We destroyed their magazines of powder and provisions; we laid the -wigwams in ashes, and shot or bayonetted every living thing, from the -babe on its mother's breast, to the hen that sat on the roost; for as -I had made our commander aware of all the avenues, there was no -escape for the poor devils of Cherokees. Had the pious, glorious, -and immortal King William been there, he would have thought we had -modelled the whole affair after his own exploit at Glencoe. - -"All was nearly over, and among the ashes of the smoking wigwams and -the gashed corpses of king's soldiers and Indian warriors, I sat down -beneath a great chestnut to wipe my musket, for butt, barrel, and -bayonet were clotted with blood and human hair--ouf, man, why do you -shudder? it was only Cherokee wool;--all was nearly over, I have -said, when a low fierce cry, like the hoarse hiss of a serpent, rang -in my ear; a brown and bony hand clutched my throat as the fangs of a -wolf would have done, and hurled me to the earth! A tomahawk flashed -above me, and an aged Indian's face, whose expression, was like that -of a fiend, came close to mine, and I felt his breath upon my cheek. -It was the visage of the sachem, but hollow with suffering and almost -green with fury, and he laughed like a hyæna, as he poised the -uplifted axe. - -"Another form intervened for a moment; it was that of the poor Indian -girl I had so heartlessly deceived; she sought to stay the avenging -hand of the frantic sachem; but he thrust her furiously aside, and in -the next moment the glittering tomahawk was quivering in my brain--a -knife swept round my head--my scalp was torn off, and I remember no -more." - -"A fortunate thing for you," said Ewen, drily; "memory such as yours -were worse than a knapsack to carry; and so you were killed there?" - -"Don't sneer, comrade," said Wooden-leg, with a diabolical gleam in -his eye: "prithee, don't sneet; I was killed there, and, moreover, -buried too, by the Scots Royals, when they interred the dead next -day." - -"Then how came you to be here?" said Ewen, not very much at ease, to -find himself in company with one he deemed a lunatic. - -"Here? that is my business--not yours," was the surly rejoinder. - -Ewen was silent, but reckoned over that now there were but thirty -days to run until the 26th of April, when the stipulated year would -expire. - -"Yes, comrade, just thirty days," said Wooden-leg, with an -affirmative nod, divining the thoughts of Ewen; "and then I shall be -off, bag and baggage, if my friends come." - -"If not?" - -"Then I shall remain where I am." - -"The Lord forbid!" thought Ewen; "but I can apply to the sheriff." - -"Death and fury! Thunder and blazes! I should like to see the -rascal of a sheriff who would dare to meddle with me!" growled the -old fellow, as his one eye shot fire, and, limping away, he ascended -the stairs grumbling and swearing, leaving poor Ewen terrified even -to think, on finding that his thoughts, although only half conceived, -were at once divined and responded to by this strange inmate of his -house. - -"His friends," thought Ewen, "who may they be?" - -Three heavy knocks rang on the floor overhead, as a reply. - -It was the wooden leg of the Cherokee invader. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -THE PHANTOM REGIMENT--THE MIDNIGHT MARCH. - -This queer old fellow (continued the quartermaster) was always in a -state of great excitement, and used an extra number of oaths, and -mixed his grog more thickly with gunpowder when a stray red coat -appeared far down the long green glen, which was crossed by Ewen's -lonely toll-bar. Then he would get into a prodigious fuss and -bustle, and was wont to pack and cord his trunk, to brush up his -well-worn and antique regimentals, and to adjust his queue and the -black cockade of his triple-cornered hat, as if preparing to depart. - -As the time of that person's wished-for departure drew nigh, Ewen -took courage, and shaking off the timidity with which the swearing -and boisterous fury of Wooden-leg had impressed him, he ventured to -expostulate a little on the folly and sin of his unmeaning oaths, and -the atrocity of the crimes he boasted of having committed. - -But the wicked old Wooden-leg laughed and swore more than ever, -saying that a "true soldier was never a religious one." - -"You are wrong, comrade," retorted the old Cameronian, taking fire at -such an assertion; "religion is the lightest burden a poor soldier -can carry; and, moreover, it hath upheld me on many a long day's -march, when almost sinking under hunger and fatigue, with my pack, -kettle, and sixty rounds of ball ammunition on my back. The duties -of a good and brave soldier are no way incompatible with those of a -Christian man; and I never lay down to rest on the wet bivouac or -bloody field, with my knapsack, or it might be a dead comrade, for a -pillow, without thanking God----" - -"Ha, ha, ha!" - -"--The God of Scotland's covenanted Kirk for the mercies he -vouchsafed to Ewen Mac Ewen, a poor grenadier of the 26th Regiment." - -"Ho, ho, ho!" - -The old Cameronian took off his bonnet and lifted up his eyes, as he -spoke fervently, and with the simple reverence of the olden time; but -Wooden-leg grinned and chuckled and gnashed his teeth as Ewen resumed. - -"A brave soldier may rush to the cannon's mouth, though it be loaded -with grape and cannister; or at a line of levelled bayonets--and rush -fearlessly too--and yet he may tremble, without shame, at the thought -of hell, or of offended Heaven. Is it not so, comrade? I shall -never forget the words of our chaplain before we stormed the Isles of -Saba and St. Martin from the Dutch, with Admiral Rodney, in '81." - -"Bah--that was after I was killed by the Cherokees. Well?" - -"The Cameronians were formed in line, mid leg in the salt water, with -bayonets fixed, the colours flying, the pipes playing and drums -beating 'Britons strike home,' and our chaplain, a reverend minister -of God's word, stood beside the colonel with the shot and shell from -the Dutch batteries flying about his old white head, but he was cool -and calm, for he was the grandson of Richard Cameron, the glorious -martyr of Airdsmoss. - -"'Fear not, my bairns,' cried he (he aye called us his bairns, having -ministered unto us for fifty years and more)--'fear not; but remember -that the eyes of the Lord are on every righteous soldier, and that -His hand will shield him in the day of battle!' - -"'Forward, my lads,' cried the colonel, waving his broad sword, while -the musket shot shaved the curls of his old brigadier wig; 'forward, -and at them with your bayonets;' and bravely we fell on--eight -hundred Scotsmen, shoulder to shoulder--and in half an hour the -British flag was waving over the Dutchman's Jack on the ramparts of -St. Martin." - -But to all Ewen's exordiums, the Wooden-leg replied by oaths, or -mockery, or his incessant laugh,-- - -"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" - -At last came the long-wished for twenty-sixth of April! - -The day was dark and louring. The pine woods looked black, and the -slopes of the distant hills seemed close and near, and yet gloomy -withal. The sky was veiled by masses of hurrying clouds, which -seemed to chase each other across the Moray Firth. That estuary was -flecked with foam, and the ships were riding close under the lee of -the Highland shore, with topmasts struck, their boats secured, and -both anchors out, for everything betokened a coming storm. - -And with night it came in all its fury;--a storm similar to that of -the preceding year. - -The fierce and howling wind swept through the mountain gorges, and -levelled the lonely shielings, whirling their fragile roofs into the -air, and uprooting strong pines and sturdy beeches; the water was -swept up from the Loch of the Clans, and mingled with the rain which -drenched the woods around it. The green and yellow lightning played -in ghastly gleams about the black summit of Dun Daviot, and again the -rolling thunder bellowed over the graves of the dead on the bleak, -dark moor of Culloden. Attracted by the light in the windows of the -toll house, the red deer came down from the hills in herds and -cowered near the little dwelling; while the cries of the affrighted -partridges, blackcocks, and even those of the gannets from the Moray -Firth were heard at times, as they were swept past, with branches, -leaves, and stones, on the skirts of the hurrying blast. - -"It is just such a storm as we had this night twelvemonths ago," said -Meinie, whose cheek grew pale at the elemental uproar. - -"There will be no one coming up the glen to-night," replied Ewen; "so -I may as well secure the toll-bar, lest a gust should dash it to -pieces." - -It required no little skill or strength to achieve this in such a -tempest; the gate was strong and heavy, but it was fastened at last, -and Ewen retreated to his own fireside. Meanwhile, during all this -frightful storm without, Wooden-leg was heard singing and carolling -up-stairs, stumping about in the lulls of the tempest, and rolling, -pushing, and tumbling his chest from side to side; then he descended -to get a fresh can of grog--for "grog, grog, grog," was ever his cry. -His old withered face was flushed, and his excited eye shone like a -baleful star. He was conscious that a great event would ensue. - -Ewen felt happy in his soul that his humble home should no longer be -the resting-place of this evil bird whom the last tempest had blown -hither. - -"So you leave us to-morrow, comrade?" said he. - -"I'll march before daybreak," growled the other; "'twas our old -fashion in the days of Minden. Huske and Hawley always marched off -in the dark." - -"Before daybreak?" - -"Fire and smoke, I have said so, and you shall see; for my friends -are on the march already; but good night, for I shall have to parade -betimes. They come; though far, far off as yet." - -He retired with one of his diabolical leers, and Ewen and his wife -ensconced themselves in the recesses of their warm box-bed; Meinie -soon fell into a sound sleep, though the wind continued to howl, the -rain to lash against the trembling walls of the little mansion, and -the thunder to hurl peal after peal across the sky of that dark and -tempestuous night. - -The din of the elements and his own thoughts kept Ewen long awake; -but though the gleams of electric light came frequent as ever through -the little window, the glow of the "gathering peat" sank lower on the -hearth of hard-beaten clay, and the dull measured tick-tack of the -drowsy clock as it fell on the drum of his ear, about midnight, was -sending him to sleep, by the weariness of its intense monotony, when -from a dream that the fierce hawk eye of his malevolent lodger was -fixed upon him, he started suddenly to full consciousness. An uproar -of tongues now rose and fell upon the gusts of wind without; and he -heard an authoritative voice requiring the toll-bar to be opened. - -Overhead rang the stumping of the Wooden-lag, whose hoarse voice was -heard bellowing in reply from the upper window. - -"The Lord have a care of us!" muttered Mac Ewen, as he threw his kilt -and plaid round him, thrust on his bonnet and brogues, and hastened -to the door, which was almost blown in by the tempest as he opened it. - -The night was as dark, and the hurricane as furious as ever; but how -great was Ewen's surprise to see the advanced guard of a corps of -Grenadiers, halted at the toll-bar gate, which he hastened to unlock, -and the moment he did so, it was torn off its iron hooks and swept up -the glen like a leaf from a book, or a lady's handkerchief; as with -an unearthly howling the wind came tearing along in fitful and -tremendous gusts, which made the strongest forests stoop, and dashed -the struggling coasters on the rocks of the Firth--the Æstuarium -Vararis of the olden time. - -As the levin brands burst in lurid fury overhead, they seemed to -strike fire from the drenched rocks, the dripping trees, and the long -line of flooded roadway, that wound through the pastoral glen towards -Culloden. - -The advanced guard marched on in silence with arms slung; and Ewen, -to prevent himself from being swept away by the wind, clung with both -hands to a stone pillar of the bar-gate, that he might behold the -passage of this midnight regiment, which approached in firm and -silent order in sections of twelve files abreast, all with muskets -slung. The pioneers were in front, with their leather aprons, axes, -saws, bill-hooks, and hammers; the band was at the head of the -column; the drums, fifes, and colours were in the centre; the -captains were at the head of their companies; the subalterns on the -reverse flank, and the field-officers were all mounted on black -chargers, that curvetted and pranced like shadows, without a sound. - -Slowly they marched, but erect and upright, not a man of them seeming -to stoop against the wind or rain, while overhead the flashes of the -broad and blinding lightning were blazing like a ghastly torch, and -making every musket-barrel, every belt-plate, sword-blade, and -buckle, gleam as this mysterious corps filed through the barrier, -with who? Wooden-leg among them! - -By the incessant gleams Ewen could perceive that they were -Grenadiers, and wore the quaint old uniform of George II.'s time; the -sugar-loaf-shaped cap of red cloth embroidered with worsted; the -great square-tailed red coat with its heavy cuffs and close-cut -collar; the stockings rolled above the knee, and enormous -shoe-buckles. They carried grenade-pouches; the officers had -espontoons; the sergeants shouldered heavy halberds, and the coats of -the little drum-boys were covered with fantastic lace. - -It was not the quaint and antique aspect of this solemn battalion -that terrified Ewen, or chilled his heart; but the ghastly expression -of their faces, which were pale and hollow-eyed, being, to all -appearance, the visages of spectres; and they marched past like a -long and wavering panorama, without a sound; for though the wind was -loud, and the rain was drenching, neither could have concealed the -measured tread of so many mortal feet; but there was no footfall -heard on the roadway, nor the tramp of a charger's hoof; the regiment -defiled past, noiseless as a wreath of smoke. - -The pallor of their faces, and the stillness which accompanied their -march, were out of the course of nature; and the soul of Mac Ewen -died away within him; but his eyes were riveted upon the marching -phantoms--if phantoms, indeed, they were--as if by fascination; and, -like one in a terrible dream, he continued to gaze until the last -files were past; and with them rode a fat and full-faced officer, -wearing a three-cocked hat, and having a star and blue ribbon on his -breast. His face was ghastly like the rest, and dreadfully -distorted, as if by mental agony and remorse. Two aides-de-camps -accompanied him, and he rode a wild-looking black horse, whose eyes -shot fire. At the neck of the fat spectre--for a spectre he really -seemed--hung a card. - -It was the Nine of Diamonds! - -The whole of this silent and mysterious battalion passed in line of -march up the glen, with the gleams of lightning flashing about them. -One bolt more brilliant than the rest brought back the sudden flash -of steel. - -They had fixed bayonets, and shouldered arms! - -And on, and on they marched, diminishing in the darkness and the -distance, those ghastly Grenadiers, towards the flat bleak moor of -Culloden, with the green lightning playing about them, and gleaming -on the storm-swept waste. - -The Wooden-leg--Ewen's unco' guest--disappeared with them, and was -never heard of more in Strathnairn. - -He had come with a tempest, and gone with one. Neither was any trace -ever seen or heard of those strange and silent soldiers. No regiment -had left Nairn that night, and no regiment reached Inverness in the -morning; so unto this day the whole affair remains a mystery, and a -subject for ridicule with some, although Ewen, whose story of the -midnight march of a corps in time of war--caused his examination by -the authorities in the Castle of Inverness--stuck manfully to his -assertions, which were further corroborated by the evidence of his -wife and children. He made a solemn affidavit of the circumstances I -have related before the sheriff, whose court books will be found to -confirm them in every particular; if not, it is the aforesaid -sheriff's fault, and not mine. - -There were not a few (but these were generally old Jacobite ladies of -decayed Highland families, who form the gossiping tabbies and -wall-flowers of the Northern Meeting) who asserted that in their -young days they had heard of such a regiment marching by night, once -a year to the field of Culloden; for it is currently believed by the -most learned on such subjects in the vicinity of the "Clach na -Cudden," that on the anniversary of the sorrowful battle, a certain -place, which shall be nameless, opens, and that the restless souls of -the murderers of the wounded clansmen march in military array to the -green graves upon the purple heath, in yearly penance; and this story -was thought to receive full corroboration by the apparition of a fat -lubberly spectre with the nine of diamonds chained to his neck; as it -was on that card--since named the Curse of Scotland--the Duke of -Cumberland hastily pencilled the savage order to "show no quarter to -the wounded, but to slaughter all." - -Such was the story of our old Highland Quartermaster. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -THE LAST OF DON FABRIQUE. - -A week or two after our return from Seville to Gibraltar, Jack -Slingsby received a note from a Spanish officer, who commanded a -detachment of the Grenadiers of Jaen, to the effect that the famous -bandit Fabrique de Urquija had been taken, and was condemned to die -by the spirited Alcalde of San Roque; that his execution was to take -place on the day after to-morrow, and that if we wished to behold the -mode of punishing such criminals in Spain, it would afford him much -pleasure if we joined his party, which was ordered to assist in -guarding the scaffold. - -Though neither of us were animated by a love of cruelty or taste for -the morbid, we were somewhat curious to see how this romantic -vagabond, who so pitilessly had meted out death to so many others, -would encounter his own terrible doom, and availing ourselves of the -Spanish officer's polite offer, we procured a day's leave, rode over -to breakfast with him, and marched with his detachment to San Roque, -a little town, which lies, as I have elsewhere said, about six miles -from our garrison on the Spanish side. - -As we proceeded, the Spanish capitano told us the little episode of -Don Fabrique's capture. - -It happened thus. - -The Alcalde of San Roque was reputed to be immensely wealthy, and to -have in a secret place a strong box full of yellow doubloons and rich -silver duros, piled up in shining pillars to its brim, like the -treasure chests which the Moors are supposed to have hidden in all -the old castles and ruined atalayas in Spain, and all of which are -occasionally visible to those who have the fortune of being born on -Good Friday, as every Spaniard knows. - -The rumour of this wealth could not fail to reach the ears of Don -Fabrique, and to excite the cupidity of that enterprising gentleman; -but concealing his intentions from his band, whom he intended to -leave, as he proposed to himself a little trip to Paris or Peru, if -he relieved the Alcalde of those cares which are inseparable from the -possession of wealth, he reconnoitred the house, and found an -entrance to a room wherein he secreted himself beneath a bed, which -stood in an alcove off it. In this bed the portly alcalde and his -buxom wife were wont to take their repose; so Don Fabrique had not -been very long in this place of concealment, when the lady came in -with a lamp in her hand, and placing it on the toilet table, -proceeded to divest her charming person of her habiliments. - -She threw the fag end of her cigar into the brassero; hung her wig -upon a knob of the mirror, et cetera. She then dipped a finger into -the little font of holy water which hung at the head of her bed, and -stepped in, to await the coming of her worthy spouse, who was -lingering over the 'Heraldo' and a glass of Valdepenas in the -dining-room below. - -Now as the bed had a canvas bottom like a hammock, and the lady -therein was equal in size and weight to three ordinary women, Don -Fabrique, with natural consternation, reflected on what he should -have to endure, when the gorbellied alcalde was added to the -superincumbent load of the señora. - -"Demonio!" thought he, "what is to be done? I shall be suffocated -before that brute the señor patron is half asleep!" - -The panting robber stirred uneasily, and the stout lady above him -started. - -"Madre de Dios, what is that!" she whispered to herself. - -There was no response; but on Fabrique stirring again, the señora -fairly sprang in terror from her bed. Fabrique dared not breathe, -but with one hand on his stiletto and the other on his lips, he lay -still as death. The lady now obtained a glimpse of his foot. and -uttering one of those shrill cries, which most women can utter at any -time, she rushed from the chamber to seek her husband; but first she -took the precaution of double-locking the door. - -Finding himself discovered, and aware that all was over now, Fabrique -hastened to escape by his place of entrance, the window. Alas! it -was now secured by a shutter crossed by iron bars on the outside, and -these resisted all his efforts. There was no chimney; again he -rushed to the door. It was firm--fast as a rock, and he might as -well have rushed against the stone wall. He heard the clank of feet -and of halberts as the hastily-summoned alguazils came into the room -below; true, he had his dagger; but what would that avail him against -so many? The perspiration burst over his brow and he cursed the -avarice which brought him on such errand unassisted by that faithful -and determined band he was about to leave for ever. - -Fertile in expedients, he at last thought of one. - -He threw off all his clothes and popped into the bed of the señor -alcalde, and scarcely had he tucked himself cosily in when the door -was burst open, and in marched the portly patron, his eyes dilated -with vengeance, and his paunch swollen with official dignity and -purple valdepenas, while the grim alguazils with pointed halberts and -cocked trabujas came behind, and with them was the terrified lady in -her night-dress, holding a candle in one trembling hand, her rosary -and a case of reliques in the other. - -Fabrique gazed at them with well-feigned surprise, which was -reflected in the faces of all on beholding the place of his retreat, -though it soon turned to resentment in the wife of the alcalde; her -eyes flashed; her plump cheeks and bosom became crimson with anger. - -"How now, señor raterillo," thundered the alcalde; "what am I to -understand by all this?" - -"By what, most worthy señor," whined the robber, with affected -simplicity and shame. - -"Why--your being here--here, señor--in the bed of the señora--in my -bed?" continued the alcalde, gathering courage from the loudness of -his own voice; "speak, rascal--why are you here?" - -"Ask the señora, who invited me," replied Fabrique. with the coolest -assurance in the world. - -"Morte de Dios, what is this I hear?" muttered the overwhelmed -alcalde. - -"Yes, ask her, for I did not come here unexpected, believe me, most -worthy and much-injured Señor Patron," continued the cunning rogue as -he leaped out of bed, and assisted by the tittering alguazils, put on -his garments with all haste, while the wife of the poor alcalde gazed -upon him speechless with rage at the inference and his accusation, -while the magistrate himself was baffled and blanched by a new and -vague sense of shame and consternation. - -"My dear señora," said Fabrique, in a bland tone, as he tied on his -sash and assumed his sombrero, "I regret extremely that you are weary -of me--that my company is no longer pleasing to you, as of old; but -it is very cruel of you to bring the neck of a poor lover so faithful -as I into such deadly jeopardy, and I shall treasure this lesson of -female perfidy, revenge, and caprice to my latest hour. Muchas -gracias, señora, much good may your trick do you." - -The lady was choking with anger and unmerited shame, while the -cunning rogue continued,-- - -"Most worthy Señor Alcalde, most faithless and fickle señora, and -you, most paltry and pitiful señores alguazils, I have the honour to -wish you all a very good evening." - -With a low bow and a mocking smile, he was about to depart, when one -of the alguazils exclaimed,-- - -"Stop--seize him; by Santiago, 'tis Fabrique de Urquija!" - -The face of the robber became black with fury; he drew his stiletto -and rushed upon his discoverer, but was soon beaten down by the -halberts and clubbed blunderbusses of the officials, by whom he was -bound with cords and dragged to prison without delay. - -He was soon tried in due form, and though the whole town rang with -his terrible exploits, and the women praised his handsome figure, his -reckless courage, and the great tact and skill by which he had so -nearly eluded the pot-bellied Alcalde, he was sentenced "to be -garotted at twelve o'clock to-day." - -Such was the detail given to us by the Spanish officer. - -As we neared San Roque, we found great crowds from remote parts of -the judicial partido, all clad in the picturesque and antique -costumes of the province, ascending the mountain on which the town is -situated, and all anxious to behold the dying demeanour of the most -famous of Spanish bandits--the greatest since Manuel Francisco was -shot at Cordova two years ago. - -The mountain of San Roque stands at the head of a beautiful bay of -the same name; and on looking back as we ascended, we had a charming -view of the sea, with several large Xebecques floating like gigantic -white birds with wings outspread upon its shining azure surface. - -A clear and brilliant morning sun poured a flood of light athwart the -picturesque plaza of San Roque, into which, as one may easily -imagine, the whole male population of the town--about eight -thousand--were crowded. This plaza resembled a sea of human heads -covered with black or brown sombreros; though there were many who -wore only their own coarse black hair in netted cauls, and a few had -scarlet forage caps. Above this crowd glittered the bayonets and the -glazed shakoes of a battalion of Infantry of the Spanish line, from -the adjacent barracks. These surrounded the high wooden platform of -the garotte. Within their line were the poor old ecclesiastics of -the two suppressed convents and three hospitals of San Roque, wearing -the remarkable monastic costumes of a past age. - -The principal place was occupied by the commandant of the fortified -camp of San Roque, who, upon our appearing among the crowd in our -British uniform, sent his aide-de-camp, with a polite invitation for -us to join his staff, which we immediately accepted. - -On the centre of the platform, which was about twenty feet square, -and covered with black cloth, sat the fallen Fabrique de Urquija upon -a little wooden stool, with his back placed against the upright post -of the garotte, the iron collar of which encircled his brawny naked -neck. His broad low brow was black as a thunder cloud; his eyes were -fierce and keen, and with a lowering glance of scornful pride, he -surveyed the masses who crowded on every inch of space that afforded -footing. His ancles were chained to an eyebolt on the floor of the -platform. Near him stood the old confessor José de Torquemada of -Medina, barefooted; his cowl thrown back; in his wrinkled hands an -ivory crucifix, which ever and anon he placed to the quivering lips -of the doomed man in the interval of prayer. - -Poor Urquija! I forgot all his atrocities and the evil he would once -have done to Slingsby and myself; and now I felt only pity for his -terrible situation. - -"I saw your glance of commiseration," said Jack quietly, as he -prepared a cigarito; "but be assured, Ramble, you may as well feel -pity for a bruised wolf. I have not forgotten the Rio de Muerte, and -that night on the hills above Trohniona." - -"Noble Caballeros--buenos Christianos," said a venerable Franciscan, -placing before us the wooden platter on which he was receiving the -reals and pence of the faithful; "por neustra Señora Santissima, one -little medio for the sinful soul of Fabrique de Urquija." - -Jack and I--though believing but little in monk or mass--were taught -as soldiers to respect the religious prejudices of all men; thus we -were touched by the honest piety of these old pillars of a dying -creed---dying at least in Spain; and we each threw in a gold coin. -This raised an approving murmur among the people, and the prisoner -gave us a glance full of recognition and gratitude. We had paid -enough for fifty masses! - -The church bell now began to toll a passing knell. - -Then the alguazils, who wore the cavalier costume of other times--the -broad hat, the long locks, the white vandyke collar over a little -shoulder mantle, the short knee-breeches and buckled shoes, of the -days of Cervantes, advanced their halberts and ascended the scaffold, -accompanied by the executioner, who was dressed in the deepest black. -All present now murmured and looked round, and several officers drew -their swords, for rumours of a projected rescue were current in San -Roque and its vicinity. - -The confession was ended, and if all the horrors which rumour -ascribed to the unhappy Urquija were true, what a revelation it must -have been! What a volume it would have made! - -José Torquemada remained on his knees beside the penitent, who turned -to him ever and anon, anxiously and hurriedly to pour into his ear -some newly-remembered act of guilt, or perhaps to spin out the thread -of life a little--a very little longer. - -Meanwhile the solemn bell continued tolling; the people around the -scaffold were nearly all upon their knees, and the grasp of the -executioner was laid upon the iron wrench or screw of the garotte. -The face of the culprit flushed as he did so, and then grew pale as -marble. - -The hand of the church clock indicated the hour of noon; then a -cannon pealed from the fortifications of San Roque and the priest -pointed with his crucifix to Heaven, while the executioner, at that -instant, gave the screw a vigorous twist, and the head of Urquija -fell suddenly on his breast. It heaved a little, and all was over. - -A "viva" mingled with the prayers of the people; but the dead man -remained motionless and still, under that bright sunshine of noon; -and then rose the hum of many voices as if a load had been taken off -every breast; while the bayonets flashed and the sharp brass drums -beat merrily, as the Spanish Infantry wheeled from hollow square into -open column of companies, and marched by sections through the Plaza -to the fortified camp of San Roque; then the crowd, who, up to the -last moment had foretold and expected a rescue from the band of -Urquija, who were hovering and vowing vengeance on the Sierra de -Ronda, began to disperse. - -Such was the last act in the terrible career of Fabrique de Urquija, -the student of Alcala; and such was the last episode of Jack -Slingsby's Spanish adventures and mine. - -We dined with the Commandant at the fortified camp of San Roque, and -in the evening rode back to Gibraltar, where we found the garrison in -a buzz of excitement. - -"What is the matter?" I asked of a sentinel at the lower -fortifications as we rode in; "and for what reason was that heavy -cannon fired after sunset?" - -"The Himalaya has come in, sir, with Sir Henry Slingsby and a -detachment of the Guards on board; she is at anchor in the roads, and -your regiment is ordered to embark for the Crimea by gunfire -to-morrow." - -"Hurrah!" cried Jack, and we dashed at full speed to our barracks, -where the clusters of our soldiers in the square, laughing and -talking gaily, the colonel's orderly running after the adjutant, the -adjutant calling for the Serjeant major, and the evident excitement -and satisfaction visible in every face, corroborated the information -of the sentinel, and impressed upon us the necessity of immediately -packing our baggage; but before doing so, I dispatched at once to -press these little tales and episodes which have lightened and -beguiled our mess-table in old Gibraltar; and if they please my -readers, and win from them but half the praise they won from my light -hearted and brave brother officers, my task in collecting them will -be more than recompensed. - - - -WYMAN AND SONS, PRINTERS, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LONDON. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 65393 *** |