THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 IN MEMORY OF 
 
 John Geoffrey Cutler 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Mrs. Oscar C.Jones
 
 "SETTING SPURS TO THEIR HORSES, THE FOUR MEN 
 DASHED FORWARD"
 
 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 A STOBY OF THE CARLIST WARS 
 
 BY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Author of " With Roberts to Pretoria " "Held Fast for England " 
 " Under Drake's Flag" Ac. 
 
 WITH TEN FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS By WAL. PAGST 
 
 LONDON 
 BLACKIE & SON, LIMITED, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.CL 
 
 TORONTO 
 
 WILLIAM BRIGGS 
 
 THE COPP CLARK CO. LIMITED 
 
 1903
 
 PRINTED AT 
 
 THE VILLAFIKLD PRESS 
 
 GLASGOW
 
 
 PREFACE 
 ** 
 
 THE story of the doings of the British Legion under Sir de 
 Lacy Evans in Spain is but little known. The expedition was 
 a failure, and that from no want of heroic courage on the part 
 of the soldiers, but from the most scandalous neglect and ill- 
 treatment by the Government of Queen Christina. So gross 
 was this neglect that within six months of their arrival in the 
 Peninsula nearly five thousand, that is to say half the Legion, 
 had either died from want, privation, or fever in the hospitals 
 of Vittoria, or were invalided home. The remainder, although 
 ill-fed, ill-clothed, and with their pay nine months in arrear, 
 showed themselves worthy of the best traditions of the British 
 army, and it was only at the end of their two years' engage- 
 ment that, finding all attempts to obtain fair treatment from 
 the Government unavailing, they took their discharge and 
 returned home. 
 
 The history of their doings as described in the following 
 story is largely founded on a pamphlet by Alex. Somerville, 
 a man of genius who enlisted in the Legion; and the events 
 subsequent to its disbandment are taken from the work of 
 Major Duncan, one of the Commissioners appointed by the 
 British Government to endeavour to see that the conditions 
 of a convention entered into by our Government and the 
 leaders of the contending parties in Spain were duly observed 
 a convention, however, that had very small influence in 
 checking the atrocities committed by both combatants. 
 
 G. A. HENTY. 
 
 632866
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAP. Page 
 
 I. ENLISTED 11 
 
 II. IN SPAIN 28 
 
 III. AN ADVENTURE 46 
 
 IV. THE FIRST FIGHT 62 
 
 V. A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 81 
 
 VI. A CAPTIVE 98 
 
 VII. A GREAT CHANGE 115 
 
 VIII. A DESPERATE ADVENTURE > . . . . 134 
 
 IX. THE ESCAPE 152 
 
 X. A GOOD SERVICE 171 
 
 XL A THWARTED PLOT 188 
 
 XII. A FIASCO 206 
 
 XIII. A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 223 
 
 XIV. A RESCUE 242 
 
 XV. A CHALLENGE 261 
 
 XVI. ENGAGED 277 
 
 XVII. KIDNAPPED 296 
 
 XVIII. ESCAPED 313 
 
 XIX. MILITARY MOVEMENTS 329 
 
 XX. THE END OF A FEUD 347 
 
 XXI. HOME . 366
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 "SETTING SPURS TO THEIR HORSES THE FOUR MEN DASHED FOR- 
 WARD" Frontispiece 119 
 
 ARTHUR MAKES HIS WAY THROUGH THE CARLIST LINES ... 56 
 "A SAIL WAS HOISTED AND THEY RAN OUT MERRILY" ... 70 
 
 "HE BEGAN TO DRAG HIMSELF ALONG" 107 
 
 "ARTHUR FLUNG HIM BACK ACROSS THE TABLE" 155 
 
 " QUEEN CHRISTINA HELD OUT HER HAND" 186 
 
 "Afl!" HE SAID, "SO I HAVE LAID HANDS ON YOU AT LAST" 217 
 "LITTLE BY LITTLE ARTHUR'S ADVANCE ACCELERATED" . . . 279 
 "A TALL MAN WITH A HARSH, ASCETIC FACE ENTERED" . . 305 
 "THE TWO WEAPONS FLASHED AT THE SAME MOMENT" . . . 339 
 
 9
 
 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 ENLISTED 
 
 WELL, sir, I shall be glad to know what you intend to 
 do next?" 
 
 There was no answer to the question, which, after a 
 pause, was repeated in the same cold tone. "Don't know, 
 uncle," came at last from the lips of the boy standing before 
 him. 
 
 " Nor do I, Arthur. This is the fourth school from which I 
 have been requested to remove you. When I sent you to 
 Shrewsbury I told you that it was your last chance, and now 
 here you are back again. Your case seems hopeless. By the 
 terms of your father's will, which seems to have been written 
 with a prevision of what you were going to turn out, you are 
 not to come into your property until you arrive at the age of 
 twenty -five; though, as his executor, I was authorized to pay 
 from the incoming rents the cost of your education and clothes, 
 and also a certain amount for your expenses at the university, 
 and when you took your degree I was to let you have the 
 sum of one hundred and fifty pounds per year until you reached 
 the age fixed for your coming into the bulk of the fortune." 
 
 The speaker, Mr. Hallett, was a solicitor in Liverpool with 
 a large practice, which so occupied him that he was too busy 
 to attend to other matters. At bottom he was not an un- 
 kindly man, but he had but little time to give to home or 
 
 11
 
 12 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 family. He had regarded it as a nuisance when his elder 
 brother died and left him sole trustee and guardian of his son, 
 then a boy of ten years old. Arthur's father had been an 
 invalid for some years before he died, and the boy had been 
 allowed to run almost wild, and spent the greater part of his 
 time in the open air. Under the tuition of the grooms he had 
 learned to ride well, and was often away for hours on his pony; 
 he had a daily swim in the river that ran through the estate, 
 and was absolutely fearless. He had had narrow escapes of 
 being killed, from falling from trees and walls, and had fought 
 more than one battle with village boys of his own age. 
 
 His father, a weak invalid, scarcely attempted to control him 
 in any way, although well aware that such training was emi- 
 nently bad for him; but he knew that his own life was drawing 
 to a close, and he could not bear the thought of sending him 
 to school, as his brother had more than once advised him to 
 do. He did, however, shortly before his death, take the latter's 
 advice, and drew up a will which he hoped would benefit the 
 boy, by rendering it impossible for him to come into the pro- 
 perty until he was of an age to steady down. 
 
 "I foresee, Robert," the lawyer said, "that my post as 
 guardian will be no sinecure, and, busy as I am, I feel that I 
 shall not have much time to look after him personally ; still, for 
 your sake, I will do all that I can for him. It is, of course, 
 impossible for me to keep him in my house. After the life he 
 has led, it would be equally disagreeable to him and to my 
 wife, so he must go to a boarding-school." 
 
 And so at his brother's death the solicitor made enquiries, 
 and sent the boy to school at Chester, where he had heard 
 that the discipline was good. Four months later Arthur 
 turned up, having run away, and almost at the moment of 
 his arrival there came a letter from the principal, saying that 
 he declined to receive him back again. 
 
 " It is not that there is anything radically wrong about him, 
 but his disobedience to all the rules of the school is beyond
 
 ENLISTED 13 
 
 bearing. Flogging appears to have no effect upon him, and 
 he is altogether incorrigible. He has high spirits and is per- 
 fectly truthful; he is bright and intelligent. I had intended 
 to tell you at the end of the half-year that I should be glad if 
 you would take him away, for although I do not hesitate to 
 use the cane when necessary, I am not a believer in breaking 
 a boy's spirit; and when I find that even severe discipline is 
 ineffectual, I prefer to let other hands try what they can do. 
 I consider that his faults are the result of bad training, or 
 rather, so far as I can see, of no training at all until he came 
 to me." 
 
 At his next school the boy stayed two years. The report 
 was similar to that from Chester. The boy was not a bad 
 boy, but he was always getting into mischief and leading 
 others into it. Complaints were continually being made, by 
 farmers and others, of the breaking down of hedges, the rob- 
 bing of orchards, and other delinquencies, in all of which 
 deeds he appeared to be the leader; and as punishment 
 seemed to have no good effect the head-master requested Mr. 
 Hallett to remove him. 
 
 The next experiment lasted eighteen months, and he was 
 then expelled for leading a " barring-out " as a protest against 
 an unpopular usher. He had then been sent to Shrewsbury, 
 from which he had just returned. 
 
 " The lad ", the head-master wrote, " has a good disposition. 
 He is intelligent, quick at his books, excellent in all athletic 
 exercises, honourable and manly; but he is a perpetual source of 
 trouble. He is always in mischief; he is continually being met 
 out of bounds ; he is constantly in fights most of them, I am 
 bound to say, incurred on behalf of smaller boys. His last 
 offence is that he got out of his room last night, broke the 
 window of one of the masters, who had, he considered, treated 
 him unfairly, and threw a large number of crackers into his 
 room. He was detected climbing up to his own window again 
 by the house master, who, having been awakened by the ex-
 
 14 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 plosions, had hastily gone round to the boys' rooms. After 
 this I felt that I could keep him no longer; discipline must be 
 sustained. At the same time I am sorry at being compelled 
 to say that he must leave. He is a favourite in the school, 
 and has very many good qualities; and his faults are the faults- 
 of exuberant spirits and not of a bad disposition." 
 
 "Now, to return to my question," continued Mr. Hallett, 
 "what do you mean to do? You are too old to send to 
 another school, even if one would take you, which no decent 
 institution would do now that you have been expelled from 
 four schools in succession, winding up with Shrewsbury. 
 I have spoken to you so often that I shall certainly not 
 attempt so thankless a task again. As to your living at my 
 house, it is out of the question. I am away the whole daj T ; 
 and your aunt tells me that at the end of your last holidays 
 you were making your two cousins tomboys, and that although 
 she liked you very much she really did not feel equal to- 
 having you about the house for six weeks at a time. You 
 cannot complain that I have not been frank with you. I 
 told you, when you came home from your first school, the pro- 
 visions of your father's will, and how matters stood. I suppose 
 you have thought, on your way from Shrewsbury, as to your 
 future? You were well aware that I was not the sort of man 
 to go back from what 1 said. I warned you solemnly, when 
 you went to Shrewsbury, that it was the last chance I should 
 give you, and that if you came back again to this place I 
 should wash my hands of you, except that I should see the 
 terms of the will strictly carried out. 
 
 " Of course, your father little dreamt of such a situation as 
 has arisen, or he would have made some provision for it; 
 and I shall therefore strain a point, and make you an allow- 
 ance equal to the sum your schooling has cost. According to 
 the wording of the will I am certainly not empowered to do 
 so, but I do not think that even a judge in the Court of 
 Chancery would raise any objection. I have ordered your
 
 ENLISTED 15 
 
 boxes to be taken to the Falcon Hotel. You will find there a 
 letter from me addressed to you, enclosing four five-pound 
 notes. The same sum will be sent to you every two months to 
 any address that you may send to me. You will, I hope, com- 
 municate with me each time you receive your remittance, 
 acquainting me with what you are doing. I may tell you that 
 I have determined on this course with some hopes that when 
 you are your own master you will gain a sufficient sense of 
 responsibility to steady you. At the end of two years, if you 
 desire to go to the university you will receive the allowance 
 there which would be suitable for you. I have thought this 
 matter over very carefully and painfully, Arthur. I talked it 
 over with your aunt last night. She is deeply grieved, but 
 she agrees with me that it is as good a plan as can be devised 
 for you. You cannot go to school again ; we cannot have you 
 at home on our hands for two years." 
 
 " Thank you ! " the lad said; " I know I have been a frightful 
 trouble to you, and I am not surprised that I have worn out 
 your patience." 
 
 " I wish you to understand, Arthur, that the course has 
 been made easier to your aunt and myself, because we are 
 convinced that with all your boyish folly you can be trusted 
 not to do anything to disgrace your father's name, and that 
 these two years of what I may call probation will teach you 
 to think for yourself; and at its termination you will be ready 
 to go to the university to prepare yourself for the life of a 
 country gentleman which lies before you. If you will let me 
 advise you at all, I should say that as a beginning you might 
 do worse than put a knapsack on your back and go for a 
 walking tour of some months through England, Scotland, and 
 Ireland, after which you might go on to the Continent for a bit. 
 I don't like to influence your decision, but I know that you 
 will never be content to stay quiet, and this would be a way 
 of working off your superfluous energy. Now, lad, we will 
 shake hands. I am convinced that your experience during
 
 16 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 the next two years will be of great value to you, and I ask 
 you to believe that in what we have decided upon we have 
 had your own good even more than our comfort at heart." 
 
 " I will think it over, uncle," the lad said, his face clearing 
 up somewhat, " and will write to tell you and my aunt what I 
 am going to do. I suppose you have no objection to my 
 saying good-bye to my aunt and my cousins before I go?" 
 
 " No objection at all. You have done nothing dishonour- 
 able; you have let your spirits carry you away, and have 
 shown a lamentable contempt for discipline. These are faults 
 that will cure themselves in time. Come, by all means, to see 
 your aunt before you go." 
 
 Arthur Hallett left his uncle's office in somewhat low 
 spirits. He was conscious that his uncle's indignation was 
 natural, and that he thoroughly deserved it. He had had a 
 jolly time, and he was sorry that it was over; but he was 
 ashamed of the trouble he had given his uncle and aunt, and 
 quite expected that they would not again receive him. His 
 only fear had been that his uncle would at once place him 
 with some clergyman who made a speciality of coaching 
 troublesome boys; and he had determined that after the 
 liberty and pleasant life at Shrewsbury he could never put 
 up with that. But upon the way by coach to Liverpool he 
 had read a placard which had decided him. It ran as 
 follows : 
 
 "Smart young men required for the British Legion now 
 being formed. A bounty of two pounds arid free kit will be 
 given to each applicant accepted. For all particulars apply at 
 the Recruiting Office, 34 the Quay, Liverpool." 
 
 " That is just the thing for me," he said to himself. " Till 
 I saw that, I had intended to enlist; but there is no chance of 
 a war, and I expect I should get into all sorts of mischief in 
 no time. This legion, I know, is going out to fight in Spain. 
 I read all about it some time ago. There will be excitement 
 there, and I dare say hard work, and possibly short rations. 
 
 (H966)
 
 ENLISTED 1 7 
 
 However, that will make no odds to me. It will be something 
 quite new, I should think, and just the life to suit me. At 
 any rate I will walk down to the quay and hear what they 
 say about it." 
 
 Going to the hotel to which his luggage had been sent, he 
 ordered a meal at once, and then, having eaten it, for he was 
 hungry after his long journey, he strolled down to the wharf. 
 He was shown into a room where the recruiting officer was 
 sitting. 
 
 " I am thinking of enlisting, sir." 
 
 The officer looked at him sharply. " Have you thought 
 what you are doing?" he said. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " You are not the style of recruit that comes to us. I 
 suppose you have run away from school 1 ?" 
 
 " I have been sent away," Arthur said, " because I shoved 
 some fireworks into one of the masters' rooms. It happened 
 once or twice before, and my friends are tired of me. I have 
 always been getting into rows, and they will be glad to be 
 rid of me.' v 
 
 " You look more cut out for an officer than a private. How 
 old are you?" 
 
 " I am past sixteen." 
 
 " It's young, but we are not particular as to age if a fellow 
 is strong and active. The pay is rather better than the line 
 here." 
 
 " It is not the pay, but the life that I want to see," the lad 
 said. " My guardian has washed his hands of me for the 
 present. I have neither father nor mother. I have never 
 had a day's illness, and I fancy that I am as strong as the 
 majority of your recruits will be. I shall come into some 
 money when I am of age; and I don't know any way of 
 passing the time till then that will suit me better than enlisting 
 when there is some chance of fighting." 
 
 " There will be every chance of that," the officer said grimly. 
 
 ((M966) B 
 
 5
 
 18 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " We have got nearly our number on board a hulk anchored 
 in the river, and shall sail in two days. I myself go out in 
 command of the party. You give me your word of honour 
 that you have neither father nor mother who would raise 
 objections?" 
 
 "Yes, sir. I lost my mother when I was two years old, 
 and my father when I was ten." 
 
 " Well, lad, I don't see any reason why I should not take 
 you. We have a miscellaneous body: a few old soldiers, some 
 broken-down tradesmen, a few clerks, a dozen or so runaway 
 apprentices, a couple of dozen young agricultural labourers, 
 and a few young men who have come to grief in some sort 
 of way. They are a rough lot, but they will soon be licked 
 into shape. Our colonel started three days ago from Leith, 
 and we shall join the rest of the regiment somewhere on the 
 Spanish coast. Even I do not know where it will be until I 
 open my letter of instructions. I may tell you that if you 
 behave well there is every chance that you will get a com- 
 mission in a couple of years. However, I will not swear you 
 in now. I will give you the night to think over it." 
 
 "Very well, sir; but I don't think that I am likely to 
 change my mind." 
 
 Leaving the recruiting officer, Arthur spent the afternoon 
 in strolling about the docks and watching the shipping, always 
 a favourite amusement of his during the holidays. He had 
 done a good deal of rowing at Shrewsbury when there was 
 water enough in the river, and had learnt to sail in the holi- 
 days; and until he saw the advertisement for men for the 
 British Legion he had hesitated whether to enlist or to ship 
 before the mast. On his way back to the hotel he bought a 
 pamphlet explaining the causes of the war in Spain, and, 
 sitting down in a corner of the coffee-room, he read this 
 attentively. It told him but little more than he already 
 knew, for the war going on in Spain excited considerable 
 attention and interest.
 
 ENLISTED 19 
 
 The little girl Isabella had been recently left fatherless, 
 and was but a cipher. The affairs of state were in the capable 
 hands of the regent, her mother Christina. Don Carlos had 
 on his side the northern provinces of Spain, especially the 
 Basques. These provinces always enjoyed peculiar privileges, 
 and Don Carlos had secured their allegiance by swearing to 
 uphold these rights. He had the support also of a large body 
 of the clergy. The provinces of Aragon and Valencia were 
 pretty equally divided, and fighting between the two factions 
 was constantly going on. Madrid and the centre of Spain 
 was for Isabella. The royal forces were superior in number 
 to those of the Carlists, but the inequality was corrected by 
 the fact that the Carlist generals were superior to those of the 
 crown. The Basques were sturdy fighters and active men, 
 capable of long marches, carrying no baggage with them, and 
 effecting many surprises when they were believed to be a 
 hundred miles away. In England and France the Carlists had 
 many sympathizers, but the bulk of the people in both coun- 
 tries were in favour of the little queen; and although the 
 British government took no open part in the struggle, they 
 had permitted the legion, ten thousand strong, under Colonel 
 de Lacy Evans, to be raised openly and without hindrance for 
 the service of the Spanish sovereign. 
 
 Arthur Hallett went to bed and dreamed many improbable 
 dreams, in which he greatly distinguished himself; and in the 
 morning went down to the recruiting office and signed away 
 his liberty for two years. 
 
 "Do you want any part of your bounty now?" the officer 
 asked. 
 
 " No, sir; I suppose we shall get it before landing?" 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 " Do we go in the clothes we stand in?" 
 
 "Yes; the uniforms and arms will be supplied to you on 
 landing." 
 
 " Must I go on board the hulk now ? "
 
 20 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " No; the recruits in general go off as soon as they are sworn 
 in, but as you have not asked for any part of the bounty 
 there is no occasion for you to do so." 
 
 " Very well, sir; I will not come on board till to-morrow 
 evening. I have got to get rid of my clothes and portman- 
 teaux." 
 
 That afternoon he went up to his aunt's. He told them 
 that he was going to leave Liverpool; his plans were not 
 settled yet, but he was certainly going to travel. His aunt 
 and cousins were both greatly affected at his leaving. 
 
 " My dear aunt," he said, " I have nobody to blame but 
 myself, and I have to thank both you and uncle for the 
 manner in which you have borne with me; and I believe 
 and hope that when I come back I shall have sobered down. 
 Uncle said that I might come up and say good-bye to you 
 before I started, and in a few days you shall hear from me. 
 I shall not burden myself with much luggage : just a couple of 
 flannel shirts, a couple of pairs of vests and drawers, stockings, 
 and a spare pair of boots. That won't make a very heavy kit. 
 My other things I shall sell; they will be of no good to me. 
 And I shall get a rough shooting-coat instead of this jacket, for 
 which I am already growing too big. It is all very well at 
 school, but a shooting-coat with pockets is much handier for 
 walking in." 
 
 His cousins, who were girls of thirteen and fourteen, both 
 cried bitterly when he said good-bye to them, and his aunt 
 was also in tears. 
 
 " If you are ever short of money," she said, " write to me; 
 I will manage to let you have some." 
 
 " I don't think I shall be short, aunt. I shall be able to 
 live very comfortably on my allowance; if I don't, it will be 
 my own fault. I have been on walking tours before, you 
 know, and I am sure I can do on the money." 
 
 He went off after staying for an hour. 
 
 " That is all done," he said, as he walked down the town.
 
 GERVAISE AND RALPH ARE KNIGHTED BY THE GRAND PRIOR.
 
 ENLISTED 21 
 
 " If the war goes on for seven or eight years I shall be of 
 age when I come back, shall have my thousand a year, and 
 shall have sown my wild oats;" and he laughed. "I have 
 certainly made a mess of it so far. Unless the Spaniards 
 have changed from what they were twenty years ago, their 
 promises are not worth the paper they are written upon, and 
 I expect that we shall often go hungry to bed. Well, I think 
 I can stand it if anyone can." 
 
 The next morning he called on a second-hand clothing 
 dealer, who examined his clothes. Arthur was obliged to 
 allow that most of these had seen rough work. However, 
 after great bargaining he got three pounds, a rough shooting- 
 coat, and a good supply of shirts and underclothes for the lot, 
 including the portmanteau. He kept his stock of books, and, 
 packing them up in a box, directed them to be sent four days 
 later, if he did not come for them, to his uncle's house. He 
 had already bought the knapsack, and found that he could 
 get all his remaining belongings into this. At five o'clock he 
 went down to the quay and was taken out in a boat, with 
 some twelve other recruits, to the hulk. As he reached the 
 deck he regretted for a moment the step he had taken. A 
 crowd of recruits is not at the best of times a cheering 
 spectacle. Here was a miscellaneous crowd of men many 
 of them drunk, some lying about sleeping off the effects of 
 the liquor, which had been the first purchase they had made 
 out of their bounty money. 
 
 Others were standing looking vacantly towards the land. 
 Some were walking up and down restlessly, regretting, now 
 that it was too late, that they had enlisted. Others were 
 sleeping quietly, well content that their struggle to maintain 
 life had for the present ended. A few men, evidently, from 
 their carriage, old campaigners, were gathered together com- 
 paring their experiences, and passing unfavourable comment 
 upon the rest, while forward were a group of country yokels, 
 to whom everything was strange. Here and there men with
 
 22 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 dejected faces failures in trade, men for whom fortune had 
 been too strong paced up and down. A few young fellows 
 had escaped the general contagion, and were laughing uproari- 
 ously and playing boyish tricks upon each other. These 
 thought more of their freedom from their taskmasters, and 
 pictured for themselves their fury on finding that they had 
 escaped from their grasp. A few, for the most part old 
 soldiers, walked up and down with a military step and 
 carriage. These were glad to be in the ranks again glad 
 to feel that they would soon be in uniform again. It was 
 the sight of these men that reanimated Arthur. These men 
 were soldiers; they knew war and rejoiced at it, and he 
 pictured that in a short time this motley group these 
 drunken specimens, these careworn men would be turned 
 into soldiers, their past misfortunes forgotten, with carriage 
 active and alert, ready to face their enemies. 
 
 " They are a rougher lot than I expected," he said to him- 
 self; "but many of them must, like myself, have come to this 
 through their own folly. I looked for a rough time of it, but 
 scarcely so bad as this." 
 
 One of the soldiers, struck by his appearance, stopped in his 
 walk to speak to him. "Well, young fellow," he said, "you 
 look to me one of the right sort. Got into a scrape, and run 
 away from home, eh? Well, your sort often make the best 
 soldiers. What shall you do with your kit? Well, whatever 
 you do with it, don't let it out of your sight for the present 
 If I am not mistaken, there is more than one jail-bird here. 
 You will be safe enough when we once get under way; but 
 eight or ten have already jumped overboard and got away, 
 and you can't count on keeping anything till we are clear out 
 at sea. Look at those boats round the hulk. Half of them 
 have got friends on board, and are waiting for the chance of 
 getting them away in spite of the sentries. There are twenty 
 or thirty of us, all old hands, who will probably be non-coms, 
 when we are landed.
 
 ENLISTED 23 
 
 "At present we are told off on guard, and there are four 
 of us always on sentry duty. I guess you won't be long 
 before you get stripes too. You have only to keep yourself 
 steady to get on. We have got half a dozen officers on board 
 at least they are called officers, though they know no more 
 of soldiering than those drunken pigs in the scuppers. That 
 is where our difficulty will be. We call them the politicals. 
 They are most of them men Colonel Evans has appointed for 
 services rendered to him at Westminster. Some of them look 
 as if they would turn out well; but others are sick of it 
 already, though they have only been two or three days on 
 board, and are heartily wishing themselves back in their homes. 
 However, one can't tell at first. They may turn out better 
 than we expect. What is your name? Mine is James Topping." 
 
 "Mine is Arthur Hallett. I am much obliged to you for 
 coming to speak to me, for I was beginning to get rather down 
 in the mouth." 
 
 " You mean at the look of the recruits, I suppose ? They are 
 a fair average set, I think; only one doesn't generally get 
 so many together. By the time we have been in Spain for a 
 fortnight, they will have a different look altogether. I wish 
 we had a few more country chaps among them. But there 
 are not twenty here with full stomachs, except those who are 
 drunk with beer. They have the making of good soldiers in 
 them, but just at present they are almost all down in the 
 dumps." 
 
 " How much longer are we going to stay here ?" 
 
 "I believe we tranship to-morrow into the vessel that is 
 to carry us, and sail next day. I shall be precious glad when 
 we are off. Now, come along with me and I will name you to 
 a few of the right sort. Bring your kit along with you. It 
 won't be safe to leave it about." 
 
 He went up to a party of four men of his own stamp. 
 "Mates," he said, "here is a young fellow of the right 
 sort. I wish we had a few more dozen like him."
 
 24 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Ay, ay!" another one said, looking approvingly at the 
 active figure and the pleasant face of the young recruit. " He 
 will make a good soldier, there is no doubt; one can see that 
 with half an eye. He is well filled out, too, for a young one. 
 You ought to be in the cabin aft, not here. And you will be 
 there before long, unless I am mistaken. Don't you think so, 
 mates?" 
 
 There was a chorus of assent. 
 
 " I did not join with any idea of getting promotion," Arthur 
 said with a laugh. " I have come out for the fun of the thing, 
 and I mean to make the best of it. I expected it would be 
 rough work, and I made up my mind to stick to it." 
 
 " I reckon it will be," one of the men, who was older than 
 the rest, said. " I joined as a youngster just before Vittoria, 
 and if I had my choice I would rather campaign in any other 
 country. The Spaniards are brutes, and there was not one of 
 us that would not have pitched into them rather than into the 
 French. However, I served my full time and got my pension; 
 but when I saw that there was a chance of service again and 
 no questions asked as to age, I was only too glad to put my 
 name down for it, and was promised my old berth as sergeant- 
 major." 
 
 "I should have enlisted for the cavalry," Arthur said, "but 
 they seem taking recruits only for the infantry." 
 
 "I don't suppose they would be able to find horses for 
 cavalry. Well, I don't know which has the best of it. It is 
 easier to ride than to march, but you have heavier work, 
 what with patrols and night guard. I hear that there are ship- 
 loads of men going from Leith and Dublin and the Thames, so 
 I dare say there will be enough of your sort to make up a 
 squadron if they decide to form a cavalry corps." He drew 
 out a pocket-book. " I will put you into the 25th mess, in 
 which there is one vacancy. Your mates are a decent set of 
 young fellows. I picked out those that I thought would get 
 on well together.
 
 ENLISTED 25 
 
 "Are you salted yet?" 
 
 "Salted?" Arthur repeated. 
 
 "Yes; accustomed to the sea." 
 
 "No, but I have done a good deal of sailing, sometimes in 
 rough weather, and I don't think I shall feel sea-sick." 
 
 "Your mess is the last on the right-hand side aft. Supper 
 will be served in a few minutes, so you can take your kit down 
 there. I don't think anyone will be likely to touch it there 
 in the first place, because it is rather a dark corner, and in the 
 second place, because we have got sentries posted at each 
 hatchway, and no one is allowed to bring anything up on 
 deck; so I think you will be safe in leaving anything there." 
 
 "Thank you, sergeant! I will go down at once, and put 
 my kit there and look round." 
 
 " I will bet that he has run away from home," the sergeant 
 said, as Arthur disappeared down the gangway. " I wish we had 
 got a few more of that sort. I will put a tick against his name. 
 He is young not above seventeen, I should say but he has 
 the makings of an officer about him. There is one cavalry 
 officer aft. If I get a chance, I will say a good word for him. 
 He is just the lad for the cavalry, not too much weight, active 
 and cheery. He seems to have all his wits about him, which 
 is more than I can say for most of the officers, as far as I have 
 seen of them. Still, they will lick into shape presently, though 
 I foresee that the officers will be our weak point. They may 
 be the right stuff, but they don't know their duty at all. 
 There is a captain among them who doesn't know his drill, 
 and one doesn't expect t'hat in a captain. It is the same with 
 many of the others; they are nearly all raw. However, I 
 hope that the majors know their duty, and will be able to 
 get them into shape soon. It was the same with the great 
 war. Whole regiments were ordered on service who were 
 fresh to it, but they soon learned to take their place with the 
 best of them. It is astonishing how quickly men pick up 
 their work when there is an enemy in front of them."
 
 26 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur groped his way below. It was already growing 
 dusk, and only two or three ports were open. Picking his 
 way along, to avoid tripping over men lying hopelessly drunk 
 on the floor, he reached the spot that the sergeant had in- 
 dicated to him, and placed his kit in the corner. In a few 
 minutes the men began to pour down, some of them descend- 
 ing to the deck below. Lamps were lighted and hung up 
 to the beams, and under the orders of the old soldiers they 
 took their places at the tables. 
 
 Arthur was not hungry, as he had had a good meal before 
 coming off, but sat down and looked round at the five men 
 who were to be his associates during the voyage. Two of 
 them he put down as clerks. One of these was a pleasant- 
 faced young fellow who had evidently just thrown up his 
 situation to take to a life of adventure; the other was thin 
 and pale, and he guessed him to be a man who had for some 
 reason or other lost his employment and had enlisted as a last 
 resource; the other three were respectable men of the small 
 trader class. 
 
 The meal, which was the first that had been served since 
 mid-day, consisted of a bowl of soup each and a large hunch of 
 bread. After the first spoonful or two they began to talk. 
 
 " Well," the young man facing Arthur said, " this is not so 
 bad as being quite starved, for I came on board just after 
 dinner was served. I suppose we are going to be together for 
 the voyage. My name is Roper, Jack Roper. I hated the 
 desk, and so here I am." 
 
 " I got into a row at school and am going to see a bit of 
 the world," Arthur said. " My name is Arthur Hallett." 
 
 " I had a little business, but it was so little that I could not 
 live on it, so I thought that I would try soldiering. My 
 name is John Perkins." 
 
 "I left, gentlemen," another man said, "because I was 
 married. I come from Manchester. By nature I am a 
 peaceable man, and like quiet. I could not get either peace
 
 ENLISTED 27 
 
 or quiet at home, and I don't suppose that I shall get either 
 here. Still, I would rather put up with anything that can come 
 than with my life at home. My name is John Humphrey." 
 
 " I preferred the risk of being shot to the certainty of being 
 starved," the other clerk said. " This basin of pea-soup is the 
 first food I have tasted for two days. My name is William 
 Hopkins." 
 
 "I," said the last man, " am a tragedian. Tragedy did not 
 suffice to keep me alive; the country did not appreciate me, 
 and I came to the conclusion that I would be an actor in this 
 tragedy in Spain. My name is Peter Mowser." 
 
 " I hope it is not going to be a tragedy as far as any of us 
 are concerned," Jack Roper laughed. " I don't expect that 
 we shall have a great deal of fighting to do." 
 
 "I don't know," Arthur said. "The Spaniards did not 
 fight well in the Peninsula, but I think they will do better 
 against each other. I rather hope they will, for we shall find 
 it very dull if they don't. I shall be really obliged if you will 
 take my soup," he went on, speaking to the half-starved clerk. 
 " I had dinner before I came on board, so I can't touch this. 
 As you came on board without dining, you must want it." 
 
 " I do want it," the other said, gratefully accepting the 
 offer. " They did not pay me my bounty till I came on board, 
 and I was really faint from hunger, and it seemed hard to 
 be starving and to have money in my pocket without a chance 
 of buying anything to eat." 
 
 When they had all finished, one of the old soldiers came 
 round. " One of you by turns will take the plates and spoons 
 of the rest and wash them." 
 
 "I will begin," Jack Roper said. 
 
 " Well then, you are Number One;" and he numbered them 
 off as they sat. "You will change after dinner to-morrow. 
 It will be your duty to fetch the rations from the cook-house 
 and to wash up. Anyone who is badly sea-sick can defer his 
 turn;" and he passed on to the next table.
 
 28 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 The iron legs supporting the table were folded up under it, 
 and the table itself shut against the side of the ship. They 
 learned that no one would be allowed to go up, so, sitting in 
 a group, they talked over the life before them. Arthur was 
 glad to find that Roper would also enlist in the cavalry if a regi- 
 ment were formed, he having been brought up in the country. 
 
 " I was a fool," he said, " ever to leave it. My father was 
 a farmer, and gave me a fair education. I had two elder 
 brothers, and they both remained on the farm, while I was 
 sent to a desk in Liverpool. I stood it for two years, and 
 even if I leave my bones in Spain I shall not regret the 
 change. I should have enlisted long ago in the army, but 
 things are everywhere quiet now, and I did not see that life 
 in barracks would be much more lively than a stool in an 
 office." 
 
 While they chatted in this way a great noise was going on 
 on both decks. In spite of the efforts of the old soldiers to 
 keep order, some of the men shouted and sang. Others, 
 who were just recovering from drunkenness, sat with their 
 hands to their heads. Quiet men shrank away into corners. 
 Some parties of jovial fellows produced packs of cards, and, 
 sitting down under a lantern, sat down to play. 
 
 At nine o'clock the lights were extinguished, and the men, 
 wrapping themselves in blankets that had been served round, 
 lay down, and in half an hour quiet reigned. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 IN SPAIN 
 
 AT six o'clock all hands were called on deck and ordered to 
 have a wash. For this, buckets were utilized. A few 
 stripped only to the waist, but many, among whom were
 
 IN SPAIN 29 
 
 Arthur and Roper, undressed and poured water over each 
 other, feeling the need of it after the night in the close and 
 crowded cabin. With the fresh morning all were inclined to 
 take a more cheerful view of things, and at eight o'clock en- 
 joyed breakfast. Then they went up on deck again, and those 
 who smoked lit their pipes. As before, boats came up round 
 the ship, and those which had provisions were allowed to come 
 alongside, and sell their goods to the men who had money. 
 Most of those on board had already got rid of their small ad- 
 vances, but the new-comers had all a few shillings in their 
 pockets, and freely spent them. 
 
 Arthur and his companion each bought two dozen hard- 
 boiled eggs and a dozen buns. Others bought spirits for a 
 final carousal. A few stood looking mournfully at the shore. 
 A little farther out were boats containing friends or relatives, 
 and three or four men at different times jumped suddenly over- 
 board and struck out for them ; then half a dozen of the non- 
 commissioned officers jumped into a boat lying alongside and 
 gave chase, and there were fierce battles the weapons being 
 oars, pieces of coal, and other missiles. In all cases, how- 
 ever, they succeeded in bringing the deserters back, and these 
 were at once ironed and sent below. The officers remained 
 on the poop smoking and talking. They were all in uniform, 
 but most of them did not attempt to exercise their new 
 functions. One or two, however, who had served before, 
 went about among the men, chatting with them, pointing 
 out to them that they had enlisted of their own free-will, 
 that it was no manner of use for them to kick against the 
 pricks, and that they would find things much better when 
 they had shaken down. 
 
 One of these came up to Arthur and Roper when they were 
 talking together. " So you have put your name down for 
 a cavalry corps if one is raised," he said to them, as he looked 
 at the list of his men ; " and I can see that you will both make 
 good soldiers in a short time. Keep away from spirits, lads,
 
 30 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 and don't take much of the native wine, and you will soon 
 have stripes on your arms. I shall keep my eye on you both, 
 and push you forward if you deserve it." Having then ticked 
 their names on his list, he went on. 
 
 As they finished their dinner the steamer which had been 
 chartered for their conveyance to Spain came alongside. The 
 old soldiers formed the others up in line, and they went on 
 board. Their scanty belongings were all stowed away, and 
 the officers then came down and inspected them. The vessel 
 was larger than the hulk, and they were not packed so 
 closely as before. The ports were open and the deck fresh 
 and airy, and even the most downcast of the force cheered up. 
 
 " They are a curious-looking lot," one of the newly -appointed 
 officers said to the cavalry captain, glancing contemptuously at 
 the motley group on deck. 
 
 " They will look very different when they get their uniforms," 
 the cavalry man said sharply, " and are a pretty fair sample. 
 As far as I can see, I have no reason to grumble at my lot. 
 There are eight or ten countrymen among them, and as many 
 fellows from the town who, have had experience in handling 
 horses. One is a particularly smart young fellow. He is 
 rather young yet, but, unless I am mistaken, will turn out 
 a capital soldier. He is a gentleman, evidently. I should 
 say that he had got into some scrape at school or at home, 
 and bolted. He is the best-dressed man on board, and, if I 
 am not mistaken, he will not be long in winning his pro- 
 motion. He is well-bred, whoever he is. I shall be glad to 
 have him as one of my subalterns. That is the man chatting 
 with another against the bulwark. The other will turn out 
 a good man too, but he is not of the same stamp. The 
 sergeant-major spoke to me about the first this morning when 
 he went through the list with me. I should say that he was 
 a public-school boy; you can seldom mistake them." 
 
 Next morning the vessel started at daybreak. As soon as 
 they were out of the river some sail was also got on her.
 
 IN SPAIN 31 
 
 Late the evening before, Arthur had handed a letter to the 
 recruiting officer as he went on shore, asking him to post it for 
 him in the morning: 
 
 " My dear Uncle and Aunt, 
 
 " This is written on board the steamer bound 
 with recruits for the British Legion in Spain. It seems to 
 me that a couple of years' soldiering will do me more good 
 than merely strolling about the country with a knapsack on 
 my back. I had made up my mind to enlist in this force as 
 I came up to Liverpool. It seemed to me by far the best 
 way of keeping me out of mischief. I shall see a new country 
 and new life, and no doubt shall have some rough work to go 
 through. I thought it as well not to mention my intention to 
 you, but I hope that you will not disapprove of it They are 
 a miscellaneous lot on board, but a few good fellows seem 
 to be among them, and I have no doubt that I shall get on 
 very well. I don't know much about the rights and wrongs 
 of this quarrel in Spain, but I suppose that, as the Legion 
 is supported by the government, I am on the right side. 
 
 " At any rate, the little queen is a child, and there is more 
 satisfaction in fighting for her than there would be for a 
 king. We don't look like fighting men at present, but I 
 suppose we shall brighten up presently; and as a first step 
 they have served out to each of us a slop dress, which 
 gives us a uniform sort of appearance, and we certainly look 
 more respectable than we did yesterday when I came on 
 board. I expect we shall take to fighting presently. I am 
 making fun of it, because I suppose it is my nature to do 
 so; but for all that, I am really very sorry that I have given 
 you so much trouble, and I expect to be steadier by the 
 time I come back again. I have enlisted for two years, 
 but if I like the life I shall keep on at it till I come of 
 age that is, if I do not get cut off by a bullet. I shall 
 send you letters when I get the chance, but you must not
 
 32 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 expect them regularly, for I fancy we shall have very few 
 opportunities for posting them. Please give my love to the 
 girls, and say I will bring them home some Spanish mantillas 
 and things when I come back. 
 
 " With much love, I remain, 
 
 " Your affectionate Nephew." 
 
 The voyage was without incident. The sea was never 
 really rough, but the greater portion of the men were des- 
 perately ill. Arthur, however, felt perfectly well, and en- 
 joyed the voyage; laughing and chatting with the old soldiers, 
 helping the sick as well as he could, and relishing his food 
 only Roper and himself being able to partake of the meals. 
 On the fifth day after starting, the steamer came in sight of 
 land. The sick men were now beginning to recover, and 
 all came up on deck to look at it, and cheerfulness suc- 
 ceeded the late depression. At mid-day they entered the 
 creek upon which stood the town of Santander, and crowded 
 boats assembled round the ship as she dropped anchor three 
 miles higher up at the village of Astellero. Before the force 
 landed, muskets and bayonets were served out, together with 
 belts. 
 
 The next day drilling began, or rather was supposed to 
 begin; but as the men had all got their bounty, and some of 
 them the money for which they had sold their clothes, most 
 of them spent their time in the wine-shops, and a large 
 proportion of them were helplessly drunk. Their regular 
 uniforms had now been served out to them, but it was only 
 this that showed them to be soldiers. Arthur and his com- 
 panion were among those who for the first few days attended 
 drill. They were both put in the same company; and as 
 their captain was an old officer, and did his best to get his 
 men into order, they very quickly picked up the rough drill, 
 which was at present all that could be expected; and before
 
 IN SPAIN 33 
 
 they had been there a fortnight they were both appointed 
 corporals. By this time most of the men had spent all their 
 money. The drill therefore became well attended, and the 
 motley crowd began to have the appearance of soldiers. Two 
 or three other transports had now come in, and the number 
 in camp had swollen largely. 
 
 Insubordination was punished severely by the unstinted 
 use of the cat, and this caused the men to appreciate the 
 fact that they were no longer their own masters. Even 
 the sergeants were able to sentence evil-doers to four dozen 
 lashes, and as they were always moving about among the 
 men, these comparatively minor floggings had more influence 
 in sobering them than the very severe sentences inflicted 
 by the regular courts-martial. The colonel, Godfrey, was an 
 excellent officer for the post. He could, when necessary, 
 be very severe, but his manner was mild, and he avoided 
 punishment unless it was absolutely necessary, in which case 
 he showed no mercy. He was liked by the men, who generally 
 spoke of him as " Daddy ". 
 
 Ten days after landing, a steamer came in to fetch the troops 
 to the town of Bilbao. Coming near the mouth of the Bilbao 
 river, it was found dangerous to enter. A heavy swell was 
 running, and a large barque was at the time going to pieces 
 on the sands. The steamer was therefore sent back to Castri, 
 twelve miles away. Here the force was landed and quartered 
 in a convent, and the next day a company of the 9th Regi- 
 ment came down to escort them through the mountains, as 
 ammunition had not yet been served out, and Carlists were 
 known to be in the hills. 
 
 The people of this place were civil and friendly, and the 
 men enjoyed their short stay. At daybreak next morning the 
 troops were roused early, and soon they were collected outside 
 the town. When they got to a difficult gorge they were halted 
 for an hour, and the brigadier -general, Colonel Shaw, told 
 them that the Carlists were in their neighbourhood, and that 
 
 ( M 966 ) C
 
 34 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 they must be perfectly steady and quiet if fire were opened 
 upon them. However, they met with no enemies, and after a 
 march of about twenty miles they got to Portugalete, where 
 they were to stay for some time. The work was hard, the 
 drill continuous. The natives here were hostile, and several 
 of the men were stabbed in the streets. 
 
 The people throughout Northern Spain were, as a rule, 
 bitterly hostile; the province was semi-independent, with a 
 republican form of government, and the peasantry entirely 
 under the control of their grandees and priests. They cared 
 little about the succession, but a great deal about their privi- 
 leges. The government wished to deprive them of some of 
 these privileges, and to make them contribute a fair share 
 towards the revenue of the country. Don Carlos, on the 
 other hand, had promised to support their ancient rights, and 
 for these they were all ready to fight. He had also a certain 
 following in the southern provinces, for the ancient law in 
 Spain prevented females from ascending the throne. Ferdi- 
 nand had before his death abrogated this law, and appointed 
 as his successor his little girl Isabella; but Don Carlos, who 
 was the next male heir, protested against this change of law, 
 and claimed the sovereignty himself. 
 
 To add to the confusion that reigned throughout the coun- 
 try, the government of the regent was hopelessly corrupt. 
 The ministers had all their own hangers-on their generals 
 whom they wished to push forward, their own avaricious 
 schemes to realize; and the consequence was that, so far, 
 the Carlists had more than held their own. 
 
 The latter were thorough fighters, able to march long dis- 
 tances, and to strike heavy blows where they were least ex- 
 pected. Their leader, Zumalacarreguy, had so far baffled 
 Mina, and inflicted heavy losses upon him. The war was 
 conducted with terrible ferocity, little quarter being given on 
 either side, although the British government had intervened, 
 and induced both parties to sign a convention by which they
 
 IN SPAIN 35 
 
 agreed to conduct the war on more humane principles. Zuma- 
 lacarreguy had but some eight thousand men, but was able in 
 case of need to add largely to these. The queen's party had 
 twenty-three thousand, but of these nine thousand were locked 
 up in garrison towns. Mina was thwarted by the ministry of 
 war at Madrid, and hampered by the fact that the Carlists had 
 spies in every village, who reported the movements of his troops 
 to the enemy. His cruelty, too, drove numbers of those who 
 would otherwise have remained neutral, to the Carlist side. 
 
 From the day on which he landed at Santander, Arthur had 
 devoted every spare moment to the study of Spanish, and he 
 found that his Latin helped him considerably. He had made 
 the acquaintance of an Irish priest, who was glad to add to 
 his scanty stipend by teaching him Spanish, for which purpose 
 Arthur had drawn a small sum from his store. 
 
 The time passed slowly at Portugalete. 
 
 "It is all very well for you, Hallett," Jack Koper said, "to 
 be grinding away at Spanish, but I don't see that it will do us 
 much good. I know that you have made up your mind to get 
 a commission as soon as you can. I should not care about 
 having one even if I could get it. As far as I can see, the 
 berth of a non-commissioned officer is as comfortable as that 
 of a colonel. He has no responsibility as long as he does his 
 work all right, and he has none, of the anxiety that the officers 
 experience. I never was any hand at learning, beyond read- 
 ing and writing, which were necessary to me as a clerk. I 
 came out here for the fun of the thing, and mean to get as 
 much amusement out of it as I can ; though I cannot say that 
 the fun has begun yet. This beastly convent is like an ice- 
 house, and we don't even get good rations. No wonder the 
 men are going sick in dozens." 
 
 "No; we might do better there certainly. I suppose it will 
 be all right later on, when we get a little straight. At present 
 there is no doubt that there is a good deal to be desired." 
 
 Even to his chum, Arthur had not mentioned his reserve of
 
 36 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 twenty-five pounds. He thought it probable that the time 
 would come when it would be of great use to him, and he 
 resolved to keep it intact as long as he could. When not busy 
 at drill, or working at the language, Arthur maintained his 
 high spirits, and he and his chum took a large share in keep- 
 ing the men of their company in a good temper. Ten days 
 after arriving at Portugalete the regiment moved up to 
 Bilbao with the 10th Regiment, and both were quartered in 
 a huge convent which had been abandoned. The view from 
 here was magnificent, rich pasture covering the lofty hills to 
 their summits. 
 
 General Evans had now arrived. He was the beau ideal of 
 a soldier, handsome, with a dark complexion and black mous- 
 tache; his face was thoughtful in repose but bright and ani- 
 mated in movement. Five feet ten inches in height, and 
 well built, he rode good horses, and always placed himself at 
 the post of danger. Unfortunately he had too much kindness 
 of manner and tried to please everyone. As a rule he miti- 
 gated sentences of courts- martial, and objected to the shooting 
 of anyone; but he suffered his soldiers to die in thousands 
 rather than importune the Spanish government. 
 
 The force now marched to Vittoria, and reached that town 
 without serious fighting, though they had a little skirmishing 
 by the way. Here they were fated to remain for some months. 
 The life was monotonous, the town crowded with troops, the 
 arrangements of all kinds detestably bad. Sickness began to 
 attack great numbers, owing to the bad food and the insanitary 
 condition of the quarters assigned to them. The whole Legion 
 were assembled at Vittoria, and for some weeks, beyond march- 
 ing out and back to the town, they had no employment. One 
 day, two months after their arrival there, the officer who had 
 spoken to Arthur when he first went on board the ship at 
 Liverpool sent for him. 
 
 "Hallett," he said, "I have watched you closely since you 
 joined. Your conduct has been excellent. I have spoken
 
 IN SPAIN 37 
 
 to the colonel about it, and he in turn has spoken to General 
 Evans. A number of officers have already either gone home 
 sick or died, and he has been pleased to grant you a com- 
 mission, to which I am sure you will do credit. I will take 
 you now to the colonel, who will formally acquaint you with 
 the change in your position, and I am glad to know that you 
 will be appointed to my company. I hear that you have been 
 working hard at Spanish, and that you can already get on very 
 fairly with it. This will, of course, be a great advantage to 
 you, and I recommend you to continue the study until you can 
 speak the language fluently." 
 
 " I am greatly obliged to you, sir," Arthur said. " I can 
 assure you that I will do my best to deserve your kind recom- 
 mendation." 
 
 "Not at all. You have fairly earned your commission. 
 That you were a gentleman, I saw at once when I first met 
 you, and noted you down for promotion when a vacancy should 
 occur. I shall certainly be a gainer by the transaction, for 
 Mauleverer was practically of no use to me ; and I was not sorry 
 when he went off. Now, if you will come with me to the 
 colonel, who has himself noticed your smartness and activity, 
 we will get the formal part of the business over." 
 
 Colonel Godfrey was in the room with the majority of his 
 officers. 
 
 " I am glad to say, Mr. Hallett," he began, " that General 
 Evans has bestowed a commission upon you. I am sure 
 you will do credit to it, and we shall all gladly welcome you 
 among us. A man who has proved himself so attentive to his 
 duty on every occasion should certainly make a good officer. 
 You will be attached to Captain Buller's company." 
 
 The officers all shook hands with their new comrade, and 
 his own captain expressed great satisfaction at his promotion, 
 "Although," he said, "I myself shall be a loser by it." 
 
 "By the way," Captain Buller said, "fortunately for you 
 young Barkley died yesterday, and the best thing that you can
 
 38 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 do is to take over his uniform. There are no means of sending 
 it down, and no one will dispute the possession of it with you. 
 Certainly it will be of no use to his friends, and you may be 
 sure that during the next twenty-four hours it would be stolen. 
 I will go with you at once, and order Peter, his servant, to hand 
 it over to you. 
 
 " He had a very good horse too. You may as well take 
 possession of that also. I will advance you, if you like, five 
 pounds, which you can give to the paymaster, who will hand 
 it, with his arrears of pay, to the poor fellow's relatives. It 
 is as well to put the thing on a legitimate footing." 
 
 "Thank you very much, Captain Buller! but I have money 
 enough to pay for it." 
 
 "All the better," the officer said. 
 
 The captain went with him and saw that he got the uniform. 
 "I should think you could not do better than take on the 
 servant. He is a good man, and, between ourselves, too good 
 for the poor fellow who has gone. He is an Irishman." 
 He opened the door and called "Peter!" 
 " Peter," he said, " Mr. Hallett is now one of my ensigns, 
 and he will take you on if you like." 
 
 " Sure and I would like it, your honour. I was wondering 
 if I should have to go into the ranks again, and it is rather 
 a dale I'd stop as I am." 
 
 " Mr. Hallett has arranged to take over your late master's 
 things, and to buy his horse, and will, of course, occupy his 
 room, so that you will find no difference in your duties." 
 
 " Well, sor, it will make no difference to me, and what differ- 
 ence there is will be for the better. Lieutenant Barkley was 
 a kind gentleman, but he was very soft, sir, and was always 
 ailing. I have no doubt that Mr. Hallett will be a good 
 gentleman to serve under, for there is no man better liked in 
 the regiment." 
 
 Left to himself, Arthur at once changed his uniform. His 
 new one, he found, fitted him as well as if it had been made
 
 IN SPAIN 39 
 
 for him. Then he went down to the stables and looked at his 
 purchase. It was in somewhat poor condition, but a fine 
 animal. 
 
 " See that he has plenty of forage," he said to the soldier. 
 " He evidently wants more than he gets. You had better buy 
 him some in the town every day till he gets into good con- 
 dition." 
 
 " He is just wearying for work, your honour. Mr. Barkley 
 was not famous on horseback, and when he had to march 
 he generally led his horse a good part of the way; and he was 
 not out on him more than half a dozen times since we landed 
 six months ago." 
 
 Then Arthur went out to the convent yard. Roper at once 
 came up to him and saluted. " So you have gone up, sir ! I 
 felt sure you would." 
 
 " Yes, Eoper, and I wish you would come up too." 
 
 " It would never have done, sir. I make a pretty good non- 
 commissioned officer, and manage not to get drunk till I am 
 off duty, but I am riot fit to be an officer, and should have said 
 so at once if they had asked me. I shall miss you badly, but 
 I shall probably see you every day, and I mean to make an 
 exchange into your company if I can manage it." 
 
 " I will speak to Captain Buller about it. I have no doubt 
 he will be willing enough to exchange you. However, whether 
 or not, we can always be friends." 
 
 " You may be sure of that, sir." 
 
 It was now lunch time, and Arthur went into the mess- 
 room, where he received hearty congratulations, and soon 
 settled down in his place. 
 
 That evening he wrote a long letter to his aunt, telling her 
 of his promotion. " I think," he concluded, "that it will not 
 be long before we move. We have a fairly large body of 
 troops here now, Spanish as well as ourselves. Why we 
 have not moved before this, is more than I can make out, 
 but I suppose the big-wigs know. When we do begin, I hope
 
 40 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 we shall go on in earnest, for this delay is very trying. The 
 hospitals here are all full of sick, and nothing would do us 
 so much good as to have a sharp brush with the enemy." 
 
 Most of the officers found life at Vittoria terribly dull, but 
 to Arthur the time passed pleasantly enough. He spent two or 
 three hours a day working hard at Spanish, and he went every 
 morning to a teacher of fencing, reasoning that as the sword 
 was now his weapon he ought to be able to use it. Some of 
 the officers were inclined to laugh at the time he expended on 
 study and exercise, but he retorted that it was a good deal 
 more pleasant than sitting in cafes trying to kill time. But, 
 indeed, there was plenty to do. The hardships suffered by the 
 troops were extreme; no pay was forthcoming; the amount of 
 rations served out was barely sufficient to keep life together. 
 The quarters assigned to them were bitterly cold, and they 
 suffered terribly throughout the winter. Hundreds died; 
 thousands were so reduced by illness that they had to be sent 
 down to the seaport, where very many more died; large 
 numbers were invalided home, and but a comparatively small 
 portion ever took their places again in the ranks of the Legion. 
 
 The officers did all they could to mitigate the sufferings of 
 the men, but they, too, received no pay; and, except in the 
 matter of quarters, were as badly off as the others. Some of 
 them who were men of fortune were able to get little comforts 
 for the sick; the rest could only show their sympathy by 
 visiting them, and talking cheeringly to them. And, indeed, 
 the disgust and fury of the men were so great that, had they 
 received orders to do so, they would joyfully have set out on 
 the march south, cut their way through the Carlists and 
 Christinos alike, and made at least an effort to overthrow the 
 government that had broken all its engagements to them and 
 left them to die like dogs. What still more enraged them was, 
 that while all this time they were left to starve, the magazines 
 of the Spanish troops were full, and the men well fed and 
 clothed.
 
 IN SPAIN 41 
 
 With spring there was a slight improvement in matters. The 
 remonstrances of the British general and the British govern- 
 ment had had some slight effect. A small amount of pay was 
 issued, and rations were served out with a little more regu- 
 larity. 
 
 There was joy in every heart when it became known that 
 the long period of inactivity had come to an end, and that a 
 move was about to be made. As long as they formed part of 
 the fopce commanded by the Spanish general Cordova, they 
 felt that nothing could be done. The Carlists occupied the 
 hills round Vittoria, and at times sent parties almost up to 
 the town, but nothing could arouse Cordova from his lethargy, 
 or induce him to make any serious efforts to dislodge the 
 enemy. He was, it was reported, going to co-operate with 
 General Evans by attacking the rear of the Carlists, while 
 the Legion was to attempt to drive them back from the strong 
 positions they occupied outside San Sebastian; but both officers 
 and men scoffed at the idea that Cordova would move out 
 of Vittoria, and the general opinion was that the Legion would 
 do better if it relied upon its own fighting powers rather 
 than upon any Spanish co-operation. 
 
 By this time the mob of men who composed the Legion 
 had been, by incessant drill, converted into soldiers, who only 
 wanted a baptism of fire to take their place side by side with 
 veterans. In point of appearance they were not much to look 
 at. The clothes in which for nearly six months they had lived 
 and slept were almost in rags, but their bearing was erect. 
 Suffering had set a stern expression on their faces, and General 
 Evans, as they marched out from Vittoria, felt that they could 
 be thoroughly relied on. Many who had just recovered from 
 sickness were still thin and feeble, and really unfit for work, 
 but all who could possibly accompany the force had obtained 
 their release from hospital, and were the envy of many hun- 
 dreds of their comrades who were incapable of moving, and of 
 whom the greater part were destined never to leave Vittoria.
 
 42 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 As the Carlists lay between Vittoria and San Sebastian, the 
 force was compelled to march down to Santander. The men en- 
 joyed the change; the fresh warm breezes of spring reanimated 
 them. Many, it was true, were forced to lag behind, but most 
 of these afterwards rejoined, though some were murdered by 
 the peasantry, who were, to a man, hostile. A strong rear- 
 guard, however, moved slowly behind the column, collecting 
 those who had fallen by the way, and only arriving at San- 
 tander twenty -four hours after the rest. As soon as the 
 head of the column reached Santander they were taken on 
 board ship. There was only sufficient transport to carry half 
 the Legion, but the distance was short, and in four days half 
 the force were assembled at San Sebastian. 
 
 All felt that the change from Vittoria was a pleasant one. 
 San Sebastian stands at the extremity of a low sandy tongue 
 of land washed on the east by the Urumea, and on the north 
 and west by the Bay of Biscay, and attached to the mainland 
 only on the south by a narrow isthmus. It was strong both by 
 nature and art, being defended by walls and bastions, and 
 almost free from the possibility of attack on the sea or river 
 faces by the fact that, except at low tide, there was scarce 
 room for troops to be landed near the foot of the walls. The 
 town had been almost destroyed by being fired by the French 
 in the memorable siege of 1813, when it cost the British nearly 
 fifteen thousand men in killed and wounded to capture it. 
 The fire had been a great advantage to it, for the narrow 
 streets and alleys had been swept away and replaced by broad 
 streets and well-built houses. The inhabitants here were 
 divided in their sympathies, the mercantile classes being with 
 the Christinos. 
 
 The heights beyond the end of the low peninsula were occu- 
 pied by the Carlists in great force. Their motive in thus 
 wasting their strength when they might have been better em- 
 ployed in the field was not very clear to Arthur and his brother 
 officers. It was certain that they could not carry the place
 
 IN SPAIN 43 
 
 by assault; and as the sea was open to its defenders, it was 
 equally impossible for them to reduce it by hunger. 
 
 The place showed few signs of being beleaguered. The 
 town was full, as it contained many refugee families from the 
 surrounding country. The shops were well filled with goods. 
 In the evening the promenades were thronged with well-dressed 
 people, who paraded up and down to the strains of military 
 music. The cafes were crowded, and everywhere there was 
 an appearance of life and animation. The people viewed with 
 astonishment the ragged appearance of the regiment as they 
 landed, and many small kindnesses were shown to them. The 
 effect of the sea air and the bright sun did much for the troops, 
 and in a week after their arrival they had so far smartened 
 themselves up that they made a decent show. The officers 
 fraternized with those of the ships of war, and although its 
 numbers were sadly thinned since its arrival in Spain, the 
 Legion had recovered much of its jauntiness and self-confidence. 
 
 "This is a glorious change," Arthur said to one of his com- 
 rades, as they leant on the battlements and looked out over 
 the sea. A good many ships were in the port, some of them 
 transports, others laden with stores; and the sounds of music 
 in the town came to their ears. " One begins to feel that after 
 all one did not make a great mistake in entering the Legion 
 not that I have ever greatly repented the step. I have been 
 most fortunate in getting promotion. I have come to speak 
 Spanish decently, and I have certainly learnt how to fence." 
 
 " I don't see that the last part is likely to be of much use, 
 Hallett. When one does get into a hand-to-hand fight I don't 
 expect one has much time to think of the niceties of fencing. 
 One just hits out as one can." 
 
 "Yes, if one is not a thorough good fencer; but if one is 
 not, he finds it more natural to strike a downright blow than 
 to thrust. Besides, I don't know that I have learnt fencing 
 so much in order to defend myself as because it is a fine 
 exercise in itself. It strengthens all one's muscles amazingly,
 
 44 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 and at Vittoria it enabled one, two or three hours a day, to 
 forget all the misery that was being suffered by the men. Last, 
 and I may say not least, of its advantages is that it will enable 
 one to fight. I am not thinking of fighting battles, but of 
 duels. I observed from the first a great many of these Spanish 
 officers seem to treat us in a very cavalier sort of manner, 
 which is a thing that I do not feel at all inclined to put up 
 with. I believe most Spanish gentlemen learn to fence as 
 a matter of course. I don't know whether it is so, but so 
 I have been told, and I was determined to be able to give any 
 one of them a lesson if he attempted any impertinence towards 
 me. My master at Vittoria said, before I came away, that I 
 had become a very strong fencer as strong, indeed, as any 
 pupil he had ever had, and that it was quite astonishing that 
 I should have learned so much in the course of four or five 
 months. I have already engaged another master here, and I 
 mean to stick to him till I feel that I can hold my own with 
 anyone." 
 
 "If you can do it in skill, I should say that you could 
 certainly do it in strength, Hallett; you look as if you were 
 made of whip-cord. You have got height, a good pair of 
 shoulders, and any amount of activity. You have broadened 
 out amazingly since I first saw you, and I should certainly 
 say that you would be an awkward customer to any of these 
 dons, who are, for the most part, in spite of all their swagger, 
 an undersized lot." 
 
 " Yes, they have certainly not much to boast of in the way 
 of strength; with a few exceptions, I would not mind taking 
 on any two of them with one arm tied behind me." 
 
 " I wish I had given up three hours a day, all the time we 
 were at Vittoria, working at their language, Hallett. I see 
 that you have gained a lot by it. You are able to chat away 
 with the Spanish officers and chaff with the Spanish girls, 
 while most of us are no better than dummies. Of course we 
 have all picked up a few phrases some complimentary, but for
 
 IN SPAIN 45 
 
 the most part quite the reverse as a medium in our conver- 
 sation with the natives, but they don't go far in polite society, 
 though they do assist us a bit when we want to sharpen up 
 some of these mule-drivers or men with the waggons." 
 
 "Why don't you begin to learn fencing? It will occupy 
 your time anyhow, though I don't say that you would find it 
 as useful as Spanish." 
 
 "I will think of it, Hallett, as soon as this fight has come 
 off. They say we shall attack the enemy's lines before long. 
 I shall not have time to learn much before that, and I may as 
 well take it easily till then, as I may not come out of it alive. 
 I was looking at the enemy yesterday from the other side of 
 the town. They seem amazingly strong. I can see by my 
 glasses that they have covered the whole face of the hill with 
 entrenchments and loopholed all the houses, and I think these 
 Carlists are obstinate fellows and will fight hard." 
 
 "Well, I do hope that Evans will attack as soon as the 
 whole Legion comes up, without waiting for Cordova. He is 
 a hopeless brute, and I have not the lea^u expectation of his 
 setting his troops in motion to help us." 
 
 " I am wholly with you," his friend said. " As far as we have 
 seen hitherto, it is evident that if there is any fighting to be 
 done we shall have to do it. These Christino commanders 
 seem to have only one idea, and that is to avoid an engage- 
 ment. We have heard that Zumalacarreguy has been march- 
 ing about capturing towns, collecting spoil, and playing old 
 gooseberry wherever he has gone, and dodging successfully 
 any efforts the Christinos have made to bring him to a fight. 
 It is just the same thing round Vittoria. That brute Cordova 
 stops there in the big house that he has taken possession of. 
 He eats, drinks, and enjoys himself; but as for marching out 
 to fight the Carlists, the idea seems never to have occurred 
 to him. Well, it is time we were turning back, for it is the 
 hour for the promenade; and I must say that I like looking at 
 the senoras even if it is beyond my power to talk to them."
 
 46 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 CHAPTEK III 
 
 AN ADVENTURE 
 
 A RTHUR found his knowledge of Spanish very useful to 
 XA. him at San Sebastian. He soon made the acquaint- 
 ance of many of the young men of the town, and was invited 
 by them to feasts and dances at their houses, where he became 
 a general favourite by his frankness and the enjoyment with 
 which he entered into the amusements. Although he could 
 converse very fairly on ordinary subjects, he had not as yet 
 learned the language of compliment, and his blunt phrases 
 greatly amused the Spanish girls. He was indeed far more 
 awkward with them than with their brothers or husbands. 
 Except with his own cousins, who were a good deal younger 
 than himself, and whom he had never thought of compliment- 
 ing in the smallest degree, he had never known anything 
 of the other sex. He had the usual boyish contempt for 
 girls, and had almost regarded them as inferior animals. Con- 
 sequently he was quite at sea with these laughing, black-eyed 
 senorettas, with their fluttering fans, their pretty gestures, 
 and their black mantillas. 
 
 "Seiior Inglese," one of them said with a smile, "do you 
 know that you are a very rude man 1 " 
 
 "I am shocked to hear it," he said. "How am I rude? I 
 admire you all, but I can't go about telling you so." 
 
 "We don't all wish to be admired, senor; there would be 
 no satisfaction if you admired every one; but we do all expect 
 pretty speeches nicely and delicately put, speeches which with- 
 out meaning much would imply that you are wholly at our 
 service." 
 
 "I am afraid, senoretta, that it will be a long time before 
 my Spanish enables me to do that sort of thing. If it came to 
 the question of putting my arm round your waist and giving
 
 AN ADVENTURE 47 
 
 you a kiss, I could manage it, but to pay you all sorts of com- 
 pliments is quite beyond me." 
 
 " It would not do at all for you to behave so rudely as that, 
 seiior," the girl laughed; "that would be quite an unknown 
 thing. It is respectful homage that we require, and such 
 homage can be rendered by the eyes alone without its being 
 necessary to speak it." 
 
 Arthur laughed. " But my eyes have never been trained 
 to that sort of expression, senoretta, and I should no more 
 know how to do it than how to fly. When I was a boy I 
 kissed girls under the mistletoe, but that is only a sort of 
 romp and goes for nothing. I do not think that I have ever 
 paid a girl a compliment in my life." 
 
 " What do you mean by the mistletoe, senor ? I have never 
 heard of such a thing." 
 
 Arthur explained, as well as he could, the mysteries of this 
 vegetable. 
 
 "What!" she exclaimed. "You kiss a girl in sight of other 
 people ! But it is dreadful it is barbarism ! No Spanish girl 
 could suffer such a thing." 
 
 "I fancy you would, if it were a Spanish custom," he 
 laughed. "I own that I could never see much fun in it; 
 still, it was one of the things that you were expected to do 
 at Christmas. However, I can assure you that I have no 
 idea of introducing the custom here; and I will promise you 
 that if I do kiss you it will not be in public." 
 
 " But you must never think of such a thing," the girl said, 
 horrified. " It would be terrible ! No girl permits a man to 
 kiss her unless he is affianced, and then only very, very occa- 
 sionally." 
 
 " I will take note of that, senoretta, and will wait till I am 
 affianced before I begin." 
 
 "And will it be an English girl, or a Spaniard?" 
 
 "An English girl," Arthur said bluntly. "I do not say that 
 the Spanish girls are not very nice, but their ways are not our
 
 48 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 ways, and they are not of our religion, and their friends would 
 disapprove; in fact, there are all sorts of objections." 
 
 "You think them prettier than we are 1 ?" the girl said, with 
 a toss of her head. 
 
 "No, senoretta, I do not say that. I have seen many 
 Spanish girls quite as pretty as English girls, but it is a differ- 
 ent kind of beauty one that we are not accustomed to, any 
 more than you are accustomed to the appearance and ways of 
 an Englishman. The two races are like oil and water: you 
 may stir them about as much as you like, they never really 
 mix." 
 
 "I suppose that is so," she said, more seriously than she had 
 spoken before. " They say that Englishmen make good hus- 
 bands, and that they are not jealous, as Spanish men are, all of 
 which must be very nice; still, of course there are drawbacks 
 to them. Well, senor, we must talk this over another time, 
 for here is my cavalier coming to claim me for the next 
 dance." 
 
 Arthur was chatting with a young Spanish officer whose 
 acquaintance he had made, when the latter said : 
 
 "I wish I could go up those hills to-morrow. I have an 
 uncle living up there. He is a Carlist, and he has a pretty 
 daughter who is to be married to a Carlist officer to-morrow 
 evening. I would give a good deal to be able to be there, but 
 I don't see how it is to be managed. I might get there easily 
 enough, for I could borrow a small boat and row up the 
 Urumea after dusk, land beyond their outposts, and make 
 my way round there; but of course I should be known when 
 I got there. I am sure my uncle would be very glad to see 
 me, but I should be recognized at once by some of his 
 friends." 
 
 "You might disguise yourself," Arthur said. "Put on a 
 big pair of false moustachios, and of course dress as a civilian." 
 
 "I dare say it might be done," the young officer said, "if I 
 had somebody to go with me."
 
 AN ADVENTURE 49 
 
 "It would be a great lark," Arthur said, "and I don't 
 suppose there could be much danger in it. Even if you were 
 detected they would hardly make a row at a wedding." 
 
 "No, I don't suppose I should be hurt; but the feeling 
 between the two parties is very strong, and, as you know, 
 quarter is very seldom given on either side." 
 
 "Yes, your methods of war can hardly be called civilized, 
 senor." 
 
 As they stood looking at the hill, Arthur turned the matter 
 over in his mind. He knew that the general wa very anxious 
 to obtain some knowledge of the Carlist trenches and fortifica- 
 tions. If he were to volunteer to accompany this officer he 
 might be able to obtain a good deal of information on the 
 subject. To do so he would be obliged, after the wedding, 
 to make his way straight down the hill instead of coming 
 back to the boat, but this, he thought, would not be so very 
 difficult. While anyone coming up the hill would be closely 
 questioned, it was hardly likely that so much care would be 
 taken in the case of those walking down, for the Carlists 
 would be constantly going up and down to get provisions 
 from the villages. There should be no difficulty in getting 
 down to the trenches at the foot of the hill, but from there 
 one would have to run the gauntlet. Still, the chances of 
 being shot in the dark would not be great, and the infor- 
 mation that he might obtain would be invaluable. 
 
 After thinking it over for a minute or two, he said to his 
 companion : 
 
 "I have never seen a Spanish wedding, senor, and should 
 certainly like to do so. If you would take me with you, I 
 should be very glad to accompany you." 
 
 " Would you ?" the young fellow said. " Well, you know, it 
 would be a dangerous business. If I were suspected, I have no 
 doubt that my uncle would protect me: he is a colonel in their 
 service. And if the worst were to happen, I should be made a 
 prisoner. But if they were to find you out, I fear that they 
 
 (M966) D
 
 50 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 would show you no mercy, and that even my uncle would not 
 be able to save you." 
 
 " I don't think they would find me out," Arthur said. " I 
 can talk well enough to pass muster, if I did not enter into 
 any long conversation, which I could take care not to do. I 
 should, of course, keep very much in the background, as you 
 yourself would do, I suppose. At a wedding like this would 
 not a good many officers and others attend who are not inti- 
 mate friends of the family?" 
 
 "Oh, yes! my uncle's house will be virtually open to all 
 comers. I shouldn't speak to anyone but my cousin, who is 
 a great friend of mine, and I should manage to get close enough 
 to her to whisper in her ear who I am, and give her my good 
 wishes. No, I don't think the risk can be very great, and if 
 you are quite in earnest I should be glad of your company. 
 Mind, if there is a row you will have to take care of yourself, 
 and I shall look after myself." 
 
 " Certainly. I understand that I should go in with you and 
 do as you do. I should keep in the background, and go 
 quietly off at the end of the evening. If by any chance I am 
 discovered I should simply make a bolt for it. The nights are 
 dark, and as I am a pretty good runner I don't think the risk 
 of being overtaken would be great. 
 
 "Will you arrange about the boat? And if you will tell me 
 where it will be lying, I will meet you there to-morrow evening 
 at any time you like to name." 
 
 " It will be quite dark by seven, and we will start at that 
 hour. But can you row 1 I own that I cannot." 
 
 " Yes, I can row," Arthur said. " Now, what disguise would 
 you advise me to take 1 ?" 
 
 "Certainly the best disguise would be that of a Carlist 
 officer, but I don't know how it will be possible to get it. 
 There has been some fighting between their men and ours, 
 and a good many have been killed on both sides. The dead 
 are generally stripped by ruffians of the town, and I have no
 
 AN ADVENTURE 51 
 
 doubt that in some of the shops in the poorer quarters some 
 Carlist uniforms may be found. Of course they are not likely 
 to be exhibited for sale now; the shopkeepers will be reserving 
 them till the Carlists come in, which they are sure to do sooner 
 or later. My soldier servant is a smart fellow. I will send 
 him down this afternoon to forage about, and I have no doubt 
 that he will succeed in getting one of medium size for a tall 
 man. But if you come down to my quarters this evening you 
 will see what he has got; and if it is not large enough for yon, 
 I have no doubt it can easily be altered to fit you properly." 
 
 "That is a capital idea," Arthur said, "and would suit me 
 admirably. Then I will come down, as you say, this evening, 
 and see how your man has succeeded." 
 
 "It will be a rare adventure," the young Spaniard said. "I 
 told my cousin months ago that I would dance at her wedding, 
 and as things were growing black then, she laughed in my 
 face and laid me a wager that I wouldn't. It will be great 
 fun letting her know that I have won." 
 
 When Arthur went to the Spanish officer's quarters that 
 evening he found him examining two uniforms laid out on his 
 table. 
 
 "My man has just brought these in," he said. "One of 
 them will fit me well enough, but I am afraid that the other 
 will never meet across your chest." 
 
 The coat was a little short for him, but this was not very 
 noticeable. It met round the waist, but was three inches too 
 small round the chest. 
 
 " I can get that altered easily enough. Do you think you 
 can borrow a sword from one of your comrades 1 You can make 
 some excuse that yours has gone to be repaired, as the blade 
 has come out of the hilt. You see, the pommels of our swords 
 are so different from yours that if I were to carry mine it 
 would lead to our detection at once." 
 
 "Yes; no doubt I can borrow one, and I will get a belt from 
 another on some other excuse."
 
 52 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " I will take the uniform now. Will you bring the sword 
 and belt down to the river?" 
 
 " Yes. I have arranged for a boat; it will be at the San 
 Nicola steps at seven in the evening. Fortunately, the tide 
 will be running in at that hour, so that we shall be able to 
 drift past the Carlist outposts, and of course it will be run- 
 ning out again by the time we come back." 
 
 "Capital!" Arthur said. "Everything seems to be with us, 
 and it will be an adventure to laugh about for a long time." 
 
 " It will indeed !" the other said gleefully. "How the fellows 
 of my regiment will envy me when I tell them where I have 
 been ! But how about our faces 1 Do you think we can buy 
 moustaches 1 " 
 
 " I have no idea," Arthur said. " If we can't, I intend to 
 buy a piece of fur with long hair, or a piece of fox skin would 
 do, and cut out a pair of moustaches and glue them on; I am 
 sure they would stand any casual inspection. And I should 
 darken my face and hands a little : I am rather too fair to pass 
 observation. As no one would know me, I don't see how 
 I could be detected. But of course you would have to alter 
 your face as much as possible." 
 
 "Yes. Well, you see, I had always worn my hair long, 
 and now I have cut it quite short. I have not got much eye- 
 brow, and I will put a few dabs of fur on, so as to make 
 them heavy; draw a line up each corner above the nose, so 
 as to give myself a scowl ; and I should get my man to make 
 a line or two across the forehead. I think like that I should 
 do. People don't stare much at each other on such occasions; 
 their attention is principally occupied with looking at the 
 bride and bridegroom, and the ceremony." 
 
 " Very well, then. To-morrow evening at the stairs of San 
 Nicola." 
 
 On the following evening Arthur made his way down to 
 the river. He was dressed in the simple uniform of the 
 Carlist officers, which consisted of a tunic and a red Basque
 
 AN ADVENTURE 53 
 
 cap, with breeches or trousers according to the fancy of the 
 wearer. He was first at the rendezvous, but five minutes later 
 his friend Sebastian Romero arrived. 
 
 "You have not been here long, I hope?" the latter said. 
 " I was kept talking by the major just as I wanted to disguise 
 myself." 
 
 "No; I have only been here a few minutes." 
 
 "The boat is tied to a stake. I don't think the tide has 
 reached her yet." 
 
 " No; I went down to see her directly I got here. She will 
 be afloat in a few minutes." 
 
 In five minutes they were off, Sebastian sitting in the stern 
 as Arthur took the sculls. 
 
 "I will row across to the other side at once," Arthur said; 
 " by keeping close to that bank we shall not run the risk of 
 being detected by their outposts on this side. I can row for 
 the first mile, then as we shall be nearly opposite them, we 
 can drift up for as much farther; by that time we should be 
 beyond their lines, and can cross the stream arid land." 
 
 "Yes, I think so," the other agreed. "We have to get 
 well past the hill, for certainly they have works right up 
 to the top. Of course we can see them through our glasses, 
 but the ground is so broken with walls, gardens, and houses 
 that we can't exactly see where their strong points are, and 
 certainly not where the Carlists are most strongly posted. 
 We hear such different accounts from the country people 
 who come in, that we cannot believe them in the slightest, 
 especially as we know that they are Carlists almost to a man, 
 and would naturally try to deceive us." 
 
 With steady strokes Arthur rowed along, keeping close 
 under the bank and taking care to avoid making a splash. 
 Presently they could hear a murmur of talk on the opposite 
 bank, and he stopped rowing. The stream was running up 
 hard, and in less than half an hour they were well beyond 
 the Carlists' lines. Crossing the river then, they landed at
 
 54 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 a spot from which a path led up the hill. Sebastian said that 
 his uncle's house was situated about a quarter of a mile from 
 the top. 
 
 "When we are once in the house, Sebastian, I think we 
 had better not keep near each other; then, if one is by any 
 chance detected the other can make a bolt for it." 
 
 "Yes; I think we might as well keep apart. I am more 
 likely to be detected than you, but the risk of discovery 
 would be greater for you than for me. As a relative, it 
 would be thought natural that I should wish to be at the 
 wedding. I might be shot by the Carlists, but my uncle 
 would take my part, and at any rate it would be evident 
 that I did not come as a spy; whereas, if you were caught 
 it would be very awkward for you, though of course I should 
 say that you came as my friend, and had no idea of entering 
 their lines. Still, it would be very awkward; and if you 
 should see that I am taken, I advise you to slip quietly off 
 at once." 
 
 Arthur, however, had no intention of remaining any time 
 at the house and waiting till his companion was ready to 
 leave, for the latter would certainly object to share in his 
 own plan of making his way down through the Carlist lines. 
 And as he was going in a way as Sebastian's guest, he could 
 not very well leave him. The house was but a quarter of a 
 mile, his friend had said, from the upper line of the works; 
 and, even if detected, he could, with the advantage of a sur- 
 prise, easily get there before being overtaken. Not, indeed, 
 that he expected to be pursued. His intention was to slip 
 away quietly soon after getting to the house, and to stroll 
 down to the lines, where it was improbable in the extreme 
 that he would be challenged. 
 
 " If by any chance I should not turn up, Sebastian, when 
 you want to come away, you had better go down to the boat 
 and wait there for a quarter of an hour, and then push off. 
 You may not be able to row much, but you could certainly
 
 AN ADVENTURE 55 
 
 manage to get over to the other side, and then you would only 
 have to let her drift." 
 
 "Yes; but there can be no reason why w should not come 
 away together." 
 
 " Well, you see, one or other of us may be suspected, and it 
 may be necessary to slip off. I don't say that it is likely at 
 all, but there is nothing like being prepared for all emer- 
 gencies." 
 
 After a quarter of an hour's walk they reached the house. 
 It was, as they had expected, full of officers and friends. The 
 ceremony had just been concluded, and many were going up to 
 the bride and bridegroom offering their congratulations. Music 
 was being played, and servants were handing round refresh- 
 ments. Sebastian joined those clustered round the newly- 
 married pair, while Arthur mingled with those standing in 
 groups round the room. He had scarcely been there a minute 
 when he noticed that the eyes of two or three of his neigh- 
 bours were fixed upon him curiously. Wondering why their 
 attention should be attracted to him, he put his hand up to 
 his face, and to his horror found that half his moustache was 
 gone. He had become warm when rowing, and this had 
 doubtless moistened the gum with which he had fastened them 
 on to his lip. 
 
 He at once made for the door, but as he left the room he 
 glanced round and saw that three or four of the men who had 
 observed him were speaking together and making after him. 
 The moment he was outside he started to run. He had gone 
 but twenty yards when there was a shout behind him. This 
 unexpected discovery had altogether upset his plans. He had 
 calculated on being able to stroll quietly down into the Carlist 
 lines. Now he would have to exert himself to the utmost to 
 get there before his pursuers, who were close upon him. He 
 ran at the top of his speed, looking round once or twice as he 
 did so. He gained on his pursuers, who, now convinced that 
 there was something wrong, exerted themselves to the utmost
 
 56 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 to overtake him. As he neared the brow of the hill he 
 could hear talking and laughing in front of him, and soon he 
 came upon a line of fires round which soldiers were gathered. 
 His pursuers now, though he could no longer see them, began 
 to shout loudly, " A spy, a spy ! Seize him ! " 
 
 For a moment or two the talk by the fire ceased, and the 
 men stood listening to the cries. They were therefore unpre- 
 pared for action when Arthur dashed through them he had 
 no time to choose a place and knocked over two or three who 
 endeavoured to grasp him. In a moment he was running down 
 the hill with a hundred men in pursuit. Presently he saw a 
 high embankment ahead of him, which he knew must be the 
 highest point of the defences. He ran up it, and, when he 
 reached the top, jumped. It was a fall of some fifteen feet, 
 but the ground was soft where he alighted, and, picking himself 
 up, he ran on. He had not gone fifty yards when a musket 
 was fired from the top of the embankment. This was followed 
 by a dozen others, arid the fire grew into a roar. Evidently 
 the Carlists, in their bewilderment as to what had happened, 
 were firing at random. Presently he came to a wall, which 
 he vaulted over as a number of men ran up. 
 
 " What are they firing about?" 
 
 " Don't you see it is a Christine surprise?" he said. " Open 
 fire at once, or they will be upon you." 
 
 Instantly the men obeyed his orders. Others ran up and 
 joined them, and Arthur strolled quietly away. He met 
 numbers of men running up. 
 
 "Hurry up, hurry up!" he said. "The Christinos have 
 attacked us from behind and carried the upper line. Run on ! 
 I am on my way to fetch up all the men." 
 
 In five minutes the fire ceased. Evidently some officer had 
 come down from the upper trenches, and passed word along 
 the lines that the alarm was false. By this time, however, 
 Arthur was some distance down the hill, and had little fear of 
 being discovered. No one, indeed, paid any attention to him.
 
 nif 
 
 ARTHUR MAKES HIS WAY THROUGH THE CARLIST LINES
 
 AN ADVENTURE 57 
 
 The Carlists were all discussing the meaning of the heavy 
 firing and its sudden cessation. Some officers who had come 
 down from the second line explained that it was all a mistake, 
 and that no one could say how it had arisen. All that they 
 had been able to gather was that someone had run down, 
 that a sudden alarm had been given by somebody, and that 
 the troops had fired wildly. They were enquiring into the 
 matter at the top of the hill; at present it was all a mystery. 
 Arthur spent a couple of hours gradually making his way 
 down, examining the defences and noting their position, seeing 
 in what strength the various loopholed houses were held, until 
 at last he came to the lowest line, a deep trench with a high 
 embankment, and salients thrown out to take any attacking 
 force in flank. Here, as everywhere, he was questioned; but 
 always replied that, as far as he knew, it had been a sudden 
 panic, possibly an attempt by the Christinos to draw their 
 attention to that point while an attack was made below. 
 He therefore enjoined them to be on their guard. He sallied 
 out at an opening in one of the angles made for the outlying 
 pickets to run in, if attacked. He now proceeded very cau- 
 tiously, and a hundred yards down he saw two figures ahead 
 of him. He walked up to them. 
 
 " Is all well 1 ?" he asked. 
 
 "Everything is quiet in front of us," the men said, "as 
 far as we have heard. But some thought that they heard 
 heavy bodies of men marching this way." 
 
 " I am going out some little distance to find out. Be sure 
 that you don't fire at me as I come back." 
 
 Without waiting for an answer he went on. He heard one 
 say to the other: "He talks queerly; didn't you notice it?" 
 
 "Yes, I thought his language seemed strange. But, you 
 see, he did not speak in Basque, and we don't know much 
 Spanish. Anyhow, we cannot do anything now. We will 
 question him when he comes back again." 
 
 Highly satisfied with his success, Arthur walked on until he
 
 58 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 was challenged by a sentry ahead. He answered in English 
 "A friend!", for he detected at once that the challenger 
 belonged to the Legion. 
 
 "And who are you at all?" came from the sentry. 
 
 "I am one of your officers," he said. " Lieutenant Hallett. 
 I have been in the Carlist camp." 
 
 " Come on, then, and let's have a look at ye. It is a mighty 
 noise that they have been makin' up there." 
 
 "Yes; they have been having a scrimmage among them- 
 selves." He had now come up to the sentry. 
 
 "Well, sor, I can't see yes," the man said; "but it is clear 
 that you are English, and that is good enough for me. 
 Whether you are Lieutenant Hallett or not, I don't know ; but 
 I shouldn't be any wiser if I did see you, seeing that I don't 
 know the gentleman. There are half a dozen of the boys 
 down the hill with the sergeant at that house you can just 
 make out fifty yards away. You had best go down to them 
 and explain." 
 
 "All right, and good-night!" and Arthur walked on. 
 
 Arthur was passed without difficulty through the outposts, 
 and when he reached the town he found that Sebastian had 
 already returned to his own quarters. 
 
 "My dear friend," the latter exclaimed, springing to his 
 feet, " I am delighted to see you. I have been in a terrible 
 state of alarm as to your safety. I had just whispered to my 
 cousin who I was, when there was a sudden uproar, and many 
 of the guests ran out of the room suddenly. I looked round 
 in vain for you. There was a general confusion, and five or 
 six minutes later there was the sound of heavy firing, and all 
 the rest of the guests made off in a great hurry. Of course I 
 went out too, and waited till some of the company came back. 
 None of them seemed to know exactly what had happened, 
 but all were of opinion that a spy of some sort had been dis- 
 covered at the wedding. He had been pursued, had run down 
 through the lines, and a heavy fire had been opened upon him,
 
 AN ADVENTURE 59 
 
 and none doubted but that he was killed. Curiously enough, 
 the men of the second line of defences had opened fire on 
 those in the upper one. Why, no one knew. It could only 
 be supposed that they believed that a Christino force had 
 captured the upper line of trenches. I did not stop to hear 
 later news, but made off to the boat in hopes of finding you 
 there. I waited a quarter of an hour, as you told me, and 
 then got in and floated down the river. I could not keep her 
 to one side, as you did, and found that it was better to let her 
 go as she liked. Fortunately there was such a stir in the 
 Carlist camp that I passed down the river unobserved, and 
 managed with a good deal of difficulty to get the boat ashore 
 here. I have been back now about half an hour." 
 
 "Well, I managed to get through without much difficulty," 
 Arthur said, "and found out a good deal about their defences." 
 
 " Now, you had better have a glass of wine and a piece of 
 bread. That is all I can offer you. But as I suppose you did 
 not get any refreshments up there, you must be hungry." 
 
 Arthur remained for half an hour, and then left. On the 
 following morning he went after breakfast to his colonel, and 
 told him of the adventure of the previous evening. 
 
 " You have done wonderfully well, Hallett, and the informa- 
 tion you have gained will be of the greatest importance to us. 
 You had better come across with me to the general at once." 
 
 The colonel at first went in alone, but presently he came 
 out again and called Arthur in. " So you have been into the 
 Carlist lines, Mr. Hallett?" the general said. "It was a very 
 plucky action. Please tell me all about it." 
 
 Arthur related how, when a Spanish officer had said that he 
 should like to go to the wedding of a cousin, the idea had 
 struck him that if he accompanied him he might obtain some 
 information as to the Carlist lines, and so had encouraged 
 him in the project. He had intended to slip away unnoticed, 
 but unfortunately he was betrayed, as soon as he entered the 
 room, by the loss of a portion of his moustache. He then
 
 60 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 recounted the whole adventure, and handed in a full report of 
 the Carlist defences which he had that morning written. 
 
 The general looked through it. "This is of the greatest 
 importance to us, Mr. Hallett It is the first authentic in- 
 formation we have received of the position and strength of 
 their lines, and will be of the utmost utility when we attack 
 them, which we shall do before many days. You have cer- 
 tainly used your eyes to advantage. I shall study your report 
 at leisure, and it will be of the greatest use to me in making 
 my dispositions for the attack. I shall certainly not forget 
 the service you have rendered us. It shows that you have a 
 head to plan, and courage and determination to carry your 
 ideas into effect. It shows also that you have made the best 
 use of your time, and have acquired a sufficient knowledge 
 of Spanish to be able to pass as a Spaniard in a short con- 
 versation. You have done very well, sir; very well, indeed! 
 And if you go on as you have begun, will certainly rise in the 
 profession you have chosen." 
 
 Arthur retired much gratified by the general's commen- 
 dation. When he told his adventure to his comrades they 
 could at first hardly believe it, until the colonel himself men- 
 tioned the fact, and held Arthur up as an example of what 
 even a young officer could accomplish if he chose to go out of 
 the beaten path to devote himself to the study of a language, 
 nnd to keep his eyes open and take advantage of any oppor- 
 tunity that might present itself. He charged them, however, 
 to say nothing of this outside the regiment, for San Sebastian 
 was full of spies; and if it were known that a British officer 
 had made his way through their lines, they might set to work 
 and make such alterations in their dispositions as would alto- 
 gether destroy the result of Arthur's observations. Several 
 of the young officers took resolutions to follow Arthur's 
 example and begin the study of Spanish forthwith, but the 
 greater portion said that the chance would probably never 
 occur again, and that it was not worth while to work like
 
 AN ADVENTURE 61 
 
 niggers when the odds were so great against any good coming 
 from it. 
 
 Already, indeed, the greater proportion of officers in the 
 Legion had made up their minds to return home at the expira- 
 tion of the two years for which they had been sworn in. The 
 treatment the Legion had received the unnecessary hard- 
 ships they had to encounter, the breach of faith of the Spanish 
 government in not supplying them with food and keeping them 
 for months in arrear with their pay, and thereby causing a loss 
 of more than a third of their number before they had fired a 
 shot had sickened them of the whole business. They were 
 ready to fight, but they were not prepared to starve; and had 
 ships of war come to take them home, they would have accepted 
 their release with joy. But few of them had enlisted because 
 they had any great interest in the cause of Queen Isabella. 
 They had joined the Legion from the love of adventure and 
 excitement, so dominant in every Englishman. The six months 
 of delay and neglect had roughly disillusioned them, and most 
 of them regretted bitterly the comfortable homes and the many 
 pleasures they had left behind them. Nevertheless, for the 
 moment they were satisfied. Their sufferings and those of their 
 men had been quickly forgotten, for they had the enemy in 
 front of them, and it was certain that before very long there 
 would be a great fight; and none felt much doubt that, in spite 
 of the strength of the Carlist position, and the number of its 
 defenders, they should get the better of the Spaniards when 
 they came to close quarters. 
 
 The prevailing sentiment was: "The beggars have never 
 fought well against either the French or us, and it is not likely 
 that they will begin now. They seem to have fought fairly 
 sometimes against each other, but that is quite a different thing 
 from fighting against us. They are only half-drilled, and our 
 fellows now are almost as well drilled as our line. They don't 
 look much, poor chaps! but they will fight They are just 
 in the humour for it, and would go at the Christinos just as
 
 62 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 readily as at the Carlists. They have come to the conclusion 
 that Spaniards are brutes, and the recollection of what they 
 have suffered at their hands will make them fight furiously. 
 It was just the same thing in the Peninsular War. The 
 Spaniards never kept their promises, and our fellows were 
 starving when their men had an abundance of everything. The 
 result was that our troops hated them infinitely worse than the 
 French, and behaved like demons at the capture of Badajos 
 and Ciudad Rodrigo." 
 
 The month's stay at San Sebastian did wonders for the 
 Legion. The sailors in our warships, who were filled with pity 
 and horror when they embarked at Santander, never came on 
 shore without bringing presents of tobacco and portions of their 
 own rations for them. The shops were well supplied, and the 
 small amount of pay that the men had received enabled them 
 to buy many little luxuries. As the Legion was at the time 
 supreme there, General Evans was enabled to obtain from the 
 stores a fair amount of food, and the men speedily recovered 
 from the effects of starvation and illness. At last all the pre- 
 parations were made. From the manner in which the staff- 
 officers rode to and fro with orders, the serving out of ball- 
 cartridge, and ofcher preparations, it became evident that the 
 time for attack was approaching, and the troops rejoiced that 
 they were at last to be called upon to play their part as men. 
 
 FOR some days previous to the 5th of May, plans had been 
 formed for an attack on the enemy's lines. The Carlists 
 had a double line of fortifications. The first of these was half 
 a mile from San Sebastian, and on the heights behind were
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 63 
 
 numerous others, formed principally of steep banks or deep 
 lanes, and breastworks of earth. Behind these, and separated 
 by deep hollows, were other heights similarly fortified but 
 more strongly entrenched, and armed with several batteries. 
 The main road from San Sebastian to Aranez ran through the 
 ground, and was strongly barricaded at various points. 
 
 The general's force consisted of five thousand British and 
 fifteen hundred Spanish. All his own troops had not yet 
 come up, and more Spanish troops from Santander were ex- 
 pected; but the general, having seen the manner in which 
 Cordova mismanaged matters, and not being able to depend 
 upon him as a tactician, determined to attack by himself. 
 The evening before the attack was to be made, the various 
 commanding officers addressed the men. All was bustle that 
 night. By three o'clock the whole of the troops moved out 
 of the town. The Light Brigade, under General Reid, con- 
 sisting of the Rifles, the 3rd, and an irregular Spanish corps 
 called the Chapelgorris, advanced against the enemy's lines 
 near the river. The Irish Brigade, consisting of the 9th, 10th, 
 and llth under General Shaw, moved against the centre. 
 General Chichester's brigade, comprising that morning the 1st, 
 two companies of the 8th, and eight hundred Spaniards the 
 4th, with the remainder of the 8th belonging to this brigade, 
 not being yet landed attacked the left of the enemy's lines. 
 
 The three forces had marched together as far as the convent 
 of St. Bartholemy, and there separated in the directions they 
 were to take. The officers were all on foot, for over such 
 ground it was impossible to advance on horseback. Two 
 hundred yards in front of the convent lay the Carlist pickets, 
 but so noiselessly were the operations carried out that the 
 various divisions reached the posts assigned to them undis- 
 covered. 
 
 As Arthur marched along in the darkness he gave a hand 
 in passing to Roper. "Good-bye, old fellow!" he said, "if we 
 are not to meet again; but we may hope to do so in the
 
 64 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 morning." A squeeze of the hand was exchanged, and he 
 passed on. 
 
 It was an anxious time. The red glare of the enemy's 
 picket-fires could be seen in the distance. The morning was 
 dark and wet, and there was perfect stillness as they took 
 up the places assigned to them. Suddenly a Carlist gave a 
 shout of "Qui vive!", which was answered by a shot from one 
 of the Chapelgorris; then there was a shout of "Forward!" 
 
 Instantly volleys broke out from the various Carlist pickets. 
 General Evans was in front of the advancing line. His 
 orders were that the men were not to fire, but to advance 
 well up and then charge. The first houses were cleared, and 
 the out-pickets driven in. Then, for daylight was now break- 
 ing, the troops began to see the formidable nature of the 
 work before them. The 7th Irish advanced almost without 
 firing a shot. Volley after volley was poured into them, 
 and though they dropped fast, they went steadily on with 
 their colonel at their head. Sweeping forward, they gained 
 the long building called the Windmill Battery, though five 
 hundred Carlists garrisoned the loopholes. A great number 
 of the enemy fell in and about these houses, refusing to 
 surrender as prisoners, but fighting to the last till they were 
 finally driven out. As General Evans came up to them he 
 exclaimed to the 7th, " You are doing nobly, Irishmen!" 
 
 On the enemy's right equally severe fighting was carried 
 on; and while the 7th carried the Windmill Battery, the Light 
 Brigade succeeded in establishing themselves near, and driving 
 the enemy from other posts of similar description. 
 
 Colonel Tupper was shot through the arm while gallantly 
 leading his regiment, but, lest his officers and men should be 
 discouraged, he threw his cloak around him to hide it, and 
 held on with his regiment two hours longer. When he was 
 again facing a heavy fire, he was shot through the head. On 
 the left, the 1st and two companies of the 8th, under General 
 Chichester, assisted in the assault, but without much help
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 65 
 
 from the Spanish regiments. Colonel Fortescue, of the Rifles, 
 was very conspicuous, being frequently engaged hand-to-hand 
 with the Carlists; cutting his way through bushes, over walls 
 and other obstacles, and dragging his men through when they 
 were sinking in the dirt and mud. The 7th and 9th were re- 
 pulsed three separate times, but a party of the 10th came up 
 and joined them, led by Colonel Fitzgerald. A stone wall was 
 in front of them, and over this Colonel Fitzgerald sprang with 
 a riding-whip in his hand. Volley after volley was poured 
 upon them, and the men fell as fast as they got over. All the 
 officers who crossed the wall with him fell, but he stood still 
 and ordered his men to come on. His last words were heard 
 by an Irishman, who sprang over the wall saying, "Ye'll not 
 die by yerself, old Charlie ! " 
 
 There was a rush by the others, and the position was won. 
 The second line of defences had now given way, the only 
 position of importance remaining being the fort of Lugariz. 
 Here the enemy were massed. Men tried to climb up the 
 slippery slope to its foot, but fell or slipped back again. Until 
 nine o'clock the troops were baffled. At this moment the two 
 vessels with the 4th and 8th entered the bay. The boats were 
 instantly launched and the men brought ashore. As they 
 landed they threw their knapsacks down on the sand. The 
 two ships of war opened a storm of ball and shell at the fort. 
 Colonel Godfrey, as soon as he arrived with the two regiments, 
 at once rushed into the thick of the combat. The batteries 
 continued to fire until they were at the foot of the wall. A 
 breach was made and the troops rushed in, but the Carlists for 
 a time still kept up a heavy musketry fire from the rear. 
 
 The 3rd made at the same time a determined charge on 
 a fort that had been resolutely defended for a long time. 
 The fight here was very stiff. Fortescue and Swan were both 
 wounded, and Brigadier Reid was shot through the breast. 
 Fourteen field-officers and captains, and double that number 
 of subalterns, Avere either killed or wounded. 
 
 M 966) E
 
 66 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 At last all opposition ceased. The Carlists drew off sul- 
 lenly. The bugles rang out the recall, and the scattered 
 and exhausted troops gathered together in regiments. They 
 had good reason to be proud of themselves. Older soldiers 
 could not have fought more bravely than these men, none of 
 whom had been under fire before. The 6th and 7th Kegiments 
 suffered the greatest loss, the number of killed and wounded 
 amounting to more than a quarter of their entire strength. 
 The total loss was seventy-five officers and eight hundred and 
 forty-eight privates. Many of the wounded died after the 
 engagement. Four pieces of artillery were taken. 
 
 When the fight was over, Arthur Hallett leant against 
 a wall panting and exhausted. It seemed to him almost like 
 a dream, and he could hardly believe that he had come 
 through the desperate struggle without a scratch. Excepting 
 only when for a time it was brought to a stand-still by Fort 
 Lugariz, the regiment had been incessantly fighting. Now 
 pushing forward, now falling back, now broken up into parties, 
 now gathering together again ; sometimes loading and firing as 
 quickly as possible at the walls and houses, from which flashed 
 shot as quickly in return ; then dashing over walls and across 
 gardens, storming houses, and driving all before them. There 
 had been an anxious time when they could not struggle up 
 to the foot of the fort, but were forced to lie quiet, to shield 
 themselves as they best could from the fire from its summit 
 until the vessels of war beat down an angle of the wall to 
 make an entrance. 
 
 It seemed to him well-nigh impossible that he could have 
 come out of the turmoil alive. He was soon, however, 
 aroused. The bugles were ringing out, and the unwounded 
 men formed up in order that their names could be taken, after 
 which the work of collecting the wounded began in earnest. 
 
 "I am glad to see you have come out all right, Hallett," 
 Captain Buller said. "Poor Prince is killed, and I should 
 think pretty nearly half the company. It is the sharpest fight
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 67 
 
 I ever went through. If it had been much sharper there 
 would not have been anyone left to tell the story." 
 
 " I am sorry to see that you are hurt, sir." 
 
 "My wound is not serious; it was a thrust with a bayonet 
 through the arm. However, I have got my majority. You 
 had got five or six steps before, owing to men being sent 
 home. I should think there must be at least seven or eight 
 vacancies now among the lieutenants. One's only consolation 
 is that it is an ill wind that blows no one good." 
 
 As soon as the roll was called, the work of carrying down 
 the wounded began, and Arthur had time to go and look for 
 Eoper. To his great satisfaction he found that he also was 
 uninjured. They exchanged a hearty hand-shake. 
 
 " We are very fortunate to have both got through it, Koper." 
 
 " I am glad indeed," the other said. " I wondered several 
 times how you were faring, but there was very little time for 
 thinking." 
 
 "No; we must talk it over with each other when we have 
 leisure. We must help to get all these poor fellows down 
 before we can think of anything else. Well, it is satisfactory 
 that we have had a good fight at last. I had begun to have 
 great doubts whether we were ever going to fight at all." 
 
 "Yes; they cannot say any more that the Legion is of no 
 use for fighting. It has been our first chance, and I think we 
 have made the most of it." 
 
 Then they separated ; and it was late in the afternoon before 
 the work of collecting all the wounded was finished. In the 
 meantime a number of townspeople had been hired to dig 
 graves, and by nightfall all the dead were buried. Some of 
 the troops slept on the ground they had won, the rest 
 marched down into the town; rations were served out, and 
 as soon as these were cooked and eaten all went to sleep. 
 Arthur's regiment was one of those that remained on the hill, 
 and the officers all gathered in one of the houses that had 
 been carried by storm. The bodies of the dead Carlists had
 
 68 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 been carried out, and fires had been lighted. After they had 
 eaten a meal, Arthur and two other officers started on the 
 rounds to see that the watch were vigilant, for the Carlists 
 had not fallen back far, and might at any moment make an 
 attempt to recover the lost ground. Each of them had two 
 orderlies, and these carried lanterns. The night was dark, and 
 it was next to impossible to make their way about over the 
 broken ground, which was still thickly strewn with dead 
 Carlists. They were heartily glad when, an hour later, they 
 were gathered by the fire. 
 
 As they would have to turn out again in another hour they 
 agreed that it was of no use to sleep, and they chatted in low 
 tones of the events of the day. All agreed that it had been 
 worse than they had expected, and that the enemy had fought 
 with great bravery. 
 
 "They are sturdy fellows and not to be despised," a 
 captain said. " I certainly did not think they would fight so 
 well. If they had fought like that against the French there 
 would have been no occasion for us to send an army to help 
 them. However, we have a right to be proud of the Legion ; 
 they have done gallantly. It is a pity that we have lost 
 something like three thousand men by sickness. It would 
 have made a vast difference if we had had our full force here." 
 
 "Anyhow, it was lucky," Arthur said, "that the other two 
 regiments came up in the middle of it, for they had fairly 
 brought us to a stand-still. Well, I suppose it is time for us 
 to turn out again. At any rate it is a consolation that we shall 
 get some sleep to-morrow." 
 
 Next day the general sent for Arthur. " I must thank you 
 again," he said, "for the information you gained for us, Mr. 
 Hallett. But for it I don't think we should have managed to 
 win our way so far, for we learnt from it the weak and the 
 strong points, and were able to take several of their most for- 
 midable redoubts, which would otherwise, I think, have been 
 more than we could manage. I shall have pleasure in mention-
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 69 
 
 ing your name in my report of the action, and shall remember 
 you if anyone is wanted for special service." 
 
 "Thank you, sir! I can assure you that I have never 
 thought of such a thing, and only carried out my plan in the 
 hope that I might gain some information which would be 
 useful to you when the time came to attack. I have already 
 been extremely fortunate in obtaining a commission although 
 altogether without interest, and can only hope that in future 
 I may again be able in some way to be of use to you." 
 
 Arthur afterwards went to have a chat with Roper. "Well, 
 Roper, we have had our first battle; what did you think 
 of it?" 
 
 " I had no time to think about it at all. It was just load 
 and fire, and ' Go at them, lads ! ', then falling back, and then 
 trying again. It was certainly a good deal worse than I had 
 expected. I don't think that I was frightened. My one idea 
 was that I wanted to get at them." 
 
 " That is a good deal like what I felt, Roper. I know I 
 wondered occasionally that I lived through such a storm of 
 musket balls. Sometimes it seemed as if nothing could exist 
 in it." 
 
 " All the time I was astonished at the courage the Carlists 
 showed. We had so made up our minds that they would not 
 stand against us for a moment that I was quite taken aback 
 when I found that they were fighting just as hard as our- 
 selves." 
 
 " Not quite so hard, Roper," Arthur said. " They fought 
 hard, I admit, but when we got among them with the bayonet 
 we always had the best of it. The beggars could stand bullets, 
 but they did not like steel." 
 
 " We lost heavily, sir." 
 
 " I am sorry to say that we did. We lost particularly heavily 
 among the officers." 
 
 " Yes, sir. Everyone was saying how gallantly they showed 
 the way. I hardly expected some of them to do so well. Of
 
 70 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 course one has no means of knowing; but there is a sort of 
 general idea that an officer who doesn't look after his men, or 
 seem to take any interest in them, is not the sort of fellow 
 who would lead them well in a fight." 
 
 " I don't see why that should be so, Roper. A man may 
 be very kind-hearted, and yet not extraordinarily plucky; 
 while, on the other hand, a pretty hard sort of man may have 
 any amount of courage." 
 
 " I suppose that is so, sir; but somehow one seems to think 
 that a man who is a good fellow one way will be a good fellow 
 another." 
 
 When off duty some of the officers would often go out for a 
 sail, and one day four of his friends asked Arthur to accompany 
 them. 
 
 "I don't think the weather looks very settled," he said; 
 " still, there mayn't be any change till we are back. Anyhow, 
 I am ready to go." 
 
 "That is right. You know you understand managing a 
 boat, and that is more than can be said for the rest of us. 
 We don't propose to be out more than two or three hours." 
 
 "Well, it makes a change, anyhow. After drill is over, 
 there is little enough to do in the town till the evening; it is 
 all right then. The better class seem to sleep during the day; 
 at any rate, they don't show outside their houses. And though 
 they are friendly enough when you meet them on the prome- 
 nade, they are very chary of asking you to call, or anything of 
 that sort, except when they have regular receptions." 
 
 Accordingly they went down and hired a boat, and put out. 
 A sail was hoisted, and as the wind was dead behind them 
 they ran out merrily. They passed within a quarter of a mile 
 of the men-of-war. 
 
 "There is a man on that ship waving his arms and shouting," 
 Arthur said. " I rather think he is shouting to us." 
 
 "No; I expect he is shouting to someone on the other 
 ship," one of the others replied.
 
 "A SAIL WAS HOISTED .AND THEY RAN OUT MERRILY 1 '
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 71 
 
 They thought no more of it, and kept their course. When 
 they had gone five miles Arthur said: " I think we had better 
 be making for home again. We shall have to beat all the way, 
 and the wind is freshening; besides, I don't like the look of the 
 clouds coming up over the hills." 
 
 The others, who were enjoying themselves, said: "Oh, we 
 will go a bit farther; it would be a pity to cut our trip short." 
 
 They held on for another couple of miles, and then Arthur 
 said : " I am sure we had better turn. You hardly recognize 
 how hard the wind is blowing; we are running before it, and 
 she keeps on an even keel. You will find matters altogether 
 different when we have once put about." 
 
 " Well, turn if you like, Hallett. It really seems a pity." 
 
 " Well, before I bring her into the wind we had better let 
 the sail run down and put two reefs into it. I fancy we shall 
 have to reef it close down before we have done." 
 
 The others saw by the serious expression on Arthur's face 
 that he was thoroughly in earnest, and they lowered the sail 
 and reefed it. As soon as this was done, Arthur put the helm 
 down and the boat came up into the wind. As she did so, she 
 heeled over so far that one or two of the others grasped the 
 gunwale, fearing that she was going over. 
 
 " She is all right at present," Arthur said, as she started off 
 on her new course; "but I wish we were five miles nearer the 
 land. I can see she won't look up very near the wind, and we 
 shall have a long beat before we get in." 
 
 Half an hour later the sail was close-reefed, but even under 
 this small spread of canvas she heeled over till her lee-rail 
 was close to the water. 
 
 " You were right, Hallett, and we were fools not to follow 
 your advice," one of the others said. "I don't know much 
 about sailing, but I understand enough to see that we have a 
 very tough job before us; and the wind is getting stronger 
 every moment." 
 
 Five minutes later Arthur said: "There is a black squall
 
 72 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 coming across the water. We had better lower the sail 
 altogether till it has passed. I have no very strong hopes, 
 however, that it will be over for some time. There is no 
 break in the clouds, and I have quite lost sight of the shore." 
 
 His advice was taken. The mast was lowered and the sail 
 rolled up, and two officers got out oars. 
 
 "You had better get them all out," Arthur said; "it is as 
 much as we shall be able to do to keep her head to the storm. 
 Now, all row quietly. The squall will be on us in a couple 
 of minutes; when it comes, you will have to put your whole 
 strength into it. It is fortunate that I am steering with this 
 short oar. If she had had a rudder we should never have 
 kept her straight, for she will be hardly moving through the 
 water." 
 
 There was a sudden splash of rain, then a pause, and then 
 it came down in bucketfuls, while the wind literally howled. 
 For a time the exertions of the four rowers, and of Arthur at 
 the steering oar, kept her head straight; but after a quarter 
 of an hour the rowers, unaccustomed to prolonged exertions, 
 began to flag. Arthur changed places with the stroke-oar, and 
 the boat again made a little way; but the advantage gained 
 by his strength was more than counterbalanced by the want 
 of skill of the helmsman, and at the end of five minutes' row- 
 ing the boat's head fell off, and the wind caught it and whirled 
 it round. 
 
 "Oars in!" Arthur shouted. "I will take the helm again. 
 You four had better sit down in the bottom of the boat. A 
 big sea will be getting up very soon." 
 
 "How long is it going to last?" Sinclair said, when they 
 had all crouched at the bottom of the boat. 
 
 " It may last two or three days, and the wind could not be 
 in a worse quarter. If it shifts, we might make either the 
 coast of Spain or France; but it is a south-easter, and will blow 
 us right out into the bay. It is lucky you brought those two 
 bottles of wine and that loaf of bread with you; we shall want
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 73 
 
 them badly before we see land again. I wish to goodness we 
 had run in to that man-of-war. I have no doubt at all now 
 that the man was hailing us, and that they were going to 
 caution us against going out farther. However, wishing is 
 useless; we have got to grin and bear it." 
 
 " We were fools not to take your advice earlier, Hallett." 
 
 " I don't think it would have made much difference," Arthur 
 said. "If we had turned then, we could not have got back 
 before the squall struck us, and we should have been blown 
 out just as we have been now." 
 
 He was now sitting in the bottom of the boat also, still 
 holding the steering oar. There was, however, but little to 
 do with it, the boat was running straight before the wind. 
 
 "What pace do you think we are going through the water?" 
 Sharman shouted, for they could scarcely hear each other speak. 
 
 "About six or seven knots, I should say." 
 
 " Then if it goes on for three days we shall be something 
 like five hundred miles out?" 
 
 Arthur nodded. " I hope it won't keep on blowing as long 
 as that. Besides, there may be some shift in the wind that 
 would enable us to make either France or Spain. If not, we 
 have only one chance, and that is, we may be picked up by 
 some passing ship." 
 
 There was little more talk. They were all sitting close 
 together in the stern, as Arthur said that by so doing the 
 greater draught aft would enable the boat to keep her course 
 dead before the wind without steering. Each felt that it was 
 more cheerful being thus close together, even if there was 
 nothing to talk about. 
 
 Sinclair proposed that they should have a little wine to 
 warm themselves, but Arthur at once said: "We must not 
 think of such a thing. We have all had breakfast, and it 
 must last us till to-morrow morning. We may have to eke 
 out the wine for a fortnight; those two bottles are of vital 
 importance to us. As long as it keeps on raining we shall not
 
 74 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 suffer from thirst. By the way, it would be a good plan to 
 shake out the sail and spread it on the seats with the oars 
 over it, lashed into their places by the sheet. In that way we 
 shall be able to catch the water that runs off it in the baler." 
 
 " There is a lot in the bottom." 
 
 " Yes, but it is principally sea-water. You had better shift 
 a bit forward. The waves are beginning to break over her 
 stern, and we must keep her more on an even keel." 
 
 Night came on. The gale was blowing with unabated force, 
 and the sea was high, but the boat rode easily over it, for she 
 was a large craft, and would have required double the number 
 on board to take her down to her bearings. Fortunately the 
 water was warm, so that while there was not a dry thread on 
 them, they did not suffer from cold. As night came on, they 
 rearranged their sail. They put one of the stretchers across 
 the boat with its ends resting on the gunwale some five feet 
 from the bow. The oars were lashed to this, sloping down- 
 ward into the bottom of the boat, and over them the sail was 
 fastened, thus making a sort of tent sufficiently large for them 
 all to lie under. All were worn out by the buffeting of the 
 wind, and in spite of the tossing of the boat, the hardness of 
 the boards, and their drenched clothes, they fell asleep before 
 long. 
 
 Morning was breaking when they awoke, and there was no 
 change, except that the sea was running much higher. The 
 first thing they did was to bale out the boat. Then a bottle 
 was opened, and a little wine measured out carefully into the 
 wine-glass that had been brought on board. The loaf of bread 
 had been placed in a locker. This had fortunately kept dry. 
 A slice of it was cut off and divided into five portions. It 
 was but a meagre breakfast, but all felt better after it. Pipes 
 and cigars were then lighted, and they began to talk. 
 
 "What chance do you think there is of a vessel picking us 
 up, HalletU" 
 
 "I really can't say; but there ought to be a fair chance if
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 75 
 
 the wind is blowing in the same direction as when we started. 
 It would take us out, I should think, pretty well into the 
 course of ships going south. There are, besides, vessels making 
 for Bordeaux and other French ports. It will be hard if we 
 don't run across some of them; and as we have four oars and 
 a sail we should be able to cut them off as they come in. Yes, 
 I think our chances are good. But even now one of us ought 
 always to keep on watch." 
 
 The rain had ceased falling, but the air was still thick, and 
 heavy clouds were passing overhead. At one o'clock, how- 
 ever, these began to break, and two hours later the sun shone 
 out brightly. 
 
 "That is a comfort," Arthur said. "In the first place it 
 will dry us, in the second place it will cheer us, and in the 
 third it will enable us to see a long way." 
 
 He stood up and looked round. " I can see nothing at pre- 
 sent," he said. "It is only when we get on the top of a wave 
 that we can see any distance." 
 
 About five o'clock in the evening they made out a sail, but 
 it was a long way off, and Avas already to the west of them; 
 and it was seen at once that it would be absolutely useless to 
 try and row after the ship, as she was running rapidly along, 
 although under a very small amount of canvas. Still, the 
 sight of the vessel cheered them. They had seen one, and 
 there was no reason why they should not see more. They 
 now knew that the wind was blowing more from the south 
 than it had done, and that they were therefore running to 
 the north. This was an advantage, for they would be making 
 rather towards than away from the French coast, and, when 
 the wind fell, might hope to reach it. 
 
 The next morning the wind had dropped a good deal. The 
 day was bright and clear, and they allowed themselves a 
 double portion of wine and bread. Then they got the mast 
 up, undid the lashings of the sail, and hoisted it half-way up, 
 making holes in the canvas by which they could put an extra
 
 76 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 reef in. Under this very reduced canvas they were able to 
 sail comfortably, though all of them had to sit up to wind- 
 ward. The wind had come still more round to the west of 
 south, so they were able to lay their course due east. 
 
 "How far are we off land, do you think, Hallett?" 
 
 "Well, we have been about sixty-six hours out. By the 
 course we ran the first twenty-four, we made, at six knots an 
 hour, about a hundred and forty-four miles, which would put 
 us, I should say, something like seventy to the nearest point 
 of France. The next twenty-four hours we were running 
 nearly north, so during that time we must have kept about 
 the same distance from the coast. Last night we must have 
 been approaching rather than running away from it. Well, 
 we are now going about four knots through the water. If 
 the wind falls more, and we can put up more sail, we shall 
 walk along a little faster; but until the sea goes down, I don't 
 think we can calculate upon making above five knots. But if 
 we are now, as I suppose, nearly in a line with the mouth of 
 the Loire, we may not be more than thirty or forty miles 
 from the shore; for, although I don't pretend to be partic- 
 ularly well up in geography, I know that the French coast 
 runs out a good deal west till it gets to Brest." 
 
 At twelve o'clock Sinclair stood up and looked round. 
 "I can make out a dark line," he said, "over there to the 
 left; it looks to me like land. We should have seen it 
 before but for the sail." 
 
 Arthur was as usual steering, but the others all went for- 
 ward to have a look, and Sinclair took the helm for a minute 
 to allow him to do so. 
 
 " That is land certainly," he said. " I should say that it is 
 stretching out towards Brest; but I think we had better keep 
 straight on. It may take us a few more hours to get to shore, 
 but it would save us a lot of travelling if we were to strike 
 the mouth of the Loire instead of Brest. At any rate we are 
 safe now, and can venture upon a slice of bread each and a
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 77 
 
 full glass of wine a glass and a half in fact; that will still 
 leave us with half a bottle for breakfast to-morrow morning. 
 We may fairly calculate upon being close to land by that 
 time." 
 
 The others were rather in favour of running to the land 
 they saw. 
 
 "Well, look here," Arthur said: "don't you think that it 
 would be a great deal easier to travel a hundred miles in 
 this boat than to tramp the same distance? Besides, the 
 coast, I believe, is very rocky all the way along there, and 
 we might find a difficulty in landing. My own idea is, that 
 when we do make land, we must go ashore and find out where 
 we are, lay in a good stock of provisions, and start south 
 again. With the wind as it is now, we could very nearly 
 lie our course, and we could certainly do so if the wind goes 
 round a point or two farther. I don't know what money you 
 fellows have, but I have only a dollar or two in my pocket." 
 
 All examined their store, and the total only amounted to 
 thirteen dollars. 
 
 " Thirteen dollars would go no distance towards taking us 
 down through France. It would not pay for a conveyance 
 a quarter of the distance, to say nothing about food. Even 
 if we walked it, it would hardly pay for our bread and cheese, 
 and we should have to sleep in the open. Then, too, we 
 might have a deal of difficulty in getting into Spain without 
 passports; and if we did get in we should find it almost im- 
 possible to make our way to San Sebastian, as several places 
 on the frontier are in the hands of the Carlists. Therefore I 
 shall certainly stick to the boat. If you prefer to tramp you 
 can do so; but I know that before you have gone more than 
 a day's march, you will begin to feel very sorry that you did 
 not take my advice." 
 
 "There is a lot in what you say, Hallett," Sharman said, 
 " and I for one shall certainly stick to it." 
 
 The others at once agreed to the idea. Arthur, being the
 
 78 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 only one who knew anything of sailing, had throughout the 
 voyage acted as captain, and the fact that he had carried 
 them through the storm safely had given the others great 
 confidence in him. 
 
 "I should say," Arthur went on, "that when we make land 
 we may as well stop for twenty-four hours. The people will 
 probably treat us hospitably as shipwrecked mariners, and 
 put us up and feed us. We shall all be glad of twenty-four 
 hours' rest ; and by the timej we are ready to start again, the 
 sea will have gone down, and we shall set out like lions re- 
 freshed. With a wind anywhere north of east or west, we 
 shall be able to lie our course comfortably; and even if the 
 wind is light we ought to make eighty or a hundred miles a 
 day, and three days will take us easily to San Sebastian." 
 
 The sun was just setting when they saw land ahead of 
 them, and by ten o'clock they were close to it, and could make 
 out that it was either an island, or a cape running out into 
 the sea. They sailed to the north side of it. The sea was 
 smooth, so, running the boat ashore, they got out on to a low 
 beach. Walking inland for some distance they threw them- 
 selves down in a field, and as the ground was soft in com- 
 parison with the boards at the bottom of the boat, they were 
 very soon sound asleep. In the morning they finished the 
 loaf and the wine, and then returned to the beach. As- 
 cending some rising ground, they saw that half a mile along 
 the shore there was a village standing at some little distance 
 from the sea. Towards this place, therefore, they made their 
 way. 
 
 As they entered the village they were regarded with looks 
 of astonishment by the natives. They were not in uniform, 
 but their clothes had shrunk considerably in their long 
 drenching. Sharman had lost his cap. All looked faded and 
 bedraggled, and three days' short rations had left its mark on 
 their faces. Sinclair fortunately spoke a little French, and 
 was able to make the villagers understand that they had been
 
 THE FIRST FIGHT 79 
 
 blown off the coast of Spain in a storm, and had landed late 
 the previous evening half a mile away. The cure" of the village 
 at once took them in, and in a short time they sat down to a 
 hearty meal, to which they did full justice. They told the 
 cure" that they intended to start next morning to sail down 
 the coast, and learned from him that the place where they 
 had landed was the island of St. Nazaire, and that they were 
 some twenty miles from the mainland. 
 
 "I think you could not do better than sail along the coast," 
 he said. "Once you make the mainland you will find villages 
 and little ports at short distances. At these you can buy 
 anything you want. Of course you will always keep within 
 sight of land, except when you cross the mouth of the Gironde. 
 I don't know how you are off for money, gentlemen, but I shall 
 be happy to supply you with some, which you can send to me 
 when you have an opportunity." 
 
 "We are very much obliged to you, sir," Sinclair said, "but 
 we have thirteen dollars between us, which will buy us an 
 ample supply of things for our voyage. We do not intend to 
 land, but shall sail on night and day. Two of us are quite 
 sufficient to manage the boat, and we can sleep by turns." 
 
 "Thirteen dollars will be quite enough if you have fine 
 weather and fair winds, but it would not go far if you have 
 to stop." 
 
 "I don't think there is any fear of bad winds. There 
 would hardly be two storms one after another at the end of 
 the month of May; but indeed I do not think we should run 
 short of money were we to be eight or nine days on the voyage. 
 The wine is only, I suppose, about sixpence a litre, and if we 
 reckon a litre a day each of wine, and allow half a franc each 
 for bread and as much for meat, our victuals will only cost 
 us a dollar and a half a day, and we could treat ourselves to 
 a franc's worth of fruit and still have enough money to last us 
 a week." 
 
 The priest smiled. "Well, sir, at that rate you can no
 
 80 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 doubt do it comfortably, and I admit that your thirteen 
 dollars will be ample if you make the run in five days, which 
 you certainly will do, unless you get the wind right in your 
 teeth." 
 
 They dined at the priest's house, and he provided beds for 
 two of them, and found accommodation for the others in some 
 of the cottages. They did their shopping that afternoon, and 
 arranged to start at daybreak the next morning. This they 
 succeeded in doing, after thanking the good priest very heartily 
 for his hospitality. Many of the villagers had been down on 
 the previous day to look at the boat that had lived through 
 such a gale, and some of the others had now come to see them 
 off. They headed east so as to make the shore as soon as 
 possible, for they agreed that as they would have nothing 
 to guide them in case of thick weather coming on, it was best 
 to make the mainland, and then follow it down at a distance 
 of a mile or so. The wind was blowing now from the north- 
 west, and, spreading their full canvas, they ran down rapidly 
 past the island, and three hours after saw the French coast 
 ahead. 
 
 They were now in high spirits. They had made a wonder- 
 ful voyage, and were able to chat gaily over the talk there 
 would be at San Sebastian concerning their disappearance. 
 
 " I only hope there won't be another fight before we are 
 back," Arthur said; "that would be horribly annoying. If 
 I were certain of that, I should feel quite happy over our 
 adventure." 
 
 The weather continued fine throughout their voyage. The 
 wind was somewhat light, but sufficient to take them along at 
 between four and five miles an hour, and on the evening of the 
 third day after starting they saw the highlands of Spain rising 
 in front of them. On the following morning they ran into the 
 harbour of San Sebastian, where they were hailed as if return- 
 ing from the grave by their companions, who had given them 
 up for lost.
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 81 
 
 " We certainly should have been, if it hadn't been for 
 Hallett," Sinclair said. "He kept his wits about him the 
 whole time, got us to rig a shelter, and stuck to the helm 
 as long as steering could do us any good." 
 
 The general himself sent for them and heard their account 
 of the voyage. 
 
 "Well," he said, "all is well that ends well, and I congratu- 
 late you on your marvellous escape. Moreover, you have lost 
 nothing, for there has been no more fighting since you left." 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 
 
 TI1HE time passed slowly. Skirmishing went on constantly. 
 JL Both parties worked at their entrenchments. Shots were 
 exchanged by the batteries from time to time. The soldiers 
 were in better spirits, as a certain amount of the pay due was 
 handed to them, and for a time even the grumblers were con- 
 tented. Drilling went on regularly, and was done smartly and 
 well. Sunday was the great day of the week. Spanish colours 
 were hoisted early, and cannon fired a salute. The church 
 bells began to ring, and every Spaniard, male and female, rich 
 and poor, started by six o'clock for the Cathedral, which was 
 so crowded that very many were forced to kneel outside on 
 the plaza in front of it, the other churches being all taken up 
 as magazines and storehouses. At seven o'clock the service 
 was over, the shopkeepers began to open their stores, and 
 country people and others thronged the great square. 
 
 Although firing went on as usual, sports were held down 
 on the sands. When the market was cleared away, the plaza 
 was soon filled with dancers, principally girls, who danced to 
 the guitar. In the crowd were Spanish and English officers, 
 
 (M966) F
 
 82 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 grave dons, all the better class of the town, the women in 
 their black silk dresses and mantillas, peasants, beggars, 
 soldiers, and sailors. Many would stroll to the ramparts and 
 watch the firing till eight o'clock, at which hour the Spaniards 
 all went to bed, and the streets were quiet save for an occa- 
 sional drunken soldier and the patrol parties. 
 
 Then there was another long interval without pay, which 
 caused serious disaffection. Several of the regiments broke 
 into open mutiny, and absolutely refused either to obey 
 orders or to leave their barracks. Some of these mutinies 
 lasted for a fortnight, and were caused partly by want of pay 
 and partly because many of the men believed that they had 
 enlisted only for a year, and, now that the period of their 
 service was drawing to an end, considered that ships should 
 be arriving to take them home. 
 
 The officers were greatly puzzled what to do. It was ex- 
 tremely doubtful whether any of the regiments that were still 
 obedient would, if called upon to do so, fire upon the mutineers, 
 and it was morally certain that if they did so the disaffection 
 would be so great that the whole Legion would fall to pieces. 
 The officers went about among the mutineers trying to get 
 them to return to -their duty. Some of the regiments were 
 pacified by distributing small sums of money among them, 
 others were reduced by stopping the supply of all rations, and 
 gradually things settled down again. 
 
 The desultory fire that had been going on for so many 
 weeks was succeeded, on the 1st of October, by a series of 
 attacks by the Carlists. 
 
 Heavy firing broke out at three o'clock in the morning, shot 
 after shot falling in the town, and so well aimed were they 
 that none doubted but that the gunner was one John Wilson, 
 a deserter from the Legion, who had once been in the Eoyal 
 Artillery. There had been many desertions from time to time, 
 and the Carlists were constantly shouting invitations to our 
 men to come over to them, promising them good pay and
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 83 
 
 good treatment offers very enticing to men on small rations 
 and no pay. 
 
 As the fire broke out columns of Carlist infantry advanced, 
 driving the pickets before them. Some of these threw them- 
 selves into houses, and defended themselves against over- 
 whelming numbers. The 3rd Regiment and the Rifles were 
 the first to reach the scene of action, many of them running up 
 in their shirts, or with their tunics all unbuttoned, having leapt 
 to their feet, seized their rifles, and hurried off without a 
 moment's delay. Drums were beating and bugles sounding all 
 over the town, the non-commissioned officers turning the men 
 out as fast as they could. 
 
 The officers were riding about and getting the men to fall in. 
 As they arrived they were formed up behind walls and other 
 shelters. The 3rd and the Rifles had checked the Carlist ad- 
 vance. As the 8th Regiment formed up, a cannon shot from 
 the Carlist fort on the Ametza Hill fell close to a group of 
 officers, many of whom were knocked down by the stones 
 thrown up, and then went through the column, killing one man 
 and knocking down half a dozen others. The men, however, 
 laughed and joked among themselves. The next ball went 
 right through the horse of a mounted officer, killed two 
 soldiers behind him, and a woman who was out looking for 
 her husband's body, having just got news that he had been 
 killed. 
 
 Our artillery had now come on the scene, and, directed by 
 Colonel Colquhoun, an admirable and scientific officer, soon 
 got the range. He himself levelled one of the cannon at a 
 column of Carlists a mile distant. The ball burst just at the 
 right moment and committed great havoc, and the gunners 
 of the other pieces in the battery, under his instructions, 
 opened such a terrible fire upon the column that it broke 
 and disappeared. He then laid three guns on the Ametza 
 fort. They were fired simultaneously, and to the delight of 
 the soldiers they burst on the parapet, carrying death and
 
 84 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 confusion among the gunners, and killing, among others, the 
 deserter who had given them so much trouble. Up till ten 
 o'clock the Carlists maintained the offensive, but at that hour 
 the Lancers came on to the field. They charged in gallant 
 style on the south-east side of the Ametza hill, and the 
 Carlists gave way and ran until they reached their breast- 
 works. Here it was impossible for the cavalry to follow, and 
 they at once drew off under a very heavy fire. They then 
 charged again and again at the various parties scattered over 
 the plain, moving in as perfect order as if on parade, and 
 doing great execution. But for the fact that the Spanish 
 entrenchments were so extensive as to afford shelter for the 
 scattered fugitives, the loss inflicted upon them would have 
 been extremely heavy. 
 
 The special object of the Carlist attack had been the 
 village and fort of Alza. This was defended by two Spanish 
 regiments, one of the Legion, and a battery, and these repelled 
 the attack with great slaughter. 
 
 A dog belonging to the Legion, which had taken part in 
 every fight, always marching at the head of the regiment, 
 distinguished himself greatly in this battle. Strangely enough 
 he never barked except in face of the enemy. He had been 
 twice wounded, and on this occasion, in company with a 
 Spanish friend of his own species, advanced and retreated 
 with the Lancers. They had gone on for some distance, 
 where the balls were flying thick, but during one advance 
 the Spaniard tumbled over and came back hopping on three 
 feet. Briton looked back but would not retreat, and stood 
 barking his defiance at the enemy. Presently a ball slightly 
 wounded him in the throat. He returned to his companion, 
 who was hobbling away, and tried to turn him, and re- 
 peatedly offered to lead another charge by advancing a short 
 distance himself. Presently he got another wound on the 
 head. The men lying in shelter called to him, and he came 
 in and got his wound partially dressed, and then at once set
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 85 
 
 off again. His Spanish friend had in the meantime been 
 killed, and Briton, having in vain tried to make him rise, came 
 back to the men and endeavoured to get them to go out and 
 carry his friend in. 
 
 The National Guard of San Sebastian turned out well. 
 They had no regular uniform, but carried a bandolier filled 
 with cartridges, and their rifles; and many of their women, 
 who came out with the men, took shelter in the woods and 
 assisted in carrying in the wounded. 
 
 General Evans rode about with the greatest coolness through 
 the heavy fire, but although hundreds of bullets were aimed 
 at him he was only hit once through the ear. 
 
 So the fight continued all day until night put an end to 
 it. No attempt was made to storm the Spanish position. As 
 General Evans mentioned in his despatches, this could not 
 have been effected without the loss of at least five hundred 
 men, and the capture of the entrenchments would have been 
 dear at the price. 
 
 After this battle there was an interval of quiet. Arrange- 
 ments had been made by General Evans with the Spanish 
 commanders that he would not take the offensive until they 
 were ready to co-operate with him. The force was therefore 
 again set to work to entrench, and as the men received a pint 
 of wine and threepence three-farthings a day in addition to 
 the usual twopence halfpenny, the service was a very popular 
 one. The extra pay sufficed to keep the soldiers from grum- 
 bling, and the extra food that they were able to purchase put 
 them into better condition. 
 
 One of the well-known figures in the town was General 
 Jauregui. He had been in turn a shepherd, half-soldier, and 
 half-guerrilla ; but when the war broke out he raised a body of 
 volunteers for the queen, and soon attained the rank of general. 
 He was not liked by the officers under him, many of whom 
 were nobles, but he was beloved by his men. He had many 
 relations in the ranks, and was not ashamed to sit down and
 
 86 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 eat and talk with them. He possessed the rare peculiarity in 
 a Spaniard of being fat. 
 
 Months passed; and not until the 9th of March did it 
 become known that the advance was to take place the next 
 morning. No secret was made of it, as the general's desire 
 was that the Carlists should gather to resist him, for he wished 
 to strike a heavy blow. Each man was given a peseta (equal 
 to tenpence halfpenny) to buy tobacco and other necessaries, 
 and the shops of the town were crowded all day with British 
 soldiers. A good deal of the money was invested in chocolate, 
 for it was thought probable that the battle would last more 
 than one day, in which case rations would not be served out. 
 
 There was no going to bed that night. Fires were kept 
 blazing everywhere, and cooking-pots were hung over them. 
 Extra flints were served out, and new shoes for those in need 
 of them, and men exchanged with each other the addresses of 
 their relations in order that news might be sent to them if 
 they were killed. All night the men sat and joked, until 
 an officer went round and ordered them to fall in quietly. 
 The Spanish regiments had already turned out and taken up 
 their places, some on the glacis and some in close column 
 behind one of the batteries. 
 
 As day broke, the men were called to attention, and almost 
 simultaneously the batteries opened fire. A column marched 
 against the Ametza with such resolution that its garrison 
 evacuated it hurriedly, leaving many thousands of rounds of 
 ammunition behind them. The fighting was desperate all along 
 the line. One rocky hill was taken and retaken five times 
 during the day. The terror of the scene was added to by the 
 fact that the furze on the hills caught fire from the explosion 
 of the shells, and many wounded were burned to death. Many 
 of the places were thickly dotted with the red coats of the 
 Legion. 
 
 The fight continued all day, and the troops lay down and 
 slept on the ground they had won. Upwards of a thousand
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 87 
 
 had fallen; and the Carlists must have suffered much more 
 severely, for they had been exposed to the fire of artillery 
 while they themselves had no guns in action. The next 
 day passed quietly, the artillerymen being occupied in getting 
 their guns up on to the height they had won. On the second 
 day after the battle, in spite of a pouring rain the advance 
 began again. The artillery cleared the way, turning the 
 Carlists out of the houses they occupied; the troops crossed 
 the river by a bridge of boats, and moved on without serious 
 opposition, and were glad when the order came to halt and 
 occupy the houses of the deserted village. 
 
 A little beyond the village there was a hard fight the next 
 day, but at night the troops fell back to the houses they had 
 occupied in the morning. The rain still came down. On the 
 following morning at twelve it cleared. The Carlists lay 
 concealed until the columns got very near to them, and then 
 opened a tremendous fire. At three o'clock the engagement 
 had become general. Some of the troops fired away all their 
 ammunition and then charged with the bayonet, before which 
 weapon the Carlists always fell back, although they would 
 stand against the heaviest musketry fire. The strongest 
 point of defence of the Carlists was the Venta Hill. Round 
 this the battle raged all day, and in the afternoon it was 
 decided to make a final attempt to take it. 
 
 The 8th Regiment of the Legion was in camp, and was 
 about to start on the attack when General Evans rode up. 
 
 " You cannot go on with your one regiment, Colonel Hogg," 
 he said; "there will be some more up very shortly." 
 
 "Oh, allow me, general, to go on!" Colonel Hogg said. "I 
 am sure we can get through the breastwork;" and then, turn- 
 ing to the regiment, which was in close column, said: "Men, 
 would you rather go on by yourselves, or wait for others to 
 come on to help you? We have a chance here that we will 
 not divide with another regiment." 
 
 The men answered with a tremendous cheer.
 
 88 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Go on, then, brave fellows!" General Evans said; and 
 the regiment advanced. The artillery were hard at work, 
 and the scream of the rockets sounded over the din of the 
 musketry and guns. The regiment with a loud cheer emerged 
 from the cover which concealed them, and as they did so a 
 blaze of fire ran along all the enemy's defences. The four 
 mounted officers galloped at their head. Every man cheered 
 as he ran down into a road and then up again through hedges 
 and across broken ground. A storm of bullets swept through 
 them, and the guns on the heights played upon them with 
 grape, but fortunately most of the missiles went overhead. 
 They reached the first barricade. The colonel was the first to 
 mount it, and some others climbed up; but the majority were 
 so out of breath with their shouting and the pace at which 
 they had run that they were forced to pause. The barricade 
 was built of turf, and was too steep to be climbed; but the 
 men set to work to tear it down with their hands, and soon 
 made a passage through which they could pass. 
 
 There was no active opposition here, for our guns sent their 
 shells so thickly among the Carlists that it was impossible for 
 them to withstand them. As the 8th poured through, they 
 found the ground nearly covered with dead. The bugles now 
 sounded a halt, but the men were not to be restrained, and 
 eagerly pressed forward till they reached the top of the hill, 
 which the Carlists had evacuated as they neared it. Here 
 a battery of four guns was taken, and the flag flying above 
 them hauled down. In the battery were found two barrels, 
 one of wine and the other of spirits, and a tremendous rush 
 took place. While the men were frantically fighting, there was 
 an explosion and a shout of "There is a mine underneath!", 
 and a frightful rush to get away from the spot took place. 
 In the midst of this a soldier calmly walked forward and 
 filled his canteen and that of two of his comrades. This 
 action considerably reassured the others, and the panic soon 
 abated when it was found that there were no more explosions.
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 89 
 
 It turned out afterwards that the man who had shown such 
 coolness had not been able to get near the casks, and had 
 quietly taken out some of his ammunition from his cartridge- 
 box, laid it on the ground under the feet of those fighting 
 to get at the liquor, and shaken out the fire from his pipe 
 on to it. However, the contents of the casks were soon 
 finished. The regiment was then re-formed, and as it was 
 dark they lay down in the fields. They had won their way 
 thus far, but they had reached their limit. 
 
 The news of the fighting had been carried by active men 
 all over the country. It was evident that the farther ad- 
 vance of the Legion would place them in possession of the 
 main road to France, and reinforcements were called up 
 from all sides. Already Evans was opposed by a force far 
 more numerous than his own, and when the news of his 
 advance arrived every Carlist within fifty miles was on the 
 road. Espartero, who was with his army round Bilbao, had 
 promised to march, and General Saarsfield, who commanded 
 another royal army, was also to have moved, so as to occupy 
 the enemy's attention, but neither had done so. The Carlist 
 army had been, a week before, withdrawn from before Saars- 
 field, and during the night of the 15th, ten thousand men 
 slipped away from the force facing that of Espartero and 
 crossed the mountains to assist their friends. 
 
 Espartero himself had ridden, when he heard of the pro- 
 gress that Evans was making, to see with his own eyes how 
 matters were going on. The fighting had again begun, and 
 the Carlists had already been driven back into the town of 
 Hernani, when Don Sebastian, one of the sons of Carlos, 
 arrived with ten thousand infantry and three hundred cavalry. 
 These marched out, column after column, and the vast superi- 
 ority of numbers enabled them to not only show in force in 
 face of the allied army, but to threaten both its flanks. For 
 a time the Legion and its Spanish allies held their ground 
 firmly, but they had considerably more than twice their num-
 
 90 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 ber opposed to them, and the flanks were gradually driven in 
 towards the centre. The Rifles, who were on one flank, had 
 fought with obstinate bravery; and on the other, two Irish 
 regiments stubbornly faced an overwhelming force of Carlists, 
 and were engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with them. Colonel 
 Cotter, of the 9th Cork, was conspicuous for his gallantry. 
 Alone he rode repeatedly into the leading Carlist ranks, until 
 he was completely surrounded and fell fighting to the last. 
 
 The 6th, 7th, and 8th Regiments, who were in reserve, were 
 soon drawn forward into the fight. The 6th were first called 
 up. The whole of the Carlist cavalry dashed forward to attack 
 the leading company, which alone was available to meet them, 
 but were received with such a tremendous volley that they 
 were driven backward in great confusion, with immense loss. 
 Two howitzers of the Marine Artillery sent showers of grape 
 among them, and of the fine regiment which had advanced, 
 a shattered group of fugitives returned. The Carlists, working 
 round, threatened the artillery, and these were only saved 
 by desperate charges of the Lancers and the staunchness of 
 two companies of the 6th. The Spanish regiments fought 
 but badly, and by their retreat exposed the Legion to a 
 heavy cross-fire, which compelled them to fall back. The 
 8th, the last regiment of the reserve, who had been lying 
 concealed in a hollow, were then called up. Two hundred 
 of the wounded had been left behind in a large house, and 
 these, as the Carlists advanced, were bayoneted to a man. 
 The 8th went boldly forward, and, answering nobly to Colonel 
 Hogg's call upon them to charge, rushed under a tremendous 
 fire to a wall, on the other side of which a strong force of 
 the Carlists stood, while many were already crossing it. 
 
 The 8th dashed forward and bayoneted all who had crossed 
 the wall, and for a time fought the Carlist battalion crowded 
 behind it; but other troops were pushing on both to the right 
 and left, so, threatened on both flanks and with an over- 
 powering force in front, the 8th sullenly fell back. Broken
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 91 
 
 up into parties, they still fought desperately, and were only 
 saved by a furious charge by the Lancers. The Carlists, 
 unprepared for cavalry, broke in confusion, and thus the 
 survivors of the 8th were able to draw off. The regiments 
 of Chapelgorris had distinguished themselves during the day. 
 They had refused to be brigaded with the other Spanish 
 regiments, but fought by the side of the British with the 
 most desperate valour; they were indeed almost annihilated. 
 Nevertheless, the few survivors of these and the 8th nobly 
 beat back an attack of the Carlists. There was a regiment 
 of Royal Marines on the ground, but these were prevented 
 by Lord John Haye, who commanded them, from taking any 
 prominent part in the fight, and they lost but eighteen men 
 wounded and none killed, while the Legion had lost very 
 many hundreds, two or three regiments being almost wiped out. 
 The retreating force passed the height of Venta, which they 
 had so gallantly won four days before, and only halted when 
 they reached the lines they had occupied previous to the 10th. 
 
 Arthur had borne his full share in the incidents of that 
 terrible day. He had fought as fearlessly as the best, and had 
 brought the remains of his company out of the fray, his cap- 
 tain being among the many officers who had fallen. So great 
 had been the slaughter that he found himself at the end of the 
 day high in the list of lieutenants. He had received three 
 wounds, but all were slight. He had broken his sword in a 
 hand-to-hand encounter with a Carlist officer, but had ended 
 the fight by striking his opponent full in the face with the 
 pommel, and stretching him senseless on the ground. When 
 they reached the lines he went across to Roper's company, and 
 to his great pleasure found that his friend had escaped with 
 only a bullet through his arm. 
 
 "This has been a dreadful day, Mr. Hallett!" 
 
 "A terrible day, Roper! Three to one against us, I should 
 say there were." 
 
 "But we made a stiff fight of it, sir; and the Legion has a
 
 92 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 right to be proud of itself. If the Spanish regiments had not 
 given way, I think we might have held our own with them." 
 
 "I doubt whether we could in any case, Roper. They 
 were altogether too strong for us. Still, we should have 
 done better if the Spaniards had stood, and might at any rate 
 have retired in good order to the Venta Hill, and held that 
 against any attack the Carlists might have made. I hope I 
 shall never see such fighting again." 
 
 " The same here," Roper said. " I think a thousand of us 
 can do fairly well against two thousand of the Carlists; but 
 when it comes to twenty thousand against about four thousand, 
 the odds are too great altogether, for no one can say that the 
 Carlists don't fight well. It was lucky, sir, that the Lancers 
 arrived when they did, for I don't think any of us would have 
 got away alive if it hadn't been for them. I quite made up 
 my mind that we had all got to go down, when they came 
 thundering up." 
 
 "It was indeed a most fortunate thing, Roper. During the 
 last part of the day I had been fighting with a musket among 
 the men, for I broke my sword, and pistols are of no use in a 
 fight like that. Well, I am going off now to see if I can be of 
 any good in the hospital; the surgeons must have their hands 
 more than full." 
 
 Arthur's offer of aid was thankfully received, and he worked 
 all night, assisting the surgeons by holding the patients while 
 the amputations were being carried out, handing them sponges 
 and hot water, and generally aiding them in their operations. 
 When morning came he was so fatigued that he made his 
 way with difficulty to his quarters in the town, where he 
 flung himself down to snatch a few hours' sleep. 
 
 There was a great hush over the camp during the day. 
 Then only, as the men wandered about asking questions con- 
 cerning missing comrades, did the full extent of the disaster 
 that had befallen them make itself felt. The gaps in the ranks 
 were terrible. Their missing comrades were all 'gone, for the
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 93 
 
 Carlists had given no quarter. Even if not seriously wounded, 
 all who fell into their hands were either shot or bayoneted 
 by them. It was hard, after having fought their way vic- 
 toriously for three days, that such a misfortune should befall 
 the Legion! Their one consolation was that every man had 
 done his duty, not one had turned his back to his foe. 
 
 The gaps among the officers had been terrible. Several of 
 the regiments had lost all their field-officers; others had suffered 
 greatly. Deep were the execrations upon the Spanish generals, 
 who should have detained the Carlist armies facing them, but 
 who by their lethargy had allowed some twenty thousand men 
 to slip away and join those with whom the Legion had been so 
 successfully engaged ; and not a few of the men would willingly 
 have obeyed an order to attack the Spanish regiments, who 
 had deserted them as soon as the fighting began. 
 
 At first it was anticipated that the Carlists would take ad- 
 vantage of their success and attempt to capture San Sebastian, 
 and there was a general hope that they would do so, for all 
 felt confident that they could resist any attack that might be 
 made. The entrenchments were very formidable, and a number 
 of heavy guns were mounted upon them. The guns of the 
 ships, too, would give their support. 
 
 But the Carlists were well satisfied with their success. The 
 greater portion of the troops that had come from Durango, 
 and the force opposed to Espartero had marched away again, 
 leaving only a sufficient number to oppose any further attempt 
 on the part of the defenders of San Sebastian to take the 
 offensive. 
 
 Of this, however, there was but little prospect. Scarce 
 three thousand five hundred out of the ten thousand men of 
 the Legion were fit for service; disease and battle had ac- 
 counted for the rest. Besides, of the two years for which 
 they had enlisted there were but a few months to run. Had 
 they been treated well, by far the greater portion would 
 willingly have remained. At first they had felt but small
 
 94 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 interest in the struggle in which they had enlisted. Most of 
 them were ne'er-do-weels men who had been glad to accept 
 any offer with the prospect of giving them a living; the 
 Christinos were no more to them than the Carlists. Now the 
 ease was altogether different the Carlists had become their 
 personal enemies. They would not have come to hate them 
 for their doings in a fair fight. But the fact that they mas- 
 sacred every man who fell into their hands, whether wounded 
 or not, had raised in the minds of the soldiers a feeling of 
 undying hatred and a burning desire for revenge. They 
 had not received the treatment they had a right to expect. 
 They had never been properly fed since they landed; they were 
 still months in arrears of their pay, and then only irregularly 
 received the wretched pittance of twopence halfpenny a day. 
 If the Spanish government had deliberately set themselves to 
 drive the regiments into mutiny, they could not have gone 
 about it better, and it was certain that when the time expired 
 few indeed would consent to remain any longer in the ranks. 
 
 The officers were no less indignant than the men. Their 
 pay was nine months in arrear, and those who had no means of 
 their own had only subsisted by the assistance of others better 
 off than themselves. Considering what they went through, 
 it was almost a matter for surprise that the whole Legion 
 did not embrace the offers of the Carlist emissaries, who 
 were constantly at work trying to sap their loyalty to the 
 Christino cause, and go over in a body to the Carlist lines. 
 After the reverses that had befallen them, the Spanish govern- 
 ment seemed more indifferent than ever to their sufferings; 
 only very occasionally, ridiculously small amounts were sent 
 to them, sufficient to pay the soldiers a few pesetas apiece. In 
 these circumstances it was not surprising that the drill became 
 slack and discipline relaxed. The officers, deeply indignant, 
 could not bring themselves to be severe upon the soldiers, 
 who suffered even more than themselves, and so took no notice 
 of minor acts of insubordination.
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 95 
 
 Shortly after the battle Arthur had received his usual 
 quarterly letter from his uncle. " My dear Arthur," it ran, 
 ''herewith I enclose order as usual on Messrs. Callao, of San 
 Sebastian, for thirty pounds. We are all very glad to find 
 that you have passed through the last battle without serious 
 wounds. You have been most fortunate in that respect. 
 Your term of service will end in a few months' time, and we 
 trust that at its conclusion you will return home. I am afraid 
 that after the life you have been leading we can hardly hope 
 that you will resume your studies indeed, it would not be 
 reasonable to expect it. Still, you might travel or otherwise 
 employ yourself a great deal better surely than in getting 
 yourself shot at, and that in a cause which although no 
 doubt you now feel some interest cannot affect you in the 
 same way as if you were fighting for your own country. 
 
 "According to other accounts, and from letters I have seen 
 from other members of the Legion, you must have been suffer- 
 ing great hardships. No doubt at San Sebastian these have 
 been less cruel than they were at Vittoria; still, they have 
 been severe. You tell us very little about them, and, as I say, 
 it is from other sources that I form this opinion. We are all 
 obliged to you for always writing directly after a battle, for 
 we are in a state of considerable anxiety until we hear from 
 you, as of course no details of casualties are published; and 
 in the interval between the first report of the fighting and 
 the receipt of your letter we are all very unsettled, and your 
 cousins' studies are greatly deranged. 
 
 "We all talk and think of you very frequently, and I 
 am afraid that we are inclined to pride ourselves on having 
 a relative who has won his commission and distinguished 
 himself in Spain. Still, my dear lad, I do hope that if 
 the term of service of the Legion is to be extended and 
 I think that it probably will be you will not be among 
 those who remain in the service. The risks appear to be 
 enormous. More than half the Legion are by this time
 
 96 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 either dead or invalided home. I ask you, what can compen- 
 sate a man for running such risks, especially when, as in your 
 case, he is not driven by straitened circumstances to incur it? 
 You have done well; you have, so to speak, won your spurs. 
 It will be something to look back upon all your life. Surely 
 that is good enough. Your first enlistment was, to my mind, 
 a wild and foolish business; but I own that, annoyed as I then 
 was, I should be still more so were you to repeat the mistake. 
 
 " Pray think this over seriously. Remember, pecuniarily 
 you have no need whatever to remain in the Legion. You 
 tell me that you have still most of the money I have sent yon 
 lying by. You have but three more years to wait till your 
 majority, when you will receive three hundred pounds a year, 
 and, if necessary, I can add something to this amount. 
 
 " Your cousins insist that you must be now almost a man, 
 as you say that you are over six feet, and no doubt the life 
 that you have led must have aged you a good deal and, I 
 hope, taken some of your foolish recklessness out of you. 
 They have asked me to say that they hope you won't bring 
 home a Spanish lady as a wife, and I have assured them that, 
 although I consider you capable of many follies, I feel con- 
 vinced that you will not commit such a crowning one as that. 
 They and my wife all send their love, and their earnest hopes 
 and prayers, in which I join, that you will come home safe 
 and sound to us. 
 
 " I remain, my dear Arthur, 
 
 "Your affectionate Uncle." 
 To this Arthur replied : 
 " My dear Uncle, 
 
 " Many thanks for your letter and remittance. 
 As to what you say about my continuing my term of service, 
 in the event of the Legion as a whole re-enlisting for a 
 further term, I cannot promise to take any particular course
 
 A FURIOUS STRUGGLE 97 
 
 at present. You say that I can have no interest in the 
 cause for which I am fighting. I can assure you that we 
 have a very vivid interest in it. I grant that that was not 
 the case at first, and that we looked upon it in the mere 
 spirit of adventure; but that is all changed. The Carlists 
 are not like civilized enemies; they behave rather like wild 
 beasts. They give no quarter, and every poor fellow who 
 falls into their hands officer or soldier is shot or bayoneted 
 at once. Even the wounded are slaughtered ruthlessly. 
 
 "Now you can very well imagine the state of fury and 
 hatred excited by such doings. The war has become a war 
 of revenge, and men, when they go into battle, hope that 
 if they are hit it will be by a fatal shot, and not by one which 
 will lay them helpless on the ground, with the certainty of 
 being shot or bayoneted in cold blood unless the Carlists are 
 beaten and we hold the ground on which we have fought. 
 I don't say that this is entirely the fault of the Carlists, for 
 in the early part of the war the Christinos were just as 
 bad, from what I hear. However, that is the state of things 
 now; and if the Legion were but well treated, I think there 
 is scarcely a man who would not willingly extend his term. 
 The fact that I have been promoted is another reason why 
 I might be tempted to go on. Of course it will make no 
 difference to me afterwards whether I hold the rank of lieu- 
 tenant or colonel at the end of the war; but now that I have 
 gone into the thing I want to see the end of it. 
 
 " However, I do not think that you need feel uneasy on 
 that score, for I am convinced that, when the term has 
 expired, the greater part of the Legion will take their dis- 
 charge. Their treatment has been so scandalous that I 
 believe that if the order was given for the Legion to march 
 to Madrid, fight their way through all obstacles, and hang 
 every member of the government, they would receive it with 
 
 joy- 
 
 " As to what the girls say about a Spanish lady, assure them 
 
 ( M 966 V O
 
 98 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 that though I am really a man in stature and strength I am 
 still a boy at heart, and am no more affected by the pretty 
 graces of some of the Spanish girls than if they were dolls. 
 They are very jolly to chaff with, but certainly, in my case, 
 nothing to make love to. I hope that by the next time I 
 write I shall be able to tell you I have got my company. 
 With love to you all, 
 
 "Yours affectionately, 
 
 "ARTHUR HALLETT." 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 A CAPTIVE 
 
 HAVE you heard that Maltravers is missing, HallettT 
 Sinclair asked Arthur one morning as he came out of 
 his quarters. 
 
 "Missing? No; how is he missing T 
 
 "That is what nobody seems to know. He was on duty 
 last night, and went along the line a certain distance, and 
 then he seems to have disappeared. An enquiry is being 
 made among the men on duty, but so far there does not 
 seem to be. any explanation. He certainly was not shot, for 
 there are no signs of his body. One idea was that he might 
 have been taken suddenly ill, and turned off to come into the 
 town to report himself. I believe a search is being made now 
 on the ground that he would cross, to see if he has fallen there. 
 Of course no one thinks that he could have deserted." 
 
 " I should think not," Arthur said. " There are men who 
 grumble so continuously that one would hardly be surprised 
 to hear that they had taken other service, but that was not at 
 all Maltravers' way; he always made the best of everything." 
 
 " Well, it is very strange."
 
 A CAPTIVE 99 
 
 The most exhaustive search failed to bring anything to 
 light respecting the missing officer. The sentry at the last 
 post he had visited had observed nothing singular in his 
 manner. The next post was three hundred yards away, 
 but, although it was a dark night, the officer could not have 
 missed his way. There was a sharp drop in the ground 
 beyond the line that he would traverse, and as the route was 
 the same that had been used for many months, it was scarcely 
 possible that anyone could miss it. The idea that Carlists 
 could have come down from their entrenchments, the nearest 
 of which was four hundred yards away, and captured him, 
 without the sound of a struggle reaching the ears of the 
 sentries to the right or left, seemed hardly possible. Some 
 suggested that he might have gone suddenly out of his mind, 
 and wandered down into the town or to the bank of the 
 Urumea, and there fallen in, but this seemed to all to be 
 wildly improbable. 
 
 The officer's letters and papers were examined, but nothing 
 whatever was found that could in the slightest support the 
 idea that he had committed suicide. There was nothing to do 
 but to enter his name upon the list of missing, and hope that 
 he would yet turn up some day and explain the mystery. 
 
 " It is your turn for the night duty, Hallett," Sinclair said 
 to him three days after the strange disappearance of Mal- 
 travers. 
 
 " Yes, I know that my turn for duty begins this evening." 
 
 "Well, keep a sharp look-out, old fellow; we don't want 
 any more mysterious disappearances in the regiment." 
 
 "No; one is more than sufficient. I have been over the 
 ground half a dozen times during the past three days in the 
 hopes of finding some sort of clue, but without the least suc- 
 cess. Perhaps as I go round to-night some bright idea may 
 strike me. Of one thing," he said with a laugh, "you may 
 be perfectly sure : that is, that if I don't turn up in the morn- 
 ing it will be neither desertion, suicide, nor insanity."
 
 100 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "No," Sinclair said; "I should certainly never suspect you 
 of any one of the three." 
 
 The others laughed. " You certainly did your best to save 
 your life on board that boat, so we will put suicide out of the 
 question. As to desertion and lunacy, I think they may be 
 equally barred. If you are missing, I shall say that the pixies 
 have carried you off." 
 
 " Yes; I think you can safely put it down to that." 
 
 After mess was over, Arthur took his pistols and sword 
 and started to the house that was used as the rendezvous of 
 the officers on duty for the night, made his usual visit to the 
 outlying posts along a portion of the line some three-quarters 
 of a mile in extent, and returned. A few minutes before twelve 
 he again started on the same tramp, his companion on duty 
 going in the other direction. Nothing unusual happened until 
 he was half-way along; then, as he passed a ruined hut, he 
 suddenly fell, stunned by a heavy blow from behind. He 
 knew nothing for some time, then he felt dimly conscious that 
 he was being carried along. Reviving consciousness showed 
 him that there were two men at his arms and two at his 
 legs, and that a cloak or some other woollen garment was 
 wrapped round and round his head, and something thrust into 
 his mouth. All this was taken in little by little, for his head 
 buzzed and ached from the blow that had fallen upon it. 
 
 It was some time before his brain began to work in earnest. 
 Then he gradually came to understand that he was in the 
 hands of the Carlists. These four men must have stolen 
 quietly down from their entrenchments and hidden among 
 the ruins of the hut, struck him to the ground, probably 
 with the butt-end of a musket, and were now carrying him 
 off. Doubtless this was the manner in which Maltravers had 
 also been captured. He knew that to struggle would be 
 absolutely useless; and indeed, from a murmur of talk that 
 went on around him, he judged that he was already in the 
 Carlist lines. He could feel that he was being taken up the
 
 A CAPTIVE 101 
 
 hill. After what seemed a very long time, his bearers came 
 to a stop. A door was pushed open, and he was carried 
 through and dropped on the ground. Then he heard the 
 door close and the lock turn. He sat up, and took the muffler 
 from his head and the gag from his mouth. His head ached 
 as if it would split, so, knowing that there was nothing to be 
 done, he rolled up the muffler and, using it as a pillow, dozed 
 off after a time into a heavy sleep. When he awoke, he heard 
 talking outside. 
 
 "This is the second five dollars each we have made, Pedro; 
 if we go on like this we shall soon get rich." 
 
 "I don't see why we shouldn't," the other said. "As long 
 as the nights are dark, we can always be sure of making our 
 way down unobserved. We may reckon on snatching two 
 or three more before there is a moon, and even then we shall 
 be able to do it when there is rain." 
 
 " I don't suppose we can catch many more that way," the 
 other said. " When they find officers keep on disappearing they 
 will send three or four of the men round with them, and then, 
 of course, there will be an end of the business. Still, if we can 
 catch half a dozen more we shall not have done so badly." 
 
 As soon as day broke, Arthur sat up and looked round. 
 He had still a splitting headache, and there was a lump as big 
 as an egg where the blow had fallen. His cap lay upon the 
 ground near him, having apparently been thrown in there by 
 the men who had carried him up. His arms had been taken 
 away, and he had no doubt that nothing had been left behind 
 that would leave any indication as to what had befallen him. 
 The hut, which was about twelve feet square, had evidently 
 been inhabited by a peasant. It contained two or three 
 broken pieces of rough furniture, and the floor was littered 
 with odds and ends of old garments, broken crockery, &c. 
 Two little loopholes, about six inches square, admitted a 
 certain amount of light when the door was closed. Looking 
 out of these, he saw that the hut stood on level ground,
 
 102 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 evidently at the top of the hill. Numbers of Carlists lay on 
 the ground wrapped up in their cloaks. 
 
 Two or three small huts and houses were dotted here and 
 there on the plain, the nearest of them being about two hun- 
 dred yards away. This one had a garden round it, and looked 
 as if it was still inhabited. Like the hut in which he was 
 confined, it was built of stone, and was roofed with slabs of 
 the same material, but was larger and apparently had an upper 
 story or loft. 
 
 Having seen this much, he sat down until, by the stir 
 around, he knew that the camp was awake. It was not until, 
 as near as he could guess, nine o'clock for his watch had 
 been taken away from him that anyone came near him, 
 though he knew by the talking that there were two sentries 
 at the door. Then he heard the key turn in the lock, and 
 an officer, who by his uniform, he thought, was a colonel, 
 entered. Arthur rose to his feet. 
 
 "You are English, sir?" the colonel said. 
 
 "lam." 
 
 "Why do you fight on' the side of the Christinos? We 
 know that you are badly treated by them: you are half- 
 starved and you get no pay. Well, sir, you are a prisoner in 
 our hands; and I need hardly say what your fate will be if 
 you do not accept our terms. If you will enter the service of 
 Don Carlos, you will be well-fed, well-paid, and welcomed as 
 a comrade. It can make no difference to you on which side 
 you fight Christino or Carlist. You have learned what to 
 expect from them, neglect and suffering; with us you will have 
 neither. We are certain to win in the long run. You will 
 get promotion and honour the alternative is death! I will 
 leave you till this evening to think over the matter." 
 
 He went out, and in a quarter of an hour two soldiers 
 entered bearing a dish of meat and beans, and a large jug of 
 water. Arthur had no appetite; but he took a copious drink, 
 poured some water over his cloak, which he rolled up as a
 
 A CAPTIVE 103 
 
 pillow, and lay down on his back, with his head upon it. Its 
 coolness eased the throbbing of his wound. As he lay he 
 thought over his position. "The case is a very bad one," 
 he said to himself. "Certainly I am not going to turn 
 traitor; that needn't be thought of. I have no doubt that 
 the threat of shooting me, if I refuse, will be carried into 
 execution. The question is, whether it will be carried out 
 at once on my refusal, or put off till to-morrow morning. 
 Surely they will give me another twelve hours. If they 
 don't, there is an end of it. There is no possibility whatever 
 of escaping in the daylight; I don't know that there is much 
 chance at night, but there may be a chance. At any rate, 
 I have all day to think it over." 
 
 He lay there for some hours, sitting up occasionally to pour 
 more water upon his pillow. The throbbing of his head 
 subsided somewhat, and at one o'clock he sat up and forced 
 himself to eat. " Escape or no escape," he said, " I must keep 
 up my strength." When he had finished his meal he stood 
 up. His head still throbbed, though the pain was much less 
 acute. First he went to the door and examined it: the 
 hinges were strong and rough, the lock was sunk in the wood- 
 work; it was evident that it could not be forced. 
 
 " Now," he said to himself, " I have the option of trying to 
 get the screws out of the hinges or cutting round the lock." 
 He felt in his pocket for his knife, and gave an exclamation of 
 disappointment when he found that it was gone. This was 
 a bitter blow. He spent some time looking about the floor in 
 the hopes of finding some piece of iron which he could use for 
 getting out the screws, but although he searched the place 
 most carefully, he could find nothing that would serve his 
 purpose. 
 
 The walls of the hut were far too solid to admit of his 
 making a way through them. It might, he thought, be just 
 possible to burrow under them; but he quickly dismissed this 
 idea, for there was no great depth of soil on the rock, and
 
 104 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 it was almost certain that the foundations of the wall would 
 be carried down to it. He went to one of the little windows, 
 and stood there gazing out vaguely. Presently he saw an old 
 woman come out of the nearest house, cut some vegetables, 
 and go in again. He wondered what they were, and what she 
 was going to have for dinner, hardly knowing what current 
 his thoughts were taking. As he roused himself and looked 
 round, a fresh idea struck him. The walls could not be 
 attacked, the door would defy any efforts that he could make, 
 the floor was altogether unpromising but there was the roof! 
 A new hope sprung up in his breast as he looked up. 
 
 The roof was simply composed of slabs of stone, and al- 
 though these had been roughly plastered, the lines where one 
 had been laid on another showed clearly. The slabs were 
 from an inch to an inch and a half thick, and about two feet 
 square. The walls of the cabin were about eight feet high, 
 and Arthur could just touch the lowest range of slabs with 
 the tips of his fingers; but he saw at once that the materials 
 within the hut would enable him to reach it easily. There 
 was a rough stool some two feet high; one of its legs was 
 gone, but by propping it against the wall it would stand. 
 He placed it there and mounted upon it. It was a bit 
 shaky, but it held his weight. The top of his head was now 
 but a few inches below the slab, and he had no doubt what- 
 ever but that he could raise it. The two sentries, as far as he 
 could tell, were both in front of the cabin, and, considering its 
 structure, it was very improbable that there was one behind. 
 Thus, then, if they gave him until the next morning he could 
 well hope to make his escape. 
 
 He was so delighted at this that he hardly felt any longer 
 the pain in his head. It would, of course, be no very easy 
 matter to make his way down through the Carlist lines; but 
 as he had done it before, he might well hope to do it again. 
 " At any rate," he said to himself, " nothing can be done till 
 night, and I may as well sleep till then."
 
 A CAPTIVE 105 
 
 He laid himself down again, this time going to sleep so 
 soundly that he did not hear the guards come in and put some 
 more food down. About six o'clock he awoke, and at once 
 took another meal. Half an hour later the colonel again came 
 in. 
 
 " Well, sir, what is your answer?" he said. 
 
 " I do not like to turn traitor," he said. " Certainly I have 
 no reason to be very grateful to the Christinos, and if the offer 
 were that I should resign the service I should certainly accept 
 it; but I do not like to fight against my old comrades." 
 
 " You would not be called upon to do so," the colonel said; 
 " you would be attached to one of our other armies. We have 
 had a good many deserters from your lines, but we cannot 
 utilize them because they understand so little Spanish and 
 no Basque. We want an officer to lead them. There are 
 plenty to make a strong company, and I will promise you 
 that you shall have their command and shall not be employed 
 here." 
 
 " Give me till to-morrow to think it over, sir. You have 
 already taken one of our officers; may I ask what reply he 
 gave?" 
 
 " The obstinate fool chose death," the officer said. " I was 
 sorry; but, of course, it had to be done. I trust that you will 
 not be so foolish. At any rate, I will give you till to-morrow 
 morning; but unless you are by that time prepared to accept 
 my offer, your fate will be the same as his." 
 
 So saying, he left the hut. Thankful for the respite, Arthur 
 went to one of the little windows and looked out. Numbers 
 of fires were burning, and the Carlist soldiers were gathered 
 round them, some cooking their food, others smoking and talk- 
 ing. The hours passed slowly. Arthur waited to choose a time 
 when the camp was growing quiet, but when there were still 
 some sounds that might deaden any noise he might make. 
 At last the moment arrived when he thought he could at- 
 tempt to get the stone off, though he did not intend to try to
 
 106 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 escape till all were asleep. He placed the stool against the 
 wall again, and climbed up, and then pushed with all his 
 strength under one of the slabs. It gave a little. He tried 
 again, and it yielded. Working very carefully, he got the 
 upper end out from underneath the slab above it, then raised 
 it, turned it sideways, and lowered it into the hut. 
 
 The talk of the guards outside went on uninterruptedly, 
 and it was evident that no sound had reached their ears. 
 Arthur sat down and waited. Hitherto he had felt no ner- 
 vousness, but his anxiety now became intense. One of the 
 guards might enter the place. There were no special grounds 
 for fear that this would happen, as hitherto the sentries had 
 only opened the door to bring in his meals; still, they might 
 do so. Again, a soldier who had been chatting with his com- 
 rades at one fire might move off to sleep at another, and notice 
 the hole caused by the removal of the slab. This was certainly 
 very improbable on so dark a night; still, the thought of the 
 possibility of one or other of the two events taking place kept 
 Arthur's nerves on a strain. 
 
 At last everything seemed quiet. The night was perfectly 
 still, save that he could hear an occasional sound of talking 
 and laughter in the trenches lower down the hill, where 
 doubtless a considerable number of the Carlists would re- 
 main on watch. At last he felt that the moment had come 
 for making the attempt. He again leant the stool against 
 the wall, put his hands on the edges of the two slabs by the 
 side of the hole, and pulled himself up. Very noiselessly he 
 raised himself higher and higher till he could get his legs 
 over the wall; then he turned, lowered himself by his arms, 
 and dropped. As he did so he rolled over, and with diffi- 
 culty refrained from uttering a groan. Instead of dropping, 
 as he had expected, on even ground, one of his feet had 
 come on a rough stone lying against the wall, and in the 
 fall he had badly wrenched his ankle. 
 
 He did not attempt to move for a time. The chance of
 
 "HE BEGAN TO DRAG HIMSELF ALONG"
 
 A CAPTIVE 107 
 
 passing down through the Carlist lines was at an end. For 
 fully ten minutes he lay there; then his mind was made 
 up, and, turning over on to his face, he began to drag 
 himself along towards the house he had been looking at 
 during the day. It was his only chance. If he could conceal 
 himself there he might be safe. When his escape was dis- 
 covered in the morning it would be supposed that he had 
 made his way down through the lines, or had gone out 
 through the rear of the camp and taken to the mountains 
 until he could work his way back to the town. There would 
 certainly be no search for him close to his prison. 
 
 It took him nearly half an hour at that slow rate of pro- 
 gression to make his way to the house. When he reached it, he 
 raised himself on to his sound foot, noiselessly lifted the latch, 
 and went in. He closed the door behind him, and sat down 
 against it. Knowing nothing of the interior arrangements, he 
 dared not move for fear of waking the inmates. He therefore 
 remained there motionless, dozing occasionally, until the first 
 dawn of day enabled him to obtain an idea of his surround- 
 ings. The room in which he was was unoccupied, but an 
 open door at the back showed where the old woman and 
 whoever might live with her were sleeping. A rough ladder 
 in the opposite corner of the room led up to an open trap- 
 door leading evidently to a loft. This was what he had hoped 
 for, and making his way across to it he pulled himself up the 
 ladder, and found, as he expected, that he was in a low loft. 
 It was half-filled with hay and faggots, and, climbing over 
 these, he laid himself down behind them and lay listening. 
 
 In an hour he heard cries of alarm, followed by a great 
 hubbub in the camp, and had no doubt that his escape had 
 been discovered. Presently he heard a stir below, and, listen- 
 ing, made out two voices one, which was, he had no doubt, 
 that of the old woman whom he had seen, and the other 
 apparently that of an old man, probably her husband. He 
 had taken a long draught of water the last thing before leaving
 
 108 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 the hut, and had put the remains of the food in his pocket. 
 He now bandaged his ankle as well as he could, and then slept 
 the greater part of the day. Beyond the quiet voices below 
 he heard nothing, which showed that no suspicion existed that 
 he was hidden so close. He was troubled only by the heat 
 during the day, but suffered a good deal from this. 
 
 At daybreak the next morning he made his way to the 
 trap-door and looked down. On the table a large jug of 
 water and half a loaf were standing. He crawled down the 
 ladder, took them both, and returned to his hiding-place. An 
 hour later he heard angry talk below. He did not understand 
 Basque, one of the most difficult languages to acquire, but he 
 guessed that the owners were railing over the loss of the jug 
 and bread, and doubtless putting it down to some soldier who 
 had entered after they had gone to sleep, and stolen them. 
 The loss could not have been a heavy one, but the old couple 
 did not get over it all day, but continued to grumble at 
 intervals. To him the proceeds of his theft were invaluable. 
 He was able to keep the bandage round his ankle bathed with 
 cold water, and he calculated that the bread would, with care, 
 last him three days, and that the water would hold out as long. 
 
 This proved to be the case. The old man came up once 
 during that time with a large bowl, which he filled out of a 
 sack containing lentils; otherwise, Arthur was altogether un- 
 disturbed. At the end of that time the pain in his ankle had 
 abated, but he could feel that it was still very weak, and that 
 he dared not yet attempt to walk on it. 
 
 That night he went down and refilled his jug from a pail, 
 and carried off a loaf of bread from a cupboard. After possess- 
 ing himself of these things, he very carefully drew back a bolt 
 of the door. When the old couple awoke he heard them 
 engaged in a furious quarrel. They had missed the bread, and, 
 finding the door unbolted, the old woman had charged her 
 husband with neglecting to fasten it, while he was stoutly 
 maintaining that he harl done so, and that she saw him do
 
 A CAPTIVE 109 
 
 it. The quarrel lasted with more or less acerbity the whole 
 day. Had Arthur possessed any money he would have placed 
 a copper coin or two on the table to pay for the bread he had 
 taken; but both pockets had been turned inside out by his 
 captors, and he was absolutely penniless. 
 
 The loaf lasted for four days, and when it was finished he 
 determined that, although his ankle was still very weak, he 
 would attempt to get away. He M r as very reluctant to again 
 help himself from the old people's store. It might be at least 
 three days before he could enter the town, although he hoped 
 to be able to accomplish it in one. Still, if his foot should 
 give him trouble he might have to lie up in shelter. How- 
 ever, he contented himself with only taking half a loaf, and at 
 eleven o'clock at night, when everything was quiet, he opened 
 the door and went cautiously out. His object was to get 
 down to the Urumea, which was but a mile and a half off, 
 so, going back from the brow of the hill, to avoid falling in 
 with any sleeping Carlists, he started. 
 
 He had gone but a short way when he felt his foot begin- 
 ning to pain him badly. At first he tried hopping, but he 
 found that the jar of each jump hurt him as much as if he 
 were using the foot, and as he had no knife he could not cut 
 himself a stick. He therefore sat down, and swung himself 
 along on his hands. This was a slow method of progression, 
 and he had to stop frequently to rest his arms and wrists. 
 He soon gave up all idea of being able, as he had hoped, 
 to reach the river and to swim down past the Carlist lines 
 before morning. He kept on, however, till the dawn had 
 begun to break. By this time he could not be more than 
 a quarter of a mile from the river. Crawling into a thick 
 clump of bushes he lay down, and being thoroughly tired 
 out with his exertions he slept till mid -day. When he 
 awoke he ate a large hunch of bread, and then waited until 
 it became dark enough for him to make another move. As 
 soon as night fell he set off. It took him nearly an hour to
 
 110 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 cross the quarter-mile of broken ground; but at length, to his 
 satisfaction, the bushes ceased and he saw the river twenty 
 yards in front of him. 
 
 He had, soon after starting from the cottage, taken the boot 
 off his injured foot and tied it to his waist. He now took 
 off the other and fastened it by its fellow; then he stepped 
 into the river, and found to his satisfaction that the tide was 
 running out. Had it not been so, he must have sat down 
 and waited until the ebb began. After wading for some 
 little distance, he struck out for the centre of the river; 
 then he turned on his back and let himself drift, turning 
 occasionally on to his breast and striking out carefully for 
 a time, so as to get a change of position. Luckily the water 
 was quite warm. Presently he heard the sound of talking, and 
 perceived a glow of light on the stream. He swam across 
 close to the other shore, and saw, as he floated down, the fires 
 of the Carlists stretching in zigzag lines along their entrench- 
 ments, rising one above another. 
 
 He was confident that, plainly as he could see everything 
 there, the sharpest eye could not discover him so far beyond 
 the circle of light. Still, he did not attempt to swim until 
 he was well beyond the fires; then in a quarter of an hour he 
 knew that he must be within the lines of the Legion. He 
 thought, however, that it would save trouble if he were to 
 land abreast of the town, so he swam on until he reached the 
 bridge that had been thrown across the river. Then he went 
 ashore, having been about two hours in the water. The water 
 appeared to have benefited his ankle, for he found that he 
 could now limp along slowly. Making his way to his quarters 
 he went quietly up to his room and opened his door. A 
 candle was burning there, and Roper was sitting at the table 
 with his head in his hands. He looked up as Arthur entered, 
 and then sprang to his feet with a shout of joy. 
 
 " Thank God, you are back ! Thank God ! I have never 
 quite given you up, sir, although everyone else has. Every
 
 A CAPTIVE 111 
 
 evening when I have been off duty I have come and sat here, 
 as I knew that when you came back it would be after dark." 
 
 "I am glad indeed to see you, Roper! I have had a very 
 narrow squeak this time I never want to have as narrow. I 
 will tell you all about it presently." 
 
 " Your clothes are all wet, sir." 
 
 "Yes. I must change them at once. When I have done 
 that, you must go up to the colonel and report my return. 
 I sprained one of my ankles, and can only just hobble along, 
 and I don't want to put any more strain on it than I can 
 help; so, when I am undressed I will turn in. By the way, I 
 think, before you go off you might cook me something, if there 
 is anything to be had." 
 
 " There is nothing here, sir." 
 
 " While I am undressing, you might run out and buy me 
 something; cold meat of any sort will do. I have had nothing 
 but bread since I went away, and not much of that." 
 
 Arthur was in bed by the time Roper returned. 
 
 "I have got some cold meat, bread, and a bottle of wine, 
 sir." 
 
 " Thank you, Roper ! Put them on that table and draw it 
 to the side of the bed. When you have done that, please go 
 and report my return, and explain why I can't come and do 
 it myself." 
 
 He had scarcely finished the meal when the colonel came in. 
 
 " Welcome back a thousand times, Hallett ! We have all 
 been in a terrible way about you. I hoped for the first two or 
 three days, and insisted that whatever had happened to you, 
 you would get out of it, if there was but the remotest pos- 
 sibility of escape. Now let us know all about it. I supposed 
 you were carried off, as Maltravers was. How it happened 
 we could not find out, but since that time every officer has 
 made his rounds with four men with him, and as a con- 
 sequence we have had no more disappearances. Now, please 
 tell me all about it."
 
 112 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur told the story at length. 
 
 "By Jove, you have done wonderfully well! "the colonel 
 said. " It has been one of the narrowest touches I ever heard 
 of; and if you hadn't sprained your foot you would have been 
 back among us within twenty-four hours of your capture. 
 It was lucky, indeed, that you had particularly noticed that 
 cottage and its occupants during the day, and that the 
 thought struck you to shelter in it. Well, I won't say any- 
 thing more now; it is ten o'clock, and I am sure you must 
 want a good night's sleep." 
 
 " I shall be glad, sir, if, the first thing in the morning, you 
 will send the surgeon round to me. My ankle is not nearly 
 as swollen as it was, and I have no doubt that the few hours 
 I spent in the water did me a lot of good. At the same 
 time, I shall be very glad to have it bandaged, and don't want 
 to be kept in bed by it. Of course I shall be able to ride, but 
 that would be no good for my company work." 
 
 " You must leave your company work alone for a week or 
 so. I shall be glad, if you find that you can ride, if you will 
 come round to my quarters at ten o'clock, and I will take you 
 to the general." 
 
 The next morning Arthur lay in bed until the surgeon came. 
 While the latter was bandaging his ankle he had to give him a 
 short account of his adventure. 
 
 "Well, you got through it well," the surgeon said, "but 
 I should not advise you to try that sort of thing again; you 
 may not be so lucky next time. You have given your ankle a 
 very awkward wrench. I should advise you to avoid any 
 attempt to walk for at least a week or ten days. If you do, 
 you may have to lie up for six weeks." 
 
 Roper came in to help Arthur to dress, and to make his 
 breakfast for him. Arthur's servant had been killed in the 
 last fight, and since that time Roper had, whenever he was off 
 duty, installed himself in his place. After breakfast he brought 
 Arthur's horse round, and the latter mounted and rode to the
 
 A CAPTIVE 113 
 
 colonel's quarters. That officer's horse was at the door, and 
 he came out at once before Arthur had dismounted. 
 
 " Don't get off, Hallett," he said. " Dr. Spendlow has been 
 round here since he left you, and said that you must on no 
 account use your leg for another ten days. He said that if 
 you would obey his orders you might be fit for duty in a 
 fortnight, while if you did not do so, you might be laid up for 
 a long time." 
 
 They rode to the general's quarters, which were a quarter 
 of a mile away. 
 
 "You must walk in here," the colonel said; "but lean on 
 my arm, and I will take the weight off that foot." 
 
 On the colonel sending in his name he was at once admitted. 
 "General," he said, "we are stronger by one officer than I 
 thought we were. Mr. Hallett has returned." 
 
 "I am indeed glad to hear it," the general said warmly, 
 and, coming up, he shook Arthur heartily by the hand. 
 
 "He must sit down, sir," the colonel said; "at present he 
 has only one available leg." 
 
 "Now, Mr. Hallett," the general said when Arthur was 
 comfortably seated, "please give me a full account of what 
 has happened; it may throw light not only upon your dis- 
 appearance, but on that of Captain Maltravers. Before you 
 begin your story, I should like to ask whether you have 
 seen or heard anything of him?" 
 
 " Yes, sir. I am sorry to say that I did not see him, for he 
 was murdered by the Carlists. The choice was given him to 
 desert to their side or to be killed, and he nobly chose the 
 latter alternative." 
 
 "I am sorry indeed," the general said. "He was a fine 
 young fellow, and he died a hero's death. What a terrible 
 war this is a war to the knife! Indeed, it seems to me 
 more cruel and pitiless every month, in spite of the efforts 
 Colonel Wylde, the British commissioner, is making to per- 
 suade both parties to desist from these atrocities. I am afraid 
 
 ( M 966 ) H
 
 114 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 that one side is almost as bad as the other. Both declare 
 that they commit these murders by way of reprisals, and I am 
 bound to say that in the early stages of the war the Christinos 
 were nearly as bad, if not as bad, as the Carlists. Since 
 then, however, they have been somewhat better, and hare 
 really tried, I think, to keep the Convention, to respect the 
 rules of war and to spare prisoners. They have, it is true, 
 shot a great many, but it has been by way of reprisals for the 
 brutality of the Carlists, and especially of those of Cabrera, 
 who has several times shot women as well as men. 
 
 " And now for your story, Mr. Hallett." 
 
 Arthur again told his story at length. 
 
 "I compliment you highly on your quick-wittedness, Mr. 
 Hallett; it certainly saved your life. And in such a cell as 
 you describe, with two armed guards at the door, it is not one 
 man in fifty who would have thought of escaping through the 
 roof. Not less sharp was it to take at once, crippled as you 
 were, to the only place that offered you shelter. Altogether, 
 it was a remarkably well-planned and well-carried-out affair; 
 and be assured that if any opportunity should occur, I shall 
 take advantage of it to utilize your services. Now, I hope 
 you will obey the doctor's orders and go back to your quarters, 
 and stay there till your ankle is quite well." 
 
 This Arthur did; and for the next three or four days held 
 a sort of levee in his quarters, almost all the officers of the 
 Legion coming in to see him and to hear his story, which he 
 became perfectly tired of telling long before the visits were 
 over. His companions in the adventures in the boat were 
 especially pleased to see him, and came in every day to have 
 a chat with him. 
 
 "You seem fated to get into adventures, Hallett," Sinclair 
 said, when he first heard the story. " You get nearly caught 
 as a spy, and manage to make your way through the enemy's 
 lines with a lot of valuable information; you get blown out to 
 sea, and you save us and yourself; and now you get carried
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 115 
 
 off, and threatened with death in twenty-four hours, but make 
 your escape and rejoin. My dear fellow, I am afraid you 
 will at last come to a bad end. It is evident that neither 
 water nor bullet has power over you, and that your exit 
 from this world will be hastened by a collar of hemp." 
 
 "I hope not, Sinclair; I shall do my best to avoid it. 
 Hanging seems to be an uncomfortable sort of death, to say 
 nothing of its being strictly unfashionable." 
 
 "Well, we shall see," Sinclair said; "but I cannot help 
 thinking that that is what will happen to you. Now, what is 
 your next adventure going to be?" 
 
 Arthur laughed. " I must leave that to fate. Two out of 
 my three adventures were certainly not brought on by myself. 
 I was blown out to sea owing to your obstinacy in refusing to 
 turn back when I wanted to. I was certainly carried off this 
 time by no will of my own. So that only what you call the 
 spy business was of my own choosing. I can assure you that 
 I have had enough of adventures, and shall not get into 
 another if I can manage to avoid it." 
 
 Ten days later Arthur was reported fit for duty, and was 
 very glad to resume his regular work. 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 
 
 ONE day Colonel Godfrey sent for Arthur. "General 
 Evans is going to send Major Hawkins to Madrid, and 
 has asked me to recommend a young officer to accompany him 
 as his assistant. I have mentioned your name to him, as you 
 speak Spanish fluently, which very few other officers can do. 
 He will probably remain there for some time, and will act 
 as the accredited representative of the Legion. I know that
 
 116 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 I have undertaken a certain amount of responsibility in 
 recommending so young an officer; but from what I have 
 seen of you, and from the distinguished service you rendered 
 by going into the Carlist camp and obtaining information 
 concerning it, I feel convinced that you will acquit yourself 
 well. You will receive the temporary rank of captain." 
 
 "I am greatly obliged to you, sir, for recommending me. 
 I fear that I am very young for such a position." 
 
 "You are young, certainly; but a year of campaigning has 
 added some years to your appearance. And as far as height 
 goes, you are half a head taller than the majority of Spaniards. 
 General Evans has asked me to bring you over to him, so we 
 will go at once. Major Hawkins is now with him." 
 
 They walked across to the general's house. 
 
 "Good -morning, Captain Hallett!" the general said. "I 
 am glad to see that your leg has quite recovered. Your 
 knowledge of Spanish has been of service to us, and now it 
 will be of advantage to yourself. Colonel Godfrey has, I 
 suppose, told you of the mission which I propose for you, 
 namely, to accompany Major Hawkins as his assistant. You 
 will, of course, be under his orders. He also speaks Spanish, 
 but not so fluently as you do. In case of his falling ill or 
 of his being incapacitated, you will carry on his duties. The 
 post will be to some extent a permanent one. The Spanish 
 government pay no attention to my letters, and it is there- 
 fore absolutely necessary that I should be represented and my 
 requests urged strongly upon them. My troops are half the 
 time on the edge of starvation, and can get neither pay nor 
 rations. I have written in the strongest manner to them. I 
 think it will be as well for you to go as an officer on my 
 staff. The Spanish think a great deal of dress; Captain 
 Forstairs is going home on sick leave, and will, I have no 
 doubt, be glad to dispose of his uniform for a trifle. If it will 
 be any inconvenience to you to buy it, I will have any sum 
 you require handed over to you from the chest: of course, like
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 117 
 
 other officers, you are some months in arrear with your pay. 
 And indeed, in any case, an allowance will be made for your 
 uniform, unless you should afterwards become a member of 
 the staff." 
 
 "Thank you, sir! but I am well supplied with money, and 
 can purchase the articles myself. Should I only use the 
 uniform for a short time, I will, at the conclusion of my 
 mission, hand it into store." 
 
 "You will take a servant with you, as it is necessary to 
 keep up a good appearance. Major Hawkins will give you 
 all necessary instructions. He proposes to start to-morrow." 
 
 Greatly pleased at his appointment, Arthur first went to 
 Captain Forstairs' quarters and purchased his uniform, getting 
 it complete for a five-pound note. He then went to Roper. 
 
 " I am going away on a mission, Roper, and may, for any- 
 thing I know, remain for some time at Madrid. As you 
 know, my servant was killed the other day, and I want 
 another who can ride." 
 
 " I shall be very glad tq go with you if you will take me," 
 Roper said. 
 
 " But you see you are a non-commissioned officer." 
 
 " Oh, I would give up my stripes readily enough if you will 
 take me! I am not very fond of the captain of my company." 
 
 " Then in that case I will go across with you and ask him 
 to let you give up your stripes. You are quite sure that you 
 would like it?" 
 
 "Quite sure; I am heartily sick of San Sebastian. I am 
 accustomed to riding, and should enjoy the trip greatly." 
 
 They went away to the house where the captain was 
 lodging, and Arthur had no difficulty in getting him to con- 
 sent to the sergeant's resignation, and to give him permission 
 to accompany him. Arthur then bought for Roper a service- 
 able horse. This done, he went to the major's. 
 
 " I have got the uniform, and shall be ready to start in the 
 morning, sir," he said.
 
 118 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " I am glad that you are going with me, Captain Hallett," 
 said the major, who, having been in the Legion since its for- 
 mation, knew Arthur well. " I am sure we shall get on well 
 together; and as I am rather shaky in my Spanish, it will be 
 of great assistance to have you with me. I may tell you that 
 I am the bearer of a note from General Evans saying that 
 unless money is sent for the pay of his troops he will engage 
 in no further operations. The Spanish army is regularly 
 paid, and there can be no reason why we should not be. 
 More than that, he will withdraw into San Sebastian. We 
 have shown brilliantly enough that we can fight, and we have 
 done more with our small force than Cordova has with his big 
 army. I am convinced that our threat to retire from the 
 struggle will wake them up. At the same time, we must not 
 be too sanguine about our getting through. We shall take 
 the road by Bilbao to Vittoria. So far it will be plain sailing, 
 but after that I expect we shall find some difficulty, for the 
 Carlists are strongly posted a few miles from the town. I 
 expect we shall have to hire a guide to take us across the 
 mountains. However, we shall have plenty of time to think 
 of that when we get there." 
 
 Arthur now went down to the camp of the Lancers, who 
 had arrived a few weeks before. They had had two or three 
 deaths since they came, and on making enquiries Arthur found 
 that he could purchase for a few shillings a Lancer's suit. 
 This he handed to Roper, whom he had taken with him, and 
 he told him to carry the suit back and put it on. 
 
 " Your clothes are not fit to be seen in," he said, " and this 
 suit is a very fair one. If you give it a good cleaning to- 
 night it will be quite respectable, and you will look much 
 smarter in it than in that ragged thing." 
 
 " It looks pretty bad, certainly, sir, and is none the better 
 for having lost all its buttons; there is hardly a button left 
 in the regiment. When they are hammered down, the natives 
 here take them as coins. They know nothing about money,
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 119 
 
 and I expect these buttons will be passing about as cash long 
 after we have all cleared out of this. I sha'n't know myself 
 in my new rig-out. The man it belonged to has evidently 
 taken care of it. There is only one thing you have forgotten, 
 sir, and that is the saddle." 
 
 " Yes, I have forgotten that. Here are three pounds you 
 had better buy one." 
 
 The party started early the next morning and went by boat 
 to Bilbao, slept there, and rode the next day to Vittoria. 
 Here they halted for a day, and, going to head-quarters, ob- 
 tained the services of a guide to take them across the moun- 
 tains. On starting on the following morning they at once left 
 the main road, and presently struck up into the hills. The 
 road was extremely bad, and they were forced to go at a walk; 
 the guide, who was mounted on a mule, rode on ahead. They 
 halted for the night at a deserted hut some distance down 
 the descent. Here they took shelter, congratulating them- 
 selves that another day's ride would take them to Burgos, 
 where there was a strong garrison. They had brought pro- 
 visions with them, and, having made a hearty meal, lay down 
 for the night. Next morning they continued their journey, 
 and were near the plains when they saw a party of men 
 hurrying towards them. 
 
 "They are Carlists!" the major said. "It is of no use turn- 
 ing back or going up the hill ; they would run our horses to 
 death. Look here, Captain Hallett, they will cut us off, that 
 is evident; but we may make our way through them. I will 
 put my papers in my holster. If I fall, snatch them out and 
 carry them on. Now, let us gallop." 
 
 Setting spurs to their horses, the four men dashed for- 
 ward. Half a dozen of the Carlists reached the road before 
 them, but drew back before the impetuosity of the charge, 
 firing their rifles as they did so. Without a halt the little 
 party dashed on at full speed. For a time the Carlists at- 
 tempted to keep up with them, but were soon left far behind.
 
 120 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "I am done for!" the major said, swaying in his saddle. 
 " They hit me as I passed through them. Take the papers 
 arid ride on." 
 
 " I cannot leave you, sir." And, leaning over, Arthur caught 
 the major as he was falling, and lifted him on to the horse 
 before him. He rode on for another half-mile, by which time 
 the Carlists were out of sight. But his burden had become 
 more and more heavy in his arms, and when he drew his 
 horse up, he found that the major had breathed his last. 
 
 "I am hit too, sir," the major's servant said; "I have a 
 bullet in my hip." 
 
 " We are not more than ten miles from Burgos now. I arn 
 afraid there is no chance of obtaining help until we get there. 
 Roper, bring the major's horse up against mine," for the 
 animal had followed its companions. "That's it. Now tie 
 that head-rope round the major and ride on one side of him, 
 and I will ride on the other. We shall have to walk for the 
 rest of the distance." 
 
 It took them three hours to reach the town. Arthur went 
 at once to the citadel and saw the governor. "I have brought 
 with me a major in our army," he said. " He was the bearer 
 of a despatch to your minister of war. We were attacked 
 by a party of Carlists nearly ten miles away, and he was 
 shot. I beg that you will give him a military funeral, as he 
 fell in the cause of your queen. I have also a trooper with me 
 who is severely wounded. I will, with your permission, leave 
 him here in hospital." 
 
 " Certainly, sir. The officer shall be buried to-morrow 
 morning. I am grieved indeed that none of my men went 
 up the road this morning. They go up every other day to 
 prevent bands of Carlists from raiding over the country." 
 
 The governor invited Arthur to stop in the castle. The 
 body of the major was laid in a room close by, and on the 
 following morning he was buried with military honours. 
 
 " I will take the major's horse with me, Roper," Arthur said
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 121 
 
 when all was over; " it is a good horse, and a spare one may 
 be useful. At any rate we may as well keep him." 
 
 Accordingly, after thanking the governor for his courtesy 
 they proceeded on their way, Roper leading the spare horse. 
 
 " We have begun badly," Arthur said, as they rode from the 
 town. " The major was a brave fellow and a good soldier. It 
 is sad indeed that he should have been killed in a skirmish 
 like this. It leaves me in a very awkward position. However, 
 I must deliver the letter. There are two or three British 
 commissioners out here, and if one of them happens to be 
 at Madrid I shall ask him to present me and to help me 
 on a bit." 
 
 " I hope we are not likely to meet with any more of these 
 Carlist chaps." 
 
 "I hope not, Roper; but- really I don't know anything about 
 it. We got no news at San Sebastian of what was going on 
 elsewhere, but they can hardly be wandering about on the 
 flat country. I fancy they are almost all infantry, in which 
 case they will not care to expose themselves to an attack by 
 cavalry." 
 
 They arrived at Madrid without adventure. They put up 
 at the Hotel Principes, and to Arthur's relief found upon 
 enquiry that Colonel Wylde, the chief British commissioner, 
 was at present staying at the hotel. He at once went to his 
 room. 
 
 "I have called, sir," he began, after introducing himself, 
 " to ask you if you will be good enough to give me some in- 
 formation as to how I had better proceed. I started from San 
 Sebastian as assistant to Major Hawkins of our Legion. He 
 was the bearer of a letter from General Evans with complaints 
 about pay and provisions. Both officers and men are many 
 months in arrears. Major Hawkins was instructed to inform 
 the ministers of war and finance that unless the money were 
 sent immediately, the general would withdraw the whole of 
 his force into San Sebastian, and take no further part in the
 
 122 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 fighting. He has sent remonstrance after remonstrance with- 
 out success, and feels that matters can be allowed to drift no 
 longer. The men are in rags and are half-starved. On our 
 way down we were attacked by Carlists, and Major Hawkins 
 was killed. I carried him into Burgos, where he was buried 
 with military honours. I only received my appointment as his 
 assistant on the day before leaving, and beyond the fact that 
 I was to remain here to assist him generally in acting as 
 General Evans's representative, I know nothing of the duties. 
 Considering the importance of the mission, and the absolute 
 necessity that money shall be sent without delay, I have 
 ventured to ask that you will introduce me in the first 
 place to the two ministers to whom I bring letters, and if 
 you will, as far as you can, support his application." 
 
 "I will gladly do so, Captain Hallett. Indeed, it is my 
 duty to aid you. I am not charged in any way to interfere 
 with our Spanish Legion, but incidentally anything that is 
 of importance to the general cause would, of course, be of 
 interest to our government. We may at present be called 
 benevolent neutrals. I am well aware that General Evans has 
 sent repeated applications, and that practically no result what- 
 ever has come of it. I will therefore not only go with you, as 
 you ask, but I will myself urge upon them the importance of 
 the application, pointing out that by refusing the necessary 
 means to General Evans they are, in fact, breaking the terms 
 upon which that Legion was raised; and that being so, the 
 general would be acting with perfect propriety in withdraw- 
 ing the troops from the field, and giving permission to all who 
 ma}' choose to leave at once, which would, of course, mean 
 a complete break-up of the Legion. 
 
 "They will not wish that. It was humiliating for the 
 Spanish to be forced to hire foreign soldiers to assist them, 
 and no doubt that feeling has driven them to treat the Legion 
 very badly; but at the same time they have themselves been 
 continually in want of money. A considerable proportion of
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 123 
 
 the country is in arms against them, and their resources have 
 been greatly diminished in consequence. This, however, after 
 all, is no excuse for them. They offered certain terms to 
 men to fight for them, and the bargain should have been kept. 
 It was the same in the Peninsular War. We went to fight 
 their battles, and they threw every impediment in our way, 
 starved our men when they themselves had a superabundance 
 of supplies, and so created a hatred far greater than our men 
 felt for the French. 
 
 "They are behaving in exactly the same way now; but, so 
 far as our troops are concerned, there is one broad difference. 
 In the first war we fought partly, at any rate, from feelings of 
 patriotism; whereas in the present case, although a few may 
 have gone into it from a feeling of sympathy for the little 
 queen, the great proportion of the Legion are neither more 
 nor less than mercenaries, and would have enlisted as readily 
 for Don Carlos as for Isabella. And now, sir, I will go across 
 to the war office with you. I have myself many times urged 
 that steps should be taken to relieve the necessities of the 
 troops, and I am not at all sorry that General Evans has at 
 last put his foot down." 
 
 It was but a short walk across the square, for the hotel 
 faced the war office. On Colonel Wylde sending in his name 
 he was at once admitted. 
 
 "Well, Colonel Wylde, what can I do for you?" the minister 
 said cheerfully. 
 
 "I have brought across to present to you, senor, Captain 
 Hallett, who has just arrived from San Sebastian with a very 
 important letter from General Evans. He was accompanied 
 by an officer senior to him, but the latter was killed by a 
 party of Carlists as they came along." 
 
 The minister looked sharply up at Arthur, who, bowing, 
 handed him the letter. He begged them to be seated, and 
 opened the communication. He frowned heavily, and then 
 with a very evident effort recovered himself.
 
 124 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " The matter shall be seen to," he said. " You know, Colonel 
 Wylde, how straitened our resources are, and that nothing 
 would please us more than to comply with all General Evans's 
 requests. No one can grieve more than I do at the delays 
 that have taken place in complying with his requisitions." 
 
 "But, sir," Arthur said, "the Spanish troops are always 
 well fed, though it may be that their pay is sometimes in 
 arrears. Our troops get neither food nor pay. They are in 
 rags, and many of them are barefoot. No single promise that 
 has been made to them since the day they landed has been 
 kept. Nearly a third of their number have died of fever 
 brought on by cold and want, and yet in spite of this they 
 have been ready to fight, while so many of your own generals 
 have held back. You think I am bold, sir? I am urging the 
 cause of some five thousand of my countrymen, who have, con- 
 fiding in Spanish honour, come out here to fight your battles. 
 If you could go and look at them yourself, sir, and see their 
 condition, you would pity them, and would marvel that they 
 have so long shown patience. Feed them and pay them, and 
 they can be depended upon to carry out their share of the 
 agreement. But assuredly they cannot be depended upon if 
 they are starved." 
 
 "I am not surprised, sir," Colonel Wylde said, "that 
 General Evans feels that no more can be done. The officers 
 have been now nine months without their pay, the soldiers 
 six months. More than a third of their number have died or 
 been invalided home; and the heavy list of their killed and 
 wounded in battle speaks for itself of the bravery with which 
 they fought. I must say that I approve of General Evans's 
 decision. He owes it to the men who serve under him, and I 
 cannot but say that the treatment they have received has been 
 a grave scandal and dishonour to the government of Spain. I 
 have myself been four times to Madrid to urge their claim, and 
 absolutely nothing has been done. I consider that General 
 Evans will be amply justified in carrying out his threat."
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 125 
 
 "The matter shall be seen to at once," the minister said, 
 with an air of frankness. " I will consult my colleague the 
 minister of finance, and will see that money is forwarded 
 very shortly. You can assure your general, senor," he said 
 to Arthur, "that steps shall be taken to comply with his 
 request without delay." 
 
 " I will send a message to that effect. My own orders are 
 to remain here until the treasure has been sent off; and that 
 even when that is done I am to stay here as the general's 
 representative to convey his wishes personally to you, until 
 at any rate all arrears of pay have been cleared off. It is not 
 a favour that we are demanding, but a right. I shall do my- 
 self the honour of calling upon you every day or two, to ascer- 
 tain when the convoy with treasure will start. Of course you 
 can refuse me admittance, but General Evans will know what 
 that means." 
 
 After a few more words Colonel Wylde and Arthur left the 
 ministry. 
 
 " You spoke out straight, Hallett," the British commissioner 
 said with a smile. 
 
 " I could not help doing so, sir. The state of the men is 
 pitiful in the extreme. They are scarecrows; ^jhey have prac- 
 tically no uniform whatever save their greatcoats, and they 
 are in rags. I should have liked to take the little man by the 
 neck and shake him." 
 
 "They are in a bad way themselves," the colonel said. "The 
 court is a perfect nest of intrigue. There are something like 
 half a dozen parties, each with their own nominees to push 
 and their own interests to serve. Large sums are wrung 
 from the people, but they are for the most part absolutely 
 wasted in jobbery. If it were not that the British government 
 have taken the part of Isabella, I should recommend them to 
 stand aside altogether and let the factions fight it out. There 
 are a few honest men on both sides, and the Carlists indeed 
 know what they are fighting for. To the other side it is a
 
 126 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 matter of indifference who wins, provided they themselves can 
 feather their nests. They are not fighting for the poor little 
 queen, but for their own private interests. 
 
 " Well, I know a good many people here now, and shall 
 have much pleasure in introducing you to their houses and 
 making things pleasant for you; for it is evident that if, as 
 you say, you have to stay here until all arrears of pay are 
 received by the Legion, you will assuredly wait for an inde- 
 finite time. I am going to a reception this evening at half- 
 past nine, and I shall be very glad to present you there if you 
 will call for me ten minutes earlier." 
 
 "Thank you very much, sir! I should be very glad to 
 make the acquaintance of some of the people." 
 
 Soon after his return to the hotel Roper came up. " I have 
 seen the horses fed, sir; what is the next job?" 
 
 "The next thing will be to get a meal, Roper; I am going 
 to do the same." 
 
 "Oh, I have done that, sir, and it was the best meal I 
 have had for some time, I may say since I left England." 
 
 " Well, I sha'n't want you any more at present, so I should 
 advise you to take a turn round. Some of the soldiers are 
 sure to get into conversation with you, and as we are likely to 
 be here for some time it is just as well that you should make 
 some friends. You know enough Spanish to get on with; I 
 expect a little will go a long way." 
 
 "Is there any chance of our getting our money, sir?" 
 
 " I expect we shall get some. Now that the Spaniards see 
 that they have got to do something or let the troops go home, 
 they will pay up enough to keep them quiet for a time. I 
 don't suppose it will be much, but sufficient to keep the wolf 
 from the door at any rate." 
 
 " Well, sir, will you mind if I go out in mufti. I picked 
 up for a few shillings some clothes belonging to a Spaniard, 
 who died before I came away. They are respectable sort of 
 clothes, and I thought, if I were going to stop here, that
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 127 
 
 you would let me wear them. In this uniform I should be a 
 sort of show. Everyone would be wondering who I was." 
 
 "Certainly, if you like, Roper, and I think it is a very 
 sensible idea. You would be able to stroll about in them 
 without attracting any attention, but at the same time, you 
 know, you would not be able to make friends with the soldiers." 
 
 "Oh, I shall get into talk with them, sir; a glass of 
 aguardiente will go a long way with those chaps, and of 
 course I shall let them know that I am a soldier myself." 
 
 "Yes, Roper, and there will be the advantage that with 
 you in plain clothes I can walk about with you, which will 
 be a good deal more pleasant for both of us; so if you will 
 change your things while I am at dinner, we can take a turn 
 together afterwards." 
 
 "Thank you, sir! I should like that very much. It is a 
 biggish town; I shall feel quite lost in it for a bit." 
 
 A few minutes later the bell of the table d'hote rang. 
 Arthur went down to it. The table was full, and he speedily 
 became engaged in talk with people sitting next to him, who 
 were much interested on finding that he was a British officer. 
 They asked him many questions as to the state of things in 
 the north, about which there were all sorts of contradictory 
 reports. He, on his part, learned something, for he heard that 
 it was generally expected that Cordova was going to be made 
 war minister. After dinner two or three officers came up and 
 spoke to him, and when they heard that he was on General 
 Evans's staff, said that they would be glad if he would smoke 
 a cigar with them. He answered, however, that he was en- 
 gaged for the evening, but would be very glad to do so on 
 some other occasion. Then he went down and joined Roper, 
 who was standing at the door of the hotel, and walked about 
 with him for a couple of hours. 
 
 " What hands these chaps are for cloaks ! " the latter said. 
 "In the north I used to think that they wore them to hide 
 their shabby clothes, but it can't be the same here. There is
 
 128 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 a cold feel about the air, and I should not be sorry to have on 
 one myself. This is evidently the time they stroll about most. 
 The square looked quite empty this morning, and now it is full 
 of people walking up and down." 
 
 " Well, Koper, I must be off, for I am going, as I told you, 
 with Colonel Wylde." 
 
 It was a large house, and the rooms were very full. When 
 they entered, the colonel at once took Arthur up to the 
 hostess and introduced him. 
 
 "What is your news from the front, Captain Hallett?" she 
 asked. 
 
 "There has been nothing doing for the past month," he 
 answered. "San Sebastian is very full. The Carlists look 
 at us from a distance, and we look at them." 
 
 Then he passed on as another guest came up. Colonel 
 Wylde introduced him to several ladies and gentlemen, and 
 then left him to talk with a personage who was evidently of 
 importance. There was no dancing going on. The refresh- 
 ments served were of the lightest description. 
 
 " This is a change indeed to me," Arthur said. " It seems 
 to be another world almost; to say that we have been living 
 roughly would be but a faint idea of the state of things." 
 
 "And how are things getting on up there?" 
 
 " It is dull work except when there is a fight, and we know 
 nothing whatever of what passes elsewhere." 
 
 "Are all your officers as young as you are?" 
 
 "No, madam. I have been exceptionally fortunate, and 
 owe my promotion largely to the fact that I have, since we 
 landed, spent all my spare time in learning Spanish." 
 
 " You speak it very well, Captain Hallett." 
 
 "I speak it well enough for all practical purposes, seilora, 
 and should speak it better still if it were not that the language 
 up in the north differs very widely from that spoken here." 
 
 Several cards were left on the following day for Arthur. 
 In the majority of cases these mentioned which day their
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 129 
 
 owners received visitors. On the second day he called on the 
 minister of war, and was told by him that every possible 
 effort was being made, and that he hoped in a few days to 
 send off a portion at least of the sum due. 
 
 Arthur then wrote a despatch to General Evans telling him 
 of Major Hawkins's death, and relating his interview with 
 the minister. "I think," he said, "that some money will be 
 sent, but I anticipate that the sum is likely to be exceedingly 
 small. From what I hear, I believe that the government are 
 really very short of money. The minister was evidently 
 much alarmed at your threat to disband the Legion, and he 
 will make every effort to induce you to alter that deter- 
 mination. I shall endeavour to see him every other day, and 
 shall continually repeat my assurances that you are in earnest 
 on the subject. Colonel Wylde is also using his efforts in the 
 same direction. He has been very kind to me, and introduced 
 me to many people." 
 
 It was three weeks, however, before a month's pay was 
 despatched, with promises that more should speedily follow. 
 
 By this time Arthur had become quite at home in Madrid. 
 He knew many officers to speak to. Some of these belonged to 
 the garrison; others seemed to have no good cause for being 
 there, but kept up the pretence of being engaged on important 
 business. One of them said to him one day, " We seem a very 
 united family, do we not?" 
 
 "Yes; no one would dream, from the appearance of Madrid, 
 that a civil war was going on." 
 
 " And yet society is split up into a number of sections, each 
 working secretly against the others. Outwardly there is no 
 sign of this; everyone goes to the receptions and looks smiling 
 and pleasant. Practically everyone doubts everyone else; and 
 there are numbers of well-known Carlists, but they hold their 
 tongues, at any rate in public, and rub shoulders with the men 
 whom they would gladly kill. It is funny, when you are able 
 to look behind the scenes a little. I have no doubt you will 
 
 ( M 966 ) I
 
 130 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 be able to do so before long. I saw you chatting, for example, 
 with Senor Durango, a very nice young fellow. There is no 
 doubt that he and his family are all Carlists; but they are well 
 connected, and have plenty of friends among the Christines. 
 
 "I believe two-thirds of the people you meet don't care 
 a snap which party wins. If they are here, of course they 
 profess to be Christines; if they are away in the provinces, 
 they hold correspondence with Carlists, that they may keep 
 themselves safe whichever side wins. 
 
 "Altogether, I consider that the Carlists are more in 
 earnest; the Christinos are the more numerous, simply because 
 they hold the capital and the government. If the Carlists 
 were to gain one great success, it would be the other way. 
 It is a game of self-interest; Don Carlos and Christina are 
 merely counters. Some want governments, others titles, others 
 posts in the ministry, others commands there is nothing real 
 about it from beginning to end, except for the poor devils of 
 soldiers who have to fight. You will see that in a short time 
 Cordova will retire, and that Espartero will probably take the 
 command; that would be certainly welcome to the army. He 
 is a fine fellow, and if he were allowed he would be able to do 
 great things; but he would no sooner be appointed than a 
 dead-set would be made at him, and he would be hampered in 
 every way. Well, I must be going. I dare say you are 
 wondering what is my motive in staying here. Well, I am 
 trying to get the command of a regiment, and a regiment, if 
 possible, stationed here in the capital. Adieu!" And, throw- 
 ing his cloak over his shoulder, he sauntered away. 
 
 Arthur sat some time thinking. "Well, if the Legion 
 breaks up, which I expect it will do before long, I think I shall 
 stay out here. If I take a lodging and live quietly, I can do 
 on my one hundred and twenty pounds a year. There will be 
 a lot to see, and probably no end of fun. I have got eighty 
 pounds now, so I can a little exceed my allowance. I should 
 certainly like to have some fun again ; I have had little enough,
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 131 
 
 goodness knows! since I left England. Besides, if I were to 
 go home now I should have thrown away all the time that I 
 have spent in getting up Spanish. It is funny how they all 
 take me for at least five- or six-and-twenty." 
 
 The month's pay had some effect. For a short time the 
 troops were somewhat better off. Arthur had received a 
 letter from General Evans thanking him for obtaining a small 
 proportion of the sum due, and urging him to continue his 
 work. Then he heard that there had been some more fighting, 
 that Irun had been captured by storm, and that several other 
 towns had either been taken or had surrendered. Two months 
 later he received another letter from the general saying that 
 he was going home, and that the Legion was about to be dis- 
 banded. 
 
 "A small body of about eight hundred men have agreed to 
 remain here to form a new Legion; this may succeed for a 
 time, but I have little doubt that they will be treated in the 
 same way as we have been. However, it will be open for you 
 to join it if you are willing to do so, or you can make your 
 way down to Cadiz and come home by ship from there. I 
 enclose an order on Madrid for forty pounds for yourself and 
 fifteen pounds for your man, which has been lying in the 
 hands of the paymaster here until you should return. Should 
 you wish it, you can, I have no doubt, enter the Christino 
 army with your present rank." 
 
 " That is something out of the fire anyhow," Arthur said, as 
 he put the order into his pocket-book. "Well, if the Legion 
 failed, it was not from want of pluck. Out of about six 
 thousand, we have had over two hundred killed and wounded 
 officers and over two thousand three hundred rank and file; 
 so, though we have not achieved anything, we certainly need 
 not be ashamed of our fighting. Besides, at least two thou- 
 sand five hundred have died in hospital, so that half our 
 strength is accounted for." 
 
 Koper shortly afterwards came in.
 
 132 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " The Legion is disbanded, Roper, and it is open to you to 
 go north and embark with the rest, or to go down to Cadiz 
 and take a passage home from there." 
 
 "What are you going to do, sir?" 
 
 "I am going to stay here in a private capacity; I want to 
 see the end of the thing. I shall make this my head-quarters, 
 and shall ride about and see what goes on. I know a good 
 many officers now, and they can give me letters of introduction 
 to others; and as I have fought for them, no doubt I shall be 
 well received in their army. At any rate, I have no wish to 
 go home at present." 
 
 "Can't I stay with you, sir?" 
 
 "I should like to have you with me certainly, but I can't 
 afford to pay your wages." 
 
 "Well, sir, my food would not come to much, and I like 
 the place, and I like the life, and above all, I like being with 
 you. You must have someone to look after your horse. I don't 
 want to go home empty-handed, and I would certainly a great 
 deal rather not do so, but stop here if you would keep me." 
 
 " I would keep you willingly enough, Roper, but the only 
 question is can I ? I must move out of this lodging and find 
 a smaller one. One certainly could live cheaply enough here 
 at the cafe's; no one seems to take anything but coffee or 
 chocolate, and a cup seems to last them for hours. From the 
 large number of people one meets at the cafes and sees 
 nowhere else, I should say that they must dine at some cheap 
 place or at their homes. However, we will think it over." 
 
 A few days after his arrival at Madrid, Arthur had written 
 home. 
 
 " My dear Uncle, 
 
 "You will be surprised to see by the head- 
 ing of this letter that I am at Madrid. But my first piece of 
 news is, that I am now a captain, nominally upon the staff of 
 General Evans, but actually on detached duty, a duty which
 
 A GREAT CHANGE 133 
 
 is likely to keep me here for some time in fact, until the 
 Legion is disbanded. Therefore you need feel no further 
 anxiety as to my safety. I am here to endeavour to worry 
 the government into sending stores and pay for the Legion. 
 To this end I call upon the minister of war every few days. 
 The first time, he saw me: since then he has always been too 
 busy. I have also called upon the prime minister, and have 
 spoken to him with what he considered indecent warmth, and 
 I don't expect to do much good in the future. However, 
 here I am. 
 
 " I am at present in an hotel. The food is good, the bed is 
 soft. I have with me my good friend Roper, of whom I have 
 spoken to you in almost every letter I have written. When 
 the good fellow found that I was coming here, he threw up 
 his sergeant's stripes to accompany me as my servant; it is a 
 great comfort having him with me. I have been made a mem- 
 ber of the principal club here, and have already made several 
 acquaintances, so I have no doubt that I shall have a pleasant 
 time. I am not going to tell you about Madrid, because you 
 can, if you choose, find a much better description of it in books 
 than I can give you. Please send the next remittances, which 
 will probably be the last, to some mercantile house here. 
 
 " You will be glad to hear that though I failed in getting 
 the arrears of pay for the Legion, I have been informed that 
 I can draw monthly for the pay due to me while here. As 
 living at an hotel is not dear, this and my allowance will 
 suffice very well for my requirements. I have seen Colonel 
 Wylde, the British commissioner, who is a very charming 
 man. Of course he has been doing the very best he can for 
 the Legion, but he is very frequently away with the army. I 
 will explain how it is that I am in charge here on a mission 
 of real importance. Major Hawkins, who was chief of the 
 mission, was killed in a skirmish with the Carlists that we 
 had on OUF way down. He was a very nice fellow, and I 
 was very sorry at his death. I don't, of course, know yet
 
 134 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 whether they will send another field-officer to take his place 
 or leave me in charge. I rather hope they won't send one. 
 I don't think they would be wrong to leave it to me, for cheek 
 is very useful in this sort of work, and I flatter myself that 
 I shall stir them up a good deal more than an older man 
 would be likely to do. Certainly I shall not be inclined to 
 take 'No' for an answer. I will write shortly again. 
 
 " With love to you all, 
 
 " Your affectionate Nephew." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 
 
 AS Roper's desire to stay with Arthur remained unchanged, 
 the latter gladly accepted his offer. One of the horses 
 was at once sold, and they removed into smaller lodgings, 
 consisting only of a tiny kitchen, one sitting-room with a 
 fold-up bed in a corner, and a closet just large enough to hold 
 a bed for Roper. Arthur was obliged to buy a suit of dress 
 clothes, some white shirts, and two suits of ordinary clothes. 
 They lived on terms of perfect equality when indoors, except 
 that Roper carried out their simple cooking at breakfast and 
 supper, while in the middle of the day they went to a quiet 
 trattoria in the suburbs ; and after a week's experience Arthur 
 found to his satisfaction that, even with the hire of stables and 
 the horse's forage, they were living well within his income. 
 
 There was, of course, some surprise among his acquaintances 
 at the substitution of civilian clothes for his uniform. It made 
 no difference, however, in the cordiality of his reception, for 
 he had become by this time a popular character, especially 
 with the ladies, who appreciated his frank boyishness and 
 freedom from formality, so unusual among their own people.
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 135 
 
 Colonel Wylde had taken a great fancy to the lad, and said 
 to him one day: "I have been thinking over your case, 
 Hallett. Of course I was not empowered to offer you any 
 specific position, but I am permitted to despatch messengers 
 to any point where I may be unable to go myself. I wrote a 
 month since to say that operations were being carried on 
 over so wide a field that I found it impossible to give atten- 
 tion to all points. I stated that an English officer named 
 Captain Hallett had come down here as General Evans's agent. 
 You were now unemployed, and would, I was convinced, prove 
 a valuable assistant; and I asked that I might be permitted 
 to appoint you as my aide, with the same rank as that 
 which you held under General Evans in the Legion. I said 
 that you were well mounted, and that the expense would be 
 so very slight that I strongly recommended your appoint- 
 ment, as I was sure you would gladly act under me without 
 any extra appointments except the pay of your rank and forage 
 allowance for your horses, and the other usual field allowances, 
 which will altogether make your pay about one pound a day. 
 I have to-day received a reply authorizing your appointment 
 with the rank of a captain in the army." 
 
 "I am indeed obliged to you, colonel!" Arthur exclaimed 
 in delight. " I would most gladly have placed myself under 
 your orders even without the pay, though I do not say that that 
 will not be acceptable. But I could not get work that I should 
 like better. I cannot tell you how much I am obliged to you." 
 
 " I feel that I spoke for myself as well as for you, Captain 
 Hallett. It is impossible for me to keep my eyes everywhere, 
 and you will, in fact, double my utility. There are only two 
 other commissioners out here, a number altogether insufficient 
 to cope with all that is going on. Indeed, very many regret- 
 table things occur owing to a want of supervision. When one 
 or other of us happens to be present, we can insist upon the 
 articles of the convention we brought about between the par- 
 ties being observed; but if we are not there, a great deal of
 
 136 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 shooting in cold blood still takes place. You will, of course, 
 have to provide yourself with an undress staff uniform. You 
 can send a tailor here to see mine. It would not do for you 
 to use your own; that is known to be a Christino one; and 
 as you may have to go into the enemy's lines, you must there- 
 fore be easily recognized as one of us. You had better get 
 high boots and breeches, and, of course, a cocked hat. These 
 will not cost you anything like so much as they would at 
 home; people work much more cheaply here. By the way, 
 I have larger stables than I require, so you may as well keep 
 your horses there." 
 
 " I suppose I may put my man into uniform too, sir ; it is 
 more convenient, and would look better." 
 
 "Yes, I think so. My own two orderlies belong to the 
 13th Dragoons; if you like, I will accept him as a recruit 
 in that corps and put him on the pay-sheet; but you must 
 get his uniform." 
 
 With renewed thanks Arthur took his leave and hurried 
 back to his rooms. 
 
 " I have great news, Koper," he said. " Colonel Wylde has 
 obtained permission for me to act as his assistant, and you are 
 to enlist in the 1 3th Dragoon Guards so as to ride with me in 
 uniform. So we can shift out of these little lodgings again, 
 and needn't look upon every penny before we spend it." 
 
 "That is good news indeed!" Eoper exclaimed. "And 
 I shall be more useful to you now, for during the past four 
 months I have learned to talk Spanish quite well, from having 
 been so much in the barracks with the soldiers." 
 
 " Well, in the first place we have to be measured for our 
 uniforms, and we are to send the tailor to Colonel Wylde to 
 see the patterns. Then we will look out for lodgings. The two 
 horses are to be taken to the colonel's stables, so that we shall 
 save that expense. The whole thing is entirely his doing, and 
 I am tremendously obliged to him." 
 
 Three days later the arrangements were completed; com-
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 137 
 
 fortable lodgings were taken, and they had shifted into them. 
 The uniforms had come home and been found satisfactory, and 
 Arthur had reported himself as ready for service. 
 
 " I shall be going up to the north again myself," the colonel 
 said. " When I do so, you had better start out for the east. 
 The war is being conducted with great ferocity there, and 
 it is much to be desired that the Conventions agreed to last 
 year shall be enforced, or at any rate, that an effort should be 
 made to enforce them. Cabrera is a brave and skilful com- 
 mander, but his cruelties are abominable. He was always 
 cruel; but the atrocious action of Nogueras, in causing his 
 mother to be seized and shot, has closed his heart to all feel- 
 ing of mercy. He shoots women who fall into his hands as 
 well as men; and on one occasion he shot no fewer than 
 eighty-five sergeants in cold blood. I fear greatly that no re- 
 monstrances would be of any avail with a man who seems to 
 revel in bloodshed. I do not say that he has not had terrible 
 provocation; and if he were to get hold of Nogueras, I should 
 not blame him if he cut him into small pieces. I do not think, 
 therefore, that it will be of any use your trying to influence 
 him. You may, however, attempt to persuade the various 
 Christine chiefs in Aragon arid Valencia. I know that their 
 position is difficult. They are urged by the friends arid 
 relatives of the men murdered by the Carlists to make terrible 
 reprisals when they get the opportunity, and in consequence 
 the war is becoming one of extermination. I have no hope 
 that you will be able to do much, but you can at least try. I 
 shall be glad to be able to report, even in one or two instances, 
 that efforts have been made by the Christinos to mitigate the 
 horrors of the struggle." 
 
 The next day Arthur again wrote home. 
 
 " My dear Uncle, 
 
 "I have a wonderfully good piece of news to 
 give you. I told you in my last letter that, now the Legion
 
 138 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 was disbanded, I intended to stay here for a time on my allow- 
 ance and savings. Now all this is changed, for Colonel Wylde 
 has obtained for me the appointment of Assistant British 
 Commissioner, with the temporary rank of captain in Her 
 Majesty's service. Isn't that splendid ? There is excellent pay 
 and allowances, so I shall be able to live like a fighting cock. 
 This will be my head-quarters, but I shall generally be with 
 one or other of the armies in the field; and it will be, I 
 know, a satisfaction to you all that I shall not be called upon 
 to take any part in the fighting, but shall be merely a spectator 
 of the fray. Now, even you will think that I am not doing 
 wrong in staying in Spain. I am very much at home here, 
 and have many friends and acquaintances, for you know by 
 this time I speak Spanish really like a native. 
 
 " The family I am most intimate with is that of Count Leon 
 de Balen. He is a young man of about five-and-twenty, with 
 three young sisters, the eldest of whom is about the age of 
 sixteen. Leon has been in England and speaks English fairly, 
 and is very English in his ways, and doesn't keep his sisters 
 bottled up, as most of these Spaniards do; and I visit there 
 just as I should at any English house where I was intimate. 
 Roper is, of course, with me. He has been nominally enlisted 
 in an English dragoon regiment, and wears the uniform. I am 
 having an English staff uniform made for me, and were you 
 here you would see me swaggering down the streets as if they 
 belonged to me; I really feel as if I were somebody. I hope 
 to hear that you are all pleased, and that even you agree that 
 I could not possibly do better for myself than remain here till 
 the end of the war. How long that will be, goodness only 
 knows! I shall be in no hurry, for it is just the life, of all 
 others, to suit me. Love to all. 
 
 " Your affectionate Nephew." 
 In due time the answer arrived :
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 139 
 
 " My dear Arthur, 
 
 "We are all delighted at the receipt of your 
 letter. We should, of course, be extremely glad to have you 
 back with us, but at the same time we cannot but recognize 
 that you could not do better for yourself than you are doing. 
 I do not know that personally I am extraordinarily gratified 
 that you should be holding a commission as captain in Her 
 Majesty's service, and as Assistant British Commissioner in 
 Spain; but I am bound to say that your aunt and cousins 
 seem to be filled with an altogether excessive pride in the 
 position you have gained. The girls have been going about 
 among their friends crowing like little gamecocks, and even 
 your aunt, ordinarily a tranquil and quietly -disposed woman, 
 appears to be quite puffed up. 
 
 "However, joking aside, we are all highly gratified I cer- 
 tainly admit that I myself am highly gratified too and feel 
 that you could not do better for yourself than remain for three 
 or four years, by which time, I hope, the war will be finished. 
 You will, as you say, see what is going on without running any 
 serious risks ; and when you are in Madrid I can quite imagine 
 that, with your official position, you will lead a very pleasant 
 life. I almost feel, Arthur, that you are getting altogether 
 beyond advice, and are now able to go on your own way. I 
 can only say, therefore, that we shall be all very glad to have 
 you back again with us, and I hope that every trace of the 
 unpleasantness which necessarily resulted from our last inter- 
 view will be altogether forgotten. 
 
 "Your affectionate Uncle." 
 
 That evening Arthur called at the house of the young Count 
 Leon de Balen. It was one of the houses at which he had 
 become most intimate. The count had little of the reserve 
 and hauteur common to most Spanish nobles. He had from 
 the first taken a great fancy to Arthur, and had made the
 
 140 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 latter at all times welcome to his house. It had been one 
 of the first to which he had been invited after his arrival 
 at Madrid, and was one of the few which were always open 
 to him. 
 
 " I have been taken to task several times," the young man 
 said one day with a laugh, " for inviting a man, and that man 
 a foreigner and a heretic, so familiarly to my house. Two 
 years ago I was for a few months with our embassy in London, 
 and I came to like your ways very much. It was very pleasant 
 to be able to make calls at houses without ceremony, and I 
 made many friends. It seemed to me in all respects better, 
 for young people get to know each other and to like each 
 other. Young men and young women in your country meet 
 and talk and dance together, and are good friends, without think- 
 ing of marriage; whereas here girls are for the most part shut 
 up until a marriage is arranged for them. Of course I hold, as 
 other people do, that young ladies should not go out alone, and 
 should always be accompanied by a duenna; but in their own 
 house, and under their parents' eyes, I can see no occasion for 
 strictness. I might have some hesitation in giving a young 
 Spaniard a general invitation to my house, because he would 
 not understand it, and would think that I wished to introduce 
 him as a suitor to one of my sisters; but with an Englishman 
 it is different. You laugh and talk with them as if they were 
 your own, and I think it is very good for them, and that they 
 are as pleased to see you as I am." 
 
 When, therefore, Arthur had no other engagement he very 
 often went in for a chat in the evening to the young count's, 
 and he was naturally one of the first he told of his new ap- 
 pointment. 
 
 "I congratulate you most heartily," Leon said. "I have 
 been wondering, since I heard that your Legion had been 
 disbanded, what you were going to do. I am leaving, as I told 
 you, for one of my country estates near Albacete, with Mer- 
 cedes, and shall be away about a couple of months. If you
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 141 
 
 chance to be coming that way, I need not say how glad I shall 
 be to see you. Of course you don't know yet where you are 
 likely to go, but it may as well be there as in any other direc- 
 tion. Perhaps you will be back as soon as we shall. I hope 
 so sincerely." 
 
 On the day when Colonel Wylde left for the north, Arthur 
 started for Mercia. When out of the town he called Roper 
 up to his side. 
 
 "I am heartily glad to be at work again, Roper." 
 
 "I am not sorry myself, sir. I have nothing to say against 
 Madrid, but one gets tired of having nothing particular to do, 
 and especially as for the past three or four days, since I have 
 been in this scarlet uniform, everyone has stared at me in the 
 street. I shall get used to it in time, of course, but it is rather 
 trying at first." 
 
 " I dare say it is," Arthur laughed. " Of course I don't 
 feel it so much. There is not so much difference between 
 officers' uniforms as between those of private soldiers, at any 
 rate not between undress uniforms. I am a good deal more 
 comfortable in my present dress than I was before, for I could 
 not but see myself that it was getting very small, and I had 
 almost given up wearing it." 
 
 " Yes, you keep on growing so. You were a good bit taller 
 than I was when you joined the Legion two years ago, and 
 now you are pretty nearly a head taller. You must be over 
 six feet now, and I see these little Spaniards look up to you as 
 you walk along." 
 
 "Yes, I have been rather disgusted at shooting up so. I 
 don't suppose other people notice it; but as I was wanting 
 to look six or seven years older than I am, it was annoying 
 that I should keep on growing. Well, I think I have pretty 
 nearly done now." 
 
 They travelled by comfortable stages down to Mercia. 
 Arthur had several interviews with the general in command 
 of the forces there, and received assurances from him that
 
 142 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 every care should be used to mitigate the horrors of the war, 
 but that such a passion of rage had been excited by the 
 massacres perpetrated by Cabrera that it was all but impos- 
 sible to keep the people in hand. 
 
 " It is to Cabrera himself that you should address yourself, 
 seiior," the general said. "We are anxious to prosecute the 
 war in the spirit of civilization, but as long as he persists in 
 carrying it on like a demon it is plainly impossible for us to 
 fight in kid gloves." 
 
 "I will go to Cabrera," Arthur said; "even he ought to 
 have satisfied his vengeance for the murder of his mother. 
 Were I in his place I would hunt Nogueras through the 
 country until I found him, but it is simply monstrous that he 
 should continue to take vengeance upon innocent people." 
 
 After remaining four days at Mercia, Arthur therefore 
 turned his horse's head north. When he neared Albacete he 
 heard that Cabrera had been making a raid from the Sierra 
 de Val de Meca, and had swept down nearly to the city, 
 harassing the country and carrying off much booty. Arthur 
 was told that Cabrera had attacked and taken the Palazzo of 
 the Count de Balen, so half an hour after entering the town 
 he rode out to enquire after his friend. As they approached 
 the house they saw smoke still rising from it. Putting their 
 horses to a gallop they speedily arrived in front of the house, 
 only, however, to find that it was a mere shell. As Arthur 
 alighted, a man, whom he knew by sight, came out from a 
 small outhouse. 
 
 "What has happened? Are the count and his sister safe?" 
 
 "Alas! no, sir," the man said. "The Carlists burst into 
 the house yesterday morning. The count opposed them and 
 was struck down desperately wounded. Donna Mercedes was 
 carried off by them. They sacked the palace and then set it 
 on fire. Three or four of the men were killed. I was away 
 at Albacete. I found that some of the women had carried 
 the young count out behind the house. He is in here."
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 143 
 
 Arthur hurried in. 
 
 "My dear Leon," he said, "this is terrible news that I 
 hear!" 
 
 "Terrible," the other said faintly. "I am wounded badly, 
 but that is nothing except that it will keep me a month before 
 I am fit to act; but it is awful to think that Mercedes has 
 fallen into the hands of that ruffian Cabrera. Thank God you 
 have come ! I know you will do all you can for me." 
 
 " Assuredly I will. In the first place, do you know which 
 way the villains have gone ? " 
 
 " Yes; they have gone up by La Roda. They will doubtless 
 sack that place, and Minaya, and Villar Roblebo." 
 
 "Have you fresh horses?" 
 
 "No; they have driven every horse off." 
 
 "That is unfortunate, for I made a good long journey to 
 Albacete. When I arrived I heard a rumour that your place 
 had been sacked, so I rode straight here. At any rate I must 
 give the horses four hours' rest, and then I will push on. Tell 
 me how it all happened?" 
 
 " I was at breakfast yesterday when the servants came run- 
 ning in with the news that a large body of horsemen were 
 coming up at a gallop. I ran down with Mercedes, but it was 
 already too late to get to our horses. They rode up, and 
 their leader, who was, I believe, Cabrera, ordered the men to 
 seize my sister. I drew my sword, but I was cut down almost 
 before I had struck a blow. I knew nothing more until some 
 hours later, when I found myself lying here, where, it seems, 
 the female servants had brought me, and saw that the house 
 was on fire from end to end, and that the Carlists had gone 
 and taken Mercedes with them. I think I was nearly out of 
 my mind till nightfall, then I slept for some hours, over- 
 powered by exhaustion. I found, when I awoke, that Monte 
 had returned in the evening and had been sitting by me all 
 night. I sent him off at once to Albacete. He returned at 
 mid-day with a message from the commandant there to the
 
 144 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 effect that Cabrera's force was too strong to be attacked, and 
 that he expected to have to defend himself. I cannot say that 
 I was surprised. Cabrera is so dreaded that it requires a 
 strong man to attempt to make head against him, and indeed 
 when I once got over my fury I recognized that as Cabrera 
 might be fifty miles away by the time my messenger got to 
 Albacete it would be hopeless to attempt to pursue him." 
 
 "I will set out as soon as the horses have had a rest. 
 Fortunately, I have not been hurrying myself so far, and they 
 are both in good condition. I will see Cabrera himself, and 
 will do all in my power to rescue your sister." 
 
 "I fear your journey will be useless, Hallett. The wretch 
 has become a wild beast since the murder of his mother; but I 
 know you will do all you can. If I were but able to travel 
 I would go with you, and would stab him to the heart if he 
 refused to release her; but it will be long before I shall be able 
 to sit on a horse again." 
 
 " I should think the best thing you can do, Leon, is to 
 have yourself carried on a litter to Albacete, where your 
 wounds can be properly seen to." 
 
 " So far I have no one but these women to carry me. They 
 tell me that the whole of the men were driven off the estate 
 and made to enter Cabrera's ranks." 
 
 "Well, he did not go much farther than this, and there 
 must be men to be had from some of the villages a few miles 
 away. I will send your man off at once to get half a dozen of 
 them to carry you." 
 
 " You must want something to eat, too. Will you call one 
 of the women in here? What have we to eat?" 
 
 "We have got some green corn, senor some of the fields 
 set on fire were too green to burn and we caught some chickens 
 wandering about." 
 
 " Then cook some for the senor and his servant." 
 
 Leon now lay for some time without speaking. He had 
 lost a great deal of blood, after the departure of the Carlists,
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 145 
 
 before the women ventured to go near him, and although he 
 had roused himself on Arthur's arrival he was now too ex- 
 hausted to talk further. After a stay of four hours Arthur 
 started again. It was already dark, and he would have pre- 
 ferred waiting till daylight had not the count's anxiety been 
 so great that he thought it would be better to go, at any rate 
 for a few miles. After travelling for two hours they arrived 
 at a farm. An old woman was the only occupant; as the men 
 had gone willingly enough with the Carlists, the house and 
 its belongings had not been interfered with. The horses were 
 put up in a shed, and the two men sat down by the fire talking. 
 
 " I have very little hope of getting Donna Mercedes out of 
 Cabrera's hands by fair means; it is like asking a tiger to 
 give up a kid. My great hope, Roper, lies rather in rescuing 
 her myself. Of course I do not know where she is confined, 
 or how she is guarded. It is not likely that they would place 
 a very strong guard over her. You and I together ought to 
 be able to get her away. Of course I can form no plans until 
 we see the place. There will be risk in the business; that 
 can't be helped. I have got in and out of my bedroom at 
 school many a time, and can back myself to climb anywhere. 
 It will be your business to bring the horses round in readiness 
 when I get her out. If you can possibly get hold of a third 
 animal it will be a great advantage, for we shall have to 
 reckon upon being pursued." 
 
 " I am ready for anything, captain. The count was always 
 very civil to me when he called upon you, and he never came 
 without making me a present. No doubt he knew by our 
 lodging that things were not very flourishing with you. It 
 is just the sort of business I should like. We have done no 
 fighting for the past nine months, and I shall be right glad of 
 a skirmish." 
 
 " I expect it will be something worse than a skirmish. If 
 this brute Cabrera won't give the young lady up, it will be a 
 serious job to take her, even if you can get another horse; 
 
 <M966) K
 
 146 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 for, good as ours may be, it is probable that there are better 
 ones in his camp. However, it is all so vague at present that 
 it is useless to try and form plans. One thing, I am sure, we 
 can say: fewer than six won't take her from us once we 
 have got her. We must not deceive ourselves that they will 
 respect our uniform. Cabrera respects nothing. And if we 
 stand between him and his vengeance we need not flatter our- 
 selves that he will let us go." 
 
 " Well, sir, a man can't die better than in trying to save a 
 woman; that is how I look at it." 
 
 "Quite right, Roper; it is the death of all others that I 
 would choose. However, I have faith in ourselves, and I 
 fancy that we shall get through somehow, though I am pretty 
 sure that it will be a very close shave. I think we had better 
 lie down till daybreak. You have given the horses a good 
 feed, have you not?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; I have put down half a sack of beans between 
 them. They will be fresh enough in the morning; till yester- 
 day we have not travelled more than fifteen or sixteen miles a 
 day, and they had a week's rest at Mercia. They could not 
 be in better condition." 
 
 They started as soon as it began to be light, and on reaching 
 La Roda heard that Cabrera had rested there on the previous 
 day, and had gone on that morning to Banada and Villar de 
 Navado. On arriving at Banada they found that Cabrera had 
 ridden on half an hour before to Villar de Navado. This 
 place they reached at eleven o'clock. The place was full of 
 Carlists. Arthur alighted in front of the principal house. He 
 was looked at scowlingly by the men thronging the streets, 
 but nothing was said to him. 
 
 "I wish to see General Cabrera," he said. "Will you say 
 that I am one of the British commissioners'?" 
 
 After being kept waiting for two or three minutes he was f 
 asked in. Cabrera was a powerful man with a face full of 
 strength and energy.
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 147 
 
 "To what am I indebted for this visit, senor?" he asked as 
 Arthur entered. 
 
 "I have called, sir, to implore you to respect the Con- 
 ventions entered into between both parties and signed by 
 them, and on the part of the British government by Colonels 
 Wylde and Lacy." 
 
 "I have nothing whatever to do with it," Cabrera said. 
 "The Christines have committed great atrocities; it is my 
 intention to revenge them whenever possible." 
 
 "But at least, sir," Arthur said, "you do not war against 
 women ? " 
 
 "I war against my enemies, men and women. My own 
 mother was murdered by them, as no doubt you are aware, 
 and for each drop of her blood I shall take vengeance." 
 
 "But, sir, the lady whom you carried off the day before 
 yesterday was not the wife of a Christino general, nor in any 
 way connected with the war." 
 
 " Her brother was a well-known Christino," Cabrera replied, 
 " and all the enemies of Don Carlos are my enemies. It is 
 well that these young nobles at the court should learn that by 
 supporting the government against the king they are as much 
 our foes as if they were fighting in the field. I make war in 
 my own way; other generals may do as they like. I refuse 
 to have my hands tied, and I intend to inflict a heavy lesson 
 upon these politicians of Madrid. Against the young woman 
 herself I have no special quarrel, but as a member of a leading 
 Christino family she is an enemy, and as such she will be 
 shot to-morrow morning. There, sir, it is useless to talk 
 further. My mind is perfectly made up; and if you wish to 
 remain till the morning to witness the execution, you are 
 perfectly at liberty to do so. In fact, I should prefer it, for I 
 wish it to be known that prisoners who fall into my hands 
 will be shown no mercy." 
 
 Arthur rose. " Well, sir, in taking my leave of you, I beg 
 in the name of my government to warn you of the con-
 
 148 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 sequences of making war in defiance not only of all its rules 
 and usages, but of humanity." 
 
 Cabrera simply waved his hand in scorn, and Arthur, turn- 
 ing, strode out of the room. 
 
 " Find some place in the outskirts of the village and put up 
 our horses," he said to Roper; "there I will talk with you." 
 
 A hut, from which its inhabitants had fled on the approach 
 of the Carlists, was soon found. 
 
 "You have brought a good allowance of beans with you, 
 have you not ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir; I have nearly half a sack." 
 
 " Give the horses a good feed, and then we will talk matters 
 over." 
 
 He sat down on a broken chair. "As I expected, Roper, 
 the villain is not to be turned from his purpose: the lady 
 is to be shot to-morrow morning. It seems to me that there 
 are between three and four thousand men in and around the 
 village. Of these, as far as I could see as we rode in, only 
 a hundred or so are mounted. We may take it that our 
 horses are better than the average; they have not been doing 
 such long marches, and they are really good animals. I don't 
 know which is the best; but I should fancy that if we get 
 a fair start not above thirty will keep up with us, perhaps 
 not above twenty. That is the number we may have to 
 cope with. The first thing we shall have to find out is where 
 Donna Mercedes is confined, and how she is guarded. It is 
 unlikely that they will have placed more than two or three 
 sentries over her; they would know well enough that she 
 could not escape by herself. 
 
 "I should say that there will be one sentry outside the 
 door, and perhaps two inside. If there is a door or a window 
 at the back of the house, we need not bother about the man in 
 front. I must do for the two men inside. You bring the two 
 horses round within a hundred yards of the back of the house, 
 and we will drop out of the window, if there is one, or walk
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 149 
 
 out of the door. First of all, we must find out the house ; then 
 it will be your business to stroll round and choose a horse in 
 such a position that you can lead it off without disturbing 
 others. You must get it behind the side of the street on 
 which our house stands, so that you will not have to lead it 
 across the street, but simply bring it and place it with ours." 
 
 "All right, sir! I think I can answer for that part of the 
 business. I suppose you will not begin until half-past ten 
 or eleven; they will be pretty nearly all asleep by that time." 
 
 "No, I sha'n't begin before that." 
 
 They waited for a couple of hours, and then strolled out into 
 the village. The Carlists, knowing that they had had an 
 interview with their chief, paid no great attention to them, 
 and presently Arthur seized the opportunity of asking a 
 woman who was standing at her door which was the priest's 
 house. 
 
 " It is the last house in the village on this side of the street, 
 senor." 
 
 Arthur continued his stroll to the end of the village, and 
 then turned back and walked to the other end. It was the 
 heat of the day now, and most of the men were lying down 
 asleep in the shade of houses and trees, and there were but 
 few in the street. Stopping at the priest's house, he knocked 
 at the door and entered. 
 
 " I am an English officer, father," he said to the priest, who 
 was a tall, thin old man. " My errand here is to save the life 
 of the young lady who has been carried off and brought here, 
 and whom Cabrera is going to shoot in the morning." 
 
 "It is terrible, senor!" the priest said; "it is terrible! but 
 what can we do ? I have already seen this man, and warned 
 him of the consequences of so dreadful an action. He told 
 me to mind my own business and that he would mind his, and 
 I was thrust bodily out of the house protesting vainly." 
 
 " Well, father, then I take it that if you had the power you 
 would have the will to save this poor young lady?"
 
 150 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Assuredly, my son ; but I am old and feeble, and what can 
 I do?" 
 
 "You can do much, father. I wish you to go again to 
 Cabrera. Say that, as a man of God, it is your duty to receive 
 this young lady's confession, and to stay with her, pray with 
 her, and comfort her during the night, and demand that he 
 give you an order to do so." 
 
 " He cannot refuse such a request," the priest said. " The 
 worst malefactor has the right to have the attendance of the 
 clergy before his death. But how would that benefit her save 
 by my spiritual help?" 
 
 "You will have no more to do with it, father. You will 
 bring me the order here, and then as soon as it gets dark I 
 should advise you to leave the village and walk some twenty 
 miles away, and wait until Cabrera has left the neighbourhood, 
 which he doubtless will do to-morrow; the rest of the business 
 will be my affair." 
 
 " But do you mean " the priest began. 
 
 "I mean, father, that after it is dark I shall put on your 
 robe and hat, if you will lend them to me. I shall present 
 myself at the door with the order, and when I am admitted 
 and the door is closed again, I shall proceed to knock on the 
 head any men who are inside. I don't think there will be 
 more than two. Having done that, I shall go to the young 
 lady's room and lower her down through the window. My 
 man-servant will be waiting behind with horses, and, if we are 
 lucky, we shall get a long start of them." 
 
 "I will do it," the priest said; "even if I were to be killed I 
 would do it. Even this monster cannot refuse to allow a priest 
 to visit one about to die. Possibly he might, if alone, but the 
 very peasants under him would call out at his refusal. Shall 
 I go at once?" 
 
 "No; it would be best that you should go to him just as 
 he has finished his dinner; doubtless six or eight of his officers 
 will be with him. You had best write out the order before
 
 A DESPERATE ADVENTURE 151 
 
 you go, so that it will only need his signature. I rely upon 
 your eloquence and authority to induce him to grant it to you." 
 
 "I will obtain it," the priest said; "even the worst male- 
 factor has a right to the consolation of a priest." 
 
 "Thank you, father. You will have the satisfaction of 
 having saved an innocent girl's life. Now, in the next place, 
 will you tell me in which house she is confined? I have not 
 liked to ask the question." 
 
 "She is in the house next to that in which Cabrera is 
 quartered. There is a sentry at the door." 
 
 "What sort of a house is it?" 
 
 " It is like the others, except that the lower windows are all 
 barred." 
 
 "Are there windows behind?" 
 
 "Yes; I believe there are." 
 
 "Do you know whether there is a sentry behind?" 
 
 The priest shook his head. " I do not know, sir." 
 
 "Well, I must ascertain that," Arthur said. "At eight 
 o'clock, senor, I will be here, and you shall give me your robe 
 and hat, and the order. Then I should advise you to leave 
 at once. Do you know which way they are going to march?" 
 
 " They are going east; they will take refuge again in the 
 mountains." 
 
 " In that case, father, you will not have to walk more than 
 eight or ten miles, and can take shelter in the nearest village. 
 Adieu ! Surely you will never regret the good action you are 
 doing." 
 
 He went out into the village again, and, meeting Roper, 
 said to him: "You see that house next to the one where 
 Cabrera is quartered ? In that house Donna Mercedes is con- 
 fined. You see, there is a sentry at the door. I want you to 
 stroll round carelessly behind that side of the village, and 
 ascertain if a sentry is posted there also. If so, I shall have 
 to leave you to manage him. You won't be able to bring 
 up the horses so close as you would otherwise do. You must
 
 152 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 leave them a short distance away, steal up to that fellow, 
 and silence him. The safest way will be to stab him to the 
 heart. It is unpleasant to be compelled to take such a course, 
 but extreme measures are necessary; for if he had time to 
 shout we should have the whole camp on us in five minutes." 
 
 " I will do it, sir. I would rather not, but I see it has to 
 be done." 
 
 " I have arranged everything else. The priest is going to 
 get an order to pass the night praying with Donna Mercedes. 
 He will hand it to me, and I shall enter the house disguised in 
 his robe and hat. I don't know how many men there will be 
 inside, but I should certainly say not more than two. Those 
 two I have got to silence. I hear that the house has bars to 
 the lower windows, but the upper ones will not be so carefully 
 guarded, and I shall lower the lady down to you. Just before 
 half-past ten crawl up close to the sentry, and as the clock 
 chimes, strike. Then go back and bring the horses up as near 
 as possible, and come yourself underneath the window. I 
 shall go in as the clock strikes, and shall be ready for you 
 when you come up. I think we ought to get away before an 
 alarm is given, and if we have anything like luck we shall 
 have a long start. It would be well if, when you are going 
 round now, you would observe closely where the men are 
 bivouacked, so that we can, if possible, get through without 
 disturbing them in any way." 
 
 A 
 
 CHAPTEE IX 
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 T five o'clock in the afternoon Roper rejoined Arthur in 
 
 the hut. 
 "Well, what is your report?"
 
 THE ESCAPE 153 
 
 "The house looks all right, sir. There are no bars on 
 the upper windows. There is a sentry sitting down against 
 the wall; as far as I could see, he was asleep. I don't think 
 it will be possible to get the horses up close; but as each man 
 seems to sleep just where it suits him, I think it would be 
 easier for us to make our way through them on foot than to 
 get the horses through. I don't think there will be any diffi- 
 culty in getting the third horse. Do you think the lady 
 knows how to ride, sir 1 ?" 
 
 "No; I think it is quite possible that she does not; but if 
 we take another horse I can ride double with her by turns. I 
 would risk a great deal rather than go with only two horses." 
 
 " We will get one somehow, sir. When shall I move the 
 horses?" 
 
 "You had better take them down to the river just after 
 dusk. Wait with them there for a quarter of an hour, and then 
 walk away with them to some quiet spot of course, as near as 
 possible to the house. Then lie down beside them; no one is 
 likely to notice what horses they are. Probably Cabrera's 
 horses are behind his house." 
 
 " Yes, they are, sir." 
 
 "Well then, get them as close to those as you can. You 
 might wait a short distance off till it is time to make a move, 
 then take them as close to his horses as possible. Loosen the 
 foot-ropes of one or two of his horses, so that when the time 
 comes we can easily take one, and perhaps two, of them. We 
 can each lead one; that will give us two changes." 
 
 At eight o'clock they went out from the cottage, each 
 leading a horse. Already the number of men in the streets 
 had begun to thin. 
 
 "Are you going?" more than one asked Arthur as they 
 passed. 
 
 "Yes," he said; "I have tried in vain to induce your chief 
 to spare the life of the lady he took prisoner, and, finding my 
 entreaties of no avail, I am going."
 
 154. WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " It is a pity," the man said; "but the general will have his 
 way, and who can blame him?" 
 
 They went down to the river, watered the horses, and then 
 Roper took the two bridles and started to walk some distance 
 down the bank, so as to be able to approach the back of the 
 village as if he had been grazing the horses in the fields. 
 Arthur, on his part, went to the priest's. 
 
 " I have succeeded, my son. At first he would not do it, 
 but it was evident to him that those with him were shocked at 
 the idea of refusing to let the lady have the last ministrations 
 of the Church. ' Here is the paper ', he said when he signed it. 
 ' You may go in to her, father, but I will have no goings in and 
 out. You may enter, but you will remain with her till she is 
 brought out for execution at daybreak.' I said, 'So be it'. 
 Here, my son, are my hat and soutane. May God's blessing 
 light upon your brave effort to rescue her, and may you carry 
 her off to safety ! It seems to me a desperate enterprise, but 
 you are young and vigorous, and doubtless accustomed to 
 strife. You had best leave this house when I have gone. 
 The Carlists are for the most part faithful friends of the 
 Church. Several have been here to-day to confess their sins, 
 and more are to come this evening, and it were best that they 
 should not find you here. If they find the house empty, they 
 will suppose that I have gone to the church or on some other 
 mission." 
 
 " I thank you for your suggestion, father, and I shall act on 
 it. I fear I shall not be able to restore your things to you; 
 therefore, I pray that you will accept these five pieces of gold 
 in order that you may replace them." 
 
 The old man hesitated. "I need no reward for doing my 
 duty," he said. 
 
 " Nor should I think of offering it to you, but I know how 
 very poor you village cures are, and that it would be perhaps 
 a serious trouble to you to replace these things; and as I 
 am well provided with money it is but just and right that
 
 "ARTHUR FLUNG HIM BACK ACROSS THE TABLE"
 
 THE ESCAPE 155 
 
 I should enable you to replace the goods you have given 
 me. For your aid I can only give you my heartfelt thanks; 
 and I doubt not that, when all this trouble is over, the Count 
 de Balen will make a handsome offering to you for the use of 
 your poor." 
 
 " Here are the hat and soutane, my son. Take them and my 
 blessing. May God enable you to carry out your noble object !" 
 
 The priest then put on a biretta, and went out at the back 
 of his house. Arthur rolled up the dress and put the hat 
 under his arm, and also went out behind and sat down against 
 the wall of the house. When he heard the clock strike a 
 quarter to ten, he put on the priest's robe and large three- 
 cornered hat. He took up a lantern which the priest had 
 placed on the table, went through the house, and out at the 
 front door; then, imitating the quiet walk of the priest, he 
 went up the now deserted street and paused before the sentry. 
 
 " Benedicite, my son!" he said. " I bear an order, signed by 
 your general, authorizing me to pass the night with this poor 
 child. Here it is;" and he held the paper up to the lantern. 
 The man glanced at it. He could neither read nor write, but 
 he knew Cabrera's signature by sight, having seen it on many 
 proclamations. He knocked at the door. 
 
 "Open," he said; "here is one with a permit to enter, 
 signed by the general." 
 
 The bolts were drawn, and the door opened. A rough-look- 
 ing man stood by it, another was sitting at a table; he stood 
 up as the apparent priest entered. The first man shot the top 
 bolt, and as he stooped to fasten the bottom one Arthur drove 
 his dagger to the hilt between his shoulders; and then, turn- 
 ing, sprang upon the other man and seized him by the throat. 
 Taken wholly by surprise, the man could offer no resistance. 
 Arthur flung him back across the table, retaining his grip 
 upon his throat until the man became unconscious; then he 
 thrust a piece of wood he had brought with him between his 
 teeth, and tied it there, securely fastened his hands and legs,
 
 156 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 and tied these to the legs of the table. He had thought this 
 all out: one man must be killed, the other he had hoped to 
 overcome and silence by surprise. Then he took a candle 
 which was burning upon the table and went up-stairs. 
 
 A key was in the door. He turned it and went in. Mercedes 
 was lying upon a bed. She sprang to her feet as he entered. 
 "Hush!" he said, as he removed his hat. "I have come to 
 save you, Donna Mercedes. Hush, I implore you ! " for he saw 
 that the girl was on the point of uttering a scream of joy; 
 "your life depends upon your keeping silence." 
 
 She dropped back upon the bed and burst into a passion of 
 tears, which he permitted for a few minutes. Presently with 
 a great effort she checked herself. " This is the first tear I 
 have shed since I saw Leon killed." 
 
 "He is not killed, Donna Mercedes; he is grievously 
 wounded, but will, i hope, recover." 
 
 "Are you sure 1 ?" she exclaimed incredulously, rising to her 
 feet and laying her hand on his arm. 
 
 "Quite sure; sure, at least, that he was well and sensible 
 when I left him, and was to be carried this morning down 
 to Albacete. He was only anxious about you, and I told 
 him that I would bring you safely back to him. I have got 
 my man with me; by this time he will have slain the sentry 
 beneath your window, and we must be going. Now I will 
 let you down. I will take hold of your hands and lower you 
 as far as I can reach ; it will not be more than a foot or two 
 to drop. First, I will blow out this candle; possibly the 
 opening of the window would be noticed were it alight." 
 
 He spoke in a quiet, matter-of-fact way so as to steady the 
 girl's nerves, blew out the candle, and opened the window. 
 "Now," he said, "I will let you down." He lifted her 
 through the window, and then, holding her wrists, lowered 
 her as far as he could reach and then let her go, and, swinging 
 himself out, dropped beside her. " We must wait now," he 
 said, "till my man comes to fetch us to the horses. It is as
 
 THE ESCAPE 157 
 
 well that your eyes should become accustomed to the darkness 
 before we move." 
 
 In three minutes Roper came up. 
 
 " It is all right so far, Roper ; here is the lady beside me. 
 Now for the horses." 
 
 " They are not fifty yards away, sir. You must be careful 
 how you walk, for there are many asleep in the garden. I 
 have noted all their places, and if you keep your hand upon 
 my shoulder I can lead you through." 
 
 Placing the girl between himself and his follower, his hands on 
 the latter's shoulders, Arthur moved quietly along. He could 
 vaguely make out a dark figure lying down here and there. 
 It was an intensely anxious time, but all seemed perfectly 
 quiet. They reached the end of the garden, and, going through 
 a hole in the fence, came presently upon four horses. Arthur 
 dropped his hat and soutane, and threw his cloak, which he 
 had brought with him, over his shoulder. 
 
 " Shall we mount here or walk 1 " 
 
 " I think we had better walk a bit, sir." 
 
 Arthur took the bridles of two of the horses, and, telling 
 the girl to keep close behind him, followed Roper, who led 
 the other two horses. They walked for four or five minutes, 
 then Roper stopped. 
 
 " I think we are well beyond them now, sir," he said. " I 
 have been over all this ground five or six times this evening, 
 and I am pretty sure that none of them are beyond us." 
 
 Arthur put on his cocked hat, which he had previously 
 carried, as, if they had been noticed, its outline would at 
 once have provoked curiosity. Then he mounted one of the 
 horses, and lifted Mercedes into the saddle in front of him. 
 They went at a walk for some little distance, and then broke 
 into a canter. 
 
 "We are safe now, are we not?" Mercedes asked. 
 
 " I hope so. The only question is the hour at which they 
 change the guard. My man killed a fellow who was under
 
 158 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 your window, and of course this must be discovered when they 
 do so; that was the only thing that I could not calculate upon. 
 However, when they discover that we have escaped it will be 
 some time before they mount; and as they won't know which 
 way we have gone, the betting is strongly against our being 
 overtaken. I think, upon the whole, we may consider ourselves 
 pretty safe." 
 
 They rode along by the side of the river, crossed it at a 
 ford at Banada, and just as day was breaking arrived at the 
 ruins of the palace. Arthur had twice changed horses, but 
 few words had been spoken on the journey. 
 
 " You must not think, Don Arthur," the girl had said once, 
 "that I do not feel grateful because I cannot tell you so; it is 
 because I feel too grateful to express it." 
 
 " Do not trouble yourself, senorita. I know perfectly well 
 how you must be feeling, and it is not at all necessary for you 
 to tell me; you must have gone through a terrible time indeed." 
 
 " I thought more of my brother's fate than my own," she 
 said. "It did not seem to me to be so hard to die. It was 
 of Leon, my dear brother, that I thought so much, and grieved 
 for. I could hardly think that that terrible man really meant 
 to kill me, and yet he seemed altogether without pity." 
 
 " He was. The good priest, whose dress I wore and whose 
 place I took, had endeavoured in vain to turn him from his 
 determination. I myself saw him, and denounced the crime 
 as being contrary to the Conventions; but he would not hear 
 me, and declared that, come what might, you should be shot 
 the first thing in the morning. And it was only when I found 
 that the case was absolutely hopeless that I determined to set 
 you free at whatever risk. The priest aided me. He ob- 
 tained from Cabrera an order to spend the night with you, in 
 order to prepare you for death. He passed me the order, and 
 went away himself so as to escape the vengeance of that 
 scoundrel, and I and my man between us managed to get you 
 out."
 
 THE ESCAPE 159 
 
 " But there were two men below, were there not ? I heard 
 them talking." 
 
 "Yes; I had to kill one of them, and the other I gagged 
 and tied up. I don't suppose he will be any the worse when 
 they find him in the morning. Now we will change horses, 
 and then I hope you will try to sleep. You cannot have 
 closed an eye since you were captured, and we shall have 
 plenty of time to talk later on." The girl did as he told her, 
 and remained quiet in his arms, but he could see that her eyes 
 never closed. 
 
 " I wish I could ride," she said once, " so that I might relieve 
 you of my weight." 
 
 "Your weight is nothing," he said; "and each time we 
 change horses I put you on the other side, and so rest my 
 arm." 
 
 As they drew up at the shed from which he had ridden 
 thirty-six hours before, the women ran out and cried with 
 
 joy- 
 Arthur handed the girl down to them. 
 "Take her inside," he said, "and give her something to 
 eat, and then let her lie down for a bit; she must be desper- 
 ately tired." 
 
 Then he himself got down and shook hands warmly with 
 Roper. 
 
 " This has been as good a night's work, Roper, as you are 
 ever likely to do, if you live to be a hundred." 
 
 " It has been a good business, sir, and I enjoyed it all except 
 the stabbing of that sentry. It went badly against the grain, 
 but I knew it had to be done, for it was our lives against 
 his." 
 
 " I had to do just the same thing; but, as you say, it was 
 a matter of necessity, though I wish heartily that it had been 
 Cabrera himself. However, the thought will not trouble me. 
 If men choose to follow a ruffian like that, they must take the 
 conseqiiences. Those are two good horses you got hold of."
 
 160 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Yes; that one is Cabrera's own. Fortunately he was 
 standing at the end of the line. I had noted his position 
 before it got dark, and was mightily pleased that I could get 
 at him, for I thought it would rile the scoundrel nicely to 
 lose not only his prisoner but his horse. The other is a good 
 one too." 
 
 "Well, give them a good feed all round; and then you 
 must see what we can get to eat ourselves, for we only had 
 a piece of bread all yesterday and not much the day before. 
 We can get some beans anyhow, and, I expect, a chicken, 
 and I will tell the women to boil one down for Donna 
 Mercedes. We may be sure that she has eaten next to 
 nothing since she was taken." 
 
 A woman presently came out from the hut and said that 
 the lady had dropped off to sleep, and that one of their 
 number was sitting with her. They set to work at once to 
 carry out Arthur's instructions. Two chickens were killed, 
 dipped into boiling water to take the feathers off, and then 
 cut in two and put over a wood fire. Some beans were baked 
 on a girdle, and another chicken was put into a pot to simmer. 
 
 "Boil it down till there is only about a pint of liquor left," 
 was his order; "then strain it, and keep it hot for her till she 
 wakes. Have you heard how the count bore the journey?" 
 
 " Yes, sir; some of the men came back in the evening and 
 said that he had slept a good deal on the way." 
 
 Five hours later Donna Mercedes awoke, and, having drunk 
 the broth prepared for her, came out. 
 
 " Now, if you feel strong enough we will ride on to Albacete 
 at once," Arthur said. " Your brother must be in a terrible 
 state of anxiety about you, and your appearance will do more 
 for him than the doctors can do." 
 
 " I am ready," she said brightly. " The sleep and a wash 
 have done wonders for me." 
 
 Roper at once put the saddles on the horses. 
 
 "No," she said; "I will ride now. I never have ridden,
 
 THE ESCAPE 161 
 
 but I am sure that I can do it, and you can fasten a leading 
 rein to ray horse." 
 
 "It is not easy without a side-saddle, senora; but the 
 pommel of this saddle is high, and if we go gently you will 
 be able to hold on." 
 
 " At any rate I will try," she said. 
 
 The stirrups were arranged the proper length and Donna 
 Mercedes lifted into the saddle. 
 
 "I shall manage very well," she said, as she settled herself 
 on it. " I will learn to ride after this. I won't be so helpless 
 in future." 
 
 Before mounting, Arthur attached a leading rein to her 
 horse's bit, and they started at a gentle canter, Roper leading 
 the other horse. Three hours' riding brought them to Albacete. 
 They put the horses up in the stable, and then enquired where 
 the count had been taken. It was to the principal hotel, and 
 there Arthur went at once with Donna Mercedes. They went 
 up to the room together, and Arthur opened the door, let the 
 girl pass in, and then closed it behind her and went down-stairs. 
 A quarter of an hour later a servant came down and said that 
 the count wished to see him. 
 
 "Ah, my dear Arthur," Leon exclaimed as he entered, 
 "how can I thank you enough, for my sister and myself, for 
 all that you have done for us ! She seems restored to me by 
 a miracle." 
 
 '' It is not much of a miracle, Leon ; it required only a little 
 invention and a little pluck, and the affair was managed. I 
 felt that it was very hard if I could not get your sister out 
 of the hands of that scoundrel, and our success can scarcely 
 have afforded you more pleasure than it has Roper and my- 
 self." 
 
 " It is all very well to say so, but the fact is not changed. 
 You have rescued her from certain death, have carried her 
 off from the centre of four thousand men. My sister tells 
 me that you did it in the disguise of a priest." 
 
 (M966) L
 
 162 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Yes, and the good man gave me every assistance. I 
 have not been ill-paid," he said with a light laugh, "for I 
 have got hold of two very valuable horses. Now you will 
 have to take care of each other. Your sister has been 
 splendidly brave, but she will need rest and quiet for a 
 while; she could not have a better thing to do than to look 
 after you, and it will do you good to be cared for by her. 
 I shall wait here for a couple of days, for the horses have had 
 four long days' work. I suppose you have not seen anyone 
 here yet?" 
 
 "No; a good many gentlemen of my acquaintance have left 
 their cards, but the doctor said I was not to see anyone at 
 present. He thinks it will be nearly a month before I can 
 move; and he said this morning that he was afraid I should 
 get into a high state of fever if I agitated myself. However, 
 I have no fear of that now. You have done me more good 
 than all the doctors in Spain could do. Now, Mercedes, you 
 must lift your head up from that pilloAv and stop crying." 
 
 " No one could have been calmer or cooler than your sister 
 was, Leon; and now that it is all over, and she has found 
 that you are doing well, you must not be surprised at her 
 breaking down a little. I can assure you that from the time 
 I entered her room till we rode fairly away she was as quiet 
 and composed as possible; in fact, she did not speak a single 
 word from the moment I lowered her down from the window 
 till we were able to put our horses into a canter. To me it 
 was just like a school adventure. I was always getting into 
 scrapes at school, and master after master refused to keep me 
 it was for that reason that I enlisted in our Legion and it 
 really seemed to me the same sort of thing, only with a little 
 spice of danger and the pleasure and satisfaction of doing 
 some good. 
 
 " And now, Donna Mercedes, if you will take my advice 
 you will go straight to bed. You will want all your strength 
 to nurse your brother. You have gone through frightful
 
 THE ESCAPE 163 
 
 anxiety, and have made a long and very fatiguing journey, and 
 before you install yourself at your brother's bedside you want 
 a long rest. If you do not take it, you will be breaking down 
 badly. You see for yourself that he is doing well, and now 
 that he has got you back again there is no fear of his 
 having a relapse. He himself can have slept but little. 
 Therefore, I trust that you will at once lie down and have a 
 good long rest, and that he will do the same, then this 
 evening you will be able to have a quiet chat for a couple of 
 hours. I shall be quite willing to take my own prescription 
 and lie down till this evening." 
 
 " Arthur is right," Leon said. " We have all gone through 
 a painful time, and we shall be more ourselves after a sleep. 
 I don't think I have slept five minutes at a time since we 
 were attacked. At any rate, we must both obey orders. It 
 is one o'clock now, we will meet here again at eight." 
 
 Arthur at once went down-stairs. He found Roper in the 
 stables, he having just fed the horses. 
 
 " Now, Roper, you had better turn in at once ; I have 
 arranged for a room for you. I shall not want anything more 
 to-day. You had better settle with one of the stablemen 
 here to feed and water the horses this evening." 
 
 " I will come down again, sir, later." 
 
 " Well, you can do it if you wake, Roper; but I expect that 
 when you once shut your eyes you won't open them again till 
 to-morrow morning. At any rate, you can arrange that the 
 horses shall be attended to if you should not come down. 
 I feel very uncertain myself about waking." 
 
 Arthur gave orders that he should be roused at eight o'clock, 
 and in a very few minutes was fast asleep. He could hardly 
 believe that he had been six hours asleep when there was a 
 knock at his door. However, he jumped out of bed, washed 
 as well as he was able with the very scanty supply of water 
 deemed sufficient for his ablutions, and then went down to 
 Leon's room.
 
 164 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " You look better, Leon," he said as he entered. 
 
 "I feel better. Indeed, I have slept like a dormouse, and 
 did not wake till the servant came in a few minutes ago. 
 The doctor said that I was quite a different man from what I 
 was this morning." 
 
 " I feel ever so much better too, and should feel better still 
 if I could have had a bath. I hope your sister won't wake ; 
 she would be all the fresher for a complete night's rest." 
 
 " She told me she slept a good deal on the ride." 
 
 "Yes; I think she dozed. No wonder! She must have had 
 a terrible time of it, poor girl! It was a fearful position for 
 her, and I quite expected that when I got to her I should have 
 found her completely prostrated." 
 
 " I expect she will get up. I know she wants to hear how 
 you have managed it all. She has told me that she had not 
 asked you anything. You appeared suddenly, dressed as a 
 priest, and after you had got away she had felt so happy in 
 being safe, and yet so bewildered at it all, that she had scarcely 
 spoken at all, and I can quite understand her feelings." 
 
 "So can I, perfectly, and on our ride to this place I could 
 see that she was thinking of nothing but meeting you. I don't 
 think she credited my assurance that you were not mortally 
 wounded, and was yearning for a sight of you. Ah, here she 
 is!" 
 
 " You are looking better, Leon," she said, as she came up to 
 the bedside. 
 
 " I am feeling a hundred per cent better. The doctor says 
 that I am quite a different man, and that whereas when he saw 
 me this morning he did not feel at all sure that I should get 
 over it, he has no fears whatever about me now. So you see, 
 Arthur, you have saved both our lives." 
 
 " Well, don't let us say anything more about it, Leon. The 
 affair has turned out all right, and there is no more to be said 
 on the matter." 
 
 Leon smiled. " That is all very well for vou, but it is not
 
 THE ESCAPE 165 
 
 quite so satisfactory to us. Now, you must tell us all about it. 
 For the present I only know that you got a priest to help in 
 some way, and I want the full particulars." 
 
 " Well, I will tell you the whole story." 
 
 And he gave a full account of the events from the moment 
 of his arrival in the village. " I would have given a good deal," 
 he said, after describing the scene with Cabrera, " to have got 
 the scoundrel in a quiet place by myself, though I am bound 
 to say I doubt whether I should have been found the better 
 man. The fellow, to do him justice, is uncommonly vigorous 
 and powerful, and I might have discovered that I had caught a 
 Tartar; but I was so furious with him that I would willingly 
 have taken my chance. Of course I can make every allowance 
 for a man whose mother has been murdered in this war, and 
 I can understand his showing no mercy to men of the other 
 party who may fall into his hands; but to take revenge upon 
 women, who had nothing whatever to do with the wrong he 
 has suffered, is monstrous. He should know by his own 
 feelings what their friends would suffer. However, as he was 
 not to be moved I felt that I must depend upon myself, and 
 I decided that the only way to get at the seiiora would be by 
 the assistance of the priest, or at any rate that that was the 
 first plan to attempt." 
 
 He then related his interview with the priest, and the 
 manner in which the latter had at once agreed to aid him, the 
 various steps he had taken to ascertain the position of the 
 Carlists lying about the village, and to secure a spare horse, 
 and how he had carried out his plans. 
 
 " I was sorry," he said, " to have to kill one of the men in 
 the hut, but I could see no other way of disposing of both of 
 them before an alarm could be given. Of course if I had not 
 been able to obtain the priest's disguise I should have had to 
 kill the sentry at the door too, but even then the men inside 
 might not have opened the door to my summons, probably 
 they would not have done so. Still, I own that it went des-
 
 166 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 perately against the grain to have to stab that man; that 
 was really the only unpleasant part of the business. All the 
 rest was simple, and Donna Mercedes was very brave and very 
 quiet. Roper had obtained an accurate idea of where the 
 Carlists were all lying, so that there was not a single hitch in 
 the affair. If it hadn't been for your sister I should have 
 almost preferred a chase and some excitement, but as it was, 
 I was, of course, very thankful that everything went so 
 perfectly." 
 
 " I will take care," Leon said, " that the priest is made com- 
 fortable for life. I can, at any rate, show my gratitude in that 
 quarter, though I must always remain in debt to you. What 
 are you going to do next?" 
 
 " I am going to stop here for a couple of days, and if I can 
 get a good price for two of the horses I shall sell them. I shall 
 keep that one of Cabrera's. It is a splendid animal; and I 
 think, of the others, the best is the one that belonged to Major 
 Hawkins. The other two are both good animals, and worth, 
 I should say, from thirty to forty pounds apiece." 
 
 " I will give you that for them gladly. Of course, Cabrera's 
 people carried off all mine, and I must have two for riding back 
 to Madrid, so I shall be really glad to take your two off your 
 hands." 
 
 "Very well," Arthur said; "I certainly did not want to 
 saddle you with them, but as you say you really want them 
 I would rather sell them to you than to anyone else." 
 
 "Then that is settled. I shall get Mercedes to write to- 
 morrow for two of my servants to come here; the men who 
 accompanied us were both killed. Besides, I must get Donna 
 Martha, her duenna, and her maid to join us, to keep her 
 company. It would not be seemly for her to be here alone 
 while I am laid up." 
 
 Arthur laughed. 
 
 "By the way, Mercedes, you will have to write to Don 
 Silvio, telling him what you have gone through."
 
 THE ESCAPE 167 
 
 The girl looked earnestly at her brother, but made no 
 answer, and he turned again to Arthur. 
 
 " But you did not say what you were going to do?" 
 
 "I hardly know. My instructions were to go to Mercia 
 and see the governor there, and to endeavour to impress upon 
 him the importance of observing the Conventions strictly. I 
 was not altogether successful. He repeated his desire to do 
 so, but pointed out to me that Cabrera so persistently refused 
 to observe them in any way, and committed such atrocities, 
 that the people were roused beyond control. However much, 
 therefore, he might wish to carry on the war humanely, public 
 opinion was too strong for him, and the friends of the people 
 murdered by Cabrera naturally clamoured for reprisals. It 
 was my intention, when I arrived, to proceed to Cabrera's 
 camp and endeavour to persuade him to carry on the war 
 less ruthlessly. Well, I have been to him, and see that re- 
 monstrances are not of the slightest avail. I shall now go to 
 Madrid and request the minister of war to send a formal 
 despatch to him calling upon him to conduct the war more 
 humanely, and saying that unless he does so, all his followers 
 who fall into the hands of the royal troops must be put to 
 the sword, however painful it would be to him to give orders 
 to that effect. I don't suppose such a communication would 
 influence him in any way, but it might influence his followers, 
 who can scarcely like to fight with, as it were, halters round 
 their necks. It is extraordinary to me that people of one 
 nation should fight so ferociously, and should refuse quarter 
 to each other. Against a foreign invader one can imagine 
 such a spirit, as, for example, when you were invaded by the 
 French; but that people of one blood should, on a mere differ- 
 ence of opinion as to who should be king, hate each other so 
 venomously beats me altogether." 
 
 "I cannot give any reason for it," Leon said. "I am in 
 favour of Christina, and should not mind doing a little fighting, 
 though, as I am not a soldier I don't feel called upon to take
 
 168 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 up arms. Still, it seems to me that the matter might be as 
 well settled by everyone giving a vote one way or the other, 
 and the minority then yielding gracefully." 
 
 They chatted for some time, the conversation being princi- 
 pally kept up by Arthur. Mercedes scarcely opened her lips, 
 but sat by her brother's side holding his hand. At ten o'clock 
 his nurse came in and said that he must now be quiet for 
 the night, and the others again went off to their rooms. 
 After breakfasting by himself, Arthur went down to the 
 stables. 
 
 " I have sold those two horses to Count Leon." 
 
 "Yes, so he has been telling me." 
 
 "Oh, you have seen him, have you?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; he sent down for me half an hour ago. He looks 
 a deal better than when we left him three days back." 
 
 "Yes; he will do now. He has lost a lot of blood, and it 
 will be some time before he gains strength again; but the 
 doctor said yesterday that he had no fears whatever as to his 
 getting through." 
 
 "Well, he has quite taken away my breath this morning." 
 
 " Has he ? In what way ? " 
 
 " Well, sir, he has told me that when he gets to Madrid he 
 will make me a present of five hundred pounds." 
 
 " I am glad indeed to hear it, Roper. You have done him 
 an enormous service at a good deal of risk. I have always 
 understood that he is a wealthy young noble, and I have no 
 doubt he can very well afford to do it." 
 
 "I told him, sir, that really I had nothing to do with it, 
 and that I had simply done what you had ordered me, never 
 having seen the young lady myself. But he would not allow 
 that that made any difference. I had assisted in saving his 
 sister's life, and he was very pleased to be able to make such 
 an acknowledgment of my services. I should not mind how 
 many ladies' lives I saved on such terms." 
 
 "Well, I am heartily glad, Eoper. It always has been a
 
 THE ESCAPE 169 
 
 source of annoyance to me that I was not able to do more for 
 you when we have been such friends together." 
 
 "That is all right, sir. We were friends together for 
 a time, but I was in my right position and you were not. 
 That, of course, was soon put right, and we have stood ever 
 since in the proper relation towards each other. I am only too 
 glad to work for you, and now you have put me in for a very 
 good thing. If I were to go home now, everyone would say 
 that I had done mightily well for myself, and I should go in 
 for farming again; I made a mistake in leaving it." 
 
 " Well, when we get home, Roper, I will see that you have 
 the first farm that is vacant on my estate." 
 
 "Why, I did not know that you had an estate!" Roper said 
 in surprise. 
 
 " Yes, I have an estate, and, I believe, a pretty good one ; 
 but I am not to come into it till I am five-and-twenty. I 
 think my father saw that I was a harum-scarum sort of chap, 
 so he settled it in that way. But though I am not to come 
 in for it till I am twenty-five, I have an uncle who manages it 
 for me, and I can certainly persuade him to give you the first 
 farm that is vacant. I had intended to do so before, but I 
 thought there might be some difficulty about it, because you 
 would require capital to work it, but this five hundred pounds 
 would give you a fair start on a small farm." 
 
 " That would be splendid, sir ! That will give me something 
 to look forward to. As long as you stay out here I shall stay 
 with you, if it were for another ten years ; but it makes all the 
 difference having something to look forward to afterwards, for 
 I have wondered sometimes what on earth I should do when 
 I went back again, I should feel so strange. I have thought, 
 too, sometimes, about you, and what you would do when this 
 affair had come to an end. Well, I am as glad to know that 
 you will be all right as I am about myself." 
 
 Arthur went upstairs. As he entered the room Mercedes 
 got up from her brother's bedside and went out.
 
 170 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " I am a little upset, Arthur," Leon said. 
 
 "Are you? What is the matter? you are not feeling worse, 
 I hope?" 
 
 "No; it is nothing about myself, it is about Mercedes. 
 You know that three months ago she was betrothed not 
 formally, you know, but the matter was arranged to Count 
 Silvio de Mora. It was a suitable match in all respects. He was 
 some fourteen years older than Mercedes, and a worthy cavalier. 
 Of course he asked her hand of me, and I gave my consent, 
 and she offered no more objection than a well-brought-up 
 maiden should do. Now she turns round and tells me that 
 she has resolved not to marry; that after being so near to 
 death and saved as by a miracle, she is resolved to live single. 
 She does not wish to enter a convent or anything of that sort, 
 but at any rate to live single for some years in fact until 
 I marry, and then she will probably go into a religious house. 
 
 " Well, it all seems so unnatural, because she has always 
 had very high spirits and been fond of gaiety. I have asked 
 her to think the matter over, but she declares that nothing 
 can influence her, and implores me to let her have her own 
 way. I can understand her feelings. Of course she is greatly 
 shaken by what she has gone through; I hope though in time 
 she will recover her spirits. But she has declared that nothing 
 will move her; and after such a terrible experience as she has 
 had, I feel that at present, at any rate, I must let her have 
 her own way. I cannot hold a pen yet, and I shall be greatly 
 obliged if you will write in my name to the count. The 
 thought of this engagement evidently preys upon her mind. 
 She says she did not sleep all night, and I see that she will 
 have no peace until I carry out her wishes." 
 
 "Of course I will do as you wish, Leon, and will write 
 from your dictation. It seems to me natural, poor girl, 
 that she should be terribly shaken by what she has gone 
 through."
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 171 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 
 
 THE letter took some time to write. It began with an ac- 
 count of the attack upon the chateau, and the manner in 
 which the count and his servants were struck down and Donna 
 Mercedes carried off. It then described how Cabrera had 
 sentenced her to be shot, and how, a few hours before the 
 sentence could be carried out, she was rescued by Captain 
 Hallett and brought safely to Albacete, where the count him- 
 self was lying wounded 
 
 "My sister is greatly prostrated by the terrible trials that 
 she has passed through. She considers that she has been 
 preserved by a miracle, and that she must dedicate her life to 
 good works. She has expressed to me, my dear count, her 
 irresistible repugnance to the plans we had formed, and has 
 implored me to ask you to relieve her from her engagement 
 to you. 
 
 " I have argued with her in vain, and I beg of you not to 
 take it amiss that I should ask you to release her. She is 
 profoundly shaken, and will not, I am sure, for a long time 
 be fit to be at the head of an establishment like yours; and, 
 indeed, as I have said, she talks of entering a religious house. 
 I trust, my dear count, that this unfortunate circumstance will 
 not cause any breach in our friendship, or the long-established 
 good feeling between our families. With assurances of my 
 deep regret at this severance of a tie to which we had both 
 looked forward, and of my regard and appreciation, I sign 
 myself yours most cordially." 
 
 Here Leon took the pen in his own hands and feebly added 
 his signature. 
 
 " Between ourselves," he said, " I am not altogether sorry 
 that the engagement is broken off. I have a great esteem
 
 172 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 for Don Silvio, but I am not sure that he and Mercedes are 
 quite suited to each other. He is somewhat grave and is in 
 the thick of politics, and I fancy that Mercedes has a little 
 resented the small share of attention he has paid her. How- 
 ever, undoubtedly the affair would have gone on in its usual 
 course had it not been for this matter." 
 
 Arthur took his departure on the following day. It seemed 
 to him that Donna Mercedes shunned her brother's room 
 while he was there. He thought it natural that she should 
 be embarrassed by the feeling that she owed so much to him, 
 and that, as the letter he had written for Leon showed, she 
 should be profoundly affected by the events through which 
 she had passed. It was, too, natural that she should desire 
 to be alone with her brother, as at present she was without 
 a maid or companion, and would, of course, wish to act as his 
 nurse. He therefore said good-bye to them in the evening, 
 as he intended to start early. 
 
 "I hope I shall see you in the course of a month or so, 
 Leon," he said. 
 
 " Yes, I hope so." 
 
 "And I trust, Donna Mercedes, that you will be looking 
 more yourself, and will have shaken off the effects of the trial 
 you have gone through." 
 
 The girl put her hand in his, and looked as if she would 
 have spoken, but she was evidently too much moved for 
 words. So he turned and left them. 
 
 " I should hardly have thought that she would have felt it 
 so much," he said to himself as he went up to his room; 
 " though, of course, it has been a most terrible trial, what with 
 the anxiety about her brother and herself. However, I hope 
 she will soon shake it off. I know she has plenty of spirit, 
 and nothing could have been more plucky than the way in 
 which she behaved until we were fairly away from her prison. 
 No doubt she feels it more now that it is all over and she has 
 nothing to keep up for. I wonder how the count will take
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 173 
 
 her breaking off the engagement! I am not sorry she has 
 done it. He is extremely courteous and, I suppose, attentive, 
 but he was always formal, and did not seem to me to really 
 care for her. Not that I know anything of such matters; 
 still, I think myself that if I were engaged to an extremely 
 nice girl, I should not content myself with pressing the tips of 
 her fingers. However, that may be the Spanish custom. How 
 my cousins would have laughed if I had treated them in such 
 a ceremonious sort of way!" 
 
 It was nearly a month before Arthur returned to Madrid, 
 for he was with the Christines when they were defeated by 
 Cabrera with great loss near Tortosa. He had taken no 
 actual part in the fight, though he had ridden with the 
 Christine general, and as soon as he saw that the battle was 
 lost he rode away. 
 
 "It is quite evident, Roper," he said, "that the Christines 
 do not fight so well as the Carlists. They seem to be plucky, 
 too, but the Carlists fight with greater fury. They have much 
 less discipline, but they hurl themselves upon their foes with 
 such a disregard for death that there is no withstanding them. 
 Now, our fellows beat the Carlists at their own game ; they 
 were equally ready to go at the enemy, and had a good deal 
 more discipline. It is evidently useless for us to remain here. 
 Cabrera won't observe the conventions, and kills every officer 
 who falls into his hands. The Christinos would be quite 
 willing to show mercy, but they don't often get the chance of 
 doing so. We will go up to Madrid and report to Colonel 
 Wylde, who will, I dare say, be back by the time we get 
 there." 
 
 "I sha'n't be sorry, sir, for it is not pleasant being with 
 troops who always get licked. It seems to me, sir, that the 
 Carlists are likely to win in the long run." 
 
 " I don't think so, Roper. You see, they will never remain 
 long in the field. Their villages are everywhere in the moun- 
 tains, and they can't be kept together any time, for there is
 
 174 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 the difficulty of provisions. They rush down, defeat or avoid 
 the Christines, and collect a considerable amount of spoil, and 
 then go off to their homes again. They are a sort of semi- 
 organized guerrillas, and although guerrillas can maintain war- 
 fare for a long time, they must in the long run be defeated. 
 They have been fortunate in having wonderfully active leaders. 
 They first of all had Zumalacarreguy, and now they have 
 Cabrera, both of whom have the faculty of inspiring their 
 men with an intense enthusiasm and a willingness to endure 
 all hardship. But neither of these generals has succeeded in 
 introducing anything like discipline, and though splendid 
 guerrilla chiefs, they are not the men for moulding a whole 
 people into regular soldiers." 
 
 Two days after his return to Madrid, Arthur was delighted 
 to see Leon enter his room. He still looked pale and thin, but 
 his expression was bright and cheerful. 
 
 "Well, old Paladin," he exclaimed, "here I am, well and 
 getting strong again. We have travelled by easy stages, and 
 taken ten days to come from Albacete." 
 
 " That is right. I felt sure that when you had nothing to 
 do but eat and drink you would soon pick up again. And 
 your sister, I hope she has recovered also?" 
 
 " Partly, not altogether. I hope she has given up the idea 
 of becoming a religieuse. It would be a thousand pities if 
 she were to shut herself up in a convent, and I am sure she 
 would bitterly regret it afterwards. She has had a great 
 shock, of course, but the effect will pass off in time. I could 
 see that it was a great relief to her when she received an 
 answer from Don Silvio releasing her from her engagement. 
 It was written in excellent language, and was really irre- 
 proachable in tone; but between ourselves I don't think his 
 feelings were very deeply touched. She has certainly picked 
 up faster since she received it. She broke down a good deal 
 when we arrived to-day, and she had her sisters and Donna 
 Martha to cry over and coddle her. I won't ask you to come
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 175 
 
 to us this evening. I think she had better be quiet. What 
 have you been doing since you left us?" 
 
 Arthur gave an account of his journeying. 
 
 "I am thinking," the count said, "of raising two companies 
 from among the tenants of my estate near Seville. I shall 
 not be happy until I have crossed swords with that fellow 
 Cabrera." 
 
 "I can understand that. But, you see, Cabrera is not a 
 fellow to be found so easily; he is here to-day and gone 
 to-morrow; strikes a blow in one place, and then two days 
 afterwards falls upon a column a hundred miles away. I 
 think, Leon, if I were you I would give up the idea. You 
 have everything that one can wish for; you are rich, and 
 popular, and happy in your family. It is all very well for 
 people who want the pay and position of generals to go into 
 the army, but you have nothing to gain by it. And at any 
 rate, as long as your party hold their own against the Carlists, 
 I don't see that you have any business to put on a uniform." 
 
 " Every word you say is as applicable to yourself as it is to 
 me. This is no affair of yours. It doesn't matter a snap of 
 the finger to you whether Don Carlos or Christina reigns in 
 Spain." 
 
 " That is true enough, but I have got my living to get. I 
 like the life and excitement." 
 
 " That is well enough at present, but this war is not going 
 to last for ever." 
 
 "No; and if it were, I should not remain out here. I have 
 some years to kill. When that is over, I shall go home and 
 live on my own land." 
 
 "Oh, I didn't know you had land! you never told me so." 
 
 "No, Leon, I am not given to talk about my own private 
 affairs. I was wild as a boy, and my father thought it was 
 well that I should not come into my fortune until I arrived 
 at years of discretion, and he very wisely tied it up so that I 
 could not touch it until then. I don't mean that I shall ever
 
 176 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 be a great magnate as you are, but I shall have a very nice 
 estate, which will be all the larger for having waited fifteen 
 years for me." 
 
 " I am very glad to hear it, very glad ; though it does seem 
 to me very hard that you should be kept so long out of it. 
 Still, I am the last who ought to complain, for if you had 
 not been obliged to become a sort of knight-errant I should 
 have lost my sister." 
 
 " Nor have I anything to grumble at, though I do wish I had 
 remained at school a couple of years longer and finished my 
 education." 
 
 "Education!" Leon laughed; "you must have done with 
 that long ago." 
 
 " I am not so old as I look," Arthur said. 
 
 "Well, you look as old as I do, anyhow." 
 
 " I am not so old by a good many years. I won't tell you 
 how many, for I don't want to be treated like a little boy." 
 
 " I don't think I should do that if you said that you were 
 only ten." 
 
 " Well, I can tell you, as a great secret, that I am more than 
 ten." 
 
 "Well," Leon said, getting up with a laugh, "now I must 
 be off. Mercedes, who has developed into a regular tyrant, 
 only gave me leave to come out on condition that I would 
 not stop more than five minutes, and if it had been anybody 
 but yourself she would not have let me come at all; not, I 
 think, even if the Queen Regent had sent for me." 
 
 "She is quite right, Leon, though I should like to keep 
 you here; but I am sure that after riding in here this morning 
 you ought not to have moved out again. Well, I will walk 
 with you back to your own door." 
 
 Arthur, on calling on the following morning, was received 
 with great enthusiasm by Mercedes' two younger sisters, with 
 whom he had become a great favourite, and also by the young 
 count. Mercedes, however, seemed painfully shy with him.
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 177 
 
 " I don't think I shall ever feel comfortable with you again, 
 senor," she said with a great effort. " I feel quite overpowered 
 with the sense of what I owe you." 
 
 "Then, senora, you will oblige me to regret that I ever 
 interfered in your behalf," Arthur said with a smile. "The 
 sooner you get that idea out of your head the sooner I shall 
 feel comfortable again. It was a great pleasure to me to be 
 of service to you, but you will take the pleasure out of it 
 altogether if you are going to be unnatural with me." 
 
 " But I can't help it," she said. 
 
 " Then I sha'n't rescue you another time when you get into 
 a scrape. Once I picked a young cousin of mine out of the 
 water. The ice was thin, and I had no right to take her on ; 
 but as I scarcely ever did what was right I took her, and she 
 went through. Of course I went in after her, and we were 
 both nearly drowned. Well, I did not hear the last of that 
 for a long time; it was always being thrown up in my teeth, 
 till I declared that I would never take a girl out skating 
 again. And now it seems that you are going to make it 
 just as disagreeable for me." 
 
 The girl laughed. 
 
 " Well, I will really try hard not to. I will tell myself that 
 anyone else would have done just the same as you did, and 
 that there was no danger in it, and that it was altogether 
 a most commonplace affair." 
 
 "Good!" he said. "That will make us both much more 
 comfortable." 
 
 "And how old was this cousin of yours?" 
 
 "Two years younger than I was. That was the last time 
 we had a bit of fun together. My aunt entertained the idea 
 that I was making the girls into regular tomboys, and I don't 
 think they ever went out with me again afterwards. I am 
 afraid I was not so sorry as I ought to have been at losing 
 their society, for I was getting to the evil age when boys think 
 girls rather nuisances." 
 
 (M966) M
 
 178 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "And what age may that be, seiior?" one of the younger 
 girls asked with a laugh. 
 
 "Well, in England I think it begins about fourteen and 
 lasts till about twenty." 
 
 " Oh, then we may flatter ourselves that you will not regard 
 us as nuisances." 
 
 " No ; you are very well-behaved little girls, and you don't 
 expect me to play with you." 
 
 "Play with us, indeed!" the girl said scornfully; "I should 
 think not. Why, I am fifteen." 
 
 " A very grave and reverent age, senorina. I have not got 
 my hat on, or I would take it off to you in token of my respect, 
 not to say veneration." 
 
 "How different you are from Spaniards!" the girl said. "A 
 young Spanish gentleman would lift his hat courteously if he 
 passed us in the street, but, unless he were very, very intimate, 
 would hardly think of speaking to us even in the house, 
 whereas you actually laugh at us and make fun of us. I have 
 to laugh sometimes when I think I ought to be very indignant." 
 
 "You should practise looking indignant before a glass, 
 senorina, else I am afraid it would be a failure and I should 
 not be properly impressed. Now, Donna Mercedes," he said, 
 turning to her, "I hope you have found Leon a very good 
 patient." 
 
 " He was very good the first fortnight, but after that he was 
 by no means so easy to manage. I had very often to appeal 
 to Donna Martha, and sometimes he absolutely set her at 
 defiance." 
 
 "At any rate he has done credit to your nursing." 
 
 Then they settled down for a quiet talk, and Arthur heard 
 how they had at first travelled by very short stages, and had 
 gradually increased the length of the journeys. 
 
 " It was very tedious," Leon said, " and I could have come 
 a good deal faster if I had been allowed. And now about 
 yourself : I suppose you came back a fortnight ago ?
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 179 
 
 " No ; I only came back the day before you. I changed my 
 mind and went down to Tortosa, as I heard that a battle was 
 imminent there, and to my disgust I saw the Christinos utterly 
 routed by Cabrera. Fortunately the Carlists were not strong 
 in cavalry; if they had been, the Eoyalists would have been 
 entirely destroyed." 
 
 After chatting for some time longer he took his leave. In 
 half an hour he returned. 
 
 "I have just heard very bad news. I can assure you it 
 is very serious. You know that Don Carlos completely de- 
 feated General Buerens at Herrera, killing ninety-two officers 
 and inflicting a loss of two thousand six hundred men killed, 
 wounded, and prisoners. Espartero hurried up to rejoin Oraa. 
 The Carlists affected to retreat, but really joined Cabrera, gave 
 Espartero the slip, and are this morning within four leagues of 
 Madrid." 
 
 An exclamation of dismay broke from his hearers. 
 
 "And we have no troops here!" 
 
 "None but the Urban Guards, who have just been called 
 out; but I should say they could not stand an hour before a 
 Carlist attack; and, moreover, there are, as you know, a large 
 number of Carlist sympathizers who will be certain to rise as 
 soon as they attack the walls." 
 
 " Then I had better send the ladies off at once," Leon said, 
 rising to his feet; "if they leave the other side of the city 
 they may get away." 
 
 "I think it would be safer for them to stay here; the 
 Carlist cavalry may be round the town in a couple of hours. 
 They might be cut off, so that they would certainly be safer 
 here. It is true that Cabrera is with Don Carlos, but he will 
 not be supreme, as the latter would, I am convinced, restrain 
 his cruelty. He would know well enough that nothing could 
 be worse for his cause than for his entry into his capital to 
 be marked by scenes of bloodshed. I think the greatest danger 
 will be from a rising of the mob before the Carlists enter,
 
 180 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 and I should strongly advise you to arm all your men, to 
 barricade all the windows not protected by bars, and prepare 
 to beat off any assault. The house is very strong and solid, 
 and the mob would hardly be able to capture it in the face of 
 a firm resistance, for we may calculate that Don Carlos will 
 enter the town within an hour at most after any disturbance 
 breaks out here." 
 
 " I will have it done at once." 
 
 "I would certainly set about it. It is scarcely likely that 
 Don Carlos will be before the town till to-morrow morning, 
 which will give you ample time to make your preparations. 
 How many men have you?" 
 
 " With the stablemen and all, I have eighteen." 
 
 " That should be sufficient. I will help you to set them to 
 work, and will then go out into the town and bring you in the 
 latest news." 
 
 The men were at once collected. Leon sent some of them 
 out to buy some crowbars, and set them to work to get up 
 the paving-stones in the hall and the yard, and with these to 
 block up all the windows on the ground floor. When they 
 had fairly begun Arthur went out, and, finding Roper, asked 
 him to saddle the horses; and, having done that, rode out 
 to see the state of things prevailing. The streets were in an 
 uproar. Some of the people appeared almost out of their 
 minds with fear, and the dreaded name of Cabrera was on 
 everyone's lips. A large mob had assembled before the 
 head-quarters of government, and with many gestures abused 
 the ministers for leaving the capital undefended. Others 
 among the crowd with difficulty concealed their exultation. 
 Many of the public offices were pelted with stones. A depu- 
 tation of influential citizens went to the palace and had an 
 interview with Christina, who maintained a firm countenance, 
 and told them that Espartero with his army was following hard 
 on the track of Don Carlos, and that the city would at most 
 have to resist for a few hours.
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 181 
 
 Presently there was a rush to the walls, and the Carlist 
 cavalry could be seen galloping towards the town. Arthur 
 mounted his horse and, followed by Roper, rode to the gate 
 towards which the horsemen were approaching. A regiment 
 of the Urban Guards was drawn up here. He rode up to the 
 colonel, who was personally known to him. " Colonel," he said, 
 " may I suggest to you that if you were to lead your men out- 
 side, they could drive off the Carlist cavalry? They could not 
 stand against infantry, and would probably ride off after a 
 short exchange of shots; and the result would greatly raise the 
 spirits of the townspeople, and perhaps lead them to decide 
 upon their making a resistance. Of course I have not a shadow 
 of authority, but as one of the British commissioners I feel it 
 my duty to point out to you the very great advantage of such 
 a step. I am ready myself to ride out with you and take my 
 share in the fighting." 
 
 " I will do it, sir," the colonel answered. " I see the truth 
 of what you say." 
 
 He addressed a few words to the men, and then, ordering 
 the gates to be thrown open, marched out leading the regiment, 
 Arthur riding beside him. The cavalry were but four hundred 
 yards away, and as the infantry marched out they formed up 
 in companies and opened fire upon the horsemen. The latter 
 answered in a straggling and undetermined manner, and then 
 in two or three minutes turned and rode off. 
 
 "I congratulate you, sefior," Arthur said. "I think it is 
 quite probable that you have saved the capital. The troopers 
 will carry back word that the garrison are determined to 
 resist. This is sure to cause hesitation in the councils of Don 
 Carlos, and we may feel certain that at least for to-day nothing 
 will be done, and every hour that passes will bring Espartero 
 nearer to our assistance." 
 
 The regiment were enthusiastically cheered as they returned 
 to the city, and they received a great ovation as they entered 
 the Puerto del Sol, the great square of the town. The minister
 
 182 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 of war himself came down and thanked the colonel, and be- 
 stowed upon him the rank of general. The latter generously 
 said that he had acted in accordance with the advice given 
 him by the British commissioner, that he would not have 
 thought of taking the step but for that advice, and that the 
 British officer had ridden out with him. Thereupon Arthur, 
 who had, when they entered the city, gone off to his lodging, 
 was sent for, and received the formal thanks of the minister. 
 This incident seemed to greatly inspirit the defenders; the 
 noisy crowds now dispersed, and preparations for the defence 
 were carried on vigorously. 
 
 After leaving the Ministry Arthur went back to aid the 
 count in his preparations. Already a great deal had been 
 done, and by evening the house was placed in a position to 
 make a stout defence against any attack by an undisciplined 
 force. 
 
 In the afternoon the count went out for a short time, and 
 on his return said to his sisters: "Young ladies, you will 
 please salute the hidalgo, Captain Arthur Hallett, as the 
 saviour of this city. He told us he had been out through the 
 gate with a regiment that went and fired a few shots at 
 the Carlist cavalry; but it now appears that it was he who 
 advised the officer in command of the regiment to go out, and 
 that he gallantly rode with the colonel at their head, for which 
 service he has been publicly thanked by the minister of war." 
 
 "Yes, and I was ashamed of being thanked," Arthur said. 
 "I went to have a look at the Carlist cavalry. Seeing a 
 regiment of infantry at the gate, I suggested to the colonel 
 that it would be a good thing to go out and drive them off, as 
 even a little thing like that would tend to restore confidence; 
 so we went out and fired half a dozen volleys. The Carlists 
 fired a few shots in return and made off. There is the begin- 
 ning and the end of it." 
 
 " At any rate, Arthur, everyone at the club agreed that it 
 has had a great effect in restoring confidence. The crowd
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 183 
 
 demonstrating in front of the various Ministries dispersed. 
 Many of the men who had absented themselves from the 
 muster of their companies have now joined them, and it seems 
 probable that if Don Carlos attacks us to-morrow, which every- 
 one supposes he will do, a stout defence will be made." 
 
 " Well, I dare say it may have had that effect, Leon. That 
 is just what I expected when I suggested the move, but it 
 is nonsense to make such a fuss about it; and it was as much 
 as I could do not to laugh in the minister's face when he 
 talked about it as a very valiant business." 
 
 " I think, seriously, Arthur, that the affair may have a good 
 deal of consequence. Probably the cavalry were sent on to 
 ascertain the disposition of the town, and see whether it was 
 likely to surrender without a blow; and the fact that this little 
 sortie was made will give the idea that we are prepared for a 
 desperate resistance. Everyone knows that Don Carlos is a 
 man who can never quite make up his mind, and several men 
 at the club agree in thinking that it is quite possible he may 
 march away again without attempting anything." 
 
 " If he does, Leon, it will be a death-blow to his own cause. 
 By throwing Espartero off his track, effecting a junction with 
 Cabrera, and marching within striking distance of the capital, 
 he has got an opportunity that he will never have again. 
 He ought to have attacked to-day. The news that he had 
 captured Madrid would have roused his partisans to great en- 
 thusiasm, and brought all the doubters over to his side; 
 whereas, if he throws away this opportunity he will disgust 
 the men who have come so far from their homes, will cer- 
 tainly infuriate Cabrera, and will show that he is utterly unfit 
 to be the head of a well-nigh desperate cause." 
 
 All night the work of preparation went on. Cannon were 
 got out of the arsenal and mounted in commanding positions. 
 The gates were blocked up with stones, ammunition piled on 
 the walls, and the whole population toiled at making prepara- 
 tions for defence. In the morning every point from which a
 
 184 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 view over the country could be obtained was thronged in anti- 
 cipation of seeing the enemy advancing, but to the general 
 delight the plain seemed to be absolutely deserted. Very 
 speedily a party of mounted gentlemen sallied out from one 
 of the gates, and rode out to reconnoitre the country. Arthur 
 went with them. They rode to within two miles of the Carlist 
 camp, but no signs of movement were discernible. They 
 watched for three hours. At the end of that time they saw 
 the royal tent and those around it lowered, and an hour later 
 could make out the whole army drawing off. With exultant 
 shouts they mounted and rode back to the city, where their 
 news excited a wild enthusiasm. The fickle crowd shouted 
 and applauded the ministers as furiously as they had the 
 morning before denounced them. Leon had, to his great dis- 
 gust, to abandon the idea of joining the party riding out, and 
 had awaited at home the return of Arthur with the news. 
 
 "They have gone!" Arthur exclaimed as he ran upstairs. 
 
 "Gone?" 
 
 "Yes! horse, foot, and baggage." 
 
 "Exit Don Carlos!" the count shouted. "Yesterday he 
 literally had the game in his hands, to-day he has thrown it 
 away. There, girls, please each make a curtsy to Don Arthur, 
 he has saved Spain." 
 
 "What ridiculous nonsense, Leon!" Arthur said almost 
 angrily. 
 
 " It is good sober sense, and not nonsense at all. Don 
 Carlos had no doubt been assured that he had only to elude 
 the armies in the field and show himself before Madrid, when 
 the town would open its gates to him, and the authorities 
 come out to surrender the capital. The fact that the troops 
 sallied out and attacked his cavalry has completely overthrown 
 his hopes. I believe that the town would have surrendered 
 without resistance if he had marched straight on yesterday. 
 To-day it would have fought, but it could not have offered 
 any strong resistance. The walls are rotten, and the Carlist
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 185 
 
 cannon would have made a breach in them in no time. In 
 fact, I don't suppose they would have troubled to do that, 
 but would have carried the place by storm. Now the chance 
 has gone, and for ever; for after this fiasco he will never be 
 able to persuade the mountaineers to make this long march 
 again. They may go on fighting for a long time before the 
 thing is over, but we shall never see the Carlist army before 
 Madrid again. Call it a happy inspiration if you like, my 
 friend, but it was a happy inspiration that saved the Chris- 
 tine cause." 
 
 An hour later a royal messenger came to the house, saying 
 that on calling at the English officer's lodging he was told 
 that he should probably find him at Count de Balen's, and 
 that the queen regent desired his attendance at the palace. 
 
 "I have led my first and last sortie," Arthur exclaimed 
 in a tone of despair. "As far as I am concerned, the Car- 
 lists may occupy Madrid without my moving from my rooms 
 to prevent them. Was there ever such a fuss made over such 
 a ridiculous affair 1 Still, I suppose I must go." 
 
 "Of course you must go," Leon said. "Don't be foolish, 
 Arthur! You can insist on getting off being thanked by 
 Mercedes and me, but there is no getting off being thanked 
 by the queen." 
 
 With a shrug of the shoulders Arthur went down-stairs and, 
 mounting his horse, rode by the side of the mounted messenger 
 to the palace. Here he was at once escorted to the apartment 
 of the queen regent. A number of her ministers were gathered 
 there. By her side was the little Queen Isabella, a child of 
 between five and six years old. Her minister of war stepped 
 forward, and, taking Arthur's hand, led him up to the two 
 queens. 
 
 " Your Majesty," he said, " I beg to present to you Captain 
 Arthur Hallett, one of Her Britannic Majesty's commissioners. 
 I have already had the honour to inform you that to him it is 
 due that Colonel, now General de Layer, conceived the idea of
 
 186 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 leading out on his own responsibility his regiment, which was 
 on guard, against the Carlist cavalry. He accompanied the 
 colonel at the head of his regiment, and they drove off the 
 Carlist cavalry with loss. It is doubtless largely due to that 
 proof of the courage and resolution of Her Majesty's troops 
 that the Pretender abandoned his idea of attacking the town, 
 and has marched away with his force a confession of defeat 
 which will undoubtedly have a very desirable effect in estab- 
 lishing your daughter on the throne, by animating your 
 faithful followers throughout the country, and by dispiriting 
 those of Don Carlos." 
 
 Queen Christina held out her hand to Arthur, who, not being 
 sure of what was the right thing to do, knelt on one knee and 
 kissed it. " Give this gentleman your hand," the queen said 
 to the child; "he has done you a very, very great service." 
 
 The child did as she was told, and said: "Thank you; I 
 think I shall like you very much." 
 
 " I am told also, Captain Hallett," Christina said, " that you 
 performed an act of extreme valour which is at present the 
 talk of our court, namely, that you went alone into the camp 
 of Cabrera and effected the rescue, from that ruthless leader, of 
 the sister of Count Leon de Balen, who had been condemned 
 to death by him an act which in itself stamps you as an 
 officer of the most distinguished bravery. Taking into con- 
 sideration that act, performed on behalf of a sister of a noble- 
 man of our court, and the service you have now performed 
 for us, I have pleasure in handing you the Cross of the First 
 Class of San Fernando and Knight of Isabella the Catholic." 
 
 "I thank your majesty most deeply for the honour you 
 have been pleased to bestow upon me, and which I feel I 
 have done little indeed to deserve." 
 
 "That is for my counsellors and for myself to judge, 
 Captain Hallett," she said graciously. " I trust that we shall 
 see you sometimes at our court." 
 
 Arthur then retired, the court chamberlain having placed
 
 QUEEN CHRISTINA HELD OUT HER HAND"
 
 A GOOD SERVICE 187 
 
 round his neck the sash and insignia of the Order. "I suppose 
 I must wear this thing," he said as he went back, " but it is really 
 too ridiculous. I don't say that the action had not an effect, 
 no doubt it had; but there was nothing in the doing of it." 
 
 He had promised Leon to return and tell him what the 
 queen said to him, and he went up to the drawing-room with 
 quite a rueful expression on his face. The girls were still 
 there with their brother, and as he entered with the decoration 
 all clapped their hands. 
 
 "It is all very well for you to applaud," he said, "but it 
 makes me feel downright ridiculous. If I had done anything 
 worth doing, I don't say that I should not feel gratified at 
 such an honour, but for merely saying ' Let's come out and 
 fire a few shots' it is absurd." 
 
 " It is you that are absurd, Arthur," Leon said, laughing. 
 "Now please tell us exactly what her majesty said. Exactly." 
 
 " Well, she said that I had done her great service, and then 
 that she had heard also about my rescue of Donna Mercedes, 
 and that for that service, performed for the sister of a noble- 
 man of her court, and for the service done to herself, she 
 bestowed this honour upon me." 
 
 "I am glad," Mercedes said in a tone of delight. "You 
 would not let us thank you, but you have been thanked by 
 Queen Christina. I am pleased more than I can say." 
 
 " So am I," Leon said, shaking hands heartily with him. 
 
 "It is very good of you to say so, Leon," Arthur said in a 
 depressed tone; "and I don't say that I shouldn't value the 
 honour immensely if I had really done any exceptionally brave 
 thing. Thank goodness ! I shall only have to wear this ribbon 
 and star on very special occasions." 
 
 "Yes; but you will always have to wear the rosette, you 
 must remember that. In this country you are now the Cavalier 
 Arthur Hallett, with a right of entry to the royal court at all 
 times, and many other privileges, concerning which I will 
 make enquiry and inform you."
 
 188 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur laughed uneasily. " It is all very well for you to 
 joke about it, Leon, but I can assure you that I find it rather 
 a heavy infliction." 
 
 "You should not," Leon said earnestly. "It is a real honour, 
 and, let me tell you, a high one; and to us it is a special and 
 very great pleasure that the service you did us has been con- 
 sidered in the bestowal of it upon you." 
 
 " Well, I won't grumble any more, and will specially regard 
 it as a souvenir of the service I was enabled to render to 
 your sister, which it will be one of my greatest pleasures to 
 remember all my life." 
 
 "That is well spoken," Leon said; "and, like yourself, I can 
 assure you that it is an immense pleasure to us that, although 
 we are powerless to show the gratitude we owe you, the action 
 has been recognized by our queen." 
 
 "And now, Leon," Arthur said, to turn the conversation, 
 "you have all the work of putting down your pavements 
 again." 
 
 " Yes. As I don't think we shall hear Don Carlos knocking 
 at our doors again, I have already set the men to work, and 
 we shall soon have things tidy once more." 
 
 "Well now, I will be going, Leon." 
 
 " Well, don't forget that you are engaged to dine here to-day. 
 We shall have quite a gathering to celebrate our return." 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 
 
 Tj^SPARTERO marched in on the following day, and after 
 J-J spending three days in resting and refitting his army, 
 started on the 17th of September in pursuit of Don Carlos, 
 and, pressing upon his rear, obtained the welcome news that
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 189 
 
 Cabrera, utterly disgusted with his irresolution, had left him 
 with his command and gone back to the mountains. Colonel 
 Wylde had returned on the day after Espartero arrived. 
 
 "I hear you have been doing good service, Captain Hallett," 
 he said, when Arthur called upon him. 
 
 " The service was really nothing, sir ; it was not worth 
 talking about. Some Carlist cavalry came galloping up 
 against one of the gates, and as there was a regiment of the 
 Urban Guards drawn up there, I advised their colonel to go 
 out and drive them off. He took my advice, and went out 
 and fired two volleys, and the Carlists bolted." 
 
 "Yes, I quite admit that the affair was unimportant in 
 itself ; but there can be equally no doubt that it had very wide 
 consequences. No doubt Don Carlos sent on his cavalry in 
 hopes that the town would open its gates to him, as we may 
 be sure his partisans had promised to do. When they were 
 so roughly received, he imagined that he had been altogether 
 misinformed, and that he would meet with a desperate resist- 
 ance. Knowing how close Espartero was behind him, he con- 
 cluded that he would not be able to capture the place before 
 that general arrived, and so drew off. There can be no doubt 
 that his hesitation at this critical moment has sealed his fate. 
 He will never get the Basques to come down from their moun- 
 tains again. I am told, also, that you did a very gallant action 
 down in the south, and it was that as well as the affair here 
 that induced Christina to give you the Order of San Fernando 
 and knighthood. I shall have pleasure in recommending to 
 the government at home that you be permitted to accept and 
 wear the decorations, which you could not do at home without 
 such permission." 
 
 " I certainly should not want to wear them at home. They 
 may be very useful to me in this country, though indeed I 
 should hardly like to wear them even here, for I have cer- 
 tainly done nothing to deserve such honour. I shall really 
 be glad, sir, if you will send me off again as speedily as pos-
 
 190 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 sible, for I shall be glad to escape from the congratulations 
 which I shall have to receive if I remain in Madrid." 
 
 " Things are likely to be quiet for a time," the colonel said. 
 " Espartero has applied for another army to be raised, but the 
 ministry are so jealous of him that there is little chance that 
 the request will be granted, and he will have to set off in 
 pursuit of Don Carlos with but a small force. At present 
 the real point of interest in Spain is the struggle between 
 Espartero and the government, a body of men utterly inca- 
 pable and wholly corrupt. Their weakness and unpopularity 
 constitute the greatest danger that threatens the country, now 
 that Don Carlos has retired. I have the honour to be in the 
 confidence of Christina, and she feels deeply the situation in 
 which she is placed by the intrigues and jealousies of these 
 men. Unfortunately she is powerless in their hands, and can 
 only endeavour to keep matters going, and to prevent an open 
 outbreak between the various parties. However, as you want 
 to get away, you may as well go with Espartero; I will intro- 
 duce you to him to-morrow." 
 
 "Thank you very much! I would far rather be moving 
 about than staying here, for I feel that I am drawing my 
 pay and doing very little for it." 
 
 The colonel smiled. "It is evident, Hallett, that patience 
 is not one of your virtues. You have just been away for two 
 months, and only returned three days ago. However, I can 
 understand that Madrid has no great attractions for you, and 
 that you prefer being actively employed. I have seen Espar- 
 tero this morning, and he intends to start again in two days' 
 time, so you will not have long to wait." 
 
 Espartero received Arthur warmly when Colonel Wylde 
 presented him on the following day, and spoke strongly of 
 the service he had rendered in getting the regiment to go out 
 and meet the Carlist horse. " I wish," he said, " that I had 
 a few young officers ready to take the initiative. There is 
 no lack of bravery among my troops ; they obey orders and
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 191 
 
 fight well, but I have to see to everything myself. Doubtless 
 things will improve in time; and I think that this action of 
 yours may have some influence in showing the officers of the 
 army that opportunities present themselves sometimes, when 
 even the youngest can make their mark. I shall be very glad 
 indeed to have you with me, and I trust that you will con- 
 sider yourself on my staff." 
 
 "Captain Hallett could very well do so," Colonel Wylde 
 said; "the alliance is becoming closer between the two nations. 
 British marines and sailors have been fighting in the north, 
 and it is more than probable that a force of regular troops will 
 be sent from England, only Captain Hallett must recollect 
 that if he takes any active part in an engagement he forfeits 
 his privileges as a British commissioner, and will certainly, if 
 captured, be treated as a prisoner of war." 
 
 "I am quite ready to risk that, sir," Arthur said. 
 
 "Yes; but you must bear in mind that I must at any 
 moment be able to recall you if I need your services else- 
 where." 
 
 "Certainly, sir; I shall always hold myself at your orders." 
 
 Loud regrets were expressed by Leon and his sisters when 
 they heard that their friend was leaving them so soon. 
 
 " You can do us good service here, Leon, if you choose." 
 
 "How do you mean 1 ?" 
 
 "Well, it is clear enough that the ministry, divided as they 
 are on all other points, are united in their jealousy of Espartero, 
 who seems to me the one honest and capable man in Spain. 
 Now, if you would endeavour to get up a party to support 
 him, and to move public opinion so strongly in his favour that 
 they will compel the ministry either to give him adequate 
 support or expose themselves to be kicked out, you will be 
 doing a great service to the country. You saw yourself the 
 condition of his force when they marched in yesterday, utterly 
 worn out and fatigued, almost in rags deficient in everything 
 that makes up an army. If you speak of this on all occasions,
 
 192 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 | 
 
 stir up feeling among men of your own class, denounce the 
 government for refusing to supply him with the men and 
 means to carry on the war on a proper scale, you will be 
 doing an immense amount of good." 
 
 "I will do so; I will become a conspirator. I thoroughly 
 agree with you as to Espartero, and will really devote myself 
 to supporting him. Henceforth I will become a public man, 
 and make government tremble;" and he struck his breast 
 theatrically. His sisters and Arthur all broke into a laugh. 
 "Seriously, I will devote myself to the business, Arthur. I 
 have felt for some time that 1 ought to be doing something for 
 my country. I know nothing of soldiering, and cannot very 
 well ask for a musket and go out and fight; but I do think 
 I could be doing some good in working for the downfall 
 of this government, for which no one but its hangers-on and 
 followers have a good word to say. I will begin by speaking 
 indignantly of the state of Espartero's army, and directly he 
 openly breaks with government I will work heart and soul to 
 second his efforts." 
 
 "Don't be in too much of a hurry, Leon; you know that 
 men who have spoken out too loudly have been either sent 
 to their estates or imprisoned. Begin at first by declaring 
 that the state of the army is disgraceful; do not attack the 
 government until Espartero himself takes the field against 
 them. When he once does so, I am convinced that the dis- 
 satisfaction that exists will find a voice, and that the govern- 
 ment will not dare to set themselves against it." 
 
 Two days afterwards Arthur and his follower started with 
 Espartero. Four days later they found that Don Carlos was 
 only three leagues in advance; and believing that his force 
 were resting for the day, Espartero at once moved forward. 
 But he was ignorant of the nature of the country; had he 
 been aware of it, he could have caught them in a trap, and 
 Don Carlos himself would have fallen into his hands. Un- 
 fortunately, as he had to feel his way down a deep defile, the
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 193 
 
 4P 
 
 Carlists discovered his approach and retired precipitately. 
 On the 28th it was found that Don Carlos had been joined by 
 another division, but Espartero had also been strengthened. 
 He therefore divided his army into two corps, one commanded 
 by General Lorenzo with fourteen battalions, while he retained 
 the command of the other and larger division. A few days 
 later the former force was attacked suddenly by a superior 
 Carlist army. It defended itself with great obstinacy. 
 
 Espartero started instantly .when he heard the sound of the 
 firing, and arrived in time to save Lorenzo, and, attacking the 
 left and centre of the Carlist force, sent them flying in disorder. 
 He was, however, unable to follow up his victory, being forced 
 to await the arrival of some convoys of clothing and provisions. 
 These arrived two days later, and, pressing forward, he picked 
 up many deserters from the Carlist ranks. These all declared 
 that discord and confusion raged in the Carlist army, and that 
 the Basques and Navarrese had declared their determination 
 to return to their provinces whether Don Carlos was willing or 
 not. In the course of two or three days their army broke up 
 altogether, crossing the Ebro at various points under their 
 respective chiefs, and making their way off to the mountains. 
 Espartero devoted the remainder of the year to organizing 
 transport and supply, and punishing acts of indiscipline and 
 insubordination that had broken out at various places. 
 
 As soon as the operations ceased Colonel Wylde wrote to 
 Arthur requesting him to go down to join General Flinter, 
 an English officer in the service of Spain, who was about to be 
 sent down to Toledo at the request of the deputies of Estre- 
 madura. He at once left Espartero and rode to Toledo, where 
 he arrived on the same day as General Flinter. 
 
 " Colonel Wylde told me that he had sent you to join me, 
 Captain Hallett, and spoke very highly of your energy and 
 courage. I shall be very glad to have your assistance. This 
 place is a nest of Carlism. Their central Junta is here, and 
 although at the present moment I cannot take any steps 
 
 (M966) N
 
 194 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 against them while they remain quiet, it will not be very long 
 before I shall be able to do so." 
 
 Arthur took up his quarters at the same hotel as the general, 
 and for the next fortnight aided him in restoring discipline and 
 order among the troops, who had been in garrison there for 
 some time, and had fallen into a slack state. At the end of 
 that time news was brought that a Carlist force under Basilio 
 Garcia was approaching on a raiding expedition, and Flinter 
 persuaded the authorities of the town to join him in declaring 
 it in a state of siege. 
 
 "Now," he said, "I may be able to lay hands on some of 
 these Carlist fellows, if I can but obtain evidence against 
 them. There is no doubt that among them are some of the 
 leading men of the province, and I am afraid that, even if I 
 catch them, they will slip through my fingers. The govern- 
 ment at Madrid are, as you know, very hostile to the English. 
 Sir George Villiers, our minister, is constantly urging them to 
 support Espartero, and is in close communication with that 
 general, therefore they are opposed to us all. It was only 
 because they did not see how they could refuse the request of 
 the deputies of Estremadura that I was allowed to come here. 
 You may be sure that, what with the personal objections of 
 ministers to me, and the fact that these men are all wealthy 
 enough to bribe right and left, they will take no action against 
 them, however clear the evidence I may be able to bring 
 forward. Still, that makes no difference in my duty, and 
 I shall certainly lay hands on them if I can obtain anything 
 like certain evidence." 
 
 "Who is considered the principal?" 
 
 " The Duke de Ladra." 
 
 "It is at his house they are likely to meet, I suppose?" 
 
 " Yes, I should say so." 
 
 "I will set my man to work; he is a sharp fellow, and he 
 may be able to find out something about these meetings." 
 
 Roper had had his time entirely on his hands since their
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 195 
 
 arrival at Toledo, and, being of a chatty disposition, had 
 already made a great many acquaintances. He was a good- 
 looking young fellow, and his scarlet uniform opened the 
 doors of a good many houses to him. 
 
 " Eoper," Arthur said to him that evening, "I know that 
 you are constantly getting up flirtations wherever you go." 
 
 " Well, sir," Roper said, " I must do something, and some- 
 times it has been hard work to kill time. Did you say that 
 for any particular reason f 
 
 " Yes. Do you happen to know anyone in the household of 
 the Duke de Ladra?" 
 
 "Well, yes, sir; I do know a young woman there. She 
 went with me to a festa yesterday evening." 
 
 "Well, I wish you could find out in some way when any 
 meetings of leading men of the place are held there, and 
 whether they meet on any particular day." 
 
 "I know that there was a meeting last night, sir, because 
 she said it was what she called a men's evening, and therefore 
 she could get out." 
 
 " Well, when you see her again, Roper, you might perhaps 
 find out when the next meeting will take place, by asking her 
 when she can come out next." 
 
 "I can manage that easily enough, sir;" and he looked en- 
 quiringly at his master. 
 
 " I want to be present at it, Roper." 
 
 "You do, sir?" 
 
 "Yes. These men are Carlist conspirators. We cannot 
 seize them without some evidence against them, and if I could 
 only overhear their talk we should be able to lay hands upon 
 them." 
 
 " That would not be easy, sir." 
 
 "No; I quite see that. But don't you think that if you 
 were to say that you know a cavalero who is very anxious to 
 be present at one of these meetings, and would willingly pay 
 ten golden pieces to anyone who would smuggle him up a back
 
 196 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 stair to a point where he could see what goes on, she would 
 be likely to accept the money 1 ?" 
 
 " I can't tell you, sir. Ten pounds is a large sum to one of 
 these servants, who don't get more than two or three pounds a 
 year. I should tell her, of course, that it would never be 
 known who had admitted you, and you would take an oath not 
 to betray her if anything happened. Possibly she might con- 
 sent; at any rate I could sound her carefully. It would be 
 quite a marriage dot to her; but it would be a dangerous 
 business for you, sir, if you were caught." 
 
 "Yes; but when everything was arranged I should get 
 General Flinter to send down a body of troops under an officer 
 to surround the house, with a warrant for the arrest of all 
 persons found within it. If I were discovered I should at once 
 fire a pistol, and that would be the signal for the officer to 
 rush in with the soldiers, and run upstairs to the room. As 
 soon as they heard the noise, they would cease attacking me. 
 You might possibly be up there with me. If so, I think we 
 could certainly rely upon holding our own against a dozen 
 conspirators for three or four minutes." 
 
 " Yes, I should say so, sir. Half of them are likely to be 
 oldish men, and would be so surprised and confounded at 
 seeing us that they would lose some time before making the 
 attack." 
 
 Two days later Roper brought news that he had met the 
 young woman again; she was not unwilling to help, but that 
 she held out for twenty pounds; that the meetings were held 
 once a week, and that there was likely to be another in four 
 days. "She is to meet me again to-morrow evening. I am 
 to tell her whether you are willing to pay twenty pounds, and 
 to hand it to her when she lets us in." 
 
 " Yes, I will pay that. It is worth it; for if these fellows 
 organize a rising in the town at the same time as the Carlists 
 attack it, we shall be in a very bad way. When you see her 
 to-morrow, I will tell the general."
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 197 
 
 On the next evening Roper brought news that everything 
 was arranged, and that they were to be at a certain back-door 
 of the duke's mansion at nine o'clock on the following Thurs- 
 day. 
 
 Arthur then went in and told the general. 
 
 " It is a capital plan, Captain Hallett, and I am deeply in- 
 debted to you; at the same time, it is a dangerous one as far 
 as you are concerned." 
 
 " I don't think there is much danger in it, sir. In the first 
 place, we are not likely to be discovered, and if we are, my 
 man and I can defend ourselves till the troops come up." 
 
 " Well, if you are ready to take the risk there is no question 
 that the scheme is an advantageous one, and will remove a 
 very serious danger. I will, on the morning of Thursday, 
 draw up an order for the arrest of all persons found at the 
 duke's, and will, soon after nine, myself bring down a hun- 
 dred picked men. You may be sure that if I hear a pistol- 
 shot I shall instantly demand admittance, and rush up to 
 your assistance. You had better get me information as to 
 the precise position of the room, so that we may be" able to 
 make straight for it, and not waste time in entering other 
 rooms." 
 
 The preparations all worked smoothly. At six o'clock in 
 the evening there was a meeting of deputies and the warrants 
 for arrest were signed, and a few minutes before nine Arthur 
 and Roper, both wrapped up in cloaks, and carrying pistols as 
 well as swords, went round to a door that the woman had 
 shown to the latter. Roper knocked three times, and the door 
 was opened. They entered, and Arthur handed to the woman 
 the money he had promised her. 
 
 " You follow me very quietly," she said. " There is no fear 
 of our meeting anyone, these stairs are never used after dark. 
 I will take you to the room, but you must arrange about 
 your own hiding-place. Mind your promise that, whatever 
 happens, you will not betray me."
 
 198 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Do not be afraid," Arthur said, " we will keep good faith 
 with you." 
 
 Going up very cautiously in the dark, they came presently 
 to a small landing. " This is the door," she said. " I believe 
 they have all arrived, and will come here in a few minutes." 
 
 She opened the door carefully and looked in. " Those cur- 
 tains are the best hiding-place," she said, pointing to some 
 drawn across the window. " I don't think there is any chance 
 that they will move them." 
 
 She closed the door behind them, and they walked across to 
 the window and took their places behind the curtains. It was 
 a room of considerable size. A table stood in the middle, and 
 at this twelve chairs were placed, with writing materials before 
 each. They talked together in a low whisper. 
 
 " If a row takes place we will both run to the corner to the 
 left. In that way only two persons can attack us at once, and 
 as they will probably have nothing but knives about them, we 
 ought to be able to keep them off easily enough." 
 
 Presently the door opened, and twelve gentlemen entered. 
 The last to come in turned the key in the door, and one of 
 them went to the door by which Arthur had entered and 
 locked that also; then they sat down and began to talk. 
 They were, as the general had thought probable, arranging 
 a plan by which parties of men should seize the various 
 gates. They were to wait till the major part of the troops 
 had issued out to meet the Carlists, and then the bands were 
 to fall upon those that remained. Each of those present gave 
 in a list of the number of followers and friends he could 
 answer for. The total amounted to about six hundred, but 
 they agreed that this number would probably be multiplied by 
 four, as it was certain that a large number of the lower class 
 of the town would join them, though it would not be prudent 
 to take them into the plot till the moment for action arrived. 
 
 Arthur had heard enough, and he was sure that by this 
 time the house would be surrounded and the general ready to
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 199 
 
 enter. He whispered to Koper to be ready, and then, turning 
 round, thrust his pistol through the window and pulled the 
 trigger. Then, as the people at the table sprang to their feet, 
 he and Roper leapt out and took their places in the corner, 
 Arthur saying: "You had better surrender, gentlemen! The 
 house is surrounded, and there are no means of escape." 
 
 Several of the younger men drew their knives, but shrank 
 back as Arthur and his follower dropped their cloaks, drew 
 their swords, and levelled their pistols. " You will only be 
 throwing away your lives," Arthur said sternly. "Armed as 
 we are, we are a match for the whole of you. Listen! you 
 can hear blows on the door below." 
 
 There was indeed a sound of loud knocking, which suddenly 
 ceased. The conspirators spoke hastily together. One man 
 ran to the table and caught up some of the papers, but Arthur 
 fired at his hand. Almost immediately afterwards there was 
 a loud knocking at the door. Shrugging his shoulders, the 
 duke walked to it and turned the key. The general, followed 
 by a dozen soldiers, entered. " Duke de Ladra," he said, 
 " you are my prisoner, together with all in this room. I hold 
 a warrant of arrest against the whole of you, on a charge of 
 treason against the queen and government." 
 
 " I have no power to resist you, sir," the duke said, " but 
 you will repent this outrage." 
 
 " I think not, duke. The town being in a state of siege, I 
 have full authority to act as I have done. But the warrant is 
 also signed by ten of the deputies of Estremadura. Now, 
 gentlemen, I do -not wish to use violence. I will allow you all 
 to take your hats and cloaks, and must then march you to a 
 place of detention. The matter will then be looked into, and 
 you will be tried by court-martial" 
 
 The duke bowed coldly. "Gentlemen," he said to his 
 friends, " for the present we must yield to force. We shall 
 doubtless have a reckoning with this gentleman later on." 
 
 Quietly they walked down-stairs. The general directed four
 
 200 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 soldiers to remain with Arthur until he returned. He marched 
 the prisoners to the jail and placed a strong guard over them, 
 and then returned to the house. 
 
 " Your plan has worked splendidly," he said to Arthur, 
 " and it has been managed without bloodshed." 
 
 " Altogether, except that I had to put a bullet through the 
 hand of one of them, who was about to destroy those papers 
 they are lists of the number of men that each bound himself 
 to produce when the rising took place." 
 
 " And you heard all that was said?" 
 
 " Yes;" and he related the conversation which he had over- 
 heard. The room was then searched carefully, and a number 
 of papers and letters to friends throughout the country were 
 discovered, showing that preparations had been made for a 
 very formidable rising throughout the province directly Toledo 
 fell into the hands of the Carlists. 
 
 " It is well that we nipped the thing in the bud," General 
 Flinter said when he examined the papers, which were carried 
 for that purpose to his rooms. "Now, I dare say you think 
 that these men will all be executed; you were never more mis- 
 taken. We shall try them by court-martial and condemn 
 them to death : the government will smother the whole thing 
 up and release them." 
 
 "Impossible!" 
 
 " It is not only possible, but certain. These men are all 
 playing a double game. In the first place, they wish to keep 
 well with both sides; in the second place, they hate me, first 
 as an Englishman, and secondly as a strong adherent of 
 Espartero; in the third place, these men will bribe the 
 government largely, and money will do anything in Spain. 
 However, one good thing will come of the discovery of the 
 plot: it will excite immense alarm among all connected with 
 it. Many, when they hear of the seizure of these compromising 
 letters, will move away from their homes at once until they 
 think that the storm has passed over, or keep quiet, and
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 201 
 
 instead of having the whole country in a flame we shall only 
 have Basilio's force to deal with." 
 
 Two days later the court-martial was held, the general and 
 his officers sitting upon it. Arthur and Eoper both repeated 
 what they had heard; the lists of men that would be supplied, 
 and the work for which they were to be told off, were brought 
 forward, together with some arrangements that had been made 
 between the duke and Basilio; and the prisoners were found 
 guilty and condemned to death. The proceedings of the 
 court-martial and the sentences were sent off to Madrid for 
 confirmation by the government. 
 
 "Now, that is off our hands," the general said to Arthur 
 when the tribunal broke up, " and we can turn our attention 
 to Basilic without any fear of leaving the city unguarded." 
 
 Two days later, however, a messenger arrived post-haste 
 from Madrid saying that the proceedings had been most high- 
 handed, and that the prisoners were merely to be kept in 
 confinement for the present. At the same time half of General 
 Flinter's little force was at once to march for the capital. 
 
 "What did I tell you?" the general said, as he threw the 
 order across the table to Arthur. " What do you think of 
 that for a government?" 
 
 " If I had my way, I should like to march to Madrid, seize 
 the whole of those scoundrels, and hang them from their own 
 balconies." 
 
 "Well, I have nothing to do but obey orders; but if they 
 think they have prepared the way for the Carlists to enter 
 Toledo they are greatly mistaken. I shall obey the order 
 and send off the troops. I shall refrain from executing these 
 traitors; but I shall not let that part of the order be known, 
 and so shall keep their friends throughout the country on 
 thorns." 
 
 The conspirators, indeed, had taken advantage of the laxity 
 of the prison arrangements to send off large sums of money 
 to members of the government to endeavour to procure the
 
 202 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 removal of General Flinter. Tne government journals pre- 
 pared the way by violent abuse of the general, who had mal- 
 treated harmless men, and was a brutal Englishman; and 
 in a few days orders were issued for his removal. The 
 Carlists, who were kept well informed of what was going on, 
 approached Toledo and actually obtained possession of the 
 bridge, but Flinter was still there, although he had received 
 the notice of his removal. He had but three hundred men 
 under his command, but with these he sallied out and, after 
 hard fighting, drove the enemy off. He started in pursuit, and 
 received some reinforcements as he went, and being perfectly 
 well acquainted with the country he was enabled to continue 
 his march all night. In the morning he came upon a large 
 body of Carlists, and, taking them completely by surprise, fell 
 upon them and utterly routed them. 
 
 No more brilliant act had been performed during the war. 
 The government in vain endeavoured to belittle it, but the 
 people were not to be deceived, and by them Flinter's 
 victory was regarded at its true value. They pronounced so 
 strongly in favour of him that the government was reluc- 
 tantly obliged to yield, made him a Marshal de Campo, and 
 placed him in charge of the provinces of La Mancha and 
 Toledo. The action had a great effect upon the course of the 
 war in Estremadura. It completely disorganized the Carlists 
 among the mountains of Toledo, set free an important 
 province, and robbed the enemy of a base for the operations 
 which they had arranged should take place there during the 
 approaching season. 
 
 Arthur had ridden out with the general to the attack of the 
 party who had occupied the bridge, and took part in the night 
 march and in the concluding victory, and the general in his 
 report spoke very highly of his courage and services, and, 
 moreover, gave him full credit for the discovery of the plot 
 and capture of the plotters. The government complained 
 both to Sir George Villiers and Colonel Wylde of the share
 
 - A THWARTED PLOT 203 
 
 he had taken in the operations, but both replied that British 
 officers were perfectly at liberty to take part in operations 
 that would strengthen the Royal cause, and that the govern- 
 ment were only too glad of the assistance of British seamen 
 and marines in the operations in the north. 
 
 The government then endeavoured to sow dissension be- 
 tween Espartero and Cordova. The latter had now left the 
 army and returned to Madrid, where he had entered the 
 Cortes. But Cordova remained firm, and refused to be brought 
 into these intrigues. They further endeavoured to annoy 
 Espartero by displacing the chief of his staff, in whom he had 
 implicit trust, without consulting him. 
 
 Arthur had, after the defeat of the Carlists by General 
 Flinter, returned to Madrid and gone to join Espartero, who 
 on the 28th of January arrived at Villa Nueva de Mena and 
 found the enemy strongly posted and entrenched on the right 
 bank of the river Cadagua. On the morning of the 30th he 
 attacked them in three columns under a heavy fire, and after 
 hard fighting succeeded in driving them from four villages 
 they had occupied. 
 
 They fell back to a still stronger position in the rear, but 
 from this they were also driven, and by one o'clock they were 
 in disorderly retreat; but owing to the difficult country no 
 pursuit was attempted that day. The next morning Espartero 
 moved with eight battalions to Berron, Iriarte going to the 
 right with four battalions. After marching half a league he 
 found the enemy strongly entrenched, but they retreated, on 
 his approach, to the fortified convent of Santa Isabel, where 
 they had the support of two Biscayan regiments and four bat- 
 talions of Navarrese, and occupied the formidable heights in 
 heavy masses. As soon as Iriarte's column became engaged 
 with the Carlist left, Espartero attacked the position of Santa 
 Isabel, and, in spite of a very heavy fire with which he was 
 met, carried it with a rush and advanced against the heights, 
 on which the chief force of the enemy was posted.
 
 204 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Here an obstinate resistance was made; but before dark the 
 Carlists had been dislodged at the point of the bayonet, and 
 were in full retreat into the mountains. The Christines 
 remained near Berron to protect the evacuation of Balmaseda. 
 This place was at such a distance from the base that it was 
 considered impracticable to hold it, as its supply of provisions 
 could only be kept up by means of large escorts and at con- 
 siderable loss of life. It was therefore decided to blow up the 
 fort and withdraw the garrison, strengthening, however, the 
 fort at Villa Nueva de Mena, which now became the most 
 advanced post of the Christinos. This was left in charge of 
 General Latre, Espartero returning to Logrono. 
 
 In the meantime, however, matters were going badly else- 
 where. The fortresses of Morella and Benicai lo had just fallen 
 into Cabrera's hands, and Oraa, who was opposing him, was 
 calling loudly for reinforcements. Basilio Garcia was plunder- 
 ing Castile. Espartero, now sickened by the abuse which had 
 been poured upon him by the orders of the government at 
 Madrid, determined to match himself against them, and issued 
 a proclamation giving an account of the state of the army, the 
 sufferings of the soldiers who were without pay, and often 
 without food and the contempt with which the government, 
 while wringing money in every manner from the country, 
 turned a deaf ear to all his requests and left the army to 
 starve. This proclamation had an immense effect throughout 
 the country. The people had been so sedulously taught to 
 believe that everything was going on well, that the troops 
 were well fed and regularly paid, that this exposition by the 
 general whom all trusted and believed came like a thunder- 
 clap, and eventually brought about the downfall of the 
 ministry. 
 
 From this moment they felt that Espartero was their 
 master, and, although still putting many difficulties in his 
 way, did not venture openly to oppose him. Espartero's 
 next movement of any consequence was in connection with a
 
 A THWARTED PLOT 205 
 
 Carlist expedition under Negri, which had been despatched 
 with the intention of wasting the hitherto unmolested pro- 
 vinces of Galicia and the Asturias. It was extremely im- 
 portant that this expedition should be crushed; because if the 
 Carlists were permitted to lay waste these provinces, which 
 were both rich and well-affected to the Christino cause, there 
 would be so great a falling off in the contributions that it 
 would be difficult in the extreme to maintain the armies in 
 the field. Espartero set out with nine battalions and fourteen 
 guns, but without cavalry, while General Latre", who was to 
 follow him by a separate route, had also nine battalions. He 
 was in total ignorance of the movements of Negri, who 
 entered Castile on the loth of March at Soucillo, but he 
 discovered on the 24th that he had gone into the Asturias. 
 Latre came up with him on the 21st, and, although inferior in 
 force, had the advantage. Espartero marched on Leon to 
 prevent their entering Galicia or uniting with Don Basilio. 
 Under a good leader the men had confidence. The Christinos 
 were capable of very long marches, and on this occasion they 
 travelled two hundred miles in nine days, and a short time 
 afterwards marched ninety-two leagues in fourteen days. 
 
 While they were doing this good service, Iriarte, with a 
 division twice as strong as that of Negri, was resting quietly 
 at Alcobendas with the apparent intention only of avoiding 
 the enemy. Had the Carlists remained in the Asturias after 
 their defeat by Latre", they would have found great difficulty in 
 escaping from the united action of that general and Espartero; 
 but on hearing of Espartero's movement on Leon they counter- 
 marched, and on the 27th of March were at Belorado, with 
 Latr6's division now under Iriarte a day's march in their 
 rear. Espartero had also returned by forced marches to 
 Palencia, and reckoned on finding himself, after two or three 
 short marches, in front of the enemy, with Iriarte only a short 
 distance in the rear; but on the night of the 30th of March he 
 received a despatch saying that another Carlist expedition had
 
 206 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 passed into Castile. This, like much of the information he 
 obtained, turned out to be untrue, but it compelled him to 
 march in that direction, leaving the pursuit of Negri to 
 Iriarte. 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 A FIASCO 
 
 WHILE Espartero was waiting for news that Negri was 
 approaching, he learned that Iriarte had inflicted a 
 check upon the Carlist leader, and that the latter had again 
 countermarched. He at once concluded that the Carlists 
 would make for the Sierra de Burgos, and, marching with all 
 speed in that direction, at one o'clock on the morning of the 
 22nd instant he came within sight of their camp-fires. They 
 retreated, and he did not overtake them for some time. 
 Espartero, with his staff, a few mounted officers, and a little 
 escort of forty cavalry of the guard and twenty-five English 
 lancers, had pressed on ahead of his troops, and, fearing 
 that the enemy would outmarch his men and get away, 
 placed himself at the head of the little party and charged 
 furiously down upon them. 
 
 Taken wholly by surprise at this sudden attack, and not 
 knowing what force he had at his back, two thousand men 
 surrendered to him without resistance. There was a scene of 
 wild enthusiasm among the troops when they came up and 
 saw what had been effected. It was little wonder, indeed, 
 that Espartero's troops were so devoted to him, so ready to 
 make any exertion when called upon to do so, and to attack 
 any force of the enemy against whom they might be directed. 
 Espartero possessed, indeed, all the attributes required of a 
 great general quick in decision, prompt in action, firm 
 under disappointment, ready to delay until the right moment
 
 A FIASCO 207 
 
 arrived for striking, or to hurl his troops impetuously at any 
 point required; taking the greatest care for the comfort of his 
 men, able to bear calmly the factious opposition of political 
 antagonists, and to be patient under the repeated blunders 
 or obstinate lethargy of the military commanders serving 
 under him. A great and strong man in every way, the only 
 really great man that Spain has produced for the past two 
 centuries. 
 
 The enthusiasm excited by this daring action greatly 
 strengthened Espartero's hold upon the people in general. 
 The destruction of Negri's expedition was complete, for, in 
 addition to those who had fallen in battle or who had been 
 taken prisoners, no fewer than two thousand had deserted 
 during the pursuit by Iriarte, or had, after being captured, 
 consented to join the queen's service. 
 
 "It was worth while to take part in this affair, Koper. 
 One might live a century and not have a chance of being one 
 of seventy or eighty men who charged an army of two thou- 
 sand and took them all prisoners. It does one good to serve 
 under such men as Espartero and General Flinter." 
 
 "That it does, sir; they are both splendid fellows and no 
 mistake. It seems to me that the Carlists are fools to go on 
 with this war; they are always on the run. I don't say that 
 they don't fight bravely sometimes, but they must have lost 
 all real hope of success. Everyone says they are sick of Don 
 Carlos." 
 
 "Yes; he is the last sort of man with whom brave people 
 could have any sympathy. He is surrounded by mere ad- 
 venturers, holds himself entirely aloof from his own generals, 
 and treats them as haughtily as if he were a king who could 
 bestow all honours and rewards. I should think that they are 
 no longer really fighting to put him on the throne. The 
 northern provinces are still holding out for their privileges. 
 As to Valencia and Aragon, I should say that they are 
 fighting from sheer obstinacy. I do not see what they have
 
 208 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 to hope for. They have been struggling for four years, and 
 so far have certainly held their own, thanks to the energy of 
 Cabrera; but there must be an end to it sooner or later, when 
 they will find that they have gained nothing by all their 
 losses and sacrifices." 
 
 Espartero moved up to Vittoria, and in June laid siege to the 
 fortified town of Alava, on the high-road from Vittoria to 
 Pena-Cerrada. This town had been taken by the Carlists ten 
 months previously, and these had placed a strong garrison in 
 it. He arrived in front of the town on the morning of 19th 
 June, and was immediately attacked on the left by six Carlist 
 battalions under Guergue. Fighting went on all day. During 
 the night some heavy guns were placed on a battery against 
 a strong stone redoubt. This had been lately constructed 
 by the Carlists on a hill to the north of the town, which it 
 completely commanded. The distance was found, however, 
 to be too great, and in the morning Espartero, observing 
 that his skirmishers had been allowed to approach close to the 
 fort, determined to carry it by storm. He at once launched 
 his troops against it. The fort was gallantly defended gren- 
 ades, stones, and other missiles were hurled on the attacking 
 party; but numbers and enthusiasm prevailed. Espartero was 
 looking on, and his soldiers, feeling themselves invincible, 
 finally swarmed over the parapets, and the fort surrendered. 
 
 The town was now summoned to surrender. It had been 
 abandoned by the governor, who left a garrison of only four 
 hundred men to defend it. These fired upon the bearer of 
 the message, and on the following morning the guns opened 
 upon them. The firing lasted from seven in the morning till 
 two in the afternoon. Many of the houses were demolished, 
 but the losses of the besiegers were heavy, for they were all 
 this time exposed to a serious attack on the left, led by 
 Guergue's force, which had been reinforced during the morning 
 by four battalions from Navarre. Espartero therefore decided 
 upon another dashing step. Leaving half his force to continue
 
 A FIASCO 209 
 
 the bombardment of the town, he formed the rest into four 
 battalions, and with this force and his cavalry he attacked 
 Guergue, who was strongly entrenched on a wooded height, 
 supported by four guns. As the Christinos entered the wood 
 they were exposed to a very destructive fire from the Navarre 
 battalions, but advanced steadily without firing a shot. As 
 they pushed forward, a hail of round shot, grape, and musketry 
 swept them at a distance of three hundred yards; but they 
 crossed a small ravine and fell upon the enemy, while Espar- 
 tero launched his cavalry against the Carlist column that was 
 opposed to him. This abandoned its artillery, and broke and 
 fled in all directions. 
 
 The battle had lasted but half an hour. In that time the 
 four guns and four hundred prisoners fell into the hands of 
 the queen's troops, and a far larger number would have been 
 taken had their escape not been facilitated by the intricate 
 mountainous country. As soon as the defenders of the town 
 saw that the force on which they had relied for protection was 
 defeated, they abandoned the place and made their escape 
 into the woods behind. A garrison was placed in the town, 
 and the army proceeded to Logrono and prepared for the siege 
 of Estella, and while doing so had a successful engagement 
 with the Carlist commander-in-chief. 
 
 Colonel Wylde had joined Espartero a day or two after the 
 capture of Pena-Cerrada, and he at once sent Arthur south 
 to join the force with which Oraa was preparing to besiege 
 Morella. Here he found three other English officers, com- 
 missioners of the British government, who were to report the 
 doings of the army, and above all to urge that the Convention 
 regarding the treatment of prisoners should be observed. 
 Morella was a town of great natural strength. It lay in the 
 very heart of the mountains, was built on rising ground, and 
 defended by twenty guns. This town and Canta-Vieja, some 
 twelve miles distant, formed the head - quarters of Cabrera, 
 whose force amounted to a little over ten thousand men. 
 
 ( M 966 ) O
 
 210 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Oraa had his head quarters at Teruel, and believed that the 
 Carlist troops would Aot venture to defend Morella. 
 
 Cabrera's troops differed materially from those against 
 whom Espartero was fighting. The latter were peasants, ani- 
 mated by a desperate determination to defend what they con- 
 sidered their rights and privileges ; the others were rough, idle 
 fellows, fugitives from justice, men who preferred a life of 
 adventure and a chance of plunder to work, but the iron dis- 
 cipline maintained by their leader welded them into a whole, 
 and inspired them with vigour and bravery. Cabrera was in 
 his way as remarkable a military genius as Espartero; but 
 while one carried on war mercifully, the other tarnished his 
 reputation by countless acts of cruelty and cold-blooded 
 murder. 
 
 The force was arranged in three divisions, and the advance 
 was planned so that all should arrive at the same time in the 
 neighbourhood of Morella. On the 24th of July Oraa left 
 Teruel, and was joined on the 28th by General Baltho's divi- 
 sion, and on the following day by San Miguel. On the 8th of 
 August he was immediately in front of Morella. The united 
 force amounted to sixteen thousand infantry and twelve thou- 
 sand cavalry. Matters began badly. Oraa was well aware 
 that his supply of provisions was a scanty one, and yet he 
 allowed the waste of a store of grain that would have supplied 
 the army for some time. The wheat had been cut, but was 
 lying in the fields, and instead of having it collected and 
 placed under cover, he permitted the troops to take the corn 
 to sleep on and feed their horses. Much of it was used as 
 fuel, and all that was not consumed was spoiled, and yet there 
 were mills on the ground and also ovens. But even from the 
 commencement of the march, the commissariat arrangements 
 for the troops were anything but lavish. 
 
 When the force left Teruel they were supplied with four 
 days' bread and seven days' rice. No meat was issued to 
 them for six days, and then they only received half a pound a
 
 A FIASCO 211 
 
 man; and yet during the march the troops were ascending to 
 high ground, the rain fell in torrents, and the temperature was 
 much lower than that to which they were accustomed. By 
 the 13th of August the allowance fell to six ounces of rice 
 and two ounces of bread; and on the 17th, the last day of the 
 siege, the troops were almost without food. The cavalry horses 
 and other animals, numbering at least three thousand, had 
 already been two days without forage, and had had no barley 
 since they started, twenty-four days before. The other divi- 
 sions were no better off. Even these scanty supplies had been 
 maintained with the greatest difficulty. Five battalions had to 
 be employed in keeping the road open. The siege artillery 
 should have been brought up in two days, but seven were 
 found necessary. The army being assembled moved round to 
 the other side of Morella, having to fight hard to gain the 
 position. 
 
 San Miguel's division did not bring up their guns till the 
 9th of August, the operation being conducted so carelessly that 
 the road was left open for the Carlists, Avho kept up a constant 
 fire and killed one hundred and fifty men. On the 10th the 
 siege began. The troops took up their position, and drove a 
 portion of the Carlist levies back on Morella. Next day, 
 however, San Miguel was ordered to make an attack upon 
 a position occupied by the Carlists, which interfered with the 
 movements of a body of troops about to proceed down to escort 
 a convoy of provisions. Cabrera reinforced the threatened 
 point. San Miguel attacked boldly, and carried three positions 
 one after another; at the fourth, however, he was so strongly 
 opposed that Oraa ordered him to retreat, as he did not con- 
 sider the position of sufficient importance to justify further 
 fighting. The attack, however, was so far successful that the 
 force sent to escort the convoy managed to make its way 
 down. 
 
 On the 12th the heavy artillery was taken to the places 
 fixed upon for the establishment of the batteries. The guns
 
 212 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 were placed about five hundred yards away from the walls, 
 the mortars twice that distance. The next day was devoted 
 to erecting the batteries, and these opened fire at daybreak 
 on the 14th of August. The shooting was far from accurate, 
 and the enemy's return was steady. The spot selected to be 
 breached was a gate between and flanked by two towers, 
 known as the gate of San Miguel. Directly Cabrera saw the 
 point about to be attacked, he began to construct a strong 
 retrenchment behind it, with a parapet and ditch, defended 
 by chevauxrde-frise; and the following day, when the breach 
 began to be formed, he heaped up on it a great quantity of 
 combustibles. Although the breach was very imperfect, Oraa 
 issued orders for an assault on the evening of the 15th. To 
 the English officers with the besiegers it looked like an act of 
 madness, but Oraa felt that success must be instant, or the 
 siege must be given up on account of the impossibility of feed- 
 ing the troops. 
 
 The attacking columns were formed in rear of the batteries, 
 where they remained for three hours, and then advanced, with 
 bands playing, to within a hundred and fifty yards of the 
 breach. The broken nature of the ground threw them into 
 confusion. It was midnight before they arrived at the breach, 
 and up to this time dead silence had reigned in Morella. By 
 the music, if by no other means, the garrison were kept 
 perfectly informed of the motion and progress of their 
 enemies, but Cabrera had issued strict orders that they should 
 remain silent until the troops had reached the foot of the 
 breach. 
 
 The moment they arrived there a brilliant flame darted 
 up from the breach, and a tremendous fire of bullets, hand- 
 grenades, and stones burst upon them. The red glare rose 
 higher and higher, and the men, enfeebled by hunger and 
 fatigue, stood appalled. Many, however, rushed forward with 
 desperate bravery, only to fall under the storm of missiles; 
 and at last they fell back, finding it absolutely impossible to
 
 A FIASCO 213 
 
 surmount tha obstacles posted there. Never were men sent 
 upon a more hopeless task. 
 
 That evening the earnestly-looked-for convoy arrived. It 
 had had to fight the whole distance up. Half the waggons 
 had been lost and over eighty men. The next day passed 
 quietly, and then it was decided to make another assault at 
 daybreak on the 17th, although no attempt had been made 
 to enlarge the breach or render it more practicable. 
 
 Fifteen hundred men advanced at daybreak in two columns, 
 provided with ladders and sand-bags with which to climb the 
 bottom of the breach, where the wall had not been destroyed. 
 As they advanced they were received with a heavy fire of 
 artillery and musketry; the fire again blazed up on the breach. 
 The left column, on reaching the foot of the wall and climbing 
 the ladders, found them too short, and fell back in great dis- 
 order. The right column in front of the breach found it im- 
 possible to ascend unassisted, and the space was too confined 
 to admit of the formation of any number of troops. At only 
 one place, and this very narrow and steep, was it possible to 
 climb, and many officers and men who tried to make their way 
 up died in the attempt. 
 
 Seeing the absolute hopelessness of the attack, Oraa ordered 
 a retreat, and the troops fell back, having lost two hundred 
 and seventy-six killed and wounded. It was at once decided 
 to raise the siege. Without provisions or ammunition it 
 would have been madness to persevere. The retreat was 
 accompanied by terrible hardships. They were continuously 
 harassed by swarms of guerrillas; the marches were slow and 
 short; the wounded were carried in hundreds on doors and 
 window-shutters; and when, five days later, the army reached 
 Alcaniz, it was found that it brought down fifteen hundred 
 wounded in addition to the dead left behind. 
 
 Arthur had not been present at the two assaults. He had 
 ridden down with the troops that left on the 12th, and when 
 these were attacked had, at the request of the officer in com-
 
 214 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 mand, ridden up to a small tower where twenty men were 
 posted to keep down the fire of the surrounding Carlists. 
 They were to have been drawn off as the troops passed, but 
 the Carlists interposed in such great force between them and 
 the main body that it was impossible for them to sally out. 
 
 " There is nothing to do," Arthur said to the officer in com- 
 mand of the little party, " but to defend ourselves here. They 
 may leave us alone. Pardenas will be back with the convoy 
 to-morrow, and then we shall be relieved." 
 
 " It is a pity that you did not bring your horse with you, 
 sir; you might then have managed to escape." 
 
 " I certainly should not have left you in the lurch. I did 
 not bring the horses with me because I knew that, as our pace 
 would be very slow, it would be easier to go on foot. Now, 
 we had better set to work at once; as soon as the Carlists 
 have finished with the convoy they will come back to us." 
 
 The place was an old fortified house, now almost a ruin. 
 Stones were piled in the doorway, and all prepared for a 
 desperate defence. It was not long before parties of Carlists 
 drew off from those harassing the column and approached the 
 house. They shouted to the soldiers to surrender, but these 
 replied with musket shots. When some two hundred men 
 had assembled round the place the assault began. The men 
 defended themselves bravely, and many of the assailants fell, 
 and all drew off several times. When darkness came on, how- 
 ever, they crawled up to the house and set to work to pull 
 down the barricade at the entrance. The defenders went up 
 to the top of the house and dropped stones down upon them. 
 For some time the fight went on, but gradually the stones 
 of the barricade were dislodged, and a storm of fire drove 
 away its defenders. The officer in command had fallen, and 
 Arthur called the men up into the story above. Here the 
 defence continued until only five men were left. The Carlists, 
 however, had suffered so heavily that they drew back once 
 more, and summoned the defenders to surrender.
 
 A FIASCO 215 
 
 "It is no use fighting any longer, Roper," Arthur said to his 
 follower, who was sitting on the floor with a bullet through his 
 leg. " What do you say, lads f ' 
 
 "We have done all we can do," they said. "They have 
 promised us our lives. We are ready to surrender. We can 
 be no worse off even if they don't keep their word. We shall 
 certainly be killed if we hold out any longer." 
 
 "We will surrender," Arthur called down, "if you will 
 swear to spare our lives. If you won't do that, we will fight 
 on; and it will cost you a good many lives before you over- 
 power us." 
 
 There was a consultation below, and then an officer came 
 forward and said: 
 
 " We promise you your lives if you surrender.' 
 
 Arthur at once went down the stairs and handed his sword 
 to the officer. The men followed him, leaving their muskets 
 above, two of them assisting Roper downstairs. 
 
 " You are brave fellows," the Carlist said, " and have cost 
 us dearly. However, you did your duty as we have done ours. 
 How many of you have fallen?" 
 
 " Fifteen and the officer commanding." 
 
 " You have cost us double that number. Well, we will stop 
 here for the night." 
 
 The bodies of those who had fallen were carried out of the 
 house, and some fifty of the Carlists established themselves 
 there. The prisoners were ordered into the room above, and 
 four of their captors were told off with muskets to watch at 
 the foot of the stairs. Arthur had now time to examine and 
 bandage Roper's leg. The ball had broken his ankle, and 
 Arthur first put some rolls of cloth round it, and then cut some 
 pieces of wood and put his foot into splints and bandaged 
 them with his sash. 
 
 " I am awfully sorry, Roper. I am afraid you will have to 
 go through a good deal of agony before you can get your leg 
 properly attended to."
 
 216 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " It cannot be helped," the man said. " I have no reason to 
 grumble. I have been through a good many fights, and this 
 is the first time I have been hit." 
 
 "Well, I wish we had been caught anywhere else. It 
 would have been a nuisance being made prisoner in any other 
 part of Spain, but I certainly do not fancy falling into 
 Cabrera's hands again. After the way we robbed him of his 
 prey last time, we can expect no mercy from him now. Of 
 course, the fact that we have been taken actually fighting 
 against him does away with any claim one might set up on 
 the ground of being neutrals. I don't suppose they can take 
 us to Cabrera yet at any rate, and we may have some chance 
 of making our escape before they do. I certainly shall not try 
 to get away unless you are well enough to make off with me. 
 I am afraid that that is not likely to be for some time." 
 
 " No, I hope you will not think of such a thing as that," 
 Roper said earnestly. "In the first place, your remaining here 
 with me could do me no good ; on the contrary, it might do me 
 harm, for Cabrera will probably recognize you, and I should 
 be sure to share your fate. On the other hand, if you were 
 away he certainly would not know me, and I should have as 
 good a chance as any of the others." 
 
 " I don't think that would make any difference, and indeed, 
 if you were alone the chances are that you would be shot 
 at once, as these men would not trouble to carry a wounded 
 prisoner along with them, whereas with me a prisoner, they 
 would consider that you should receive as good treatment as 
 I until Cabrera gives some orders respecting us." 
 
 In the morning the prisoners were marched up into the 
 mountains, and the next day the party, which was now swollen 
 by many others, went down to the brow of a hill near Morella. 
 The Christine prisoners were made to carry Roper, who 
 suffered a great deal from pain in his ankle. Here they re- 
 mained for a week. The greater portion of the Carlists went 
 off every day to take part in the fighting; and on the occasion
 
 "AH!" HE SAID, "SO I HAVE LAID HANDS ON YOU 
 AT LAST"
 
 A FIASCO 217 
 
 of the two assaults on the fortress all watched with intense 
 interest the struggles at the breach, and went into ecstasies of 
 delight at each repulse of the assailants. 
 
 When the army began its retreat a guard of ten men 
 remained with the prisoners, and the rest went away to join 
 in harassing the retreating foe, and it was a week before they 
 returned. The inflammation in Roper's leg had now somewhat 
 subsided. Arthur kept it continually bathed, and it had twice 
 been dressed by a surgeon who came up to attend to the 
 wounded Carlists who were also there. Two days passed, and 
 then, just as it was getting dusk one evening, Cabrera rode in. 
 He chatted for some time to the men, and then said : 
 
 "I hear that you have an officer a prisoner here. Let me 
 see him." 
 
 Arthur was brought up to the light of the fire. Cabrera 
 started on seeing his uniform, and then, seizing a brand, held 
 it close to the prisoner's face. 
 
 "Ah," he said, "so I have laid hands on you at last! This 
 is your second visit to our camp, senor Englishman. Last 
 time you were received as a British commissioner, and you 
 abused the permission by interfering in my plans, by killing 
 two of my men, and by carrying off a prisoner condemned to 
 death. I hear that you were captured this time when fighting 
 with the Christinos, and have therefore forfeited all right to 
 protection from your uniform. Tie this man to a tree, and 
 shoot him at daybreak ! " 
 
 His instructions were at once followed, and Arthur was 
 fastened by a leathern thong wound tightly round and round 
 his body. 
 
 "His servant is also here," one of the men said; "he has 
 a broken leg." 
 
 "Put him by the side of his master. Shoot them both in 
 the morning!" 
 
 "I don't ask mercy for myself, Cabrera. I know that it 
 would be hopeless to do so from such a bloodthirsty ruffian as
 
 218 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 yourself; but this poor fellow has only acted under my orders, 
 and is entitled to fair treatment." 
 
 Cabrera, who was standing by the fire a few yards away, 
 turned round angrily. 
 
 " You dare to insult me before my soldiers 1 " he said furiously. 
 "Dog of an Englishman!" 
 
 "Insult you?" Arthur repeated. "Is it possible to insult 
 you ? Do you not glory in your crimes 1 Is there a true man 
 in Spain who does not spit on the ground when he hears the 
 name of such a monster?" 
 
 Cabrera caught a musket from the hand of one of his 
 men, levelled it, and fired. Arthur felt a stinging pain in his 
 arm; then he felt the leathern thong that bound him slacken, 
 unwind itself, and fall off" it had been cut by the bullet. 
 Quick as thought he slipped round the tree and dashed off at 
 the top of his speed. So quickly had this taken place that it 
 was a few seconds before the Carlists understood what had 
 happened ; and he had gained forty or fifty yards before, with 
 a yell, the whole of them started after him. But night had 
 now completely fallen, and he was already almost out of sight. 
 A dozen muskets were discharged at random, but he was un- 
 touched, and, running at the top of his speed, he began to 
 descend the slope behind the hill. Going uphill he knew that 
 the Carlists, sturdy mountaineers, would have speedily over- 
 taken him, but he felt sure that downhill he could leave them ; 
 hampered by their muskets and their heavy shoes they would 
 have little chance of catching him. He ran for a few hundred 
 yards. The mob of men behind him were now out of sight, 
 and when he came to a great rock he threw himself down 
 behind it. 
 
 In half a minute the crowd of men ran past. As soon as 
 they had done so, he got up and listened. There were none 
 behind him, and he turned and ran up the hill again. When 
 he reached the place he saw, as he expected, Cabrera stand- 
 ing alone by the fire, the whole of the men having joined in
 
 A FIASCO 219 
 
 the chase. Had he been armed he would have rushed to 
 attack him, but being without a weapon he broke into a walk, 
 and, making a slight circuit, kept the tree by which Roper had 
 been placed between him and the fire. Stepping very quietly 
 he moved up to it. 
 
 "Hush, Roper!" he whispered, "it is I." 
 
 Roper in his excitement had managed to raise himself up, 
 and had worked himself round the tree, where he was stand- 
 ing listening to the shots in the distance. 
 
 "Put your arms round my neck," Arthur said, "and get on 
 my back." 
 
 "No, no, sir; don't you hamper yourself with me." 
 
 "Shut up!" Arthur said, "and do as I tell you. I am not 
 going without you." 
 
 Roper did as he was told, got on to Arthur's back, and held 
 on with his knees and his arms. 
 
 " Get up as high as you can," Arthur said, and putting his 
 arms under the man's knees he started off as he had come, 
 still keeping the tree between him and the fire. When he felt 
 that he was beyond the circle of light, he turned off and made 
 away in the other direction. For three hours he walked on, 
 stopping occasionally and putting Roper down, and then after 
 a quarter of an hour's rest going on. His progress was slow, as 
 he had to pick his way between rocks and bushes; but at the 
 end of three hours he felt certain that he was out of sight of 
 anyone on the hills above Morella, and he lay down in a thick 
 clump of bushes. 
 
 "That will do for to-night, Roper," he said. "I don't 
 think I can go any farther, and I think we are fairly safe 
 here. We shall have to lie quiet all to-morrow, for there may 
 still be some parties hanging about or harassing the troops. 
 I think it has been a pretty-well-managed affair." 
 
 "First-rate, sir; but I am sorry you have burdened your- 
 self with me." 
 
 "Don't talk nonsense, Roper; we are just as likely to make
 
 220 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 off thus, as if I had been by myself. Now the first thing to 
 do is to put a handkerchief round my arm. That ball went 
 between it and my body, and it is not much more than a graze ; 
 still, I fancy it has been bleeding a good deal, for I have felt 
 weaker for the last hour or so." 
 
 He took off his coat and cut off the sleeve of the shirt, and 
 Roper then tore it up and bound it round the wound. Then he 
 put on his coat again, and they lay down together for warmth. 
 
 "How furious Cabrera will be when they all come back and 
 say they cannot find me! I don't suppose they will think 
 anything about you till the morning. They will hardly guess 
 that I came back for you, but will think that you crawled 
 away a short distance, and will hunt about for you in the 
 neighbourhood. I should like to hear Cabrera's remarks when 
 they come back empty-handed. Well, I shall not want rock- 
 ing to sleep, I fancy that five minutes will do for me." 
 
 When they woke up it was broad daylight. Arthur got up, 
 went to the edge of the bushes, and looked out. 
 
 "I see nobody about," he said; "but at any rate we must 
 wait here till it gets dark. Cabrera will keep the men look- 
 ing for me all day. There is a patch of uncut wheat a 
 short distance away. I will go and cut an armful, it will be 
 something for us to munch;" and he went out and broke off 
 the heads of as much grain as he could carry, and brought it 
 back to their shelter. They passed the day munching the 
 wheat and talking, and sometimes sleeping. 
 
 " There is a house that looks as if it were in ruins on a rise 
 two miles away. I will try to get there to-night. It is not at 
 all likely to be visited by the Carlists. As we go we will cut 
 as much wheat as we can carry in our clothes, and take up 
 our station there." 
 
 "Well, I have been thinking, sir, that if you could cut a 
 good strong sapling with a fork, for me to use as a crutch, I 
 could make shift to get along." 
 
 "I can carry you very well, Roper."
 
 A FIASCO 221 
 
 "I woxild much rather that you made me a crutch, sir. 
 Your arm is certainly not fit for use, and I would much rather 
 try the other way; then, if I find I can't get on, you could 
 carry me." 
 
 Searching about among the clump Arthur found a suitable 
 sapling. He had been deprived of his sword when captured, 
 but his pockets had not been searched, and he had still his knife 
 with him. He cut and trimmed a stick, and, with Roper's 
 cloak wound round and round it, it answered well as a crutch. 
 
 They started as soon as it was dark, gathered a sufficient 
 quantity of grain to last them for some days, and then 
 made their way to the house. They crossed a little stream 
 a quarter of a mile away, and there drank heartily. Arthur 
 had gathered a faggot of dry sticks on the way, and when 
 they arrived at the house they made a fire in a corner and sat 
 there talking for an hour or two, then, wrapping themselves 
 in their cloaks, lay down to sleep. 
 
 Next morning they explored the place. The roof was 
 gone, but they found that there was a staircase leading up to 
 a turret, and that the upper chamber of this was still intact. 
 Here they determined to establish themselves. 
 
 "We had better wait here for a fortnight, Roper; by that 
 time you may be able to walk. It is certain that Carlists 
 will be moving about between here and Alcaniz, and it 
 would be very dangerous to try and make our way down 
 there. We shall be losing nothing, for we may be sure that 
 it will be some time before Oraa will make another advance 
 again. When I go out next, I will cut a couple of good clubs. 
 If only two or three Carlists happen to drop in here, we may 
 be able to defend ourselves; at any rate it will be a comfort 
 to have some means of making a fight for our lives. We will 
 carry away the ashes of our fire, so that any party that comes 
 in will not discover that the place has been inhabited. It is 
 not likely that anyone entering will take the trouble to come 
 up here."
 
 222 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Four days passed. Each day Arthur collected sufficient 
 faggots for their fire in the evening. As long as this burned, 
 he kept their coats hanging against the loophole to prevent 
 the glow from being seen from without. Every morning at 
 daybreak, and every evening after dark, he went down to 
 the stream and brought up with him, full of water, a broken 
 vessel he had found. On the third evening they saw a party 
 of twenty men approaching. They at once went up to their 
 turret-room. Roper was now getting accustomed to the use 
 of the crutch, and was able to make his way about with some 
 little activity. The men came in, and Arthur, descending the 
 stairs, heard them agree to sleep there for the night. Several 
 went out to get wood, and presently a great bonfire was 
 burning within, and some meat was cut from a calf they had 
 brought in, and cooked. After eating their supper the men 
 sat chatting around the fire. Later on one of them said : 
 
 " They say this old house is haunted. Years ago a robber 
 lived here who preyed on travellers. They say that he once 
 carried off a maiden in the night. Screams were heard, and 
 the girl jumped off the top of the turret and was killed. 
 After that her spirit haunted the place, groans and cries were 
 heard nightly in the turret; and as even robbers would not stop 
 here, the house fell into decay. Once or twice travellers have 
 spent the night here, and have always been obliged to leave it 
 owing to the dreadful noises. This was a hundred years ago." 
 
 Silence followed this recital, then one said: 
 
 "No doubt the ghost is laid by this time, and I for one 
 vote against leaving this good fire and going outside to shiver 
 all night." 
 
 Two or three others agreed, and the talk went on as before; 
 but, as Arthur could detect, there was no longer the same 
 tone of jollity, and pauses in the conversation were frequent. 
 At about eleven o'clock the talk died away, and it was evident 
 that the men were lying down to sleep. He went up to Roper 
 and told him of what he had heard.
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 223 
 
 "I tell you what, Roper; I have set my mind on having 
 some of that calf. We have been living on grain for the past 
 fortnight, and the smell of the meat cooking has worked me 
 up to such a point that I feel I must get a share of it what- 
 ever happens. I have been thinking it over, and I feel sure 
 we can manage it. What they have been saying has put 
 the idea into my head. We will give them a scare. If they 
 hear nothing they may station themselves in this house for 
 for some days, and in the morning one of them may take it 
 into his head to come up here. First of all, I will strike 
 twelve heavy blows with my stick on the floor, then we will 
 give some deep groans and shriek in as unearthly tones as we 
 can. You may be sure that will send them flying out." 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 
 
 A RTHUR struck as hard as he could twelve blows with his 
 JLJL stick. He listened; there was a dead silence below. 
 Then he gave three deep groans, while Roper followed with 
 a succession of such wild screams and cat-calls that Arthur 
 found himself unable for a minute to continue. Then he re- 
 lieved himself with some loud quavering laughter, and the 
 two kept up an almost demoniac noise for two or three 
 minutes. They had heard a wild rush below, and Arthur, 
 going to the loophole, heard the men shouting and running 
 terror-stricken in the distance. Then they had a good laugh 
 over the fright they had given the Carlists, and knew that 
 they could now lie down and sleep till morning. 
 
 "The peasants are fearfully superstitious, and would not 
 come near this place again to-night if they were offered fifty 
 guineas apiece. However, I would not answer for them in the
 
 224 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 morning, so as soon as it begins to be light we will go out at 
 that gap at the back of the house, and hide up for a bit in the 
 bushes. They may muster up courage enough to come back, 
 but I don't think they will." 
 
 Accordingly they went out in the morning and hid in some 
 bushes a hundred yards from the house. Three hours passed, 
 and as there were no signs of the Carlists, they went down to 
 the house again. Here they found that the Carlists had left 
 half the calf behind them, and they cooked some slices and 
 made a hearty breakfast. 
 
 Four more days passed, and then Roper said that although 
 he could not yet put his foot to the ground, he was quite sure 
 that with the help of the crutch he could hobble at any rate 
 four or five miles. 
 
 "We cannot try to get across this rough country. We must 
 take to the road; we know it runs something like a mile in 
 front of the house. We shall have to keep our ears open, in 
 case any Carlists should be near; but if we hear a party 
 coming, as there is no moon we shall only have to go thirty or 
 forty yards from the road and lie down till they have passed." 
 
 They slept all day, and started as soon as night fell. 
 Roper found it harder work than he had expected, but he 
 hobbled on, stopping every two or three hundred yards to 
 rest. After going, as near as they could calculate, four miles, 
 they saw a light on the road ahead of them, and felt sure that 
 it was a Carlist outpost. They accordingly left the road, and, 
 going some four or five hundred yards to the left, lay down 
 among some rough rocks. In the morning they could make 
 out ten Carlists. They kept quiet all day, and during that 
 time made a careful examination of the ground in front of 
 them, as it was evident that they would have to keep off the 
 road until well past the Carlist outpost, which was, no doubt, 
 close to a spot from which it could command a view of a long 
 stretch of the road ahead. 
 
 When darkness was coming on, they made a meal of veal,
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 225 
 
 which they had cooked before starting, and corn. As soon as 
 it was quite dark they started. The ground was rough, and 
 Arthur had to support Roper for a considerable distance. 
 The fire was an indication of the exact point where the out- 
 post was keeping watch, but as two sentries might be thrown 
 out a mile farther ahead, they did not dare go down on to 
 the road. By morning they had not gone more than two miles, 
 so painful had been the work of making their way along through 
 the rocks. They could see no one on the road, and lay down 
 in shelter with the firm belief that they should get to Alcaniz 
 the next night. That evening they started again, and, taking 
 to the road, kept on steadily all night, and to their satisfaction 
 saw, when morning dawned, the town of Alcaniz but a mile 
 away. 
 
 Arthur was heartily greeted on his arrival, and found to his 
 great satisfaction that his two horses had been brought down 
 by an English officer. " I had really very little hope of your 
 returning. I quite gave you up when it was found that you 
 were not with us when we got here, and my hopes faded alto- 
 gether when you failed to come in after our miserable failure 
 to take the place. Your man seems to have fared very badly." 
 
 " Yes. He had an ankle broken by a musket-shot the day 
 we were cut off; however, it is healing nicely, though I don't 
 think he will ever have the use of the joint again." 
 
 " Well, come into my quarters and bring him with you. I 
 should think, probably, that you are wanting something to 
 eatf 
 
 "That I am. I may say that since we have been taken 
 prisoners we have had nothing but corn to eat, till three days 
 ago, when we were lucky enough to get some veal which we 
 frightened a party of Carlists into leaving behind for us." 
 
 Giving Roper into the hands of an orderly, who was charged 
 to give him something to eat as soon as possible, Lieutenant 
 Lines took Arthur up to his quarters. In half an hour an 
 ample meal was set before him. 
 
 (M966) P
 
 226 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Now, tell me your adventures," Arthur's host said, as they 
 lit their cigarettes. 
 
 Arthur gave a full account of them. 
 
 " Well, you are not born to be shot, Hallett, that is quite 
 evident. That fight in the old house was a hard one, as you 
 lost fifteen out of twenty, but to come out of that unharmed 
 was nothing to your escape from Cabrera's shot at thirty 
 yards' distance. And your rescue of your man was splendid ! 
 The poor fellow must have had a bad time of it." 
 
 " Yes; and he never complained once, though I could see at 
 times that he was suffering abominably. I was horribly afraid, 
 as we made our way down, that he would fall among the rocks, 
 much as I tried to steady him; and if he had done so, I have 
 no doubt that he would have lost his foot. As it is, I hope it 
 will not be long before he is riding behind me again. I sup- 
 pose there is nothing new here?" 
 
 " Nothing whatever, except grumbling. The artillery de- 
 clare that they did their work well; everyone else says that 
 they did it badly. They declare that the infantry ought to 
 have carried the place, which we know the best troops in the 
 world could not have done; and the cavalry and infantry 
 declare that every man -jack of the engineers ought to be 
 hanged." 
 
 " Well, I don't know that they are not all right," Arthur 
 laughed. " From the place where I was standing you could 
 see straight into town. There was a great retrenchment be- 
 hind the breach, and had they got up the breach, and through 
 the fire at the top, they would simply have been mown down 
 like sheep. But, after all, the man who ought to be hanged 
 is Oraa; he blundered hideously from the moment we started. 
 We arrived before the town without provisions, and he acted 
 as if he had only a village with a mud wall to storm instead 
 of a really formidable fortress. He certainly would be tried 
 by court-martial and shot in any other European country. 
 As it is, I hope he may never be employed again. At any
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 227 
 
 rate, there is no chance of anything being done for some time. 
 This business has ruined Espartero's plans in the north, where 
 he was, as you know, preparing to besiege Estella; but there 
 can be little doubt that this affair will compel him to break 
 off his preparations and come down here. Our force is practi- 
 cally hors de combat for the present, while the enormous prestige 
 that Cabrera will acquire will bring the peasantry flocking 
 to his banner in crowds, and the news will be received with 
 enthusiasm by the Carlists all over Spain. It will, therefore, 
 be necessary to concentrate every man who can be brought 
 up to strike a heavy blow at him. As it will probably be 
 two or three months before Espartero can be in a position to 
 do that, I shall leave for Madrid. I lost a good deal of blood 
 from this wound in my arm, and for the past three weeks have 
 had a very rough time." 
 
 " I shall leave also," the other said. " This town is one 
 great hospital. I am especially attached to this army, and 
 must remain near it, but I shall move off some twenty or 
 thirty miles." 
 
 " The first thing I must do is to get a surgeon to examine 
 Roper's leg. I don't think for a moment that anything can 
 be done for it, but he can bandage it more skilfully and better 
 than I have been able to do, and make it more comfortable for 
 the poor fellow." 
 
 The next day Arthur mounted. Roper would not hear of 
 being left behind. " I can't put my foot in the stirrup," he 
 said, " but I can ride with the other leg only, and get a loop 
 over from that stirrup to go under the other knee, and make 
 a sort of sling for it; if I get tired of riding that way, I can 
 get my leg over the saddle and ride like a woman. I will 
 do anything rather than be left behind." 
 
 So by easy stages they rode to Madrid, where Arthur was 
 joyfully greeted by Count Leon and his sisters. Roper's leg 
 was again examined by a surgeon, who said that it was going 
 on very well, but that the ankle would always be stiff.
 
 228 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "That won't matter," Roper said; "it will only be like 
 having a wooden leg with all the appearance of a natural one. 
 It won't interfere with my riding at all, and I don't suppose 
 I shall feel it much when I get accustomed to it." 
 
 When Arthur came to recount his adventures his friends 
 were horrified at the risks he had run, and Donna Mercedes 
 turned pale when she heard that he had been in the power 
 of Cabrera. 
 
 "What an escape! What an escape!" Leon said. "To 
 think that his bullet should have set you free ! It seems almost 
 miraculous." * 
 
 "It was noble of you to go back to fetch your soldier," 
 Donna Inez said, clapping her hands. "Oh, it was splendid!" 
 
 " He is always doing splendid things," Mercedes said. "You 
 must promise me, Senor Arthur, that you will never run the 
 risk of falling into Cabrera's hands again. Twice you have 
 escaped him, but the third time will assuredly be fatal." 
 
 " It would certainly be fatal to one of us. If I had had a 
 weapon when I went back, we should have finished our quarrel 
 then and there. However, I will willingly promise you not 
 to run the risk of falling into his hands again if I can help it." 
 
 "We shall be very unhappy if you go that way again," 
 Donna Inez said; "sha'n'twe, Mercedes 1" 
 
 Mercedes only nodded her head, she was evidently too moved 
 to speak. 
 
 " Well, go on with your story," Leon said. " You left us 
 with your man riding on your back." 
 
 They laughed heartily when he told them how he had 
 obtained meat by acting on the superstition of the natives. 
 
 "It was running a great risk, and you had no right to do it," 
 Mercedes said. 
 
 "If you had been keeping life together on raw corn for 
 three weeks, I think that you would think yourself per- 
 fectly justified in running a good deal of risk in obtaining a 
 supply of meat. But really we did not consider that there
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 229 
 
 was any risk at all, knowing how superstitious the peasants 
 are; and I think, Donna Mercedes, that you yourself, after 
 having heard that story, with such surroundings would have 
 felt more than a little uncomfortable when you heard the grue- 
 some noises which were made by Roper and myself especially, 
 I may say, by Roper." 
 
 "I am so sorry to hear of his injury!" Mercedes said in a 
 tone of great concern. 
 
 " I am very sorry too. It is a sad thing, but he makes light 
 of it himself. There is little doubt that though he will be 
 able to walk, the joint will always be stiff; but he will cer- 
 tainly be able to ride." 
 
 " Leon, you must take me round to have a chat with him. 
 We must see if there is anything we can do to make him 
 comfortable. Is he up, senorT' 
 
 " Oh yes, he's up, and lying on the sofa. He thinks himself 
 that he could hobble along with a stick if he tried, but of 
 course he will not be allowed to make the experiment." 
 
 "And how long are you going to stay here, Arthur 1 !" 
 
 " I should think a fortnight or three weeks." 
 
 A week later, however, Roper was able to walk with a stick, 
 and could ride again without discomfort, keeping both legs in 
 the stirrups, but putting his weight entirely on his left leg. 
 
 The repulse at Morella had brought to a climax the indigna- 
 tion of the populace against the government, and the Duke de 
 Frias had been called upon to form a ministry ; but he was as 
 much influenced by jealousy of Espartero as his predecessor, 
 and kept Narvaez at the head of a new army of reserve he 
 formed in the neighbourhood of the capital. All sorts of 
 rumours were current of plots and conspiracies. 
 
 One day, a fortnight after their return to Madrid, Arthur 
 was riding through the streets, followed by Roper, when the 
 two queens drove past. As usual when driving about the 
 city, they had no guards or outriders, but merely a coachman 
 on the box and two footmen standing behind. Arthur saluted
 
 230 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 as they passed. The carriage was a closed one, and he could 
 see that only the queen and the queen-mother were inside. 
 
 He and Roper rode out some miles into the country, and 
 were turning to come back when four or five gentlemen rode 
 along in a party. Arthur knew two or three of them by 
 sight, and bows were exchanged as they passed. 
 
 "A party of pleasure, I suppose," he said to Roper, "though 
 the weather is beginning to get cold for excursions to country 
 mansions." 
 
 A minute later a carriage came along. The blinds were 
 drawn ; there were two footmen behind. 
 
 "I wonder what they have got the blinds down for? It is 
 not often one sees that, even if there is no one in the carriage." 
 
 Two or three hundred yards farther back another party of 
 gentlemen came along. 
 
 " That is curious, Roper. One would think that those two 
 parties of gentlemen were acting as escorts to the carriage." 
 
 He rode along for another half-mile, and then checked his 
 horse suddenly. "I have it!" he exclaimed. " Did you notice 
 that the near horse in that carriage has a curious mark in the 
 centre of its forehead a sort of crescent? It seemed familiar 
 to me, and I have been wondering where I saw it before. Now 
 I have it. It was one of the horses in the Queen's carriage that 
 passed us to-day. It is not the same carriage, but it is cer- 
 tainly the same horse. There is something wrong. Why should 
 the carriage be going along with the blinds down? Why 
 should half-a-dozen men be riding a quarter of a mile in front, 
 and as many more behind ? 
 
 "I tell you what, Roper; the thing looks to me very 
 serious. The three men I knew in the first lot were generally 
 believed to be Carlist sympathizers. It is possible that they 
 have carried the queens off. Their disappearance just at the 
 present moment, when things have been going so badly, would 
 cause a turmoil throughout the country. If they were missing, 
 Don Carlos would seem to be the only possible successor. We
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 231 
 
 must follow the thing up, and find out at all risks whether my 
 suspicions are correct. It is a grievous pity we are not in 
 uniform, and have no weapons with us. However, we can buy 
 swords and pistols somewhere as we go along. Probably they 
 will change horses somewhere farther on. They may have 
 relays at various points on the road. I don't mean, of course, 
 that we can fight all the escort; but if we can find out for 
 certain that they have captured the queens, we can give in- 
 formation at some town where there is a garrison, and swoop 
 down upon them. At any rate we must follow them, if 
 necessary to the French frontier, though it is not likely that 
 they intend to go so long a distance; they will probably carry 
 their captives to some country chateau in a retired spot, per- 
 haps a hundred and fifty or two hundred miles away. Of 
 course I may be wrong altogether, but if we find that they 
 have relays it will be a matter of certainty that they are 
 carrying off someone of importance. That mark on the horse 
 would certainly seem to point to the fact that they have 
 taken the queen herself. However, we may make up our 
 minds that AVC have a long ride before us, Roper." 
 
 " All right, sir ! I am willing to ride through Spain, though 
 I wish my leg was all right again. I think I could go on all 
 night on horseback, but should not be of much use dis- 
 mounted." 
 
 " I don't think it is likely to come to fighting. We know 
 that there are some twelve of them, and probably the man 
 on the box and the two men behind also belong to the party. 
 There will be servants and retainers at the house where they 
 stop, and we could not think of attacking such a force as that 
 by ourselves. What we have to do is to find out who they 
 are carrying off. If it is the queen, we can get help; if it 
 isn't, we may still rescue some damsel of importance." 
 
 By this time they were galloping along the road. 
 
 " We must time our pace well by theirs." They were going 
 at a sharp trot. " Whatever we do, we must not show on the
 
 232 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 road behind them. You had better drop back and ride a good 
 quarter of a mile behind me. If they see one solitary horse- 
 man far in the rear they would not think much of it, but if 
 they saw two of us they might possibly suppose that we were 
 following them. I must get a sight of them occasionally, no 
 matter how far off, so as to be sure that they have not turned 
 off from the main road." 
 
 Eoper reined in his horse, and Arthur rode forward until he 
 came to the crest of a slight brow, and as his head rose above 
 this he could make out the horsemen a mile and a half in 
 advance. The instant he did so he checked his horse and dis- 
 mounted for a few minutes. When he went forward he saw 
 that the group of horsemen were a mere black mass on the 
 road. Feeling certain that a single figure could not be 
 made out at that distance, he rode on at a gallop. Now and 
 then he caught sight of them, but when he did so he always 
 checked his horse for a time. At last, on reaching the crest of 
 a hill he stopped suddenly and dismounted, for he saw a group 
 gathered in front of a wayside inn not more than half a mile 
 away. He left his horse behind him, and stood against a wall 
 so that his figure should not be seen against the sky-line. 
 
 As he looked he saw the party start again, so, waiting until 
 they were well away, he followed. Five miles farther, when 
 at some distance from a small town, he observed that they 
 turned off, and had no doubt that they intended to make a 
 circuit, so as to pass round it unobserved. He waited until 
 Roper came up. " They have turned off here," he said. " I 
 shall ride straight through the town, and post myself near 
 the next road that comes in on this side. You follow them 
 and watch the road closely. You can't help seeing the tracks 
 of so large a party. Ride pretty fast till you sight them. If, 
 as I expect, they take a turn again and come down upon the 
 main road, you will know that I have followed them. If 
 they turn off in any other direction you must trace them to 
 their halting-place, and then ride to the junction of the two
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 233 
 
 roads where I shall be waiting you. I shall remain there 
 until you come, however long that may be, unless I follow 
 them along the main road." 
 
 "I understand, sir. It is a comfort to know that as long 
 as it is daylight we cannot miss them. It is when it gets 
 dark that we shall have a difficulty." 
 
 " When it does get dark, Eoper, we must muffle the feet 
 of our horses and then close up till we can hear them; in 
 that way we shall keep them in touch." 
 
 Arthur rode quietly through the town and halted a mile 
 beyond it, where a road came in on the side on which he had 
 seen the carriage turn off. He placed his horse behind a wall 
 a few yards from the junction, and himself went forward until, 
 stooping down behind some bushes, he could obtain sight of 
 them as they passed. Ten minutes later he heard the clatter 
 of horses. The advance-guard passed, and then he heard 
 the wheels of the carriage. As it came along he could see 
 that the blinds were still down. As he had expected, the horses 
 had been changed. Five minutes after the last party of horse- 
 men had passed, Koper came up. 
 
 "Stop there, Roper," Arthur said, standing up; "we must 
 wait till they have gone a bit farther before we go out into 
 the road. Well, I am more than ever convinced that there is 
 someone of the very greatest importance in that carriage. The 
 mere fact that they have taken the trouble to make this 
 detour is sufficient in itself to show that I am afraid we are 
 in for a long ride." 
 
 "It can't be helped, sir; it is a real bit of excitement, 
 though not quite so exciting as it was when you carried me 
 on your back." 
 
 "No; but the excitement will come when we have to under- 
 take the job of finding out for certain who it is they have 
 carried off. The fact, though, that five or six at any rate of 
 the riders are men of importance in itself points most strongly 
 to the idea that they have carried off the queens. I have no
 
 234 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 doubt many of them have changed horses. If it is intended 
 to take them a long distance they will all have sent off a 
 relay of horses, probably placed in twos and threes, to small 
 roadside inns. We shall have to change horses too somewhere. 
 Our animals have both had easy times, and can be reckoned 
 upon for fifty miles; but as we have no time to give them 
 a rest, we cannot ride them farther than that. We have gone 
 a good twenty-five miles already. At the next wayside inn 
 we come to we will halt for five minutes, take the bits out 
 of their mouths, and give them some bread dipped in wine, 
 and do the same at the end of another ten miles. 
 
 " By the road they are going they are making for the Ebro, 
 and will strike it at Alcola. I think that Medinaceli lies 
 about fifty or sixty miles from there, but I know of no large 
 town between this and Alcola. The latter place is only about 
 twenty miles from Saragossa, so we can get troops from there, 
 and from Tudela if they turn north; so I hope they will hold 
 on as far as that. I fancy it is a little over a hundred miles 
 from here." 
 
 It was dark when they rode into a small town, which they 
 had seen the party ahead enter without attempting to make 
 a detour; and, waiting for a few minutes, they rode in to the 
 principal hotel. 
 
 " Landlord," Arthur said, " a number of our friends have 
 just ridden through the town, have they not?" 
 
 "Yes, sir; about ten minutes ago, but they made no stay 
 here." 
 
 "We have been trying to overtake them, and our horses 
 are done up. Can you procure us a couple of fresh ones? 
 We are willing to pay well for their hire, but they must be 
 good." 
 
 "Yes, sir; I happen to have a couple of good ones in the 
 stable." 
 
 "Well, tell your men to slip the saddles and bridles on to 
 them at once. See that our horses are well attended to. If
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 235 
 
 you have something hot ready, please set it on the table at 
 once; we have not a moment to waste." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour they were on their way again, and 
 rode hard for the next ten miles. They had bought a blanket 
 at the town, and now cut it into strips and muffled their 
 horses' feet. Then they rode on again, and in another half- 
 hour could plainly hear the sound of horses' feet ahead. All 
 night the chase continued. They were more comfortable now, 
 as they had no fear whatever of missing those of whom they 
 were in pursuit, and could keep on at a regular pace. The 
 carriage changed horses about every fifteen miles, and just as 
 morning was breaking, and they were beginning to fall behind 
 again, they arrived at Alcola. As they expected, the party 
 went straight down to the ferry. Arthur again obtained a 
 change of horses, and he and Roper took another hasty meal 
 of boiled eggs and bread. They then rode down to the ferry, 
 which was coming back after having taken the last batch of 
 horsemen across. 
 
 "You are rather late, gentlemen; that is, if you belong to 
 the party that have just crossed." 
 
 "Yes; we have stopped to change horses. However, we 
 shall soon overtake them. Did you hear them say how far 
 they were going?" 
 
 " I heard one of them say ' It is only twenty miles farther ', 
 but that was all." 
 
 " Ah ! that is about the distance I thought it was," Arthur 
 said carelessly. "I suppose the roads are not very good?" 
 
 "I don't know which way they went, sir; the road by the 
 river is good enough, the others are not much to speak of." 
 
 When they landed they went up to the village. There 
 were some people about in the streets, and from them they 
 learned that the party had taken the road to the north-east. 
 They did not hurry now, the marks of the numerous horses' 
 feet were quite sufficient guide. Arthur judged that there 
 would be no possibility of approaching the place where they
 
 236 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 stopped before nightfall. They therefore did not attempt to 
 lessen the start the party had obtained. After riding for 
 about twenty-five miles they found that the tracks turned off 
 the main road at a village, and they could see a large mansion 
 standing some two miles away. 
 
 " That is where they are bound for, I have no doubt what- 
 ever," Arthur said. " We will stop at this little inn here." 
 
 He went in and ordered a meal to be prepared " I shall 
 stop here for to-day," he said to the host. " I suppose we can 
 have a couple of rooms?" 
 
 " Yes, senor," the man said with an air of much reverence, 
 for guests of his quality were unusual. 
 
 In half an hour the host himself brought in the meal. 
 
 " You have surely had a good many horsemen along here 
 recently? I have noticed a great many footmarks on the 
 road," Arthur said carelessly; "has a troop of cavalry passed 
 along?" 
 
 "No, senor; it was a party of gentlemen riding with the 
 Count de Monteroy." 
 
 " Quite a large party of guests. It is not often that they 
 have the house full at this time of the year 1 ?" 
 
 "No; it is getting late for that." 
 
 " Well, you can get our rooms ready. We have had a very 
 long ride, and will sleep for a bit." At the place where they 
 dined they had bought swords, and two brace of pistols with 
 ammunition. Both were dead tired, for they had ridden 
 something like a hundred and forty miles. 
 
 "I expect some of those men ahead must be even more 
 tired than we are; indeed, I have noticed that the tracks 
 are fewer this morning than they were yesterday evening." 
 
 "I noticed that too, sir. I expect they tailed off by the 
 way and took to their beds. However, I don't suppose that 
 will make any difference to us; there are sure to be a number 
 of retainers in such a big house too many for us to cope 
 with."
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 237 
 
 "Well, I can hardly keep my eyes open. I will order 
 dinner for six o'clock. It is just ten now, so that will give us 
 eight hours. There is one thing in our favour : the others will 
 be as tired as we are, and the chances are that they will most 
 of them take to their beds and remain there till the morning." 
 
 Both slept until the landlord knocked at the door and said 
 that dinner was served, and then, after bathing their heads to 
 wake themselves thoroughly, they went downstairs and ate a 
 hearty meal. It was arranged that they should take the 
 horses as near as they dared to the house, so that in case of 
 discovery they could at once ride away, and so get a sufficient 
 start to defy pursuit. Leaving his horse with Roper at a 
 distance of three or four hundred yards from the house, 
 Arthur went up to it and walked slowly round it. 
 
 The shutters in the front of the house were not closed, but 
 the curtains were drawn. By looking between them, however, 
 he could see that the party were at dinner. There were lights 
 in two or three windows upstairs. It was probable that in one 
 of these rooms the prisoners were placed. Going round the 
 house again, still more carefully, he saw that the shutters of 
 one of the lower windows were closed, and it struck him as 
 possible that the captives were here, and being served with a 
 meal at the same time as their captors. 
 
 "At any rate," he said to himself, "I can try here. If 
 the curtains are drawn and the shutters closed, they are not 
 likely to hear me open the window." 
 
 He had no ladder by which to reach the upper windows, so 
 he determined to take advantage of the men being all at 
 dinner and attempt a bold stroke. It was certain that many 
 of the guests would be strangers to the servants in the house, 
 and that any who met him in the passages would take him for 
 one of them. He went to the front door and tried it. It 
 was open, and he peered in. The hall was deserted. He 
 watched for a minute or two, and as he saw no servants 
 pass or repass, he guessed that the kitchen was on the same
 
 238 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 side of the house as the dining-room, whereas the closed 
 window was on the other side. He dropped his hat and 
 cloak, slipped into the hall, closed the door, walked across, 
 and turned in the direction of the room he wanted. He saw 
 that two men were standing at the door, evidently on guard. 
 He walked boldly up to them. As he had hoped, he was 
 evidently taken to be one of the count's guests, and they drew 
 aside and allowed him to turn the handle and enter the room. 
 In the centre stood a table. A child was asleep on a sofa, and 
 a lady sat beside her. The latter rose to her feet imme- 
 diately. 
 
 " I thought," she said sternly, " that it was promised that 
 no intrusion should take place on my privacy." 
 
 "Your majesty," Arthur said, stepping forward to her, 
 "does not recognize me. I am Captain Hallett, whom your 
 majesty graciously made a first class member of the Order 
 of Fernando. I have followed your majesty from Madrid, 
 keeping your carriage in sight the whole way. I had only 
 a suspicion that it was you that had been carried off, and 
 before I could verify it by seeing you, I had nothing to go 
 upon. Now that I have ascertained it, I will at once leave 
 you, for we may be interrupted at any moment. I will go to 
 seek a rescuing force. Tudela is the nearest point at which 
 there are troops. I have written an order in anticipation to 
 the senior officer there, commanding him to place himself under 
 my orders. Here is pen and ink. I pray your majesty to 
 sign it at once." 
 
 He placed the paper on the table, and the queen at once 
 signed it. 
 
 "I will thank you afterwards, senor," she said, "for myself 
 and my daughter. I will not detain you for a moment now. 
 Your life would be forfeited instantly were you found here." 
 
 Arthur bent on one knee, kissed her hand, and then without 
 a word left her and went out of the room, saying as he opened 
 the door: "Your wishes shall be respected, madam." Then
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 239 
 
 he walked quietly down the passage, across the hall, and out 
 at the front door. In his delight he ran full speed to the spot 
 where Eoper was holding horses. 
 
 " It is as we thought : the queen and the regent are prisoners 
 there, and I have seen them. Now we must ride to Tudela 
 it cannot be much more than thirty miles and we must 
 get the troops here by daylight if we can." 
 
 As they galloped away he told Eoper how he had managed 
 to see the queen. 
 
 "It was a bold stroke, sir, but succeeded splendidly. I 
 only hope they won't ask the men on guard if anyone has 
 been there." 
 
 "I thought of that, Eoper, but the chance of it is very 
 small. They could not imagine that there was anyone who 
 wanted to see the queens, and it is improbable that the con- 
 spirators have mentioned to anyone in the house who their 
 prisoners are. It is likely that the guards were only told, 
 when they were placed there, that the ladies were fatigued 
 with their journey and must not be disturbed. The secret is 
 too important to trust anyone with it. At the first village we 
 come to we must engage a man with a horse to act as our 
 guide; we shall never find our way across country without 
 one." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour they came to a village and stopped 
 at the inn. 
 
 "Landlord," Arthur said, "we want a man on horseback to 
 guide us to Tudela ; it is important that we should get there 
 this evening. Of course we shall be ready to pay well for 
 such service." 
 
 "What do you call well, senor?" the landlord said. 
 
 " I will give three pounds." 
 
 " Then I will go myself with you. My horse is not very 
 fast, but he is strong, and can do the journey easily." 
 
 "Very well, then; saddle him at once. Don't waste a 
 minute about it."
 
 240 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 In five minutes the landlord rode out of the yard. He 
 carried a couple of lanterns. 
 
 " You take one of them, Roper. I will ride between you 
 and this good fellow." 
 
 The road was bad, and it was well that the landlord had 
 brought lanterns, for it was a cross-road, and often nothing 
 but a mere track. It was one o'clock in the morning before 
 they rode into Tudela. The little town was asleep, but they 
 roused the people at the principal inn. 
 
 "Does the colonel commanding the troops stop here 1 ?" 
 
 "No, sir; he stays at the large house fourth down the road 
 on the right-hand side." 
 
 " Well, landlord, I want you to get supper for us, and I 
 shall require two fresh horses in the course of an hour, and 
 also one for this man who has come with me. I shall have 
 to arrange with you to send these horses to the place where 
 I borrowed them. I will pay you well for your trouble." 
 
 "I will manage it, senor," the man said, much impressed 
 with the decided manner of his guest. "I have no horses 
 myself, but will get them for you." 
 
 Arthur went to the house indicated, and rang loudly at the 
 bell. He had to ring two or three times before there was any 
 answer; then a head was thrust from an upper window. 
 
 "Who is making that noise?" 
 
 "I am a royal messenger," Arthur said, "and must see the 
 colonel instantly." 
 
 Presently the door was opened by a man with a light. He 
 showed Arthur into a room upstairs. 
 
 "The colonel will be in in a minute or two," he said, light- 
 ing two candles on the table. 
 
 In three minutes the colonel came down, buttoning up his 
 tunic. 
 
 "What is it, senor?" 
 
 " I am the cavalero Captain Hallett, and I am the bearer 
 of a message to you from the queen."
 
 A DESPERATE ATTEMPT 241 
 
 "From her majesty?" the colonel exclaimed in surprise. 
 
 "Yes. Now, colonel, before I hand you the letter I wish 
 to impress upon you the necessity for absolute secrecy in this 
 affair. It- must be mentioned to no one, unless you have 
 Donna Christina's permission to do so. I need scarcely say 
 that the matter is likely to be of considerable benefit to you. 
 Here is her majesty's order." 
 
 " This is a strange message," the colonel said, after reading 
 it through two or three times. u It has no official seal, and is 
 altogether unlike a document one would expect to receive from 
 her majesty." 
 
 "That is so, colonel. Her majesty was not in a position to 
 affix her seal, but the signature is hers, which is all that is 
 important. Now, sir, I will tell you what has happened. 
 Her Majesty Queen Christina and her daughter have been 
 carried off from Madrid by a party of armed conspirators. 
 She is at the present moment at the chateau of the Count de 
 Monteroy, and is held a prisoner in his house. I have had an 
 interview with her there, and have received this order from 
 her. What force of cavalry have you here?" 
 
 " I have only fifty men, senor." 
 
 " That will be sufficient. You will at once call them under 
 arms and start back with me. We must surround the chateau 
 before daylight if possible, and if we ride fast we may succeed 
 in doing so. You will there arrest the count and all his 
 guests, who are ten in number, but who may by to-morrow 
 morning be still stronger. You will then form an escort for 
 the queens, and conduct them back to Madrid. I don't know 
 what is happening there, but at any rate we will contrive to 
 ride in after nightfall, so as to get them back to their palace 
 unseen. After that the matter will be in her hands and that 
 of her government." 
 
 CM966)
 
 242 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A RESCUE 
 
 THE colonel, who had given an exclamation of astonishment 
 on hearing of the outrage upon the queens, was evidently 
 a man of action. He ran to the door and shouted " Thomasso ! 
 Stephano!" in tones of thunder. Two men came running 
 downstairs in their night attire. " Run to Captain Zeno, and 
 .order him to have his troop at my door in a quarter of an 
 hour from the present time. Tell him that it is a matter of 
 life and death. Don't stop to dress; throw on your cloaks 
 and run to him at once." Then he turned to Arthur. " They 
 may not be here in a quarter of an hour, but they won't be 
 many minutes longer. The captain sleeps at the barracks, and 
 he will turn his men out at once." 
 
 Another man was wakened and ordered to saddle the 
 colonel's horse at once. "How did this monstrous thing 
 happen, cavalero, if I may ask?" 
 
 " I do not know how the queen was carried off; but I was 
 riding on the road seven miles outside Madrid when I saw a 
 carriage coming along with closed blinds. Accompanied as 
 it was by twelve gentlemen I should have thought that it 
 was a pleasure-party going to some country chateau, but that 
 the carriage had closed blinds struck me as strange. Still, I 
 should have thought no more of the matter had I not noticed 
 a peculiar white mark on the head of one of the horses a 
 mark which I had that very morning noticed on the head of 
 one of those in the queen's carriage. The matter struck me 
 as being so strange that I determined to follow. I kept near 
 them all the way. They had relays of horses at various points 
 on the road, and changed them quickly. I managed also to 
 change mine and that of a servant with me, and finally traced 
 them to Count de Monteroy's. I was still in doubt as to
 
 A RESCUE 243 
 
 whether it was her majesty who was in the coach, but I 
 succeeded in obtaining a private interview. I saw her but a 
 minute. I had prepared this document for her signature, 
 which I was lucky enough to obtain. Now, colonel, you 
 know as much about the matter as I do." 
 
 Arthur could see that the officer was highly delighted at 
 the thought of the opportunity that had fallen in his way. 
 He ran back to his room and made a more elaborate toilet. 
 Arthur went off at once to the hotel to see if the arrange- 
 ments there were going on satisfactorily. The three horses 
 were at the door, so he sat down with Roper and ate a hasty 
 supper. 
 
 "Now, landlord," he said, "I want you to send these two 
 horses to this address; here are a couple of pounds for your 
 trouble. The horse ridden by the landlord who acted as my 
 guide here must be kept till to-morrow. He says he will come 
 over and fetch it himself." 
 
 Hearing a clatter of hoofs at this moment he went out 
 and found the troop just arriving at the colonel's door. He 
 mounted his horse and rode there at once. The colonel had 
 come out, and was in the act of mounting. 
 
 " They have only been five minutes over the quarter," the 
 latter said. "You have done very smartly, Captain Zeno. 
 You know the way, cavalero?" 
 
 "No; but this man with the lantern does. He guided me 
 here." 
 
 The guide and Roper, with their lanterns, rode off at the 
 head of the column; the colonel and Arthur followed, the 
 former calling up the captain to his side. " I dare say you are 
 wondering what you are called up so suddenly for, Captain 
 Zeno; but this gentleman is the bearer of an order for the 
 arrest of the Count de Monteroy and some persons in his 
 house. We must ride fast, for it is important that we shall 
 get there in time to take all in the house by surprise. It will 
 be light at six, so I hope we shall get there by that time;
 
 244 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 but if not, it is likely that we shall arrive before anyone 
 is stirring. It is, I understand, important that none of the 
 people there shall escape." 
 
 "Carlists, I suppose, senor ?" the captain asked. 
 
 " I don't know," the colonel replied ; " there are no particulars 
 whatever in my orders, which is simply for their arrest." 
 
 The innkeeper was now better mounted than before, and 
 the journey was done in a little over five hours. The day 
 had broken, but as they approached the house they could see 
 no signs of life. The colonel posted forty of the men round 
 the house, with orders to cut down anyone who tried to 
 escape; then with the other ten men, their captain, and 
 Arthur, he went up to the hall door and knocked loudly. 
 A minute or two later he knocked again, and it was opened 
 by a servant, who had evidently but just risen. He started at 
 the appearance of the soldiers. 
 
 "You will lead me at once to your master's bedroom," 
 Arthur said. Seeing that the colonel and he had both drawn 
 their swords, the servant without a moment's hesitation con- 
 ducted them to Count de Monterey's room. Arthur, accom- 
 panied by the colonel, went in. The count opened his eyes, 
 and then sprang suddenly out of bed. " I arrest you, Count 
 Juan de Monterey, on a charge of high treason ! Resistance, 
 senor, is useless; I have fifty soldiers round the house and 
 ten of them behind me here." 
 
 The count swore a deep oath, and then shrugged his shoulders. 
 "So there is a traitor among us?" he said scornfully. 
 
 "No, senor; your party have all been true to you," Arthur 
 said. 
 
 The colonel called in two men. "You will remain here 
 with this gentleman. You will allow him to dress, but see 
 that he touches no paper or documents of any kind. When 
 he has finished, you can bring him below, and there keep strict 
 watch over him until further orders." 
 
 The colonel went from door to door with his men, and
 
 A RESCUE 245 
 
 arrested the whole party without resistance. There were 
 twelve of them ; those who had been left behind on the way 
 having arrived late the previous evening. After seeing to the 
 arrest of the count, Arthur, followed by two soldiers, ordered 
 one of the trembling domestics, who had now come down, to 
 take him to the room of the lady and child who had arrived 
 the day before. Two guards stood beside it. 
 
 "Do you know why you are placed here?" he asked sternly. 
 
 "No, senor; except that we came on guard at eleven last 
 night and were ordered to allow no one to enter the room, 
 and to refuse to allow the lady inside to come out unless 
 escorted by the count himself." 
 
 " Well, you are relieved from that duty now. You will go 
 downstairs and remain there; we may want to question you 
 again presently." 
 
 Then he knocked at the door. It was immediately opened, 
 and Queen Christina came out. "I was expecting you this 
 morning, senor ; and, looking out of the window, saw you ride 
 up with the troop." 
 
 Arthur waved the two soldiers to move away. " Madam,'' 
 he said, "I do not know what your wishes may be; but I 
 thought it as well to keep the knowledge of your identity from 
 all save the colonel." 
 
 " Come in here. The Queen is dressed. Before we say any- 
 thing else, senor, I must thank you with all my heart for the 
 inestimable service that you have rendered me. I thank you 
 in the name of the queen, of myself, and of Spain. I am 
 obliged to you for having kept our identity a secret. I have 
 been thinking the matter over since I saw you last night and 
 learned that there was a chance of rescue. I should certainly 
 prefer that we should return to Madrid as we have come, 
 incognito. What has passed there I know not, but I think it 
 possible that my government have kept the fact of our disap- 
 pearance from the knowledge of the people, and I should wish 
 to consult with them when I get back as to the advisability of
 
 246 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 continuing to do so. I shall, of course, take better precautions 
 in future; but the news that I had once been carried off might 
 lead desperate men to repeat the attempt. However, we shall 
 have time to talk this all over on the journey. I should cer- 
 tainly wish to start as soon as possible." 
 
 "You can leave in half an hour, madam, and can travel as 
 fast as you came here. There are relays of horses on the way. 
 Your escort cannot keep up with you, as there would be no 
 possibility of procuring remounts for so many men. There 
 would be no occasion for an escort, because you can ride with 
 the blinds up, and by keeping your veil down there will be no 
 risk of your being recognized. What do you wish done with 
 regard to the prisoners, madam?" 
 
 The queen hesitated. 
 
 " I have not thought. What do you say, Captain Hallett ? 
 You have done so much in this matter that I will trust to 
 your opinion." 
 
 " I should think, madam, that it might perhaps be as well to 
 send them all under charge of the colonel who has come with 
 this troop to Tudela, or to leave them here in his charge, in 
 either case holding him responsible for their safety. Then you 
 could consult with your ministers as to what steps should be 
 taken. It might seem preferable to them that their trial if 
 trial there should be should take place at a provincial town 
 rather than the capital. I should think they could be better 
 guarded at the barracks at Tudela than here. Shall I order 
 breakfast to be brought up here, madam, or will you take it 
 below?" 
 
 " I would rather have it here." 
 
 "It is a quarter to seven now; shall you be ready to start 
 at eight? May I present the colonel to you, madam, before 
 you start? He was most zealous, and started with his troop 
 of cavalry in an extremely short time after hearing my 
 message. He is the only one of those here who knows of 
 your majesty's identity."
 
 A RESCUE 247 
 
 " Certainly, present him to me. I shall, of course, see that 
 he receives promotion." 
 
 "Does your majesty wish me to accompany you?" 
 
 "Of course I do, seiior. I thought that so much a matter 
 of course that I did not mention it. I have very, very much 
 to say to you, for I know nothing at present as to how you 
 came to be here." 
 
 At the appointed hour the queens came downstairs and went 
 into the drawing-room, where the Spanish colonel was pre- 
 sented to them. Christina spoke to him very graciously and 
 thanked him for his services, which she said should be shortly 
 recognized. 
 
 "I should wish you," she said, "to keep the prisoners in 
 entire seclusion ; let them have no communication with anyone. 
 Let the men who supply their wants be distinctly warned on 
 no account to exchange a word with them. I think the best 
 plan might be for you to have a house cleared out for them, 
 so that they can be placed in rooms apart, with a sentry at 
 each door, and sentries round the house to see that they com- 
 municate with no one. It might be better for you to requisi- 
 tion the prison, and see that the present inmates are placed 
 elsewhere. I rely upon your absolute secrecy, colonel, as to 
 myself and my daughter having been here. I cannot say what 
 course government will take in the matter; therefore I rely 
 upon you to keep them absolutely apart from all communica- 
 tion until you receive orders from Madrid." She held out her 
 hand to the colonel, who kissed it and retired much gratified. 
 
 The carriage was at the door. The count's coachman, who 
 had driven them down, was placed on the box, and Koper took 
 his place beside him. Two soldiers dressed in plain clothes 
 took their places behind, and one other, similarly dressed, 
 mounted one of the count's horses and led those that had been 
 ridden by Arthur and Eoper. Arthur himself had been com- 
 manded by the queen to take his place in the carriage with 
 her.
 
 248 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " You know this gentleman, do you not, Isabella?" the regent 
 said as they drove off. 
 
 The child had been gazing fixedly at Arthur. 
 
 "Yes, mamma, I think I do. He is the handsome gentle- 
 man, isn't he, who was presented to me some time ago for 
 doing something very brave 1" 
 
 "Yes, my dear; you said you liked him, you know." 
 
 " Yes I did, mother." 
 
 "You ought to like him a great deal more now, Isabella, 
 for he has done something very great for us. You are too 
 young yet to understand it, but I can tell you that he has 
 done a very, very great service, one that you should never 
 forget as long as you live. Now, geiior, I have been in vain 
 wondering how it was that you should have arrived in our 
 room in the manner of a good fairy last night." 
 
 " It was almost by an accident, madam, and that I was there 
 was due to the fact that the Count de Monterey made the 
 mistake of putting the horses out of your carriage into his own 
 instead of taking others." He then related fully the manner 
 in which his suspicion had been aroused, and how he had, 
 with his man, followed the carriage. "Of course, your 
 majesty, if I had been in any way sure that you were in the 
 carriage, I should have closed up at the first town you came to, 
 and called upon the authorities for aid to rescue you; but 
 beyond the mark on the horse and there may be more than 
 one horse so marked in Spain I had nothing upon which I 
 could act. The carriage evidently belonged to the party who 
 rode with it, but the mere fact that the blinds were drawn 
 down was in itself no proof that any prisoner was in it. It 
 might have been merely full of wine and provisions for the 
 use of the party going down to stay at a chateau. 
 
 "It was, therefore, absolutely necessary for me to assure 
 myself that you were prisoners. That might have been a 
 most difficult thing to find out, and I had in vain, on the 
 journey, thought over some plan. As it turned out, it was,
 
 A RESCUE 249 
 
 as I have told you, simply a matter of good fortune. The 
 closed shutters pointed out the room where you were likely 
 to le, and from the fact that dinner was going on I was able 
 to get to the door of your room unchallenged. Your guards 
 took me for one of the count's guests, and thus everything 
 was easy and simple. Of course the moment I left your 
 majesty I rode straight to Tudela, and started with the troop 
 on the return journey twenty minutes after I arrived." 
 
 "Well, sefior, I hardly know which to admire most: your 
 recognition of the horse, your quickness of perception that 
 something very unusual was being done, and the manner in 
 which, in spite of the immense fatigue of the journey, you 
 kept in sight of us until you traced us here; or the fear- 
 lessness with which yoa risked your life, as you certainly did, 
 to ascertain whether your suspicions were correct Now I 
 will tell you how we were seized. Of course our coachman 
 and foetmen must have been heavily bribed. We were 
 driving through the town when suddenly we turned in at 
 the gateway of a house in a quiet street. I could not now 
 say where the house was, for I was talking to Isabella, and 
 paid no particular attention to the route by which we were 
 proceeding to the palace. 
 
 "The moment we entered, a number of gentlemen came 
 round, the door was opened, and one said: 
 
 " ' Madam, I must trouble you to alight.' 
 
 " I began to demand what he meant by such insolence, but 
 he cut me short by saying: 
 
 " ' Madam, I repeat that you and the queen must alight. 
 We have no time to spare. Unless you at once descend and 
 enter this carriage standing here, we shall most reluctantly be 
 obliged to use force.' 
 
 "It seemed to me that it would be useless to resist, for it 
 was evident that these men were desperately in earnest and 
 would not hesitate to carry out their threats ; so we did as we 
 were ordered. A lady I believe she was a relation of the
 
 250 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 count's, from what she said afterwards got into the carriage, 
 followed by a gentleman. The blinds were then pulled down, 
 and the man took out a long dagger and said : 
 
 '"If you move, madam, or attempt to pull up the blinds or 
 to give the alarm, I shall not hesitate to stab you and your 
 daughter to the heart, as our safety, and that of a score of 
 other people, would demand it. I should deplore the neces- 
 sity, but I should not hesitate to act.' 
 
 " After we had driven for half an hour he got out. I could 
 hear a horse brought up to the door, and he mounted. I had 
 no doubt that the carriage was accompanied by mounted men. 
 The woman was of powerful build, and after we had once 
 started I gave up all idea of trying to give the alarm, which 
 would, I felt sure, be fatal. When the blinds were first 
 pulled down I heard one of the men speak furiously because 
 the horses were not in our carriage. Someone else said some- 
 thing, and he said : 
 
 " ' What does it matter if it is half an hour earlier than we 
 expected ? They ought to have been ready. Take the horses 
 out of that carriage.' 
 
 "There was a running about, and the pair of horses were 
 put in. Then one said : 
 
 "'Be sure that, directly we have gone, that carriage is 
 broken up and burnt. There must not be a splinter of it left 
 nothing to show that anyone has ever been here. You see 
 to it, Ferdinand; you have got saws and everything else. 
 Eemember the safety of all of us may depend upon its being 
 done thoroughly.' 
 
 " Three minutes later we started. It almost seemed to me 
 that I was in a nightmare from which I did not awake till I 
 got to the end of the journey. I chatted with Isabella, but I 
 did not exchange a single word with the woman in the 
 carriage with us. From time to time when we stopped to 
 change horses a tray of food was handed in, and we ate and 
 drank, though I had little appetite; but I felt that I must keep
 
 A RESCUE 251 
 
 up my strength, for I had no idea how long this strange 
 journey would last, or what would happen at the end of it. 
 That we had been captured by adherents of Don Carlos I had, 
 of course, no doubt. I did not fear that we should be injured; 
 but I did think that we might be kept for many years, perhaps 
 for life, in close confinement, in which case, doubtless, all 
 parties would at last accept Don Carlos as king. There 
 would, no doubt, be a general search for us; there would be 
 great troubles; but when it seemed to all that we should never 
 be found, even our best friends would be willing to accept Don 
 Carlos. What do you think will have taken place at Madrid?" 
 
 " I should certainly say, madam, that when you are missed 
 every effort will be made by government to keep your dis- 
 appearance a secret, while attempts will be made in all direc- 
 tions to find out the mystery. It will appear almost incredible 
 that you and your carriage, horses, coachman, and footmen 
 should suddenly and mysteriously have disappeared. No 
 doubt your captors did not ride out in a body. Some of those 
 you saw there doubtless remained to destroy the carriage; 
 possibly others may have waited a mile or two outside the 
 town. Two, perhaps, would keep some distance ahead of the 
 carriage, and two would follow. No particular attention 
 would be attracted by a carriage, with the blinds down and 
 apparently empty, being driven through the street at a leisurely 
 pace." 
 
 "After the man got out of the carriage," said the queen, 
 " we went very much faster. For a time I wondered which 
 way we were going, and where we were to be taken; but as 
 hour after hour went on I ceased to trouble over it, and was 
 principally occupied in endeavouring to appease Isabella's 
 curiosity concerning the strange method of travelling, and 
 by telling her stories to keep her amused. As soon as it 
 became dark she fell asleep with her head in my lap. I dozed 
 occasionally, waking up when the horses were changed. When 
 morning came I felt that we were being ferried across a river;
 
 252 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 then in a couple of hours we arrived here. The carriage drew 
 up and the door was opened. Several gentlemen were stand- 
 ing there, and all took off their hats as we dismounted, and 
 expressed their regret at having given us so long and fatiguing 
 a journey. 
 
 " The Count de Monteroy assured me that every attention 
 should be paid to our comfort, that we should be treated with 
 every respect, and that we should be in no way intruded upon. 
 Three times during the day servants brought in food, and we 
 were requested to come down to dinner. I was in half a mind 
 to refuse, but I thought it was better that Isabella should have 
 a change, and I might learn something of the arrangement of 
 the house. It is fortunate, indeed, that I did so, for if I had 
 been kept a prisoner upstairs, I do not think that even your 
 ingenuity and courage could have enabled you to obtain an 
 interview with me." 
 
 The coachman had been ordered to take exactly the same 
 road as that by which they had come, and to stop to change 
 horses at the same places. 
 
 " By the way, seiior, is the servant who rode with you the 
 same as accompanied you on the occasion when you rescued 
 Count Leon de Balen's sister?" 
 
 " He is, your majesty. He is at present riding on the box 
 with the coachman, as he has been lamed in a fight with the 
 Carlists; and although his ankle, which was broken, is now 
 nearly healed, the fatigue of the long ride has been so great 
 that I took the liberty of placing him upon the box to keep 
 his eye on the coachman, while one of the troopers leads our 
 horses." 
 
 "The first time we stop I beg that you will present the 
 brave fellow to me. He must have suffered greatly from the 
 long ride." 
 
 " I have no doubt that he has suffered, madam, but he has 
 said nothing about it. He rode with that leg loose in the 
 stirrup, only using the other. However, he acknowledged
 
 A RESCUE 253 
 
 this morning that he could not sit the horse going back, and 
 said he would remain with the troops for two days, resting. 
 It was then I decided to put him on the box instead of one of 
 the soldiers, as I had intended." 
 
 "Where did he get wounded, and how?" 
 
 "If it is your majesty's pleasure I will tell you. It is a 
 long story, and if I mistake not we shall be changing horses 
 in a short time, so I had better leave it until we start again." 
 
 "Very well," the regent said; "the longer the story the 
 better, for we have a long journey before us." 
 
 When the carriage stopped, Roper was called to the door. 
 
 "This is my man, your majesty, who has ridden from 
 Madrid with me." 
 
 "I thank you most heartily," the queen regent said. 
 "Isabella, give your hand to this brave soldier. It is he who 
 has helped this gentleman to get us away from that house. 
 He rode all the way behind us." 
 
 "You are a very good man," the child said, as she held out 
 her hand to Roper, who kissed it somewhat awkwardly. " It 
 was a very nasty, long journey for mamma and me, and it 
 must have been much worse for you, as you had to ride all the 
 way." 
 
 "Yes; and he helped his master to get that pretty young 
 lady, Donna Mercedes de Balen, out of the hands of the 
 wicked Carlists, who were going to kill her." 
 
 " I had very little to do with it, madam ; I simply did what 
 my master told me." 
 
 " I know Donna Mercedes well," the child said. " She has 
 been several times with her two sisters to play with me. I am 
 glad you did not let them kill her." 
 
 Roper bowed and retired. 
 
 "Is he a private soldier?" the regent asked. 
 
 " He is a private soldier for my sake, madam. He was 
 a sergeant in the regiment of the British Legion to which I 
 belonged, and when I was sent to Madrid to enquire about
 
 254 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 the pay due to the Legion, he gave up his rank in order to 
 accompany me as my servant, which was the more meritorious 
 as we had been private soldiers together." 
 
 "But you could never have been a private soldier?" the 
 regent said in surprise. 
 
 "I was, madam. I had got into a scrape at school, and 
 my guardian offered to allow me one hundred and twenty 
 pounds a year till I came of an age to become possessor of the 
 estate of my late father; and as they were recruiting at the 
 time for the Legion, I thought I should like to see something 
 of the world, and therefore I enlisted." 
 
 "A Spanish nobleman would never think of doing that," 
 the regent said. 
 
 " I was not a nobleman, madam. My father was what you 
 would call a country gentleman, living on his estate, which 
 was, I believe, a fair one. He died when I was only ten years 
 old, and left me to the care of an uncle. I only propose re- 
 maining in Spain until I come of age to inherit the estate." 
 
 "At what age do you inherit?" 
 
 " We generally inherit at twenty-one, madam. My father 
 considered, and very rightly, that I was not of a disposition to 
 settle down, and therefore stated in his will that I was not 
 to come into the estate until I was twenty-five." 
 
 " Then I suppose it will not be long before you go?" 
 
 " It will be some little time yet; I am a good deal younger 
 than I look." 
 
 The regent smiled. " That is because you are so big and 
 strong, I suppose, Captain Hallett. And are you thinking of 
 taking a Spanish lady home as your wife? There, I ought 
 not to have asked you," she said; "only I remember that 
 when a certain young lady told me a story of what had 
 happened to her, she coloured up very prettily when she 
 mentioned your name. But there, I won't say anything 
 more about it. Now, as we are off again, perhaps you will 
 tell us that story of how your follower was wounded ?"
 
 A RESCUE 255 
 
 Arthur told the story. Both the regent and her daughter 
 were greatly interested, and insisted upon hearing much fuller 
 particulars than he wished to give of the manner of his escape 
 from Cabrera, and of his return to carry off Roper. 
 
 "No wonder the man is attached to you," Christina said 
 warmly; " it would be strange indeed if he were not. It was 
 a grand action, Captain Hallett, however much you may make 
 light of it. Now, sir, I own that I feel sleepy; I scarcely 
 closed an eye last night. Would you mind riding for a time?" 
 
 " Certainly not, madam." 
 
 They were just stopping to put in fresh horses, and Arthur 
 was by no means sorry at the change. He glanced into the 
 carriage at the next halting-place, and saw that the regent 
 and her child were both asleep. Another fifteen miles and 
 they changed again. 
 
 " We have some food, have we not, Captain Hallett?" asked 
 the regent. 
 
 "Yes, your majesty; we have a large hamper behind the 
 carriage." 
 
 " Then have it brought in here, and please come in yourself. 
 How far have we gone?" 
 
 " About forty -five miles, madam." 
 
 "What time shall we get to Madrid?" 
 
 "About one o'clock in the morning, madam." 
 
 " Well, we will dine now. Then we will talk for an hour or 
 two, and I will try to get to sleep again, for I know that I 
 shall have no sleep to-night after I get in, but shall be up all 
 night with my ministers. I hope all the men are getting 
 food?" 
 
 "Yes, madam; I brought a basket of food for them too, 
 otherwise there must have been much delay when we changed 
 horses." 
 
 "You seem to think of everything, Captain Hallett," she 
 said, as he moved away to get the hamper. 
 
 " I had better open it and pass the things in, madam."
 
 256 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "No, bring it inside; we can put it on the seat by you. 
 It will be an amusement to open it. It is many, many years 
 since I enjoyed an impromptu meal like this." 
 
 The carriage rolled on and the hamper was opened. It 
 contained every necessary for a meal. There were several 
 bottles of the count's best wine, cold fowls, pasties, and a 
 variety of sweets, together with glasses, plates, and other 
 necessaries. The regent and the little queen entered into 
 the spirit of the thing with great zest. To the former it 
 was a relief indeed to be eating without ceremony, and able 
 for the moment to put aside all the cares of state, which 
 weighed so heavily upon her; to the little queen it was 
 something perfectly delightful, and both laughed and chatted 
 with a freedom and abandon that set Arthur quite at his ease. 
 The meal lasted for a long time, the regent declaring that 
 she had not eaten so much nor enjoyed a meal so thoroughly 
 for years. 
 
 The queen was enchanted. " Why can't we always eat like 
 this, mamma," she said, " instead of having to sit up, with 
 three or four servants to wait upon us, and everyone staring 
 disagreeably? I do so wish we could." 
 
 "Well, we can't have it quite like this, Isabella; but I will 
 make up my mind that once a week we will dine together in 
 my closet, and then we will have everything put upon the table 
 and help ourselves, and try and think that we are not queens, 
 or anything else disagreeable." 
 
 "That will be nice, mamma! And you won't say once to 
 me, 'You mustn't take this, Isabella', or 'You must sit up- 
 right', but just let me do as I like 1 ?" 
 
 Her mother nodded. " Yes, that shall be the agreement." 
 
 The child clapped her hands. "That will be nice!" she said. 
 " I am so tired of my governess saying, ' You mustn't do that ', 
 and 'You ought to do this'. It will be nice, mamma! When 
 shall we begin this day week?" 
 
 Her mother nodded.
 
 A RESCUE 257 
 
 "And will Captain Hallett always dine with us?" 
 
 " No, my dear; Captain Hallett has other things to do; but 
 perhaps sometimes, when he is in Madrid, he will come as a 
 special treat for you." 
 
 The child nodded contentedly. " I shall be very angry 
 with him if he does not come often," she said. 
 
 The meal lasted until they arrived at the next changing 
 place. Here Arthur got out again, and was glad to regain 
 his own horse. It was just one o'clock when they rode into 
 Madrid. There were lights in the palace, and the gates were 
 still open. They did not drive up to the principal entrance. 
 The regent decided that she would enter at a side door, and 
 try to make her way to her apartments unnoticed, as it was 
 possible that the news of their disappearance had been kept 
 from most of the servants of the palace. 
 
 " Come up with me, if you please, Captain Hallett," she 
 said. 
 
 The door was unbolted, and after giving orders that the 
 carriage should be taken round to the stables, and that the 
 soldiers should put up at an inn for the night and come round 
 for orders in the morning, she entered, with Arthur carrying 
 the child, sound asleep, in his arms. They climbed some stairs 
 to the first floor. Up to this time the queen had been in 
 ignorance as to her whereabouts, but she now knew where 
 she was, and made her way to her own chamber. Leaving 
 Arthur outside, she went in for a minute or two, laid the child 
 on a bed, took off her wraps, and then came out. 
 
 "Now we will go to the council -chamber," she said; "I 
 expect we shall find some of the ministers there in consulta- 
 tion." 
 
 She led the way along a gallery, and, opening a door, went 
 in. Eight men were sitting there, and they leapt to their feet 
 with a cry of astonishment as the regent entered, followed by 
 a young gentleman who was unknown to them. 
 
 "Why your majesty!" her minister said. 
 
 (M966) R
 
 258 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Yes; I understand that you are surprised to see me," she 
 interrupted. " Now, gentlemen," she went on, as she went to 
 her seat at the head of the table, " I will, in the first place, 
 ask you what has happened here since I have been away; 
 after that I will tell you where I have been. Has my absence 
 been known 1 ?" 
 
 " To very few people, your majesty. Fortunately, I was 
 here awaiting your return. As the time passed and you did 
 not arrive, I became anxious. When you were two hours 
 late, I sent for my colleagues and we had a consultation, but 
 we were unable to form any idea of what had become of you. 
 Your carriage had not returned. It was not possible that any 
 accident could have occurred, for if so, we should have heard 
 of it. At nine o'clock we became seriously alarmed, and all 
 went out to different parts of the city to make cautious en- 
 quiries as to where your carriage had been last seen, and 
 whether a report was current that an accident had taken 
 place. We met here again at eleven. None of us had heard 
 of any news. Your carriage had been seen in various parts of 
 the town early in the afternoon, but where it had been last 
 noticed we could not find out. We set the whole police to 
 search quietly no one was told of your disappearance. A 
 search was made for the carriage. In the meantime it was 
 given out that the queen was unwell, and that you were re- 
 maining with her and nursing her. Your majesty's surgeon 
 was called in and sworn to secrecy, and he has twice a day 
 come to the palace. We have been, as your majesty may well 
 imagine, at our wits' end to know what to do. To announce 
 that you had disappeared would cause a disturbance in the 
 city, and an enormous state of unrest throughout the kingdom. 
 We have met to-night to consider how long the secret could 
 be kept, and whether it would be expedient at once to offer a 
 very large reward for news concerning you." 
 
 " Happily, duke, I am in a position to settle the matter and 
 to relieve your disquietude."
 
 A RESCUE 259 
 
 She then related how she had been kidnapped, and how she 
 was taken to the house of the Count de Monteroy and con- 
 fined there. Many were the exclamations of anger as she 
 went on. 
 
 " It is monstrous ! Incredible ! " were among the exclamations 
 when she ceased. 
 
 "Then how, madam, did you obtain your freedom from 
 the hands of these malefactors ? It would certainly seem that 
 they had taken every precaution to keep the place of your 
 confinement secret." 
 
 " Precautions they did take that would have deceived most 
 people," the regent said, "but which, happily, failed to deceive 
 this gentleman here. Now, Captain Hallett, perhaps you will 
 please tell these gentlemen how it happened that you traced 
 and rescued me. I request that you will tell it in full detail." 
 
 Thus commanded, Arthur gave a full account of the way 
 in which his suspicions had been aroused, of his pursuit, the 
 manner in which he had discovered that his suspicions were 
 correct, and the steps he had taken to obtain the release of the 
 prisoners. 
 
 "Well, sir," the premier said, when Arthur had brought 
 the story to a conclusion, "I have to congratulate you most 
 heartily, in my own name and on behalf of the other members 
 of her majesty's government, upon the manner in which you 
 have rescued the queen and the queen regent from the hands 
 of their captors. You have shown an amount of acuteness, 
 of steadfastness of purpose, and of courage, in venturing into 
 this den of conspirators, that does you an extraordinary 
 amount of credit. We can hardly imagine what would have 
 happened had the place of confinement of the queen remained 
 undiscovered. The whole kingdom would have been in up- 
 roar; civil strife would have been more rampant than ever. 
 We thank you most heartily, in the name of Spain, for what 
 you have done for her. Have you the list, senor, of the men 
 who have been arrested 1"
 
 260 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Yes, senor, this is it." 
 
 The premier ran his eye over it, and passed it on to his 
 colleagues. 
 
 "It is difficult to believe," he said, "that some of the 
 gentlemen here mentioned could have been engaged in such 
 a conspiracy; however, we cannot at present decide upon so 
 important a question." 
 
 " I may say, senor," Christina said, " that for my own part 
 I should vastly prefer that there should be neither scandal 
 nor trial. I prefer that they should be ordered to leave the 
 kingdom at once, with the understanding that if they return 
 they will be arrested on the charge of high treason. It would 
 be most unfortunate if this matter should be made public. 
 The plot has failed; but the mere fact that it has been tried 
 might lead others to repeat the attempt. In the next place, 
 most of these men who have been engaged in the matter bear 
 historic names, and have wide connections. It would there- 
 fore be one of the gravest scandals ever known in Spanish 
 history were they to be tried and punished on such a charge. 
 This is my opinion on the subject. I submit it to your judg- 
 ment, and I think that when you come to take into con- 
 sideration the magnitude of the interests involved, you will 
 agree with me that it would be advisable to let the matter 
 pass unnoticed. 
 
 "In time, when these troubles are all brought to an end, 
 it will be possible to extend to these conspirators the hand 
 of mercy, and allow them to return to such portion of their 
 estates as may be deemed fitting. And now, gentlemen, I 
 will leave you. I have had four days of great fatigue and 
 anxiety. I should say that to-morrow a notification should 
 be issued to the effect that the queen has recovered from her 
 passing indisposition, and that in the course of the day we 
 should show ourselves in the streets as usual." So saying she 
 rose; the members of the council also stood up, and bowed 
 deeply as she left the room followed by Arthur.
 
 A CHALLENGE 261 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 A CHALLENGE 
 
 ON leaving the palace Arthur went to his room, where he 
 found supper awaiting him, Eoper having confiscated to 
 his use the contents of the royal hamper. 
 
 " I thought you would want something before you went to 
 bed, and I was sure that I did. I have already eaten mine, 
 but here is a fowl, sir, and two bottles of wine." 
 
 " Well, I am not sorry to have them, though it is three 
 o'clock in the morning; however, we can sleep as late as we 
 like." 
 
 At twelve o'clock, however, Arthur was awakened by Leon 
 entering his room. 
 
 " We have been quite uneasy about you, Arthur. Where 
 have you been? What have you been doing with yourself? 
 I came round here four days ago; the concierge said you were 
 out. I called again in the evening, and next morning I learned 
 that, when you left, you had said nothing about any inten- 
 tion of going away; that you had certainly taken no clothes 
 with you, but had gone out with Roper in attendance, just 
 as if you were going for an ordinary ride." 
 
 " That was just the intention with which I did go out, but 
 circumstances were too much for me. Now, what I am going 
 to tell you is a complete secret, and before I say anything 
 about it you must give me your promise that it shall not, on 
 any account whatever, go beyond yourself and your sisters." 
 
 Leon looked at Arthur in surprise, but, seeing that he was 
 quite in earnest, gave the required pledge. 
 
 " Well, you will be surprised to hear that in the four days 
 1 have been away I have ridden over three hundred miles." 
 
 "Over three hundred miles!" 
 
 "Yes. That is not bad for what was really three and a
 
 262 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 half days' work, for I arrived here at three o'clock this 
 morning." 
 
 " You stupefy me," the young count said. " Why, no horse 
 could have done it." 
 
 "No, and no horse did it; I had relays about every fifteen 
 miles." 
 
 " You travelled post 1 What did you carry ? A despatch 
 for Espartero, or a cartel to Cabrera?" 
 
 "Prepare yourself for a surprise, Leon. I carried in my 
 hand the safety of the queen and the regent." 
 
 "The safety of the queen and regent! You are not joking, 
 are you 1 How could you have to ride three hundred miles 
 on such an errand?" 
 
 " Well, briefly, Leon, the queen and the queen regent were 
 carried away a hundred and fifty miles, and I brought them 
 back again." 
 
 Leon looked seriously at his friend. 
 
 "You are not quite well, are you?" he said; "you are a 
 little upset, my dear fellow, about something. You are talk- 
 ing nonsense, you know; the queen has not been out of 
 Madrid. She has been unwell, and her mother has been nurs- 
 ing her." 
 
 "So you were led to believe, but the facts are as I have 
 stated. The queen and her mother were seized when driving 
 through the streets of Madrid four days ago. They were 
 placed in a carriage with closed blinds, and were carried to 
 a place some twenty -five miles- beyond the Ebro and some 
 thirty miles from Tudela. I followed them with Eoper. I had 
 the luck to obtain an interview with her majesty, rode to 
 Tudela, and brought back a squadron of horse, surrounded 
 the house where they were imprisoned, captured all the con- 
 spirators, and brought the queen and her mother back to 
 Madrid at one o'clock this morning." 
 
 "You seem to be talking sensibly," Leon said, "but I really 
 cannot take in what you say. It's a hundred and thirty miles
 
 A CHALLENGE 263 
 
 good to the Ebro, and you say it was twenty-five miles 
 farther; then you rode from there to Tudela and back, 
 a distance of sixty miles, so that you have, in fact, covered 
 some four hundred miles. Where have you slept?" 
 
 " I think I slept a little on horseback on the way to Tudela 
 and back, and I have slept since three o'clock this morning, as 
 I was some time at the palace. I have no doubt that in addi- 
 tion I dozed occasionally for some minutes in succession in the 
 saddle during the return journey, and I had a sleep of eight 
 hours in the daytime the day before yesterday; and if you 
 had not come in I dare say I should have had as many more 
 before I woke to-day." 
 
 Leon looked so serious that Arthur burst into a hearty laugh. 
 
 "That is good," he said, "and will wake me up. Now, 
 Leon, if you will wait for five minutes I will get up and dress. 
 Did you see Roper when you came in?" 
 
 "Yes; he opened the door to me as usual." 
 
 "Well, if you will tell him that I shall be out in ten minutes, 
 and want some coffee and something to eat, he will make it for 
 me; but mind, don't ask him any questions. I am not going 
 to have the story spoilt by anyone else telling you about it; 
 not that I think you would get anything out of him, for he 
 is absolutely trustworthy, and I told him last night that no 
 whisper must pass his lips of what has taken place." 
 
 In ten minutes Arthur went into the sitting-room, and as he 
 entered, Leon said: "If you are going to eat your breakfast 
 before you tell me anything, I will go away. I cannot repress 
 my curiosity, and I will take a ride or do something to keep 
 my brain steady until you are ready to unburden yourself." 
 
 " I will begin at once, and tell you while I am eating. 
 
 "Now," he began, as he sat down and poured out some 
 coffee, " the thing in a nut-shell is precisely what I told you. 
 And now as to particulars : I was riding with Roper, and had 
 gone about seven miles out. As we returned I met a party of 
 gentlemen on horseback. At some little distance behind them
 
 264 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 was a carriage with the blinds down. Again, at a distance 
 behind the carriage was another party of gentlemen. Alto- 
 gether there were twelve men. It struck me as rather curious; 
 still, they might have been going down to spend the day at 
 some chateau, and carrying provisions or something of that 
 sort in the carriage. I should not have thought much more 
 about the matter, if it had not been for one thing: as the 
 carriage passed me, it struck me that I knew one of the horses 
 by a rather curious white mark on its forehead. 
 
 " As I rode on, it suddenly occurred to me where I had seen 
 a horse similarly marked: it was in the carriage in which the 
 queen was driving when I saw her in the street, just as we 
 were starting. Naturally this led me to review the position. 
 Who was in the carriage ? Why were the blinds down ? How 
 was it that six men were riding in front of it and other six 
 behind it? It struck me that possibly they were carrying off 
 the queen, and I resolved to follow and see where they went. 
 They rode much farther than I expected, changing horses at 
 quiet places every twelve miles or so, and going very fast, till, 
 as I told you, they crossed the Ebro between Saragossa and 
 Tudela, and went some twenty-five miles farther to a mansion, 
 which I had no difficulty in learning belonged to Count Juan 
 de Monterey. 
 
 " Having found that out, we stopped at an inn in a village 
 two miles from it, and had that sleep I mentioned, as it 
 was ten o'clock in the day, and I could do nothing till 
 dark. Then I went to the mansion and found, by looking 
 through the curtains, that the party were at dinner. I found 
 also that the windows of another room on the ground floor had 
 closed shutters. The two rooms lay on opposite sides of the 
 grand entrance. The door was open. I peeped in, and could 
 see no one about; so I took heart, walked boldly in, and 
 turned along the corridor to the room with the closed shutters. 
 
 " Two men were standing on guard at the door, but of course 
 they took me for one of their master's guests, and I walked
 
 A CHALLENGE 265 
 
 coolly past them, and found in the room the queen and her 
 mother. I got the regent to sign an order that I had written 
 out, for the officer commanding at Tudela to place himself 
 under my orders. Then I rode over there and fetched a 
 squadron of cavalry, which arrived at daybreak. We sur- 
 rounded the house, took the twelve men there prisoners, 
 started an hour later with the queens, and arrived here at 
 one o'clock this morning." 
 
 Leon gazed at him in open-eyed astonishment. 
 
 " You are certainly a most surprising fellow, a most astonish- 
 ing fellow ! I don't know what to say to you. Here, single- 
 handed, you have thwarted a plot that might have brought 
 ruin to the country; you have saved a couple of queens; 
 you have captured, too, the leaders of the plot; you have 
 ridden, what with your journey to Tudela and back, four 
 hundred miles at least, in the course of three days and a half; 
 and here you are, telling me all this as if it had been a natural 
 and everyday occurrence." 
 
 " It certainly was not an everyday occurrence, Leon, but it 
 was an affair that might have happened to anyone who kept 
 his eyes open and possessed a certain amount of endurance." 
 
 " So this is the real history of the young queen's indisposi- 
 tion r 
 
 "Yes. I think the ministers acted very wisely in keeping 
 the thing a secret." 
 
 "It is the first wise thing they have done," Leon said. 
 " I don't see that they are a bit better than the last ministry. 
 However, never mind that now. And about yourself? you 
 must be fearfully stiff." 
 
 " I am very stiff, but that will wear off by to-morrow." 
 
 "And did your man perform this marvellous journey in 
 spite of his broken leg?" 
 
 "He rode there with me, and when I went to fetch the 
 troops, but he came back on the box of the queen's carriage. 
 His leg hurt him a good deal last night, but I hope no real
 
 266 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 harm is done, though no doubt he will have to keep quiet for 
 a few days." 
 
 " Well, they ought to make a duke and grandee of Spain of 
 you for it." 
 
 " I sincerely hope they won't think of anything of the sort," 
 Arthur laughed. "Fancy my going back to England with 
 such a title as the Due de Miraflorcs! The thing would 
 be absolutely ludicrous!" 
 
 " Well, they will have to do something big anyhow," Leon 
 said. "Now, tell me the story more fully. You have got 
 nothing to do, and may as well gratify my curiosity." 
 
 " There is really very little to tell, but I will give it to you ;" 
 and he then told the story in detail. 
 
 "Well, it is really remarkable that you should have been 
 able to keep them under your observation during all that long 
 journey without letting them know that they were followed." 
 
 " You see, they could have had no idea that there was any- 
 one after them; if they had, they would no doubt have left a 
 couple of their number to follow at a distance of two or three 
 miles. They no doubt felt quite sure that the absence of 
 the queen was entirely unsuspected, that no search could be 
 made for her for at least six hours, and that assuredly no 
 parties would be sent off in any case to scour the country till 
 next day, by which time they would have crossed the Ebro. 
 If, instead of taking the horses from the queen's carriage, they 
 had waited five minutes till their own were yoked, their plot 
 would have been successful. Their plan was uncommonly 
 well laid, and they could hardly have conceived it possible 
 that one of the queen's horses would be recognized in a private 
 carriage; nor would it have been had I not happened to ob- 
 serve that peculiar mark that very morning." 
 
 "Well," Leon said, "I will be off now to tell my sisters." 
 
 " I shall not stir out to-day, Leon. I really feel that I should 
 enjoy a day's rest, and it is possible that I may be sent for to 
 the palace."
 
 A CHALLENGE 267 
 
 "That is almost certain; the ministers must have many 
 things to question you about, as the queen last night can 
 only have given them a general account of the affair." 
 
 Indeed, a court messenger rode up an hour later and re- 
 quested Arthur's attendance at the palace. He dressed himself 
 fully and went there. On his arrival he was conducted to the 
 council-chamber. 
 
 " The queens have not yet risen, Captain Hallett. I should 
 be glad if you would give us much fuller details than the 
 regent was able to give us last night; perhaps, too, in addition 
 to what you yourself know of it, you may have heard from 
 Queen Christina the particulars of her capture." 
 
 Arthur gave the particulars at full length, both of the 
 queen's capture and of his own proceedings. 
 
 " Thank you, Captain Hallett ! " the premier said. " It is the 
 most audacious attempt against the person of a Queen of 
 Spain that I have ever heard of; and the manner in which you 
 thwarted it is no less remarkable. We have already despatched 
 a courier with orders to Colonel Queredo, ordering him to 
 bring the prisoners to Madrid under the escort of the troop of 
 cavalry, and to accomplish this with all possible speed, placing 
 them in three carriages and keeping the most careful guard 
 over them, confining them by day in some suitable apartment 
 where they can communicate with no one, and travelling after 
 dark only. They will be tried privately. I may tell you 
 that although their lives are unquestionably forfeited, we do not 
 intend to carry out the extreme penalty, as this could not be 
 done without the whole affair becoming known a matter that 
 we are most anxious to avoid. In the first place, the men are 
 all members of good families, and could not be so disposed of 
 without the whole matter being known; and the attempt so 
 nearly succeeded that it might be again tried. Their estates 
 will, of course, be forfeited, and they will be taken to the 
 frontier and forbidden ever to cross it again, under penalty 
 of incurring the death -sentence that will be passed upon
 
 268 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 them. And now, sir, may we ask you what shape you 
 would like our gratitude to take, for this great service you 
 have rendered?" 
 
 "I have no desire for a reward in any shape, sir," Arthur 
 replied. "I am an English gentleman with an estate in my 
 own country, and am well pleased that I have been able to 
 render a service to the Queen of Spain and her mother. That 
 is ample reward for my efforts, and I can assure you that 
 I shall be best pleased if nothing else is done in the matter. 
 I feel personally thankful to you that you have decided 
 not to execute the men concerned in the matter; it would 
 be a pain for roe to know that the lives of twelve men, 
 who were doubtless actuated by what they believed, however 
 mistakenly, to be the good of their country, should be for- 
 feited through me. May I enquire if you have arrested the 
 coachman and footmen? I do not ask that mercy should be 
 extended to them. They were, of course, bribed heavily, and 
 I do not think any punishment too severe for men who could 
 so betray their mistress." 
 
 " The police are in search of them, Captain Hallett. We can 
 hardly expect to find them for some time, for they would 
 naturally leave within an hour after the perpetration of their 
 crime, and as they have four days' start they will by this time 
 be far away. No efforts, however, will be spared in tracing 
 them. As to what you have said, we shall, of course, inform 
 the regent of your declaration, which doubtless does you the 
 highest credit, but which, as you must see, can hardly be 
 entertained by us, as it would be impossible for the queen to 
 remain under so deep an obligation to a gentleman, however 
 honourable and disinterested." 
 
 " Well, sir, I can only say that I spoke in earnest. I shall 
 always be pleased to look back at having been able to render a 
 service to the Queen of Spain, who had already honoured me 
 by creating me a Knight of the Isabella of the first class 
 and a Companion of the Order of San Fernando the Catholic."
 
 A CHALLENGE 269 
 
 He was again sent for to the palace by the queen that after- 
 noon. 
 
 "I have been for a drive with my daughter," she said, "and 
 have been acclaimed by the populace, who were evidently 
 pleased that Isabella has recovered from her indisposition ; and 
 things will now, I hope, go on as before. I feel that at present 
 I have not thanked you as you deserve for what you did for us. 
 Believe me, that I am not ungrateful. My little daughter is 
 not old enough to understand the service you have rendered 
 us, but in her name I thank you most deeply, and shall ever 
 retain a deep feeling of obligation towards you." 
 
 "The service was one that any gentleman might have 
 performed. The sight of that carriage with the blinds down, 
 and the knowledge that one of the horses that was drawing 
 it belonged to your majesty, might well have excited the 
 suspicioTi in anyone that something was wrong. That idea 
 once entertained, he would have taken steps to get to the 
 bottom of the mystery." 
 
 The regent smiled. "I can assure you, Captain Hallett, 
 that few of my countrymen would have troubled their heads 
 about such a matter one way or another, or have put them- 
 selves out of the way to investigate it. The premier tells me 
 that he has informed you of the course they intend to take as 
 to these traitors. Has it your approval?" 
 
 "Entirely so. I am very little qualified to judge such 
 matters, but it certainly seems to me in the highest degree 
 desirable that this attempt on your person should not be 
 generally known. People may guess as they choose when 
 they hear that these men have been banished for life, but they 
 may merely suppose that they have been concerned in some 
 plot or other. Anything would be better than to let it be 
 known that you had been actually carried off." 
 
 That evening Arthur paid a visit to Leon's, and was re- 
 ceived with enthusiasm by the three girls. "Leon has been 
 telling us all about your doings, Senor Arthur," Inez ex-
 
 270 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 claimed. "So you have saved the two queens and brought 
 them safely back from Madrid? It was splendid! You can't 
 tell how proud we feel of you, as we natter ourselves that we 
 are your greatest friends here." 
 
 " That you certainly are, Donna Inez. I have no very 
 intimate friends here except yourselves." 
 
 "As for Mercedes, she regularly cried," the girl went on. 
 
 "You should not tell such things, Inez," Mercedes said, 
 colouring hotly. " I know that it was silly of me, but it did 
 seem so brave and so wonderful." 
 
 " There was no bravery in it. The only time when there was 
 ever real danger was when I entered the house and discovered 
 the queens; otherwise, the question was only one of sitting so 
 many hours in the saddle." 
 
 " I won't have you belittle yourself," Mercedes said, with an 
 attempt at playfulness. " It was just the same thing when you 
 rescued me: you tried to make out that anyone could have 
 done it. It was altogether a splendid deed." 
 
 In a short time guests began to arrive, for it was the even- 
 ing on which they entertained. Arthur could not help being 
 amused at the talk, which turned partly on the young queen's 
 illness, her rapid recovery, and what would have happened 
 had her illness been a serious one. 
 
 A week later Arthur appeared at the trial of the traitors, 
 and gave evidence as to their proceedings. Christina's account 
 of her capture was read aloud. The prisoners attempted no 
 defence, as the complicity of the whole of them in the affair 
 was too evident to dispute. They were all sentenced to death, 
 with the confiscation of their estates. The death-sentence, 
 however, was commuted by the queen regent into banishment 
 for life, and they were taken to the frontier and there released. 
 
 On the day after the trial the estates of Count de Monterey 
 were bestowed upon Arthur by decree signed by the queen 
 regent and the queen. He went at once to the palace to 
 receive the document, and implored the regent to take back
 
 A CHALLENGE 271 
 
 the gift. "I have no intention, your majesty, of remaining 
 in Spain after the conclusion of the war, and the gift would 
 be a burden to me. I could not look after the estates, nor 
 see to the welfare of my tenants. I hope that in time, when 
 all these matters are settled, your majesty will be able to 
 recall these unhappy men and replace them on their estates. 
 Doubtless an amnesty will be granted at the end of the war, 
 and I trust that your majesty will be able to include even 
 these malefactors, who will, we may be sure, be moved by 
 your clemency to become faithful servants of yours." 
 
 " But a queen cannot be ungrateful, cavalero." 
 
 "Your majesty, it is sufficient for me to know that I have 
 your gratitude, and I shall always be proud to know that 
 I have been able to do you and your daughter service, there- 
 fore I implore you to take back this gift." 
 
 "I cannot refuse any petition from you," the regent said, 
 and, taking the deed of gift in her hands, she tore it in two; 
 " but in some way, at least, we must manifest our gratitude." 
 
 Three days later Arthur received a business notification 
 from a banker in the city stating that the sum of a hundred 
 thousand crowns had been paid by royal order to his account, 
 and five thousand crowns to that of the soldier, John Roper. 
 He felt that he could not refuse this gift, and called at the 
 palace and sincerely thanked the two queens for it. 
 
 " We feel, and shall always feel, that we are under the deep- 
 est obligation to you, senor; and we have been permitted to 
 show you but a very small portion of it." 
 
 Roper was in the highest degree delighted. He had now 
 thrown away his stick, and was able to walk fairly well. 
 
 " Well, Captain Hallett," he said, " I never thought, when I 
 sailed on that expedition from Liverpool, that I should come 
 home at the end of a few years with fifteen hundred pounds 
 in my pocket; nor, when we sat down to dinner on board that 
 hulk, that through you I was to have such good fortune." 
 
 " You must not put it in that way, Roper. It has come to
 
 272 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 you through the friendship that led you to give up your 
 stripes in order to follow me, and for the service you did in 
 both the affairs in which we were engaged together." 
 
 "It is mighty little I did beyond following your orders. 
 Now, sir, I don't care how soon we go back to England." 
 
 "Nor do I, Roper; but we must see this business out. 
 From what I hear, Maroto, Don Carlos' commander-in-chief in 
 the north, who appears to be an unmixed scoundrel, is nego- 
 tiating with Espartero for surrender. He has already seized 
 and murdered six of the Carlists' best generals, who would, 
 he knew, be opposed to his projects. If the negotiations do 
 not fall through, there is an end to the Carlist cause in the 
 north, and Espartero will be able to move with his whole 
 force into Aragon, in which case he will speedily bring the 
 contest to an end." 
 
 A week later Arthur was at a reception at Leon's, when he 
 observed a man scowling at him, and, asking his name from a 
 friend, learned that he was Count Silvio de Mora. He thought 
 no more of the matter at the time, but on the following morn- 
 ing a card, with the name of Don Pedro de Verderas, was 
 brought in to him. He at once ordered Roper to show him 
 up. A young man entered and bowed courteously, but waved 
 his hand aside when Arthur offered him a chair. 
 
 " I have come to you, senor, on the part of my friend Count 
 Silvio de Mora, who conceives himself to be seriously aggrieved 
 by you." 
 
 "Indeed, sir! in what way? I have never exchanged a 
 word with him that I am aware of, though I certainly ob- 
 served that he was looking unpleasantly at me last night." 
 
 "The count's grievance is a very clear and distinct one, 
 senor. He was, as you are doubtless aware, betrothed to 
 Donna Mercedes de Balen. That young lady, as a conse- 
 quence, he tells me, of her being captured by the Carlists, 
 wrote by the hand of her brother to say that the shock had 
 been so great that she was determined never to marry, but
 
 A CHALLENGE 273 
 
 to spend her life in good works. The count, my friend, 
 assented, though deeply troubled by the decision. The count 
 now finds that by common report Donna Mercedes " 
 
 "Stay, sir," Arthur said sternly, "don't let the name of 
 Donna Mercedes de Balen be brought into this matter. The 
 Count Silvio de Mora conceives that he has a quarrel with 
 me and demands satisfaction. That is quite enough as 
 between two gentlemen. I shall be perfectly prepared to 
 give him that satisfaction. A friend of mine will wait upon 
 you to arrange the preliminaries." 
 
 " Nothing can be more satisfactory," the Spaniard said. He 
 and Arthur exchanged deep bows, and he went out. 
 
 Arthur sat down to think deeply. He was now twenty, 
 with an experience that made him feel years older. Donna 
 Mercedes was a year younger, and gradually for a long time 
 past he had been aware of the fact that it was more than the 
 friendship brought about by their close intimacy that he felt 
 towards her. She was in all respects a charming girl. She 
 was bright, pleasant, and natural, one of the acknowledged 
 beauties of Madrid. He had often told himself that it would 
 be wrong of him to presume, on the friendship of Count Leon, 
 to raise his eyes to his sister, who was co- heiress with her 
 sisters to large estates which had been the property of her 
 mother. The queen's remark about her blushes when she 
 mentioned him had often recurred to him, and had suggested 
 to him that possibly it was not mere gratitude she felt for 
 him. The queen's gift had placed him in a better position 
 than before, so that it would not be necessary to ask her to 
 wait five years before he would be able to support her in the 
 style of life to which she had been accustomed. He had been 
 intimate with the family in a manner altogether contrary to 
 Spanish customs, and it might well be that she had come to 
 care for him. 
 
 " Well, I will speak to her brother about it after this affair 
 is over," he concluded ; " and now I will send word to Don 
 
 ( M 966 ) S
 
 274 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Lopez Parona. I have seen a good deal of him, and no doubt 
 he will act for me." 
 
 He sent Roper off with a note, and an hour later the young 
 man came in. 
 
 " Don Lopez," he said, " Count Silvio de Mora has forced a 
 quarrel upon me, and it is necessary that I should fight him. 
 I have sent for you to ask if you will be my second in the 
 affair." 
 
 "With pleasure, Captain Hallett. What arrangements do 
 you wish made?" 
 
 " Well, I have been thinking it over. I don't pretend to be 
 a really good shot with the pistol, though I have practised a 
 bit. Do you know whether the count is a good swordsman?" 
 
 " He has the reputation of being an excellent one." 
 
 "Well, I took lessons with the sword four years ago when 
 I was at Vittoria, but I have never used a straight sword 
 since. I don't suppose he is a better shot with the pistol 
 than I am. I wish you to say that I have not touched a 
 sword for years, but that if he will give me a fortnight to 
 practise I will choose that weapon; if he objects to that, I 
 will take pistols. I fenced for nearly six months at Vittoria 
 and workecl very hard, and my master said that I was really a 
 good swordsman, and had learned as much as a Spaniard would 
 in two years. I think with hard work that I can get it back 
 again in a fortnight." 
 
 Three hours later Don Lopez returned. " I have arranged 
 it as you desired. It seems the count knows nothing of 
 pistols, and he is quite willing to give you a fortnight to 
 prepare for the encounter." 
 
 "Very well, then. I will go this evening to a fencing 
 school, and will put in six hours' work a day, divided into 
 three lessons of two hours each." 
 
 "But that would be prodigious, senor!" 
 
 " If you feel my muscles you will, I think, admit that they 
 can stand pretty hard work."
 
 A CHALLENGE 275 
 
 Arthur went to the man who was considered to be the first 
 teacher of fencing in Madrid, and arranged to go to him three 
 times a day at eight in the morning, at two in the afternoon, 
 and at seven in the evening. The master at first said that it 
 would be impossible for him to practise for so long a time. 
 
 "Well, at any rate, professor, I will try. It is quite pos- 
 sible that for the first three or four days I shall have to rest a 
 bit sometimes, but I think at the end of the fortnight I shall 
 be able to work the six hours a day without difficulty." 
 
 Arthur took off his coat and waistcoat, and turned up his 
 shirt-sleeves. 
 
 "By San Martin, you have a wonderful arm!" the professor 
 said. 
 
 "We play hard at school in England. All our games de- 
 mand strength and activity, and it is not wonderful that our 
 muscles are vastly harder and stronger than those of your 
 gentlemen, who would consider it infra dig., when boys, to 
 engage in any sport that would make them warm." 
 
 The professor felt the muscles of his right arm. "Well, 
 senor, if you fence, as your muscles would seem to show, you 
 need only a little teaching to be one of the best swordsmen in 
 Spain. Then, too, your height and age give you great advan- 
 tage. Well, senor, take the foil and let me see what you 
 know." 
 
 " Very good," he said, after a bout of two or three minutes. 
 "You have been well taught. I can see that you are out of 
 practice, and your returns are not as quick as might be. How- 
 ever, if you work as you say, that will soon be put right." 
 
 After the lesson, Arthur found his wrist recovering its 
 suppleness, but he was glad to stop before the second bout 
 was finished. 
 
 "You will do, senor," the professor said, when he acknow- 
 ledged that he had had enough. " I suppose you are working 
 in this way for a purpose, and I can tell you that I should 
 be sorry to be your opponent."
 
 276 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur's wrist and arm were stiff the next morning, and he 
 was not sorry to follow his teacher's advice and content himself 
 with an hour and a half at each lesson. 
 
 The first week Leon in vain endeavoured to find out from 
 him where he had spent hie time. " I used almost always to 
 find you in," he said, " but now, whether it is the morning or 
 the afternoon, I find you away. Of an evening you have often 
 dropped in, but later than usual." 
 
 "I am rather busy just now, Leon, and of course go in 
 every morning from ten to one to Colonel Wylde's office, and 
 generally for an hour in the afternoon; but things are so quiet, 
 both up in the north and the east, that he does not consider it 
 necessary for me to start again at present." 
 
 "Well, the girls are always saying, 'What has come over 
 Captain Hallett the last few days?'" 
 
 "Tell them, please, that nothing has come over me, but that 
 I have some work that keeps me particularly busy. In another 
 ten days I shall have brought it to a conclusion." 
 
 Arthur had no doubt that his antagonist had not altogether 
 thrown away his time, and that he too had been practising; 
 but he thought that in all probability this was confined to a 
 little dilettante work lasting perhaps for an hour a day. 
 
 At the end of the fortnight the professor announced that 
 never in his experience had he seen so strong an arm and so 
 supple a wrist, and that he believed Arthur could easily hold 
 his own against even the strongest antagonist. 
 
 "I myself am considered a good blade," he said, "but during 
 the past two or three days I have with difficulty held my own 
 with you, and indeed you have hit me oftener than I have hit 
 you; so now you have done with me." 
 
 " Yes, professor; and I am greatly indebted to you for the 
 time you have spent upon me, and the trouble you have taken." 
 
 The professor shrugged his shoulders. " You have paid me 
 well for it, senor; but it has been a real pleasure to me. A 
 teacher is always interested in his pupil, and when he is
 
 ENGAGED 277 
 
 fortunate enough to have a pupil like you, he does not care 
 uhat trouble he bestows upon him. Your fencing has been a 
 revelation to me of what your countrymen can do. I speak 
 not of the skill, but of the power to sustain fatigue. When 
 I compare, senor, your earnestness, strength of muscle, and 
 quickness of wrist with the work of the young nobles and 
 cavaliers who come to me and flatter themselves that they are 
 learning to fence, I can well understand why you Englishmen 
 are such great soldiers, and why you spread yourselves over 
 the world and conquer it. Three centuries ago the men of 
 my race were great soldiers. They were strong and hardy, 
 and they conquered well-nigh all Europe, till, unfortunately 
 for themselves, they fell across you, and from that time their 
 downfall began. You fought against us in Holland, you 
 fought with the Huguenot King of Navarre at Ivry, you 
 fought with us on the seas, destroyed our Armada, captured 
 Cadiz, and demolished our mercantile marine, and, as it would 
 seem, broke the spirit of our people; for from that time we 
 have steadily gone down. It makes one sad to think of it." 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 ENGAGED 
 
 ON the morning of the fifteenth day after Arthur had re- 
 ceived Count Silvio's challenge, the two seconds met 
 and arranged for the duel to take place at a distance of a mile 
 from the town. It was to be at seven in the morning, so that 
 there would be no fear of interruption. Each of the gentle- 
 men was provided with a piece of string, the length of the 
 sword of his principal. These were found to be as nearly as 
 possible the same length. It was agreed that the count should 
 bring a surgeon with him, and that no other, save the seconds,
 
 278 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 should be present at the encounter. Don Lopez went round 
 to Arthur's chambers half an hour before the time to start. 
 Arthur had, the night before, told Roper of what was going to 
 happen, and given him instructions as to the disposal of his 
 horses. "Take anything you like yourself, Roper. What 
 money I have will be in that desk; you may take that to 
 pay for your journey home. You will want it, as we both 
 sent to England the sums we had in the bank." 
 
 "I have no fear, captain, that I shall have to take any 
 such step. I feel sure that no Spaniard is a match for you." 
 
 " You can't know that, and certainly I have no reason to 
 believe so. If it came to downright hard hitting I fancy I 
 could hold my own against most Spaniards, but in fencing it 
 is a different thing; it is not a question of strength only by a 
 long way." 
 
 "Some of the Spaniards are good hardy men, captain, no 
 doubt; but very few of these will be found among the gentry, 
 who pass the day in sleeping, dawdling about, and smoking 
 cigarettes and drinking coffee. Well, I suppose, sir, there is 
 no harm in my going out and taking up a place where I can 
 see what goes on 1 " 
 
 "None at all, Roper; I have no doubt that the count will 
 have a number of his friends to look on. I am sure he 
 expects to run me through without trouble, and he will like 
 to show off his prowess before his friends." 
 
 They drove in a carriage to the place fixed upon for the 
 encounter. As Arthur had expected, a score or two of 
 gentlemen had collected near. He spoke to his second, who 
 \vent up to that of his antagonist and said : " My principal 
 understood that this matter was to be kept private, and that 
 none but ourselves should be informed of it." 
 
 This was repeated to the count, who shrugged his shoulders 
 and said : " I mentioned it to a few friends, and no doubt they 
 told others, but it makes no difference whatever." 
 
 Arthur pressed his lips tightly together when the answer
 
 'LITTLE BY LITTLE ARTHUR'S ADVANCE ACCELERATED
 
 ENGAGED 279 
 
 was repeated to him. "You want your performances to be 
 seen, eh?" he muttered. "Perhaps you will be sorry you have 
 got so many witnesses before you have done." 
 
 The preliminaries were speedily settled, and the two antago- 
 nists removed their coats and waistcoats, and faced each other. 
 The count began with a few preliminary flourishes, intended 
 to show off his swordsmanship, and how lightly he thought of 
 the encounter. He was fully half a head shorter than his 
 antagonist, and the latter's much longer reach would have 
 given him a decided advantage had they been equal in other 
 respects. Arthur stood firmly on guard, contenting himself 
 with putting aside almost contemptuously the other's play. 
 He waited till the count steadied down and began in earnest. 
 Then, to the astonishment of his antagonist, he took the offen- 
 sive. In vain the latter tried to get within his point; in vain 
 he exerted himself to the utmost, springing in and out; with 
 scarce a movement of his wrist Arthur's point played in a 
 little menacing circle. There were no fierce lunges to be 
 turned aside, no openings left to be taken advantage of. 
 Steadily Arthur advanced, and foot by foot his antagonist 
 had to give way. 
 
 In vain the count exerted himself to his utmost. The 
 perspiration streamed from his face, and his expression 
 changed from that of half-contemptuous superiority to rage 
 and uneasiness. Again and again the count felt that his 
 adversary was but playing with him, and that he avoided 
 taking advantage of openings that had been left him. His 
 opponent's face was grave and earnest, but without any other 
 emotion. Little by little Arthur's advance was accelerated. In 
 vain the Spaniard attempted to stand his ground against the 
 menacing point. In spite of his greatest efforts he had to give 
 way, and was driven backwards across the green sward on 
 which the encounter was taking place, till he was close to its 
 boundary. Then there was a sudden wrench, and his sword 
 was sent flying through the air.
 
 280 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur lowered his point, and said in a quiet, deliberate 
 voice that could be heard by all the astonished spectators: 
 "You seem to be a little out of breath, senor; perhaps you 
 would like to wait for three or four minutes before we begin 
 again?" 
 
 The count, white with rage and shame, walked and picked 
 up his sword. 
 
 " Now, sefior," Arthur went on, after a pause of two or three 
 minutes, " we will recommence the affair. Hitherto I have 
 but played with you, now I warn you that I shall run you 
 through the shoulder when I get you to the other side of the 
 field." 
 
 Again the singular scene began. In vain the count en- 
 deavoured to circle round his foe; in vain he tried to arrest 
 his own steady retreat. Move as he would to change his posi- 
 tion, Arthur with his long stride and quick spring always kept 
 in front of him. In a quarter of an hour he was driven back 
 across the field; then for the first time Arthur lunged. His 
 antagonist's sword dropped useless by his side as he ran him 
 through the upper part of the arm and shoulder. 
 
 " This may perhaps serve as a lesson to you, count, not to 
 pick quarrels gratuitously with strangers of whose force you 
 are unacquainted. Your life has been in my hands a hundred 
 times had I chosen to avail myself of the openings, but I did 
 not wish seriously to injure you. You have brought a number 
 of gentlemen here to-day to witness your triumph: I trust 
 that they have been amused." 
 
 So saying, he turned and walked back to the spot where he 
 had left his clothes, put them on, and entered the carnage 
 with his second, beckoning to Roper, who was standing a short 
 distance away, to get up on the box. 
 
 "Truly you have astounded me!" Don Lopez said. "I 
 thought that with your height and length of arm you would 
 give him some trouble, but such an exhibition as this was 
 never seen!" and he burst into a fit of laughter. "The
 
 ENGAGED 281 
 
 count won't be able to show his face in Madrid again for I 
 know not how long. The wound to his body is nothing, but 
 that to his pride is terrible. He will never hear the end of it. 
 To think that he was driven right across a field as if he had 
 been a pig under a peasant's goad, without a possibility of 
 stopping; that he should have been disarmed and played with, 
 is too funny. Of course, the thing will get about all over 
 Madrid. You will have to be careful, though, Don Arthur, 
 how you go out after dark, or you may find yourself with a 
 dagger between your shoulders. It would scarcely be in human 
 nature for a man to put up with being made a public laughing- 
 stock without trying to get his revenge, and certainly Don 
 Silvio is not, from what I know of him, likely to be an excep- 
 tion to the rule." 
 
 " Yes; no doubt I shall have to be careful. I suppose one 
 can buy such a thing as a shirt of link armour in Madrid?" 
 
 " Oh, yes! there are plenty of them to be picked up in the 
 shops where they keep old weapons and curiosities; a good 
 one costs money though." 
 
 " Money is nothing," Arthur said. " If one gets such a thing 
 one wants to have as good a one, and at the same time as light 
 a one, as money can buy. Would you mind getting one for 
 me, Lopez? I would rather not be seen buying such a thing 
 myself." 
 
 " With pleasure. I will make a tour of all the shops where 
 they are likely to keep such things, and pick out the best that 
 I can find for you, and it is hard if I don't manage to get you 
 one by this evening ; although I think you are safe for a few days, 
 for were you found stabbed now, everyone would put it down 
 to Don Silvio at once. I should say that he would hardly 
 attempt such a thing in Madrid. You are likely to be in much 
 greater danger when you go off to join the army again." 
 
 "Yes, I think that would be the case; but still, I would 
 rather not risk his beginning at once." 
 
 " Quite right! I certainly should not if I were in your place."
 
 282 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 On reaching his apartments Arthur sat down to breakfast 
 with his friend. Not until the latter had left did Roper make 
 any allusion to the scene he had witnessed. 
 
 " Now, Captain Hallett," he said, on returning to the room 
 after letting the visitor out, " what did I tell you it would be 1 ? 
 I stayed at a distance and roared with laughter. It was the 
 funniest thing I ever saw to see him dancing with rage, and 
 you pushing him steadily backwards with scarcely a movement 
 of your sword. It was worse than a fight I once saw in the 
 streets of Liverpool. One of those bullying fellows who stand 
 at the corners of streets and insult passers-by pushed against 
 a quiet-looking chap that was passing him. Well, sir, this 
 happened to be a noted prize-fighter, and the way he gave 
 that fellow pepper was worth walking a good many miles to 
 see. There is no fear of your having to fight another duel 
 while you are out here." 
 
 " I think not, Roper; but at the same time I shall have to 
 be careful. When a Spaniard cannot get revenge any other 
 way, sometimes he hires an assassin to put a dagger between 
 his enemy's shoulders." 
 
 " Well, sir, I must take to going out with you, and we 
 must not be out after dark." 
 
 " I am going to have even a better guard than you would 
 be. I have asked Don Lopez to get me a shirt of mail. People 
 used to wear them a good deal in olden times, and I feel that I 
 shall be all the safer for using one for a bit." 
 
 " That will be a good plan, sir; still, at the same time, it 
 might be advisable for me to keep near you. I may as well be 
 doing that as anything else, and if there is to be any sticking 
 with knives I should like to have a hand in it." 
 
 "Very well, Roper; at any rate, you can walk with me 
 when I am going anywhere. Of course, I cannot tell always 
 at what hour I may be returning, and I should not like to 
 keep you waiting about for hours." 
 
 " Oh, you could tell me the hour before which you would
 
 ENGAGED 283 
 
 not be leaving, captain, then I would be at hand at that time. 
 I may as well smoke my pipe there as anywhere else. The 
 chances are that I should always find someone to talk to." 
 
 Three hours later Leon came in. 
 
 " What is this you have been doing?" he said excitedly. "I 
 have been to the club, and nothing else is being talked about 
 but a duel between you and Count Silvio de Mora. They 
 say it was the strangest fight ever seen that you drove him 
 across the meadow, then disarmed him, and told him to get his 
 breath; then drove him back again; and finally, after sparing 
 him fifty times, you ran him through the shoulder." 
 
 "These are about the facts of the case," Arthur replied 
 quietly. " I should have been very glad if nothing had been 
 said about the affair, and I arranged that no one but our 
 seconds and the surgeon should be present. Instead of that, 
 the count chose to tell some thirty or forty of his friends; 
 no doubt he thought to make an example of me. The con- 
 sequence is, as you say, that the affair has got all over the 
 town, to my great annoyance." 
 
 " But what was the quarrel about 1" 
 
 " It was about a private matter, and I would rather that you 
 did not ask me to tell you more; enough that he forced it 
 upon me." 
 
 " But, my dear Arthur, it seems to me that this must affect 
 me. Why should the count have fixed a quarrel upon you? 
 If he had forced one upon me, on account of Mercedes throwing 
 him over a year ago, I should not have been surprised ; though 
 I don't know why he should have done so, as he appeared to 
 have taken his dismissal in very good part. Why should he 
 quarrel with you?" 
 
 " Because it was his fancy, I suppose, Leon." 
 
 " Tut, tut!" the other said warmly. " It seems to me that 
 this is a matter that concerns my family, and I must really ask 
 you, my dear Arthur, to tell me frankly how it occurred." 
 
 Arthur sat silent for a minute.
 
 284 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Well, Leon, I may as well ask you a question now which 
 I should have asked you shortly. I have long loved your 
 sister Mercedes. I have refrained from speaking, for three 
 reasons. In the first place, because I am very young. You 
 have chosen to laugh at me when I said so, but in point of fact 
 I am only twenty." 
 
 "Only twenty! "Leon said incredulously; "I have always 
 taken you to be as old as myself." 
 
 "And I have told you that I was not so. I repeat, I am 
 not yet twenty, and am therefore only a year older than 
 your sister. The second reason I have regarded as more 
 serious: I am an Englishman, and should necessarily take her 
 home if she married me. In the third place, I was not in a 
 position pecuniarily to ask her to be my wife until I was five- 
 and- twenty and came into my estate. The last of these 
 reasons has ceased to exist by my having received from the 
 queens a present of one hundred thousand crowns for the ser- 
 vice I rendered them. I had begged them very strongly not 
 to offer me any reward for that service, but Christina said 
 that it was impossible for them to remain under so great an 
 obligation to me. In spite of that I should have still refused, 
 or, if I found that I could not do so, have handed over the 
 money for the benefit of the poor; but the thought that it 
 would at least remove one of the obstacles that stood in the 
 way of my asking you for your sister's hand, decided me in 
 accepting it, as it would enable me to keep her in a position 
 similar to that which she has held at home, until I come into 
 my estate. That estate was worth at my father's death about 
 one thousand English pounds a year. Then there is, of course, 
 a good house and grounds, and the accumulation of the in- 
 come during the past ten years will have amounted to a sum 
 which would enable me to double the size of the estate. 
 Therefore, I have only the first two difficulties. It is for you 
 to decide whether these are insuperable. So, Leon, I ask you 
 now for the hand of your sister, and I can promise that, if
 
 ENGAGED 285 
 
 you grant it and she consents, I will do all in my power to 
 make her happy." 
 
 Leon rose and grasped Arthur by the hand. "Nothing can 
 give me greater pleasure, my dear fellow, than to grant the 
 request you have made. I shall, of course, be sorry to lose her, 
 but England is not so far from Spain, and I doubt not that 
 you will bring her over to see us sometimes. I and my sisters 
 may even visit you occasionally in England. There is no 
 one to whom I would so gladly see her united, for you have 
 fairly won her. You saved her from death, and I have ever 
 since hoped that some day you would claim her. As to her 
 feelings I can, of course, say nothing, but I am not altogether 
 blind, and it has long been evident to me that she thinks of 
 no one but you. As to money, it is a secondary matter, though 
 I do not say that it is not an advantage that you should have 
 an income of your own, and not owe everything to her. She 
 has, however, a not inadequate portion, as my mother was an 
 only daughter and a wealthy heiress, and her fortune will be 
 divided between my three sisters: her share would amount 
 roughly to some seven or eight thousand crowns a year. There 
 is but one drawback to the match, and that is the difference of 
 religion. You know how bigoted we Spaniards are; we do 
 not allow any Protestant place of worship to exist, save only 
 the private chapel of your ambassador; and the priesthood 
 will move heaven and earth to prevent this marriage taking 
 place. Indeed, it seems to me that the only plan will be for 
 me to take her to England, and for her to be married there. 
 However, the obstacle is not a serious one in my eyes. That 
 you are a Protestant is amply sufficient to show that there are 
 as good men of one religion as of another. Well, will you 
 come with me at once?" 
 
 "I will come this evening, Leon. I would rather it had 
 not been settled to-day, when I have just been engaged in 
 shedding blood. However, that was not my fault. Will you 
 be alone this evening?"
 
 286 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Yes, so far as I know." 
 
 "Then I will come in after dinner. I am more nervous 
 about this than I was before meeting Count Silvio. You see, 
 you have so long made up your mind that I was a man, while 
 I have been thinking, and still feel, that I am only a boy." 
 
 " Nonsense, Arthur ! you stand over six feet. You have the 
 strength of two ordinary Spaniards. You have accomplished 
 marvels and won the gratitude of queens. It is perfectly 
 ridiculous for you to talk in that way. Well, then, I shall 
 expect you this evening. Mercedes and the girls have gone 
 out this morning, and no doubt she will, in the course of her 
 visits, have heard of your prowess to-day, which will be a good 
 introduction, although I do not think she will be surprised 
 in any way, as her confidence in your abilities to do anything 
 you undertake is absolute." 
 
 Don Lopez came in late that afternoon. " I have seen quite 
 a perfect coat of mail," he said. " It was made for a bishop 
 of Toledo who had many enemies, and is a hundred and fifty 
 years old. It is very light, and can withstand any dagger 
 thrust. It is dear : the man wants five hundred crowns for it, 
 and declares that he will not take a penny less." 
 
 "Thank you, Lopez! that will suit me admirably. I will 
 give you an order for that sum. Will you ask him to send 
 it round to me in the morning 1 ?" 
 
 Arthur was very nervous when he started that evening for 
 Count Leon's. He still felt in many respects a boy, and in 
 spite of Leon's report, he felt it hardly possible that Donna 
 Mercedes could have come to love him. He dressed himself 
 in his evening suit with unusual care, but did not start till 
 the last moment. He was shown up into the drawing-room 
 as usual. Mercedes and her two sisters were in the room. 
 
 "I have to quarrel with you," the former said laughingly. 
 " I hear that you have been cruelly ill-treating a gentleman in 
 whom I had once great interest; not only ill-treating him, 
 but turning him into a laughing-stock. Now, senor, I demand
 
 ENGAGED 287 
 
 that you tell us what it was about, and why you have thus 
 assailed a gentleman to whom, as you know, I was once much 
 attached." 
 
 "Were you much attached to him, Donna Mercedes?" 
 
 "Well," she said, pouting, "you know I was all but affianced 
 to him." 
 
 "By your own wishes, seftora?" 
 
 "Well, never mind about my own wishes," she said; "it is 
 quite sufficient that I was almost affianced to him. Now I 
 demand from you again a true and complete history how this 
 came about." 
 
 "Well," he said, "you can hardly expect, senora, that I 
 should go into particulars of this kind before your sisters 
 young ladies, who cannot but be horrified by deeds of vio- 
 lence." 
 
 Mercedes laughed. "Well, you will tell me some day, 
 won't you, what it was all about, and why you so ill-treated 
 him? I hear that he will not be able to show his face for 
 some time in Madrid." 
 
 " I will tell you all that is good for you to learn," he said in 
 a tone of banter. " I know that you must be grieving terribly 
 over it." 
 
 "Of course I am, dreadfully!" the girl said. "When I heard 
 how you had been treating him, I almost made up my mind 
 not to speak to you again. Ah ! here is Leon, and looking as 
 serious as a judge." 
 
 Leon came up to Mercedes, and to her surprise took her by 
 the hand. 
 
 " Little sister," he said, " I have a very serious duty to per- 
 form. I have had another request for your hand." 
 
 The girl turned pale. " You know," she said, " that I do 
 not intend to marry, Leon; I have told you so over and over 
 again." 
 
 "That may be so, sister; but I believe that ladies change 
 their minds in these matters not infrequently. The gentleman
 
 288 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 who is your suitor is not unknown to you. He is of good 
 blood and honourable position. You will, perhaps, anticipate 
 his name. It is the Cavalero Captain Arthur Hallett, a Knight 
 of Isabella of the first class, and a Companion of the order 
 of Fernando the Catholic." 
 
 The girl's face, which had been set with a mutinous ex- 
 pression, changed suddenly, a deep wave of colour rushed 
 over her face, and her head drooped. 
 
 "He has my willing consent to the alliance, Mercedes; 
 indeed, I know of no one in the world to whom I could so 
 willingly commit you and your happiness." 
 
 "I know, sefiora," Arthur said, "that I am very unworthy 
 of so great a gift, but at least I can promise to do my best to 
 make you happy." 
 
 The girl lifted her head suddenly. " Do not say that you 
 are unworthy," she said. " It is I who should say that. Have 
 you not saved me from death? Have you not saved Spain 
 from being ruined? It is I who feel, above all things, honoured 
 by your love." 
 
 Then Leon said, with a slight smile: "I don't think that 
 there is any occasion for me to lay my orders upon you on the 
 subject. Take her, Arthur. I can trust her happiness in your 
 hands with a certainty that my confidence will not be abused;" 
 and he gave her hand to Arthur, who bent down and kissed 
 her. 
 
 The two younger girls clapped their hands loudly. "Oh, 
 Arthur!" Inez exclaimed, "I shall never call you Don Arthur 
 again. We are pleased! We always knew that Mercedes was 
 fond of you anyone could have seen that with half an eye, 
 but we did not know what you felt towards her. We are 
 pleased, I cannot tell you how much! I believe we are more 
 pleased than she is." 
 
 "Now, you madcap!" her brother said; "suppose you two
 
 ENGAGED 289 
 
 come in with me to the next room, and let us leave these two 
 young people alone." 
 
 "And did you really doubt that I loved you?" Mercedes 
 said a short time afterwards. " I have been so afraid of show- 
 ing it too much; but after being carried in your arms all that 
 journey, I knew that I could never marry anyone else. If you 
 had not asked for me before you went away, I should have 
 assuredly gone into a convent." 
 
 Half an hour later the others returned to the room, and they 
 held a long conversation together. It was finally agreed, in 
 view of the opposition that would be raised by the Spanish 
 clergy on the ground of the difference of religion, that the 
 engagement should be kept quiet for a time, and that things 
 should go on as they were. 
 
 "It cannot be many months before this war is over, "Leon 
 said, " and you will be returning to England. You will 
 necessarily be away a great deal, and it will avoid much 
 trouble and argument if you assent to the matter being kept 
 quiet." 
 
 Both Mercedes and Arthur agreed that it would be better so, 
 as they felt sure that there would be a vehement opposition on 
 the part of the clergy if a member of a noble family contracted 
 a marriage with a heretic. 
 
 To Arthur's surprise, when he called next morning, Mer- 
 cedes, who received him alone, said with a flush, " Good-morn- 
 ing, Arthur!" in English. He looked at her with surprise. 
 
 " Do you mean to say that you understand English, Mer- 
 cedes?" 
 
 "I have been learning it for the past year," she said in 
 imperfect English, but with a pretty accent. "I loved you, 
 Arthur, after you had saved me, and so I loved everything 
 English; and as I had plenty of time upon my hands I have 
 spent two hours a day ever since in learning it. I had no 
 
 ( M 966 ) T
 
 290 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 difficulty in finding a mistress, for several English families 
 settled in the town after the last war." 
 
 "And you thought, perhaps, that it would come in useful, 
 Mercedes ? " 
 
 "I did not quite like to think that," she said, glancing at 
 him; "but it seemed to me that perhaps, as I loved you so 
 much, you might some day come to love me. I never quite 
 thought so, you know, but I could not help sometimes hoping 
 it. Anyhow, sir, it is quite enough for you that, whatever was 
 the reason, I have learned English; and now, when we are 
 together alone you must always talk it with me. I want to 
 get to speak quite perfectly before I go to England and meet 
 your friends." 
 
 "You really talk it very fairly now," he said, "and you 
 must not be in the least afraid that anyone will find fault with 
 
 you." 
 
 "I suppose you have heard," Leon said a few days later, 
 "that Don Silvio is still in Madrid. They say he will see 
 no one." 
 
 " I shall feel rather glad when he is gone, Leon. He is evi- 
 dently a revengeful fellow; that is quite clear by the way in 
 which he fixed a quarrel upon me. He won't do anything 
 himself, but I think he is quite capable of hiring a ruffian to 
 put me out of the way. I know that plenty of unprincipled 
 characters are to be found in the city who would willingly 
 do the job for a few dollars." 
 
 " I have no doubt about that, and I was intending to speak 
 seriously to you on the subject. Things are still very quiet, 
 but I dare say Colonel Wylde would send you to one or other 
 of the armies if you were to ask him." 
 
 "I am not at all disposed to go until I am obliged to; I am 
 enjoying myself a great deal too much for that. But I have 
 taken precautions. Roper comes with me every evening to
 
 ENGAGED 291 
 
 your house, and meets me at the door when I go away; and, 
 moreover, I have bought a shirt of mail. It is a splendid 
 example of the best sort of work of that kind. I have put it 
 on the table and tried to drive a knife through it, but, striking 
 with all my force, I simply broke the weapon and did not injure 
 the chain. I put it on now whenever I go out after dark." 
 
 "I am very glad to hear it. No amount of strength or 
 bravery can save a man from the hands of an assassin, and a 
 good mail shirt is worth a score of guards, for a man who bides 
 his time will always find a chance sooner or later." 
 
 "That is how I look at it, and I can assure you that I 
 am far too happy at the present time to be willing to throw 
 away the smallest chance." 
 
 Three days later Don Lopez called at Arthur's rooms. 
 
 " I have heard this morning that Don Silvio has gone out of 
 town. Now you will have to look to yourself. So long as 
 he was here I considered that you were safe, for if anything 
 happened to you suspicion would at once fall upon him. 
 Now that he is away, people might suspect as much as they 
 liked, but it would be extremely difficult to bring the matter 
 home to him." 
 
 "But I should hardly think he will do anything more in 
 the matter," Arthur said. 
 
 " I think quite the contrary," Lopez replied. " If you had 
 simply met him and wounded him, the thing might have passed 
 off quietly. That would have shown that you were the better 
 swordsman, and there would have been an end of it. But you 
 have made him the laughing-stock of the town. It will be a 
 joke against him all his life that he was driven about like a 
 sheep by a man whom he boasted he was going to kill like 
 a dog, and he will never get over it. No one could stand such 
 disgrace with equanimity, but of course it is infinitely worse 
 for a man as proud and as touchy about his family as he is."
 
 292 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " I will look out, but I don't think any precautions will be 
 of much value. If a man wants to stab you, he is sure to 
 find an opportunity sooner or later. However, I have my 
 coat of mail, and I rely more upon that than on any vigilance 
 on my part or on Roper's." 
 
 Two days later, when Arthur was returning home from 
 Leon's, two men sprang out from a dark entry and struck at 
 his back. Sharp exclamations broke from them as, instead of 
 their knives burying themselves to the hilt, they struck on a 
 hard substance. Arthur was nearly knocked down by the force 
 of the blows, but, springing round, he seized both men by the 
 throat before they could recover from their surprise. Roper, 
 who was walking some ten paces in the rear, rushed up. 
 
 "All right, Roper, I have got them!" Arthur cried, and, 
 squeezing their throats, he dashed their heads together with 
 all his strength two or three times, with the result that as he 
 released his hold they fell to the ground insensible. 
 
 " I think we will walk on, Roper. I must have pretty 
 nearly broken their skulls, to say nothing of half-choking them. 
 If we were to give them into custody it would be an endless 
 affair, and I might be kept here for months. They will cer- 
 tainly not repeat the experiment, and whatever attempt Don 
 Silvio may make next, it will not be in the same direction." 
 
 The next morning he told Leon of what had happened. 
 
 " I don't know whether you did right to let them go, Arthur. 
 There is nothing to prevent this fellow from trying again in 
 some other way." 
 
 "Nor would there have been if I had given them into cus- 
 tody. You may be sure that his bribes would be large enough 
 to secure their silence as to who had employed them, and 
 they would simply have declared that they only attacked me 
 to obtain possession of any valuables I might have about me. 
 Don Silvio is rich, and it is a hundred to one that, before the
 
 ENGAGED 293 
 
 trial came on, the men would have escaped. A hundred pounds 
 would bribe any jailer in Spain. If by accident this failed, 
 he would bribe the judges, so that nothing would ever come 
 out against the villain who set the men on me, and I might be 
 kept dancing attendance on the courts for months." 
 
 " That is true enough, Arthur. Still, the matter would be 
 kept hanging over his head, and until it was settled he would 
 be hardly likely to make another attempt upon you. How- 
 ever, we need not discuss it now that you have let the fellows 
 go scot-free." 
 
 " I have not let them go scot-free, I can assure you. In the 
 first place I nearly strangled them, and in the second I am by 
 no means sure that I did not fracture their skulls." 
 
 " That sort of man has got a very hard skull," Leon answered. 
 " Probably you would have fractured mine if you had dashed 
 it against somebody else's with those muscular arms of yours, 
 but I have doubts whether the head of a professional bravo 
 would not stand even such a blow as that I won't say with 
 impunity, but at least without any very serious damage." 
 
 "Don't say anything to Mercedes about it, it would only 
 fidget her. And I can assure you it does not disquiet me. 
 The mail shirt has indisputably proved that it is knife-proof, 
 and when Don Silvio receives the reports from these two 
 gentlemen he will see that all attempts to dispose of me in 
 that way will be in vain. I give him credit for ingenuity, 
 and it is quite possible he will hit upon some other idea. 
 Howover, I trusu that I shall be able to meet it, whatever it is; 
 and indeed I shall be somewhat interested to see what his next 
 plan may be." 
 
 " What do you say, Arthur, to my mentioning this affair at 
 the club, and saying loudly that I have no doubt whatever it 
 is the outcome of your duel with him?" 
 
 :c My dear Leon, that would simply entail his challenging
 
 294 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 you, and the man really doesn't fence badly. It was only my 
 superior length of arm and sheer strength that overbore him." 
 
 " I could refuse to fight him," Leon said. 
 
 "No, I don't think you could, arid certainly I should not 
 like you to do so. You and I may feel perfectly convinced 
 that this attack upon me last night was his work, but we 
 have no absolute proof of it. The fact that I beat him in a 
 duel simply shows that I am a much better swordsman than 
 he is, and is no reflection upon his character. So you see, if 
 you were to bring this accusation against him, without having 
 a shadow of real proof, I doubt if you could refuse to meet 
 him. You see, the man has a large circle of friends and rela- 
 tives, and possesses much influence. You were willing to 
 accept him as a brother-in-law, and although just at present 
 the town has a laugh against him, that would not prevent his 
 friends from rallying round him were you to bring such a 
 terrible accusation against him as that of his setting assassins 
 on me." 
 
 "No, I suppose not," Leon said regretfully. "You know, 
 Arthur, I feel more grateful to you than ever, for it is evi- 
 dent now that you not only saved Mercedes from death, but 
 from marriage with a man of whose real character I was 
 altogether ignorant. How grieved I should have been had 
 she been tied to such a man, who would assuredly have shown 
 himself in his true colours sooner or later!" 
 
 "Yes, she has certainly had a narrow escape, Leon, though 
 I cannot help thinking that in any case you would have 
 learned more of him before the marriage came off." 
 
 Leon shook his head. 
 
 "I don't see how I could. He bore a very respectable 
 character, and indeed was thought highly of. That he should 
 have picked a quarrel with you is not altogether unnatural in 
 the circumstances, and really this attempt upon your life is
 
 ENGAGED 295 
 
 the only thing I have against him. It is a thousand pities 
 now that, instead of treating him as you did, you did not run 
 him through and have done with him." 
 
 " I don't know that it has made much difference, Leon. He 
 has, as you say, powerful friends and connections, and whereas, 
 if he had fallen in a duel with yourself or any other noble of 
 his own rank, they would have thought no more of the matter, 
 they would certainly have attempted to avenge his death if I, 
 a foreigner and a heretic, had killed him. The Church counts 
 for a great deal, and I believe he is a very rigid Catholic; 
 therefore the chances are that there would have been a terrible 
 row over it, and I might have had to leave the kingdom, which, 
 in the present circumstances, would be particularly disagreeable 
 to me." 
 
 "Well, perhaps you are right," Leon said. "The really 
 unfortunate part of the affair is that he should have taken it 
 into his head to resent the fact that Mercedes did not keep 
 to her resolution of remaining single and perhaps going into a 
 convent." 
 
 "But you did not guarantee that she would, Leon?" 
 
 "No; but you know, in that letter that you wrote and I 
 signed, we certainly gave him to understand that she broke off 
 the engagement on those terms." 
 
 "Yes, that was so. But I imagine that a young lady has 
 the right to change her mind without being called to account 
 for it." 
 
 " Yes, that is all very well, but, you see, the gentleman has 
 also some sort of right to resent it. Well, it is useless to say 
 any more about it. You have let the fellows go, and whether 
 for good or evil the matter is concluded as far as they are 
 concerned."
 
 296 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII 
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 A PRIEST was sitting at a table in a second-class caf6 when 
 a gentleman entered and came up to the table. 
 
 "Good-morning, count!" the priest said. "I received your 
 note asking me to meet you at this place, and here I am." 
 
 "Thanks, father!" the other said, as he took a seat beside 
 him and ordered coffee. He waited till it was brought, and 
 then went on: "I wanted to see you about a rather delicate 
 matter that concerns you, and, I may say, the Church." 
 
 The priest looked surprised. 
 
 " You are, I know," the count went on, " the spiritual adviser 
 of Count Leon de Balen and his family." 
 
 "I can hardly say of the count," the priest said with a 
 smile, "for, like too many young noblemen of his age, he 
 does not trouble me with his confessions; but of the ladies, 
 yes." 
 
 "May I ask if Donna Mercedes comes very often to con- 
 fession?" 
 
 "Well, my son, unless you ask for some very particular 
 reason, that is a question I should not care to answer." 
 
 There was a ring of dissatisfaction in the priest's answer 
 that the count was not slow to notice. 
 
 " I have a reason for asking," he said. " You know, father, 
 that I was at one time, I will not say actually betrothed, but 
 very nearly so, to Donna Mercedes. She broke off the affair 
 under the plea that she had made up her mind to remain single 
 and to devote herself to good works." 
 
 " So she told me," the priest said, " and I highly approved 
 of her determination."
 
 KIDNAPPED 297 
 
 "May I ask, father, if she has repeated that statement to 
 you of late?" 
 
 " She has not come to me frequently of late," the priest said 
 in a tone that showed it was a sore point with him. 
 
 "I thought so," the count went on. "Well, father, you 
 can hardly help noticing that for some time past a young 
 English adventurer has been frequently at the house." 
 
 The priest nodded. 
 
 " He is a friend of her brother's. It is a matter that I have 
 regretted, as I have considered that so close an intimacy with a 
 heretic is not seemly; but this cannot affect Donna Mercedes." 
 
 " I should say, father, that it does, very seriously. I have 
 information of what takes place in the house, and I can assure 
 you that if not already engaged, it is certain that Donna 
 Mercedes will be betrothed to this adventurer before long." 
 
 The priest uttered an angry exclamation. 
 
 " It would be a grave scandal, a terrible scandal," he said, 
 "for the daughter of a noble house to be betrothed to a 
 heretic!" 
 
 "And a serious loss to the Church too," the count said 
 smoothly. "If this marriage could be prevented, doubtless 
 she would revert to her previous intention of entering a con- 
 vent; and I need hardly say that she is an heiress, and that 
 her revenues would be better employed in the Church than by 
 this young heretic." 
 
 The priest nodded. The fact was too evident to need 
 argument. 
 
 " I have done my best to prevent it," the count went on, 
 "by challenging this young upstart to a duel; but, as you may 
 perhaps have heard, he proved himself the better swordsman. 
 I have, therefore, resolved to lay the matter frankly before 
 you, in order that you may, if you choose, put a stop to what, 
 as you say, would be a grievous scandal."
 
 298 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " I do not see how I could do so," the priest said gloomily. 
 " It would be useless for me to speak to her brother, who is 
 most to blame, for he should not have permitted so close an 
 intimacy to arise. Nor do I think that I should succeed with 
 Donna Mercedes herself. She is, I regret to say, of a some- 
 what headstrong disposition. I have more than once spoken 
 to her about this strange intimacy between her brother and 
 a gentleman who is at once a foreigner and a heretic, but she 
 has always replied that it was a matter on which I should 
 speak to her brother and not to her, as it was he who had 
 brought him to the house. And once when I tried to press 
 the matter she said, in a tone that was not altogether seemly, 
 that he had saved her life, as of course I had heard though, 
 for my part, I doubt whether Cabrera would have carried his 
 threat into execution and that she certainly would not take 
 any step to induce her brother to close his doors to his visits." 
 
 "No, father, I did not think for a moment that any per- 
 suasions would turn this unhappy girl from the course on 
 which she seems to be bent." 
 
 "What, then, do you propose? I am willing to take any 
 steps that would put a stop to this deplorable state of things." 
 
 "Well, father, you know that, although some laxity has 
 been shown of late years, the laws against infidelity to the 
 Church are still in force." 
 
 " That is so," he said. " But this young man is, it appears, 
 an agent of his government; and though we could assuredly 
 use these laws against a native, we could scarcely put them in 
 force against a commissioner of a friendly country." 
 
 "That I foresaw," the count said; "but what cannot be 
 done openly can be done privately. There can be little doubt 
 that if this young adventurer were shut up in a cell in a 
 monastery for a few years, Donna Mercedes, when all trace 
 of him was lost, would revert to her original intention and
 
 KIDNAPPED 299 
 
 enter a convent, in which case her property would go to the 
 Church." 
 
 The priest was silent for some time. 
 
 "It is a daring plan," he said, "one of which I certainly 
 could not approve did I see any other way of saving this un- 
 fortunate girl from eternal perdition, which would doubtless 
 befall her. Were she to marry this English stranger, no doubt 
 she would in time adopt his religion. I must think it over. 
 It would be a grave step to take, and if it were to be dis- 
 covered it might cause a serious scandal; at the same time 
 something might be risked for the sake of this young lady's 
 eternal welfare." 
 
 " I do not think that the risk would be worth taking into 
 consideration," the count said. "There must be plenty of 
 cells in your monasteries where he could be confined without 
 the smallest fear of discovery. He would, of course, be well 
 treated; and after Donna Mercedes had taken the veil he 
 might even be released on taking an oath never to divulge 
 where he had been, or to make any complaint as to his treat- 
 ment. He would, doubtless, be glad enough to regain his 
 liberty on those terms. 
 
 " When he disappeared, suspicion would naturally fall upon 
 me, for it is well known that I have great cause of complaint 
 against him. People would say that I had had him quietly 
 removed a grievous suspicion to have to bear; but I would 
 do so cheerfully in order to save Donna Mercedes from this 
 young adventurer, whom her brother has so foolishly and 
 incautiously allowed to lead her away. I have no doubt that 
 I shall be watched for a long time; but assuredly no suspicion 
 whatever could fall upon the Church of having come to the 
 lady's rescue." 
 
 " Certainly her marriage to this heretic would be a terrible 
 scandal," the priest said, "and one to be avoided by every
 
 300 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 possible means. Well, my son, I will think it over, and will 
 lay the matter before higher authorities. Will you meet me 
 here again in a few days' time, when I shall probably be able 
 to give you an answer?" 
 
 " Good, father ! I feel at any rate that I have only done my 
 duty in endeavouring to save this young lady, whom I sincerely 
 esteem and respect, although there are no longer any relations 
 between us. It appeared to me that it was a matter in which 
 the Church should interfere; and having now laid it before 
 you, I feel that my conscience is relieved, and that I have no 
 further interest in the matter." 
 
 " I see, my son, that your opinion is an entirely disinterested 
 one, and that you are acting simply in the interest of this 
 young lady and of the Holy Church." 
 
 The count and the priest met again two days later. 
 
 "My son, the matter has been decided upon. I have laid it 
 before my bishop, and he agrees with me that it is incumbent 
 on the Church to take every means to prevent this young lady 
 from going to eternal perdition. The monastery in which this 
 young man shall be confined has been settled upon. Perhaps 
 you can tell us the best way in which he can be secured, for 
 he is assuredly a man of exceptional strength and not likely to 
 suffer himself to be carried away without a severe struggle." 
 
 "That is so, father. The matter is not without difficulty," 
 the count said. "After nightfall he never goes out without 
 being attended by a pestilent knave, his servant, and the two 
 could not be overcome without a veritable battle. He must, 
 therefore, be taken in the daytime. If you like, father, I will 
 undertake that part of the business, although it is not to be 
 done without some difficulty arid danger. He must be enticed 
 by a fictitious message to some quiet house. Here six men will 
 be waiting for him, and as soon as he enters they will fling 
 themselves upon him and overpower him. They will then
 
 KIDNAPPED 301 
 
 bind him, and leave him; then, when it is dark, either a 
 carriage, or a stretcher carried by four lay brothers of the 
 monastery, can come for him and carry him off, it makes but 
 little difference to me whither, and I would rather not know, 
 so that I may be able to swear that I have not seen him since 
 the day we met, and that I am wholly ignorant of his where- 
 abouts. If you will be here every day at this hour, I will come 
 and tell you when the bird is caged." 
 
 " So be it, my son, and indeed we shall all feel grateful to 
 you for the service you will have rendered the Church." 
 The next morning Arthur received the following letter: 
 "Seiior Hallett, the writer of this letter has become aware 
 of a plot against you and a certain young lady in whom 
 you have a great interest. If you will call on him at twelve 
 o'clock, he will be awaiting you on the second Mage of the 
 Number 2 Strada de Barcelona, the first door to the right. 
 He prays you to be silent as to this rendezvous, as his life 
 would be forfeited were it known that he had made this com- 
 munication to you." 
 
 The street was a central one and largely frequented, so no 
 thought entered Arthur's mind that there could be any danger 
 in attending at the rendezvous; and accordingly at a quarter 
 to twelve he left his house, carrying, however, a brace of 
 pistols in his pocket. On arriving at the place indicated, he 
 passed through the open doorway and ascended the stairs to 
 the second floor, then he rang the bell of the door to the 
 right. It was opened by a little old woman. 
 
 " Come in, senor," she said; "you are expected." 
 He entered; she closed the door behind him, and led the 
 way to an inner room. He was about to go in, when there 
 was a rush of footsteps behind him, and four men flung them- 
 selves suddenly on to his back, the weight and impetus of 
 the charge throwing him forward on to his face. Before he
 
 302 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 could recover from his surprise and attempt to struggle, a 
 rope was thrown over his head, pulled down to his elbows, 
 and then tightened, and in a minute he was bound and help- 
 less. He was carried into the room and the knots more 
 securely fastened, his wrists being bound tightly behind his 
 back, and his ankles lashed together. Then two of the men 
 left the room, and the others remained sitting with their 
 knives in their hands. 
 
 Arthur cursed his own folly in not having let Roper know 
 where he was going; and yet, as he told himself, it was but 
 natural that, having been informed that the plot affected Mer- 
 cedes, he should have kept the matter to himself. That he had 
 fallen into the power of Count Silvio he did not doubt for a 
 moment; and yet he thought that, unscrupulous and revenge- 
 ful as he might be, he would hardly venture to put him to 
 death. Every moment he expected him to appear, but the 
 hours went slowly by. He had been gagged as soon as he 
 was bound, and no effort he had made had sufficed to get the 
 gag from his mouth. From time to time he heard footsteps 
 as people went up and down to the floor above, and if he could 
 have freed his mouth he would have shouted, in spite of the 
 knives with which his guards menaced him. At length the 
 light faded and the room presently became dark. 
 
 Half an hour after night had fallen he heard a ring at the 
 bell. One of the guards answered it, and four figures in 
 monks' clothes and with hoods over their heads entered. 
 They brought a stretcher and laid it down beside Arthur, 
 lifted him upon it, and fastened a strap across his shoulders 
 and another across his legs; then they lifted the stretcher and 
 bore him away. He was greatly puzzled by the proceedings. 
 These might be men employed by the count and disguised as 
 monks he could hardly believe that they were really monks. 
 He was carried for a long time, but as a cloth had been thrown
 
 KIDNAPPED 303 
 
 over him, he could form no idea whatever as to the direction 
 in which his bearers were proceeding. When they stopped 
 and knocked at a door, however, he calculated that the journey 
 had occupied at least three hours. They might therefore have 
 come miles from the city, but on the other hand they might 
 have wound about, and so might not be a hundred yards from 
 the place where he was captured. A door opened, and 
 after a pause they moved on again. Then Arthur felt that 
 they were descending some stairs. When they reached the 
 bottom they turned into another door, lowered the stretcher 
 to the ground, and took off the cloth. The ropes that bound 
 Arthur were loosed, a lantern was placed on the floor, and 
 without a word the whole party of monks left the cell and 
 locked the door behind. 
 
 Arthur got up at once, picked up the lantern, and examined 
 his prison. It was a cell some ten feet square. At one side 
 was a stone pallet, on which some straw had been thrown, 
 otherwise the floor was perfectly bare. The only window was 
 an opening near the ceiling about a foot long and six inches 
 wide, with two strong bars across it. 
 
 "Well," he said to himself, "this certainly looks like a 
 monk's cell, or rather the prison cell of a monastery, and it 
 appears as if I had not fallen into the hands of the count 
 after all. Things are bad enough in all conscience, but even 
 to be in the grip of the Inquisition, which does not, so far as 
 I know, exist now, would be better than to be in the hands of 
 such a scoundrel. Still, it is strange that the Church should 
 have interfered with me. I know how bigoted the clergy 
 are, and how unscrupulous, but I should not have thought 
 that they would have dared to meddle with a British officer. 
 However, I can hardly believe that they will attempt my life; 
 I don't see what good it could do them. I would give a good 
 deal to know what their game is. Well, I suppose it is useless
 
 304 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 to bother about it at present. I am so stiif both in the wrists 
 and ankles that I can scarcely stand. At any rate, it is civil 
 of them to kiave me a light." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour the door opened again, and two 
 monks came in. They put a large jug of water and a dish of 
 fried beans on the floor, and retired without speaking. 
 
 "Let me think," Arthur said to himself. "This is Friday, 
 so I suppose it is fast day. I hope this is not a sample of 
 their ordinary fare. However, as I have had nothing since 
 breakfast, it is not to be despised." 
 
 He ate a hearty meal, and then lay down on the stone 
 bench, and was soon asleep. When he awoke, daylight was 
 shining through the little windoAv, and he got up and looked 
 round again. Certainly the prospect was not a cheering one; 
 the walls were perfectly bare, and broken only by the door 
 and the window. As the cell was twelve feet high, the window 
 was altogether beyond his reach. He would have given a good 
 deal to be able to look out and see whether he was in a town 
 or in the country, and whether or not the window opened into 
 a courtyard. This question was, however, presently settled by 
 the sound of the rumble of distant vehicles. At long intervals 
 one passed the window, and occasionally a foot-passenger 
 went by. Arthur therefore concluded that he was in a town, 
 and was equally certain that the window looked into a quiet 
 and little-frequented street, and was probably level with the 
 pavement. This, however, gave him but little clue to the 
 position of the monastery, for there were, he knew, at least 
 a dozen such buildings in the town. Still, it was something 
 to know that he was within reach of human beings. 
 
 By standing against the opposite wall he could now obtain 
 a glimpse through the window. He saw that the wall of the 
 building must be at least two feet thick. Having made what 
 observations he could, he sat down on his bed and waited for
 
 A TALL MAN WITH A HARSH, ASCETIC FACE ENTERED"
 
 KIDNAPPED 305 
 
 what should come next. Presently his breakfast was brought 
 in; it consisted of bread, some fried meat, and, to his satisfac- 
 tion, some coffee. An hour later the door opened again, and 
 a tall man with a harsh ascetic face entered. 
 
 " You perhaps wonder why you are confined here," he said. 
 " I have come to tell you. You are an obstacle to the designs 
 of the Church. You have seduced the affections of one of her 
 daughters, and in order that she may be saved from perdition, 
 which would be her doom if she were to marry a heretic, it 
 has been thought necessary to seclude you here. Doubtless, in 
 time she will recover from the glamour that you have thrown 
 over her, and will deeply regret her passing aberration; will 
 again become an obedient daughter of the Church, and per- 
 haps find a happy refuge in its cloisters. When this takes 
 place you will be released, but not until then. We do not 
 desire to be harsh with you ; you may be supplied with books 
 and other indulgences, but a prisoner you will remain until 
 she enters the walls of a cloister." 
 
 "I understand, senor," Arthur said quietly; "and perceive 
 that it is the lady's revenues, and not her soul, which are the 
 main object of your care. Well, senor, you have made me a 
 prisoner, but I have sufficient faith in the young lady's affec- 
 tion to believe that until she is absolutely convinced of my 
 death she will not turn her thoughts towards the cloister, and 
 that therefore you are likely to have me on your hands for a 
 very considerable time. At least, I am grateful to you for 
 your offer of books, and shall be glad if you will furnish me 
 with a selection." 
 
 "I may say further," the man said, "that you will be 
 instructed in the tenets of our religion, and that should you 
 see the error of your ways and ask to be received into the 
 bosom of the Church, possibly all further objection to your 
 union with the young lady in question may be removed." 
 
 (M966) U
 
 306 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Arthur laughed. " Your opinion of my principles must be 
 a very low one if you can suppose that I shall be tempted to 
 abandon them even with such a bait as you have been good 
 enough to hold out." 
 
 "Naturally that is your opinion at present," the monk 
 said coldly; "it may alter after a few months of confine- 
 ment." 
 
 "I fancy not, seiior; and I warn you that no more serious 
 offence can be committed than the capture and imprisonment 
 of an officer in the British service." 
 
 " I am prepared to take that risk, seiior, and you are not 
 likely to be released, whatever happens, until matters are 
 arranged. I will now leave you to yourself." 
 
 When the door had opened Arthur observed that a 
 number of monks were grouped in the passage outside, evi- 
 dently prepared to fall upon him should he offer any violence 
 to their prior, or attempt to make his escape. 
 
 When the prior had left, Arthur sat down and thought the 
 matter over. The look-out was certainly not bright. He saw 
 that he had very little chance of making his escape from the 
 monastery. It was no doubt a large building, with any number 
 of passages and corridors, in which, if he could escape from 
 the cell, he would simply be lost, so that long before he could 
 find his way to the gate, he would be overtaken and captured 
 again. One thing, however, he might do. No doubt for a 
 short time the two monks who brought him provisions would 
 be accompanied by others, but when they found that he showed 
 no signs of trying to effect his escape, they would become less 
 vigilant In that case he might possibly overcome these two 
 men, make his escape to the story above, and drop out a note 
 from the window which might be taken to Leon, who would 
 assuredly obtain his release without delay. He could tear a 
 blank page out of one of the books with which he was to be
 
 KIDNAPPED 307 
 
 provided, and write a message upon it. His pencil had not 
 been taken from him, nor his pocket-knife. 
 
 The days went on. He had no reason to complain of his 
 treatment; the food was good and wholesome; the monks who 
 attended to him brought a can of water daily, carried away 
 his basin and emptied it, and swept out his cell. A mattress 
 and blankets had been substituted for the straw, a supply of 
 such books as he asked for had been brought to him, and it 
 was evident that his captors desired that he should have 
 nothing to complain of save his loss of liberty. 
 
 After ten days he resolved to carry his plan into execution. 
 Tearing out a blank leaf carefully, he wrote upon it: 
 
 " I am confined in a monastery. I can give no information 
 as to its position save that it is in the town. Apply to regent 
 for an order to search." 
 
 He then signed his name, folded up the slip of paper, and on 
 the outside wrote : 
 
 " One hundred dollars will be paid by the Count Leon de 
 Balen to anyone who will bring this note to him ". 
 
 He then waited for a favourable opportunity. 
 
 He had, one day when meat was served to him, abstracted 
 the knife and hidden it in his stocking. The monks, when 
 they removed the tray, did not notice that anything was 
 missing, but he observed that on the following day they 
 carefully felt the mattress. By this he guessed that the loss 
 of the knife had not been discovered till that morning. The 
 monks, fearing that they would be blamed for carelessness, 
 had very likely protested that they had brought it as usual 
 into the kitchen with the tray; and had only for their own 
 satisfaction looked to see if it were hidden there. Arthur 
 had taken it without any definite view of using it; but he 
 thought that if this attempt to obtain succour failed, it might 
 come in useful in any future plan he might devise.
 
 308 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Next day, when his attendant monks were bending to place 
 his basin and tray on the floor, he suddenly rushed at them 
 and hurled them both to the ground. Then he hurried out 
 of the cell. 
 
 Four monks were standing in the passage. Running at full 
 speed he dashed at them. Two of them were levelled to the 
 ground; he cast the other two aside, and ran on. At the 
 end of the passage was a staircase. Up this he darted, and 
 found himself in a corridor similar to that below. A number 
 of doors opened from it. He turned the handle of one of 
 these, ran across the room to the window, pushed his hands 
 through the bars, and dropped the note. A moment later he 
 heard a bell ring loudly and sharply. Doubtless one of the 
 men he had overthrown had at once run to it, and was giving 
 the alarm, which would send all the monks to the entrance. 
 He had done what he had to do, so he walked quietly down- 
 stairs again. Five of the monks were huddled in the passage, 
 and at his approach they took to headlong flight. With a 
 laugh Arthur entered his cell and sat down. Presently a ter- 
 rified face appeared at the door and looked in. 
 
 " Come in," Arthur said cheerfully. " I trust I did not hurt 
 any of you. I merely wished to see whether my muscles were 
 in working order. I find that they are quite right, thank you, 
 and, having ascertained that, have come back to my cell. You 
 can, if you like, shut the door again, for this room is rather 
 draughty when it is open." 
 
 The door was immediately shut, and the bolts shot. Arthur 
 wondered what the next move would be. No one came near 
 him for two hours; then to his surprise he heard a grinding 
 sound against the door, and half a minute later the head of an 
 auger appeared. Another hole was made touching the first, 
 then a fine saw was thrust through. This began to work, and 
 presently a piece was cut out of the door some six inches
 
 KIDNAPPED 309 
 
 wide and eighteen inches long. After a pause the piece was 
 fitted in again. Next he heard a sound of screws being driven 
 in, and then he saw that hinges had been fastened to the flap, 
 so that it could be opened and closed from the other side at 
 will. Then he heard two bolts fixed to it. The noise went 
 on for some time, and he knew by the sound that two more 
 bolts had been screwed on to the door itself. 
 
 He saw at once that the monks intended in future to pass 
 his food in to him, instead of entering his cell. This proved 
 to be the case. The flap was opened and his tray handed in, 
 together with a basin of water. " They are determined that 
 the monks shall not be exposed to assault and battery again," 
 he laughed. "I have evidently given them a scare. Now, 
 I have nothing to do but wait and see if anything comes of 
 my note." 
 
 A fortnight of anxious waiting passed. His food, books, 
 and water were handed in regularly, but no one entered his 
 cell. He listened anxiously whenever he heard the slightest 
 stir in the monastery that would tell him that search was 
 being made, but no such sound met his ear. At last he came 
 to the conclusion that his note could never have reached 
 Leon's hands. Being but a scrap of paper, it might have 
 escaped the eyes of passers-by and been trodden in the mud; 
 or again, the prior might at once have suspected the reason of 
 his strange conduct and despatched a monk to pick up the 
 note. Several times he wrote the same message on pieces 
 of paper, rolled them up into a small ball, and threw them 
 through the window in the hope that some passer-by might 
 be attracted by the sight of the pellet, and open it to see what 
 was in it. 
 
 Till the end of a fortnight he remained patient, spending 
 most of his time in reading; but when he finally determined 
 that the letter had gone astray, he threw aside his books and
 
 310 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 decided that lie must rely upon himself. It was evident that 
 if he was to escape at all, it must be through the wall under 
 the window. He had read of escapes by prisoners, and some 
 of these had been performed in circumstances at least as diffi- 
 cult as those that confronted him, and with means no better 
 than the knife he had in his possession. Much must, of 
 course, depend upon the thickness of the wall and the ma- 
 terials of which it was built. He could see by the window 
 that it must be at least two feet thick, and if constructed of 
 solid blocks of stone there would be no possibility of getting 
 them out, as his knife was but some six inches long in the 
 blade, so that it would be necessary to wear the wall away 
 into dust. Of course, if there were no other way, this is what 
 he must attempt. 
 
 But for the precaution that had been taken to prevent his 
 escape, this would not have been possible, for the monks, 
 when they came in, could not have failed to notice the 
 gradual crumbling away of the wall. There was, however, 
 one other chance. As this was a subterranean, or almost 
 subterranean room, there was not likely to be a vault under 
 it; therefore it was probable that the wall was not continued 
 far under the bottom of his cell. It might be one foot, it 
 might be two, but the solid . stonework would not go much 
 deeper; it would rest upon a bed of, concrete, or possibly of 
 loose rubble. Once through that, he would probably find 
 nothing but earth between him and the pavement above. 
 These pavements were in most of the side streets mere cobble 
 stones. He therefore set to work now to examine the stones 
 forming the floor. They were about two feet square, and 
 after some consideration he determined that the best to 
 operate upon would be that at the foot of his bed, as this 
 would be hidden from the sight of anyone looking through the 
 trap. His greatest difficulty would be to get rid of the
 
 KIDNAPPED 311 
 
 materials that must necessarily be removed. Stones he might 
 manage to clear out by throwing them through the window 
 with sufficient force to carry them across the street; earth, 
 he finally concluded, he would have to dispose of in the same 
 way. 
 
 In order to do this, however, he would have to reach the 
 window. Of course, if he were certain that the cell would 
 never be entered, he could pile it up against the wall to the 
 right and left of the door, for the hole was too narrow to 
 admit a head. However, this was a risk that he would not 
 like to run. The excavation would occupy many weeks, pos- 
 sibly many months, and it was hardly likely that so long a 
 time would elapse before a visit was made to his cell. After 
 much thinking he concluded that if he took up two of the 
 slabs, and placed one against the wall and the other upon it, 
 he could just reach the window. Then, by fastening the end 
 of a blanket to one of the bars, he could easily pull himself up 
 by it and throw the mould outside. 
 
 This was certain to be slow work, and a few handfuls of 
 soil scattered on the road would not be likely to attract any 
 attention. Examining the floor carefully, he saw that the 
 slabs of stone were by no means even, from which he con- 
 cluded that they were not laid in cement, probably not even 
 in concrete, but that the ground had been simply smoothed 
 down and the flags laid on it, and perhaps hammered down. 
 The cells had probably not been intended as living rooms, but 
 were used as prisons, perhaps as far back as the days of the 
 Inquisition. 
 
 Having once made up his mind and carefully examined the 
 stones, Arthur lay down on the floor and prepared to act. 
 He had just finished his breakfast and handed out the tray 
 as usual, so he would not be disturbed again for at least four 
 hours. He besran with his knife to loosen the stone at the
 
 312 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 foot of his bed, which was on the left-hand side of the cell, 
 and found to his satisfaction that the slabs were laid close 
 together, but not so closely that the knife would not in most 
 places go down between them. 
 
 The crevices were filled up with the dust of many years, 
 and it took him till dinner-time to clear this out. He was 
 gratified at finding, however, that while in some places his 
 knife encountered stones when he thrust it deep, at other 
 points he could push it down to the hilt without encounter- 
 ing any obstacle. This showed him that his conjecture was 
 correct. The ground had simply been smoothed down, chips 
 of stone from the building thrown upon it and mixed with 
 the sand, and on this the paving had been laid down. Be- 
 yond the fact that his knife went lower than the bottom of 
 the stone, he could not tell how thick the floor was, but he 
 judged that it would probably be three or four inches. It 
 was evident that he could not get this up by the mere lever- 
 age of the knife, and he would only break the tool if he 
 attempted it. 
 
 This he had expected would be the case, and after the 
 dinner interval he began what he knew would be one of 
 the most tedious parts of the undertaking. It was necessary 
 that he should scrape away part of the stone in order to get 
 his fingers under. His pocket-knife was evidently a better 
 tool for this than the dinner knife he had hitherto used. The 
 slab, so far as he could make out, was a sandstone, but how 
 hard he could not tell. He began by dipping his handkerchief 
 into his basin and letting fall a few drops at the place upon 
 which he intended to operate, namely, next his bed. He 
 started very carefully, giving a sort of rotatory motion to his 
 knife. Gradually the water he had dropped there became a 
 little turbid; this afforded him some encouragement, and he 
 worked steadily on till evening, by which time he had sue-
 
 ESCAPED 313 
 
 ceeded in removing a piece of the stone an eighth of an inch 
 deep. 
 
 After supper he began again, and continued the work far 
 into the night, for he was always furnished with a lamp. At 
 last he had increased the hole to a depth of fully a quarter of 
 an inch, and a width equal to that of his four fingers. Well 
 satisfied with this result, he threw himself on his pallet and 
 slept soundly until the flap was opened and his breakfast tray 
 thrust in. As soon as he had finished his breakfast he set 
 to work again, this time using the knife that had been handed 
 in with his breakfast, and which would not be demanded of 
 him until he returned the tray when he received his dinner. 
 He was glad to make the change, for his hands were blistered 
 badly by the previous day's work, and the smoothness of the 
 dinner knife was a relief to him; besides, he saw that he had 
 already worn away the point of his pocket-knife. 
 
 After a fortnight's steady work he had the satisfaction of 
 feeling the knife go through. In two more days he was able 
 to get his hand in. He now cleared out some of the earth at 
 the bottom, and then, putting his hand below the stone, exerted 
 his strength to the utmost, and was delighted to find that it 
 yielded. He laid it down and executed a dance of triumph, 
 which would have astonished the monks had they looked in. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 ESCAPED 
 
 IT was evening when Arthur got up the stone, so he put it 
 into its place again after his delight had a little subsided, 
 rubbed some dust into the crevices, and then flung himself
 
 314 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 down for a long night's sleep. The next morning after break- 
 fast he set to work to remove the dust round the next stone. 
 When he had done this, he made a hole under it with his 
 fingers even more easily than in the case of the first. He then 
 replaced it, and waited until his dinner had been handed in. 
 Having eaten this, he took up the two stones again, laid one 
 upright against the wall under the window, placed the other 
 on the top of it, then took a running jump on to this, at the 
 same moment stretching his arm as high up above his head 
 as he could. To his delight he found that he was able to 
 grasp one of the bars. He got down, took one of the blankets, 
 and, again leaping up, passed an end round the bar and man- 
 aged to grasp it before he fell backwards. 
 
 This pulled the blanket half-way round the bar. He 
 caught hold of both parts when he next sprang up, and was 
 able without difficulty to raise himself until his face was level 
 with the window. The look-out was better than he had ex- 
 pected. In front of him was a street, but on the other side 
 was a piece of waste ground. Nothing could have been 
 handier for his purpose, as the stones and earth thrown on 
 to this would certainly attract no notice. Having taken a 
 good look he lowered himself to the floor, relaid the second 
 stone he had raised, and put the other alongside it so that 
 he could replace it in an instant if he should hear footsteps 
 coming down the passage. Then he took the mattress and 
 bedding off the bench, for he resolved to spread upon the bed 
 all the earth and rubble he got out during the day, as it would 
 be dangerous to throw it out until dark. 
 
 After this he set to work with the dinner knife, and it was 
 not long before he had loosened the earth and rubble some 
 inches deep. This he removed, and by night had excavated 
 a hole two feet deep, spreading the rubbish carefully, as he 
 got it out, on the bed. He had not made the hole quite so
 
 ESCAPED 315 
 
 wide as the stone, in order that this might have a support 
 when it was replaced. Then he hung up one blanket as be- 
 fore, and placed a considerable quantity of the earth in the 
 other blanket and hauled this up to the window, so as to save 
 himself the labour of climbing up afresh with each handful. 
 Listening attentively, so as to be sure that no one was coming 
 along, he flung it with all his force through the window. 
 When he had disposed of all he had brought up he filled the 
 blanket again, and so continued until he had thrown out the 
 whole. 
 
 On the following day he not only got out the earth to a 
 greater depth, but was able to push the trench under the 
 adjoining slab, which was in contact with the wall. He got 
 rid of the earth and stones as before. Next morning he worked 
 with renewed vigour, for. the result of the day's labour would 
 be to show whether the stone-work was carried down below 
 the level of the floor, or whether the wall rested upon concrete. 
 The third slab came up without difficulty, and, digging down 
 by the wall, to his great satisfaction he found that it rested on 
 a foundation of coarse concrete, which would no doubt be 
 troublesome, but by no means impervious. He soon cleared 
 out the earth and rubble to the same level as the other part 
 of the trench, and after spreading it as usual under his mat- 
 tress, he began the important task of picking out the concrete. 
 
 He had not been at work long before he found that in order 
 to get room to use both arms he must widen it out at the end 
 against the wall. This caused a whole day's delay. The 
 cutting of the concrete was toilsome, and it took a week of 
 almost incessant labour to make a passage sufficiently large 
 for him to crawl through. Having ascertained that, as he had 
 expected, the ground beyond this was composed of mixed soil, 
 as that within the wall had been, with fragments of stone, he 
 gave himself a day's rest before proceeding further. It was
 
 316 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 now six weeks since his imprisonment began, and he felt sure 
 that it would require only three or four days' more work to 
 get to the surface outside. 
 
 He wondered what his friends had been doing, and worried 
 greatly about the anxiety that Mercedes would have experi- 
 enced. This thought indeed had frequently kept him to his 
 work when he would otherwise have desisted, from the 
 fatigue he felt in working in the cramped position which 
 was necessary while getting through the concrete. Roper, 
 too, would be in a terrible way, and Leon would be moving 
 heaven and earth to find some clue to his fate. He wondered 
 what they had been doing, and in what direction they had 
 been searching, for he would have disappeared as suddenly as 
 if the earth had opened and swallowed him, without leaving 
 a single clue. 
 
 One thing was certain: suspicion would fall upon Don 
 Silvio. Leon would probably lay the case before the queen 
 regent, and Don Silvio might not impossibly be arrested on 
 the charge of being concerned in his disappearance. He could 
 not help believing that this man was at the bottom of it, for, 
 think how he would, no other reason for his seizure presented 
 itself. Ostensibly he had been imprisoned in order that his 
 connection with Mercedes might be broken off, in which case 
 she might enter a convent, to the great advantage of its 
 revenues. But the knowledge that there was an engagement 
 between them was at present confined to Leon and his sisters, 
 for it had been agreed that it would be much better to keep 
 it quiet until the time approached for their marriage, as Leon 
 felt that the Church would use every effort to prevent this 
 from taking place. 
 
 Mercedes might indeed have spoken of it in confession, 
 but it was far more likely that Count Silvio, whose jealousy 
 had been clearly aroused, and who hated him for the result of
 
 ESCAPED 317 
 
 the duel, had set the Church authorities to work. It was not 
 probable that the prior of the monastery had acted on his own 
 responsibility. It was not a monastery that would benefit by 
 Mercedes' fortune, and mere zeal would scarcely have prompted 
 the prior to take so strong a step as to have him carried off; 
 doubtless, therefore, he was acting under superior authority. 
 Although the Inquisition had died out, and heretics could no 
 longer be tortured or brought to the stake, the Roman Church 
 in Spain was still almost as bigoted as in the olden days, and 
 would assuredly not hesitate to take steps to prevent what 
 would be considered as the backsliding of one of its faith. 
 Knowing the enormous influence the priests still exercised, the 
 measure that had been taken with reference to himself scarcely 
 seemed extraordinary to Arthur, and he resented it rather 
 because he believed that Don Silvio was at the bottom of it 
 than on account of the outrage against himself. 
 
 After a rest of thirty -six hours, Arthur set to work as soon 
 as he had eaten his supper. The lamp contained enough oil 
 to burn all night, and it was only by its light that he was able 
 to work. Lying on his stomach in the hole he gradually drove 
 the tunnel forward, being obliged frequently to come out with 
 the earth and rubble as he dug it down. When he had got 
 two feet beyond the wall he turned on his back and, placing 
 the lamp on his chest, began to bring down the earth above 
 him. Luckily the mould was firm and tightly packed, for 
 while there was thus no fear of sudden falls the walls stood 
 upright and the earth dug out like putty. He had not the 
 trouble of taking it out; as it fell he merely pushed it back 
 into the open trench. 
 
 By morning he could stand upright to his work. As the 
 bottom of the hole was two feet below the floor he was now 
 some four feet above it. The labour had been very great, and 
 although he had worked stripped to the waist he had suffered
 
 318 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 much from the heat. He rubbed himself with his blanket, 
 as he had done ever since he began the work, for had he 
 washed the appearance of the water would at once have 
 aroused suspicions that he was engaged upon work of this 
 kind. He dressed again, and was ready to receive his break- 
 fast, and after eating this he went soundly to sleep. He 
 could scarce rouse himself sufficiently to get up and take in 
 his dinner when it came, and putting the tray down he at 
 once went off to sleep again. At five o'clock he woke and ate 
 his dinner, and when his supper arrived he put that by till 
 midnight. 
 
 He now set to work with renewed vigour, for if all went 
 well he should be free by morning. He put two of the paving- 
 stones against the sides of his shaft, and, standing upon these, 
 was able to bring down the earth rapidly. When he had 
 dug two feet higher he trod the earth that had fallen firmly 
 down, and placing the stones on these, again mounted on them. 
 By twelve o'clock he could no longer reach overhead, and, 
 measuring from the level of the floor of the cell, found that the 
 cavity was now seven feet above it. He now pulled out the 
 paving-stones, and set to work to dig some holes on each side 
 of the shaft, in which he could place his feet. Having gained 
 another foot by this means he went out, ate his supper, and 
 dressed himself. 
 
 He was certain now that he should be out before daybreak. 
 Again he set to work. The earth came down fast under the 
 strokes of his knife. At last, at about four o'clock in the 
 morning, the blade struck against a stone. This he felt was 
 round, and differed altogether from those he had met with 
 embedded in the earth. Gradually he cleared the space be- 
 neath it, and then found that a layer of stones closely packed 
 together formed the ceiling of his shaft. He worked with re- 
 newed energy until the whole of the earth beneath was cleared
 
 ESCAPED 319 
 
 away, then he dug two more foot-holes two feet higher than 
 those he had last rested on. Taking his place in these, he 
 pushed with all his force with both hands. The stones gave 
 way at once, and his hands were in the air. In another 
 minute the rest were cleared off, and, putting his hands on the 
 edge of the hole, he hauled himself up and was a free man. 
 
 In the joy of his heart he set off to run, but presently 
 steadied down into a walk. It was a quarter of an hour 
 before he came upon a church familiar to him, and he was 
 then able to direct his course to his lodgings. He had a key 
 of the outer door, and, opening this, he felt his way up the 
 stairs until he reached his door. Another key gave him 
 admittance here. Opening the door of the sitting-room, he 
 felt his way to the mantel. Here were always placed a flint 
 and steel and a bundle of slips of rag dipped in sulphur, for 
 although phosphorus matches were rapidly making their way 
 in England, they were as yet unknown in Madrid. At the 
 first blow of the flint against the steel he heard a movement 
 in the next room, and as the sparks flew on to the tinder by 
 the stroke, he heard Roper exclaim "Who is that?" as he 
 jumped out of bed. 
 
 "It is I, Roper!" 
 
 There was a perfect shout of joy, and then he heard the 
 honest fellow burst into a fit of hysterical sobbing. A 
 moment later the sulphur ignited the tinder, and he lighted 
 a candle. The door of Roper's bedroom was open, and 
 Arthur saw that he had sunk back on to his bed again with 
 his hands before his face. He went in to him and put his 
 hand upon his shoulder. 
 
 "Roper, old friend," he said, "compose yourself. Thank 
 God, I am back again safe and sound!" 
 
 "The Lord be praised!" Roper said, as, brushing his tears 
 aside, he stood up and grasped Arthur's hands. " It is almost
 
 320 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 as if you had come back from the dead, sir. I have kept on 
 saying you would return, though I knew in my heart that I 
 had lost all hope. Why," he said, as they went back to the 
 light, "you are as black as a coal. What has happened to 
 you?" 
 
 "It is only honest dirt, Koper. I will go and have a 
 thorough wash, then I will tell you about it;" and he went 
 into his own room, which opened on the other side of the 
 sitting-room. By the time he came back Roper had lighted 
 three more candles, had partly dressed himself, and had got 
 out a bottle of wine and a glass. 
 
 " Get out another glass, Roper, and light the fire, then we 
 will sit down and talk it all over. By the way, if you have 
 anything to eat you may as well put it on the table. It is five 
 hours since I have had supper, and I have been doing some 
 hard work since." 
 
 Roper hurried away to get the things together while Arthur 
 changed his clothes entirely. Two or three shirts had been 
 handed in each week to him while he was confined in his 
 prison, but he was glad enough of a complete change. 
 
 "Now, Roper," he said, as he sat down, "we will eat and 
 talk. In the first place, tell me about my friends." 
 
 "The count has been looking for you everywhere, sir. 
 He has had the whole police in search of you. They have got 
 Don Silvio under arrest, but they cannot find out that he was 
 concerned in your disappearance, though nobody has any doubt 
 about it. Miss Mercedes has been ill. She was, I was told, 
 in bed for a month; she is up now, but, as the servants tell 
 me, looking like a ghost. However, I have no doubt she 
 will soon get round, now that you are back. 
 
 " The difficulty has been to know where to start looking for 
 you. No one had seen you since you left this house one 
 morning, some two months ago, shortly after breakfast. From
 
 ESCAPED 321 
 
 that time you had disappeared as if the earth had swallowed 
 you up. I always said, ' The captain will come back if he is 
 alive bolts and bars won't hold him'. And I really believed 
 so for three or four weeks; but when time went on and there 
 were no signs of you, I began to think that you must have 
 gone under. If you had, I knew it must have been directly 
 you were taken, for before two days had passed Don Silvio 
 had been caught. He was down at his place in the country, 
 and was able to prove that he was there at the date of your 
 capture. Well, they kept him under arrest, thinking that if 
 you did come back you would be able to prove that he had a 
 hand in it somehow." 
 
 "I believe he had, Roper, though I may say I have no 
 shadow of proof. Now I will tell you all about it;" and he 
 went into a full history of his capture, of his imprisonment, of 
 his interview with the prior, and of the manner in which he 
 had made his escape. 
 
 " You have done well indeed, sir, to get out of that place 
 as you did! If I had been there, I should never have come 
 out again alive. Lord, how you must have worked! So the 
 priests were at the bottom of it after all?" 
 
 "Not quite at the bottom; for I have no doubt whatever 
 that Don Silvio put them up to it. No doubt he said to 
 them: 'Here is a young lady of noble family with a fine in- 
 come. She wants to throw herself away on a Protestant and 
 a foreigner; if you can manage to keep him away from her, 
 she is pretty sure to go into a convent. She said, when she 
 threw me over a year and a half ago, that it was her intention 
 not to marry, but to lead a religious life; therefore if you get 
 her lover removed now, no doubt she will do so.' You see, 
 there were two motives for getting me shut up one to avoid 
 the grievous scandal of a Catholic lady of good family marry- 
 ing a heretic, and the second, that of getting possession of her 
 
 (H066) X
 
 322 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 dowry. Well, thank goodness, I have baulked them! Has 
 Colonel Wylde been here?" 
 
 "No, sir; he has been up in the north ever since you dis- 
 appeared." 
 
 "Has there been much fighting there 1" 
 
 " None at all. Maroto turned traitor and sold Don Carlos. 
 He surrendered on condition of a big grant of money. His 
 army dispersed, and Don Carlos has crossed the frontier." 
 
 "And EsparteroT 
 
 "He has been made Duke of Vittoria, and is still in the 
 north settling things. In the east there has been fighting, but 
 only small affairs, so you have not lost anything that way." 
 
 It was seven o'clock in the morning before Arthur had 
 brought his story to a close, and he now said: "You had 
 better go at once across to Count Leon's I dare say he will be 
 up by this time. Take him aside quietly, and tell him that 
 I am here, and that I leave it to him to break the news to 
 his sister as he thinks best. When he has done so, I will, of 
 course, go round and see her." 
 
 Eoper returned in half an hour with the count. 
 
 "My dear Arthur! My dear Arthur!" the latter exclaimed, 
 as he ran into the room and embraced his friend. "Thank 
 God that you are back again ! I had given up all hope, and 
 had no question at all in my mind that you had been mur- 
 dered quietly by the orders of Don Silvio, and been buried in 
 some obscure spot where your body would never be found. I 
 could not at first believe what your man told me half an hour 
 ago. I fancy I took him by the shoulders and shook him, and 
 told him he was either mad or a liar. At last I was convinced 
 that he was sane, and we hurried off together. We came too 
 fast for talk, but I gathered from him that you had been con- 
 fined in a monastery." 
 
 " Yes, Leon ; and except that I was kept a solitary prisoner
 
 ESCAPED 323 
 
 in a cell, I had nothing much to complain of. I was frankly 
 told by the prior that I should remain there, however long a 
 time it might be, until Mercedes had taken the veil." 
 
 "The rascal! "Leon said wrathf ully. "That is just what we 
 feared, or at least something like it, when we agreed that your 
 engagement to her had better be kept private for a time. Not, 
 of course, that I ever dreamt that they would attempt to carry 
 you off, but I knew that they would move heaven and earth to 
 break off the match. Now, please tell me all about it." 
 
 Arthur again went through the story, and gave his reasons 
 for believing that Don Silvio was at the bottom of it. 
 
 "I regard that as certain," Leon said; "but that does not 
 alter the facts. I shall have to take every care of Mercedes; 
 they may try to suppress her as they have tried to suppress 
 you. I have seen Queen Christina several times, and she is 
 intensely interested in your case. We must go and see her 
 this afternoon, and lay all the facts before her, and I shall ask 
 her to take Mercedes under her protection, which I am sure 
 she will do. Even the Church would not venture to drag her 
 from the palace. As to your affair, it will require a good deal 
 of talking over. Of course, if you report what has happened 
 to your government they will kick up a tremendous row about 
 it, but I don't know that that would be of any advantage either 
 to her or to us." 
 
 " No, I can quite understand that, Leon ; and it is the last 
 thing I should wish to do. As you say, it will require a lot 
 of thinking about and talking over; but at the first blush it 
 certainly seems to me that, now that I have got away without 
 further damage or injury than being shut up for a couple of 
 months, the best policy is to say nothing about it; but, of 
 course, we shall have to consider whether there will be any 
 repetition of it, and still more, whether your sister is likely 
 to suffer any persecution or to incur any risk of being kid-
 
 324 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 napped. Of course you have not told her yet that I have 
 turned up again 1 ?" 
 
 " No. She does not get up till ten o'clock, and I thought it 
 as well not to disturb her; besides, I really knew nothing 
 about it myself beyond the fact that you had reappeared, and 
 even of that I felt scarcely assured until I saw you myself, for 
 I had not entertained a shadow of hope that you were alive. 
 I will go and break the news to her now. You may come 
 across in half an hour." 
 
 "Very well, but I shall not expect to see her; perhaps 
 I had better not see her at all to-day. It may be well to 
 break it to her very gradually. If you were to tell her that 
 this morning you had obtained a clue, and thought it possible 
 that I had been carried away and shut up in a monastery; 
 then this afternoon you could further say that you believed 
 you knew which monastery it was in which I was imprisoned, 
 and that you intended at once to take steps to obtain my 
 release; then either this evening or to-morrow morning you 
 could tell her the truth, and take me in to her." 
 
 "I believe that would be the best plan, Arthur. She has 
 been very ill, and is at present a mere ghost of herself; but she 
 is of a cheerful disposition, and although she has come to 
 despair of ever seeing you again, I am sure that she would 
 eagerly grasp at any shadow of hope, and once she has you 
 again she will soon pick up." 
 
 " In that case I had better not come round to your house, 
 Leon." 
 
 "No, I think not. If any of the servants were to see 
 you they might, in spite of any orders that I might issue, 
 make a hash of it in some way or other. I doubt whether 
 they would be able to help doing so by their looks if 
 not by their tongues, for you are a general favourite in 
 the house; and although no one has ever been told, I should
 
 ESCAPED 325 
 
 think that many must have some idea how matters stand 
 between you and Mercedes. As Colonel Wylde is away, there 
 can be no reason for your leaving the house, and it is better 
 that you should not do so, because you would be sure to meet 
 somebody who would know you; and as your disappearance 
 has been the talk of the town, they would carry the news home 
 to their families, and some of the ladies might take it across to 
 Mercedes. I will be back again in an hour. I will come round 
 in my carriage, and then we will drive together to the palace. 
 To prevent any possibility of someone spreading the news from 
 there, I will give strict orders that whoever calls to-day no 
 matter who it is is not to be allowed to see my sister. Of 
 course I shall not tell either of the girls, their looks would let 
 the secret out before they had been with her for two minutes." 
 Leon was back in the course of an hour. " I have adminis- 
 tered the first dose of hope," he said, " and the effect has been 
 wonderful. Before that she was sitting absolutely listless, 
 taking no interest whatever in anything that went on around 
 her; now she is all flushed and excited. I began by saying 
 that information had reached me that led me to believe that 
 you had been carried to a monastery. I did this very 
 gently and in a roundabout way, but she leapt to her feet 
 with her eyes blazing, and insisted on knowing what were the 
 grounds of my belief. I was obliged to tell her that I knew 
 for almost a certainty that on the evening of the day on which 
 you disappeared, monks were noticed carrying a litter through 
 the streets. I said that of course this might mean nothing, but 
 that it was certainly singular, and that I had already set a 
 number of men to work to find out where the monks had been 
 last seen, and the direction in which they were proceeding, 
 and that I hoped by this afternoon to get certain news. I 
 promised her that I would let her know directly I did so. 
 I argued that four monks would hardly be carrying a dead
 
 326 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 man, nor could I see any reason why they should be carrying 
 a living one. I said that a cloth had been thrown over the 
 litter, and that no one could see who or what was beneath it. 
 I left her walking up and down the room in a state of great 
 agitation, and I rather think it would be better to change our 
 plans and let her know the whole truth shortly." 
 
 " Perhaps so, Leon. We will sit here for another half-hour, 
 and then you can go in and break the news to her little by 
 little, till at last you can tell her that I am in the house 
 waiting to see her. But I should advise you, as we go along, 
 to call at your doctor's and take him with you, in case the 
 shock is too much for her." 
 
 " Perhaps that would be advisable," Leon said; "the anxiety 
 and excitement might be worse for her than the sudden joy 
 would be." 
 
 Accordingly they drove back to Leon's, and the count went 
 into his sister's room, while Arthur went into the drawing- 
 room, where the two younger girls were sitting. These leapt 
 up with a scream as he entered, and looked at him as if doubt- 
 ing the evidence of their senses. He held up his hand. " It 
 is I myself," he said, "but do not make a noise. Your 
 brother has gone in to break the news to Mercedes." Con- 
 vinced that their eyes had not deceived them, the girls ran 
 forward and embraced him affectionately, pouring out ques- 
 tions as to where he had been, and how it was that he had 
 returned. 
 
 " " It is a long story," he said, " and I cannot tell it all now. 
 I have been shut up to prevent me from marrying Mercedes, 
 and I have managed to make my way out again; and as you 
 can see by looking at my hands," and he held them out, 
 "I have done a lot of hard work in breaking out." 
 
 Both girls uttered exclamations at the blistered state of his 
 hands.
 
 ESCAPED 327 
 
 " They are nothing to what they were after the first four or 
 five days' work," he said; "they really were bad then. They 
 have got pretty horny now." 
 
 " But who could have wanted to interfere between you and 
 Mercedes ? No one has any right to interfere with her except 
 Leon." 
 
 "There are people who think they have a right to inter- 
 fere," he said, "and do interfere in most matters in this 
 country." 
 
 " You look very white, Arthur," the elder girl said. 
 
 "Yes, I dare say; I have been two months in a cell with 
 very little light." 
 
 " In a cell?" they repeated. 
 
 " Yes. There was no great hardship in it. I had books to 
 read and very decent food, so the only thing I had to complain 
 of was my loss of liberty." 
 
 He chatted for a few minutes longer, and then the door 
 opened and Leon appeared and beckoned to Arthur to follow 
 him. " She knows that you are in Madrid and free, and that 
 you will be here in a few minutes. You had better leave her 
 to herself for a little while to get calm. Of course she is 
 greatly shaken, but she stood it better than I had expected 
 when I went in. I found that she believed I had not told 
 her all, and was prepared to find that I had really got some 
 important clue as to your whereabouts. Of course that made 
 it easier for me to tell her the truth gradually." 
 
 They talked for a short time and then Leon went out of 
 the room, and a minute later Mercedes ran in, and with a cry 
 of joy rushed into Arthur's arms. Leon came in ten minutes 
 later, and found her sitting on a sofa with her head on Arthur's 
 shoulder. 
 
 " It is almost worth while having been so unhappy, Leon," 
 she said, " to feel such joy as I do now."
 
 328 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " Well, I won't say that, Mercedes ; at the same time I 
 admit that it is very joyful to have him back again." 
 
 " I know nothing yet," she said, " of what has happened, or 
 what has kept him away from us. I have been too perfectly 
 happy at having him back, to think of asking what he has been 
 doing." 
 
 " He has been shut up to keep him away from you." 
 
 "To keep him away from me]" Mercedes repeated. 
 
 " Yes, dear. It seems that it occurred to some of the 
 worthy fathers of the church that it would be a very sinful 
 thing for you to marry a heretic ; and also that if this heretic 
 were to disappear, possibly you might take it into your 
 head to enter a convent and bestow your wealth upon the 
 church. Accordingly they seized him and put him into a cell 
 in a monastery, and informed him that he would have to 
 remain there until you had entered a convent. As Arthur 
 entertained quite different views he set to work to escape 
 from his cell, and after six weeks' hard digging underground, 
 he this morning made his way out, arid here he is." 
 
 " Is it possible," the girl said, standing up with wide open 
 eyes, " that it was the church that took Arthur from me?" 
 
 " Yes, dear; some unworthy members of the church." 
 
 " Arthur," she said, " when we are married and you take 
 me to England, you shall teach me what your church believes. 
 I will never remain in a church that has treated us so." 
 
 " We will talk about that, dear, later on," Arthur said 
 soothingly. " There are bad people and good in every church, 
 and there is no reason for changing because some of them may 
 do wrong things. If, some day, you really come to think that 
 our religion is the best, I shall be very pleased, but it must 
 not be because some men, in an excess of zeal for their church, 
 have somewhat ill-treated me." 
 
 Leon nodded approvingly. " You speak rightly, Arthur.
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS . 329 
 
 Many evil things have been done in Spain by the priests. 
 I believe myself that the misfortunes that have befallen us 
 are a punishment for the evil deeds done in the name of 
 religion here. But, as you say, it is not because evil deeds 
 are mistakenly done in its name that the religion itself is bad. 
 I myself am no bigot there are very few educated men in 
 this country who are so and I fully recognized, when I first 
 saw what Mercedes' feelings were towards you, that if she 
 became your wife it was possible that in time she would adopt 
 your religion. In all their main features there is no great 
 difference between the two creeds, and certainly I should feel 
 no great grief should Mercedes adopt your faith ; but I agree 
 with you that it should be as the result of conviction, and 
 not merely because she has reason to complain of the action 
 towards you of certain fanatics. Now, we will go in to the 
 girls, who will be dying to know what has taken place." 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 
 
 NOW, girls," Leon said, when Arthur had given a full 
 relation of his adventure, "you must understand that 
 this story must not go beyond ourselves. Whether any steps 
 will be taken in the matter must depend largely upon what 
 the queen regent and her advisers decide. It is a grave 
 matter for the state to embroil itself with the church, and 
 Arthur has already told me that he will be guided entirely 
 by their wishes in the matter. I thank him for his considera- 
 tion. Angry as I am at what has taken place, I feel that 
 we ourselves could not but suffer were such a grave scandal
 
 330 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 to get abroad, for whatever might be the results to the people 
 who have been concerned in this, we should undoubtedly be 
 held in some respects accountable for them; and it is certainly 
 a serious matter to quarrel with the church. 
 
 "The results might be very far-reaching. If this outrage 
 upon a British officer were known in England, it would produce 
 a most unfavourable impression. The cause of the queen has 
 received warm support there, British soldiers-and sailors have 
 been fighting for us; but there is still a strong Carlist party 
 in England, and these would certainly take advantage of this 
 affair to stir up public feeling against us. Therefore I feel 
 that we are all under a great obligation to Arthur for vol- 
 unteering to put himself in the hands of the regent, and to 
 consent to allow this business to be hushed up. At any rate, 
 you must preserve absolute silence until we know what is to 
 be done. I am going to drive to the palace now to lay the 
 matter before the regent, and shall be able to tell you more 
 this afternoon. Now, Mercedes, if you will take my advice 
 you will lie down for a bit; you have been ill, you know, and 
 are not yet strong." 
 
 "I shall soon be strong again," she said; "still, I shall take 
 your advice, for I do feel shaken, and I want to be bright this 
 afternoon when you come back." 
 
 Leon drove with Arthur to the palace, and the former sent 
 in word to the queen regent that he begged to see her in 
 private audience. A quarter of an hour later they were shown 
 into the room where she was sitting. She rose with an ex- 
 clamation of surprise on seeing Arthur. 
 
 "Why, where have you been, Captain HalletU" she ex- 
 claimed. "I began to give up all hope of ever seeing you 
 again." 
 
 " It is a somewhat long story, your majesty, but if you will 
 condescend to listen to it I will tell it to you in full. I have
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 331 
 
 come not to demand justice at your hands, but to leave the 
 matter entirely to you, to take any steps or no steps at all, as 
 you may decide." 
 
 He then told the story, his narrative being frequently inter- 
 rupted by exclamations of anger from Christina. 
 
 " It is infamous ! " she exclaimed, when he brought the story 
 to an end; "most infamous! I thank you most heartily for 
 having come direct to me instead of sending your complaint 
 home. It is a very serious matter. The church is already 
 by no means well disposed towards me, and the priests 
 throughout the country have largely thrown their influence 
 on to the side of my enemies. I have a council this afternoon, 
 and shall bring the matter before them; you have indeed 
 added greatly to the obligation I am already under to you by 
 offering to leave the matter in my hands. Of course you have 
 a right to large compensation for this illegal imprisonment." 
 
 "I can assure you that I desire no compensation at all, 
 your majesty; I have already benefited very largely by your 
 bounty. The only thing I would ask is, that if nothing is 
 done, you will receive Donna Mercedes at your palace and 
 take her under your protection until we are married. Having 
 failed with me, the next attempt will be made upon her, and 
 she would find it a much harder task than I have to free 
 herself from their hands." 
 
 "That I will very gladly do, senor; and I don't think that 
 even the church would venture to interfere with a lady 
 under my protection. If it did, it would find me far less for- 
 giving than you are." 
 
 The next morning Arthur received a message requesting 
 him to go to the palace. 
 
 " Your case was fully discussed yesterday, Captain Hallett," 
 the queen regent said, "and my council are all grateful for 
 your magnanimity in placing yourself in their hands. They
 
 332 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 are fully sensible of the great wrong that has been inflicted 
 upon you, and of the very serious consequences that might 
 have ensued if you had chosen to place your case in the hands 
 of the British government. I had sent to the prior of the 
 monastery of St. Isidore, and he was called before the council 
 and ordered to explain his conduct. He did not in any way 
 attempt to deny the facts as stated by you, but declared that 
 he was acting under the orders of the bishop, whereupon an 
 order was sent the latter to leave the country at once and 
 take up his residence at Rome until he shall have received 
 permission to return. The council proposed to pay you ten 
 thousand pounds as an indemnity for the treatment you have 
 received. I told them that I would inform you of their decision, 
 but that you had already expressed to me your determination 
 not to accept one. They were a little incredulous," she said 
 with a slight smile, " which is not to be wondered at, consider- 
 ing that there was not one of them who would, in similar cir- 
 cumstances, have felt the slightest hesitation in accepting such 
 an offer. However, I told them I would see you to-day and 
 lay the offer before you." 
 
 "Which I need hardly say, your majesty, I decline. I 
 own that I am well pleased to hear that the author of this 
 affair has received some punishment. After that, madam, I 
 do not think it will be necessary for Donna Mercedes to 
 avail herself of your kind protection. The issue of this order 
 for the bishop to go into exile will be so strong a mark of your 
 majesty's displeasure that there can, I think, be no fear what- 
 ever of any further steps being taken by my enemies. Donna 
 Mercedes has been very ill, and I think she will be more 
 likely to recover her health speedily in the society of her 
 brother and sisters than in the atmosphere of the palace, where, 
 however great your majesty's kindness, there must be a certain 
 amount of stiffness and ceremony."
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 333 
 
 "I should have been glad to have her with me," Christina 
 said, " but there is no doubt a certain amount of truth in what 
 you say. However, I will have her here frequently, so that it 
 may be understood that she is a special friend of mine, in which 
 case I am sure no one will try to interfere with her." 
 
 Colonel Wylde returned that evening, and after hearing 
 the whole story from Arthur, expressed his warm approval of 
 the course he had taken. 
 
 " It would have been most damaging to the royal cause," 
 he said, "if this affair had been made public in England; and 
 though I think you would have been more than justified in 
 accepting the amount offered as an indemnity, I can but 
 admire your disinterestedness in refusing it." 
 
 "And now, colonel, I am ready to start for any point 
 where you may require my services; I have been idle too 
 long already." 
 
 "Well, the war is practically over in the north. That 
 scoundrel Maroto has arranged terms for himself, and for a 
 few of his friends, with Espartero, but has made no conditions 
 whatever for the soldiers who have fought so hard for Don 
 Carlos. However, these have been permitted to return to 
 their homes, and at present Espartero is occupied in settling 
 affairs there and in preparing his army to take the field in the 
 spring against Cabrera. A number of small isolated campaigns 
 are going on in Aragon. We have already three or four 
 commissioners there, but it is perhaps as well that you should 
 proceed there at once, as it is now three months since I have 
 had any reports from you to send in with mine. I have, of 
 course, been obliged to report your disappearance, and shall 
 now mention that you had been pounced upon by some enemies 
 of the queen and held in confinement, but that you had 
 effected your escape." 
 
 That evening Arthur heard from Leon that Count Silvio
 
 334 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 had been released from the close observation he had been sub- 
 jected to for the past two months. " It is believed," he said, 
 "that he was the instigator of the action against you, but 
 there is no proof whatever that this is so, and there is 
 therefore no excuse for keeping him further under arrest. 
 He has, however, been ordered to retire to his estates, as 
 there is at least the strongest ground for suspecting that he 
 was concerned in the attack upon you by those street ruffians, 
 and his whole conduct has been in the highest degree sus- 
 picious." 
 
 " I shall be glad to know that he is away, Leon. Of course 
 I am not sure that he was really concerned in my imprison- 
 ment; the priest who is Mercedes' confessor is likely enough 
 to be at the bottom of it." 
 
 " I think so too, and have told Mercedes that she had better 
 choose some other confessor." 
 
 "I think the two men were set upon me by him; but I 
 am inclined to own that I was in the wrong in the matter 
 of that duel. It was somewhat reasonable that he should 
 have been jealous, and it would have been fair if I had 
 contented myself with running him through the shoulder 
 instead of making him a perfect laughing-stock. I was irri- 
 tated by his manner, and by the way in which he had brought 
 two or three dozen of his friends to see him run me through. 
 Still, I own that I was wrong, and if the man would come and 
 offer to shake hands I would not refuse to do so." 
 
 "Then you are a good deal more forgiving than I should 
 be," Leon said heartily; "and I should like nothing better 
 than to fight him myself. However, I admit that there is 
 something in what you say; certainly he had some ground of 
 complaint against Mercedes. I felt that it was hard upon 
 him when I wrote begging him to break off the engagement. 
 Of course, I have been glad that I did so since I have come to
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 335 
 
 know him better, and feel that Mercedes had a very fortunate 
 escape." 
 
 "Don't let her go out unless she is accompanied by one 
 of her sisters as well as her duenna." 
 
 "No, I will take care of that; she shall be well looked 
 after, I promise you, and I don't suppose she herself will care 
 for going out except to the palace. It will be well for her to 
 go there pretty often. She is fond of Christina, and she will 
 feel herself that her intimacy there will be a great protection 
 to her." 
 
 In Catalonia the Carlists were still very strong. The royal 
 army numbered at least fifty-five thousand men. About seven- 
 teen thousand half of whom were regular troops garri- 
 soned the permanent forts, and of the remainder twenty-five 
 thousand belonging to the local militia were scattered among 
 no fewer than two hundred and seventeen fortified villages 
 and small towns. These were of no military importance, but 
 if they had not been defended, Cabrera's forces, which were 
 marching about the country, would have swept them bare of 
 their inhabitants, carrying off all the stores they contained, 
 and burning them to the ground. It was therefore necessary 
 to garrison them, not only because this diminished the supply 
 of stores available for the use of the enemy, but because it 
 enabled contributions to be levied for the queen's cause. Un- 
 doubtedly the holding of these places answered those purposes, 
 but, upon the other hand, the employment in this manner of 
 practically the whole army in Catalonia completely unfitted it 
 for all operations in the field, and enabled Cabrera to carry on 
 his operations without meeting with any efficient opposition. 
 
 In this way he captured place after place, massacring the 
 greater portion of the inhabitants and striking terror into the 
 others. Arthur had been despatched to join the command of 
 General Van Halen, who was occupied principally in endeavour-
 
 336 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 ing to victual Lucena, and in trying in a feeble way to fortify 
 the castle of Onda. The operation progressed slowly, for 
 although the war had been going on for years no tools were 
 available, and it was necessary to send to Cadiz to purchase 
 them. Colonels Lacy and Alderson were with Van Halen when 
 Arthur arrived, and after staying here for a short time he 
 joined the command of General Ayerbe, who was endeavour- 
 ing to mitigate the Carlist system of atrocities. On this sub- 
 ject Arthur exchanged several letters with Cabrera. General 
 Ayerbe was also endeavouring to prevent the Carlists from 
 carrying out the fortification of Segura, an important place in 
 Aragori, as it lay on the line of march to Teruel and Alcaniz. 
 Parra was lying near, but refused to co-operate with Ayerbe, 
 and Van Halen determined to march on Segura himself and 
 lay siege to it. 
 
 Before he arrived, however, Ayerbe, having been reinforced, 
 defeated the Carlists at a place two hours' march from the 
 town, drove them back from their new works, and in his 
 report of the action mentioned that Captain Hallett had ren- 
 dered material services and had led a small party of cavalry 
 in a brilliant charge which decided the fate of the day. 
 Serrano brought up a battering train from Saragossa. It con- 
 sisted, however, of only three 16-pounders, a 12-inch mortar, 
 and a 9-inch howitzer, and all the ammunition he could ob- 
 tain amounted to fifteen hundred shot and one thousand shell. 
 It was a long business to bring up even this feeble train. 
 The weather was inclement in the extreme, and when he 
 arrived in front of Segura the garrison of which had been 
 very strongly reinforced by Cabrera he found that his force 
 was wholly insufficient for the attack upon the place, and that 
 the town itself had been burnt by the Carlists to prevent it 
 from affording any shelter to the besiegers. 
 
 The surrounding country had been wasted for many miles,
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 337 
 
 and large bodies of Carlists were seen upon some adjoining 
 heights. He therefore consulted with the officers commanding 
 the various armies, and these unanimously declared that it 
 would be madness to attempt a siege in such circumstances. 
 Abandoning the idea, therefore, he embarked upon a series 
 of long and fatiguing marches, by which he caused the Carlists 
 to give up the siege of several places. He did not, however, 
 mitigate the animosity of his rivals, who succeeded in obtaining 
 his recall on the ground of his having abandoned the siege of 
 Segura, which they said might easily have fallen into his 
 hands. Nogueras succeeded him, but was speedily displaced 
 by Ayerbe. He, however, did not long retain the command, 
 which was given to O'Donnell, an active and energetic young 
 officer. 
 
 Owing to the absence of any decisive action Arthur re- 
 mained at head-quarters, receiving orders from Colonel Lacy, 
 who was the principal of the four English commissioners at- 
 tached to the armies of Catalonia and Aragon. They hailed 
 the appointment of O'Donnell as affording some grounds for 
 hope that at last something like vigour would be shown in the 
 operations of the army, which was at present scattered about 
 the country, employed rather in collecting provisions for their 
 own subsistence than in harassing the enemy. 
 
 "If it wasn't that the fighting in the north is finished, 
 and that a few more months will see the end of the whole 
 affair, I should throw up my commission and go home," 
 Arthur said one day to Roper. "This really is sickening; 
 but having gone through so much of it, I should not like 
 to leave until it was all over." 
 
 "No, sir; I should like to see the Carlists smashed up 
 altogether before we go. Still, it is dull work. Of course, 
 while we are staying down here in Saragossa we get plenty 
 to eat and drink, but when we are away in the country it is
 
 338 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 pretty rough work, and a beggar would turn up his nose at 
 the food we have to eat. I should not mind if there was 
 really anything to do, but these Spaniards are so pig-headed 
 that they won't take advice. They have a big army if they 
 would but gather it together and go at the Carlists." 
 
 "Yes, it certainly seems like that, Eoper; but you must 
 remember that a big army requires a tremendous transport 
 train, for it would have to carry everything with it. At 
 this time of year little food is to be obtained, and in fact the 
 people of these villages and little towns scarcely do any culti- 
 vation of the land, for they cannot tell who will reap what 
 they have sown. Then, too, most of the country is mountain- 
 ous, the roads are everywhere abominable, and even if we had 
 a train sufficient to carry the supplies, it would be so large 
 and cumbrous that its tail would not have left the halting- 
 place when the head arrived at its destination; and you must 
 remember, that if we concentrate, the Carlists would do the 
 same. A portion of them would harass us along the whole 
 line of march, while another would make excursions wherever 
 they pleased, for they march light, and could go three miles 
 to every one that we can cover. There is no doubt that this 
 dispersal of our force over so large an extent of country, and 
 among so many towns and villages, is a grievous mistake; but 
 it is very difficult to see what else can be done, for if we 
 gave them no defence these places would all lie at the mercy 
 of the Carlists, and would be obliged in self-preservation to go 
 over to them, thus enormously increasing their recruiting- 
 ground, and enabling them to get stores wherever they 
 marched. If Cabrera would but gather the whole of his 
 force together and allow us to do the same, and risk every- 
 thing on a pitched battle, the matter would soon be brought 
 to an end. But, as it is, I am afraid we shall have to wait 
 till Espartero arrives before the business can be wound up."
 
 'THE TWO WEAPONS FLASHED AT THE SAME MOMENT"
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 339 
 
 The first step General O'Donnell had to undertake was the 
 relief of General Asnar, who was shut up by the Carlists in 
 Lucena. Having received large reinforcements he started for 
 that place, marching unencumbered by baggage. The enemy's 
 first position near Lucena was easily carried. Five battalions 
 then attacked the enemy's left, which occupied a position that 
 would enable them to take the Christine advance in flank. 
 When this movement was successful, two battalions attacked 
 the right of the Carlist position, while O'Donnell placed him- 
 self at the head of the rest of the troops, who advanced with 
 loud cheers to the charge over very rugged ground and under 
 a very heavy fire. The Carlists would not wait to stand a 
 bayonet charge, and abandoned their ground, leaving the road 
 open to Lucena, where Asnar with his troops had been im- 
 prisoned for twenty-two days. 
 
 This was a brilliant piece of fighting, and immensely raised 
 the spirits of the royal troops, who found that they were at 
 last commanded by a man, and not by incapable and almost 
 imbecile dummies. On the following day O'Donnell marched 
 to Murviedro, though he had not had more than three hours' 
 continuous rest since he had left Saragossa. 
 
 A fortnight later he proceeded to take possession of the 
 heights beyond Arteza, his intention being to besiege Tales, 
 which was important because it commanded the water-supply 
 of the town of Onda. The position of the enemy was a strong 
 one : his right was on a hill called the Pena Negra, and on a 
 round hill on a slope between it and Tales; his centre was 
 upon the Castle of Tales; and his left on precipitous heights. 
 From the last -mentioned the Carlists were driven without 
 loss, after offering but a very slight resistance. 
 
 Arthur had been requested by Colonel Alderson an en- 
 gineer officer, who was now senior commissioner to recon- 
 noitre the ground beyond these heights to ascertain whether
 
 340 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 the place could be better bombarded from the rear. Roper, as 
 usual, rode with him. They had gone some distance when 
 they saw two horsemen approaching at full gallop. As these 
 were apparently unaccompanied, Arthur paid but little atten- 
 tion to them, and rode on until he heard a loud and im- 
 perious order to stop. Reining in their horses they awaited 
 the arrival of the two unknown men. They were within fifty 
 yards when Arthur exclaimed, "It is Cabrera himself! Well, 
 I am not sorry to meet him." 
 
 Cabrera, as he approached, gave a shout of -satisfaction as 
 he recognized Arthur. "Well," he exclaimed, "you have got 
 the better of me twice; this time it will be my turn!" 
 
 "That is as it may be," Arthur replied. He saw Cabrera 
 draw a pistol from his holster and he did the same, and the 
 two weapons flashed out together. Arthur felt a stinging 
 pain, as if a red-hot iron had crossed his cheek. Cabrera 
 dropped his pistol, having evidently received a shot in his 
 right arm, but he drew his sword with his left, and rode at 
 Arthur. Both combatants fought with fury Cabrera ani- 
 mated by a burning desire for vengeance, Arthur by the 
 thought of the importance of killing Cabrera, for he was the 
 spirit of the war, and after his death the Carlist movement 
 would soon come to an end. 
 
 The combat was short but desperate. The disadvantage of 
 having to use his left arm greatly hampered Cabrera. In point 
 of skill he would have been in any case inferior to his oppo- 
 nent, but for a time the fury of his assault counterbalanced 
 this. Parrying three or four furious cuts, Arthur delivered a 
 heavy blow on his antagonist's left shoulder, inflicting a severe 
 wound and striking him from his saddle. Cabrera leapt to his 
 feet again. Arthur dismounted and demanded his surrender. 
 
 "Never!" the Carlist said. "Cabrera will never be taken 
 alive!"
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 341 
 
 Roper had by this time disembarrassed himself of his anta- 
 gonist by running him through the body, and he now rode up. 
 Cabrera was half-mad with rage. Both his arms were useless. 
 Just as Arthur was about to throw himself upon him and 
 overpower him, Eoper shouted, "Mount, master! mount and 
 ride! Fifty of his fellows are upon us." 
 
 Looking round, Arthur saw that a body of men were riding 
 furiously towards them, and were a little over fifty yards 
 away. He hesitated a moment, and then leapt on to his 
 horse, shouting to Cabrera : " Next time, senor, we will finish 
 what we have begun ! " and then rode off. Several shots were 
 fired, but, leaning low in their saddles, they galloped away at 
 full speed, and, both being well mounted, were speedily beyond 
 pursuit; and, indeed, most of the Carlists had gathered round 
 their chief. 
 
 On regaining their camp Arthur reported what had taken 
 place to Colonel Alderson, who at once took him across to 
 O'Donnell. 
 
 "You have done well indeed, Captain Hallett," said the 
 general ; " and though it is a grievous pity that you did not 
 kill him, which would have been more to our advantage than 
 the winning of a pitched battle, it will lay him up for a time, 
 and that will be more to us than a reinforcement of ten thou- 
 sand men. I thank you most heartily, sir, in the name of the 
 government." 
 
 Cabrera, indeed, after his wounds were attended to, still 
 gave his orders for the defence of the town, and inspired his 
 troops by his presence. Under his eye they made several 
 desperate sorties against the battery which was being prepared 
 for breaching the wall. The battery was placed and but feebly 
 worked, for throughout the war the Christino operations in 
 the way of sieges were always unskilfully managed, owing 
 to the utter incompetence of their engineers. However, a
 
 342 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 week after their appearance before the town, fire was opened. 
 The siege was delayed for a time owing to the necessity 
 for sending reinforcements to a body of the queen's troops 
 which had suffered a severe defeat at Chulilla. The battering 
 train was small and indifferent, and several of the guns gave 
 way during the bombardment, which lasted seven days. At 
 the end of that time an assault was ordered. 
 
 The engineers obstinately refused to accept Colonel Alder- 
 son's advice to make ladders, although it was evident that the 
 breach could not be scaled without them. Resisting very 
 strongly, the enemy's left was at last turned, and the round 
 tower on the right captured. The garrison, however, fought 
 desperately, and made continuous efforts to retake it. All 
 day the battle continued. The breach in the castle was found 
 to be impracticable, but was at last enlarged, and the enemy 
 were compelled to surrender. The day's fighting, however, 
 had cost the queen's troops a loss of at least four hundred 
 killed and wounded, almost all of which might have been 
 spared had Colonel Alderson's advice been taken. Cabrera 
 had left the town before the attack began, being too much 
 injured to take the command himself. The defence, however, 
 had been a gallant one, and although the capture of the place 
 gave great encouragement to the Christines, the stubbornness 
 of the defence and the loss they had inflicted served to show 
 the Carlists that the conquest of the number of strongly -fortified 
 positions they held Avas beyond their opponents' power. 
 
 O'Donnell destroyed the castle and u ower, and then re- 
 tired, as the town could no longer be held by the Carlists for 
 the purpose of harassing the garrison of Onda. He decided 
 now to reduce a number of the Carlists' fortified places and 
 wait for the arrival of Espartero; but the Carlists took 
 the offensive, and their columns moved about with such 
 activity that the army was kept constantly on the march to
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 343 
 
 encounter them and drive them back again into the moun- 
 tains. It was not till October that Espartero arrived at Sara- 
 gossa and met O'Donnell there. Then it was decided that, 
 until the arrival of reinforcements which were coming from 
 the north, O'Donnell should continue in command, his force 
 being strengthened by seven battalions of the army of the 
 north. Espartero advanced with the rest of his own force. 
 Their plans, however, were altered by the early setting in of 
 winter. The roads speedily became impassable, provisions 
 were terribly scarce, and the movements of the armies para- 
 lysed. All the energies of the commanders were indeed 
 required to maintain the supply of provisions for the troops. 
 
 The English commissioners for the most part returned to 
 Madrid. Among these was Arthur, who spent four months 
 there very happily. Nothing had been heard of Don Silvio, 
 who was still living on his estates. It was evident to all 
 that the war would speedily come to a close ; bodies of 
 troops from all parts of Spain were moving to the scene 
 of action, and when the season opened Espartero would be 
 at the head of an army against which even Cabrera could 
 not hope to make head That indefatigable fighter was lying 
 ill at Morella, the result of his wounds, which, although not 
 serious in themselves, had been rendered so by the incessant 
 energy and activity with which he had persisted in moving 
 about. The news of the retirement of Don Carlos had for 
 a long time been kept from the peasantry, but even when it 
 became known it had but little effect upon them. They cared 
 little for Don Carlos; but they almost worshipped Cabrera, 
 and were ready to follow to the death; and when spring came 
 and operations could be resumed, they flocked to his stan- 
 dard again in as large numbers as before. 
 
 In February the campaign reopened and Arthur started to 
 rejoin the army. At one of the towns at which they stopped,
 
 344 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 Koper came in an hour after their arrival and said : " Captain, 
 do you know I feel pretty sure that I have seen Don Silvio. 
 It was only his back, it is true, but I am convinced that it 
 was he. I was walking along when I saw a man who was 
 coming the other way suddenly turn off down a side street. 
 When I got to the end of it I looked down, for I saw by the 
 sudden turn he had taken that he wished to avoid me. By 
 the distance he had gone it seemed to me that he must have 
 been running. He was too far away from me to speak of his 
 identity with any certainty, but I thought, and still think, that 
 it was Don Silvio." 
 
 "But what should he be doing here, Roper?" 
 
 " That I cannot say, sir. At any rate it seems to me that 
 his presence here just at the moment when we are coming 
 through looks like mischief." 
 
 " Well, of course anyone at Madrid watching me might 
 have found out the day on which we were going to start, and 
 might have sent a message to Don Silvio in time to enable him 
 to ride here before we came along. He may, of course, have 
 brought three or four men with him; he is more likely to 
 have done that than to have trusted to recruiting some fellows 
 here. It is just as well if it is the man that you should 
 have recognized him, Roper, for at any rate we shall not be 
 taken by surprise." 
 
 "Perhaps, sir, it would be as well to stop a few days here, 
 or to change our route; there are two or three roads by which 
 we might get to Saragossa. They would certainly be farther 
 than the direct one ; but it would make little difference whether 
 we arrived there two or three days earlier or later." 
 
 " That is true enough, Roper; but if he is watching us here, 
 he could follow us by one road as well as another. We have 
 our pistols and swords, and I should say that we could render 
 a pretty good account of four or five of them."
 
 MILITARY MOVEMENTS 345 
 
 "I have no doubt we could, captain; still, I would rather 
 not fight against long odds if I could avoid it. You see, sir, 
 since I got that fifte'en hundred pounds banked to my credit 
 in England I feel more careful about my life than before. 
 It did not much matter then whether I went down or not; 
 now it seems to me that my life has a distinct value, and I 
 don't want to throw it away." 
 
 " Well, I can say the same, Roper. Of course I always knew 
 I was coming into an estate some day, but I don't know that 
 I thought much about it. Now my life is of great value be- 
 cause it is of value to Donna Mercedes. I don't say anything 
 about the money I have acquired, but certainly for her sake 
 I do hold to life pretty strongly; at the same time I cannot 
 turn back from my duty for an unknown danger and merely 
 because you think you have recognized Don Silvio. I have 
 proved that I am a far better swordsman than he. Since 
 my duel with him I have practised a good deal with my 
 pistols, and can, I think, account with them for two or three 
 assailants. You have practised as well, and I fancy that you 
 ought to be able to settle with two of them in your four 
 shots. Let us suppose that Don Silvio has six fellows with 
 him I should hardly say that he would bring more. Well, 
 if we can each dispose of two, that only leaves us with three, 
 counting Don Silvio himself, to manage." 
 
 "Well, captain, that is all right; but if these six men are 
 lying in ambush and fire together, they may upset our cal- 
 culations altogether." 
 
 " That is certainly so, Roper. But unless we are going to 
 turn tail and ride back to Madrid on the strength of your 
 belief that you saw Don Silvio, I do not see how that is to 
 be helped. Mind, it is I and not you whom Don Silvio 
 wants to kill. I have got my shirt of mail, and I do not 
 think that a pistol bullet would go through it; so that if
 
 346 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 they direct their fire at me, unless I am shot through the 
 head I reckon that I shall still be in fighting order after 
 their first discharge. At any rate, Roper, I do not mean to 
 turn back." 
 
 " Well, if you go on, of course I go on, sir," Roper said 
 doggedly; " there is no question at all about that." 
 
 " I think, Roper, the best thing for us to do would be, when 
 we have taken our meal, to sally out in different directions 
 with our cloaks on and our caps over our faces. Possibly one 
 or other of us may alight upon him if he is here. If we meet 
 him, we will talk the matter over again. I don't want to do 
 anything headstrong; and if we ascertain that the count is 
 here, we will discuss whether we can make a detour that 
 will throw him off the scent, though I say honestly I don't 
 think such an attempt would be of any use. If he has men 
 with him they will certainly be posted on watch round this 
 hotel, and he will learn all that there is to be learned of our 
 movements; and whatever we do, we shall have to fight for it. 
 If he has more than six men I should say that if we are 
 attacked we had better trust to our horses and not to the 
 strength of our arms, and ride for it. There is nothing 
 cowardly in running away from a greatly superior force, and 
 certainly I shall not hesitate to do so if I see that they are too 
 strong for us." 
 
 Accordingly, after dinner they put on their cloaks and 
 sallied out 
 
 "Don't move out of the main street of the town, Roper," 
 Arthur said. " They will not attack us there; but if we were 
 to turn down any side street they might fall upon us sud- 
 denly. We had better be back here in an hour's time, and 
 we will then exchange notes." 
 
 At the end of that time they met again at the door of the 
 inn.
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 347 
 
 "I think you are right, Roper. I am sure that one man 
 at least has followed me all the time I have been out." 
 
 " I thought so at first, captain; but the fellow I suspected 
 brushed against me roughly before I had been out very long, 
 and then apologized. It struck me that he wanted to look 
 at my face; anyhow, I did not see anything of him afterwards. 
 Don Silvio could not have given them a very accurate descrip- 
 tion of us; for, as you stand six feet one and I am not more 
 than five feet eight, no one who knew anything about us could 
 very well mistake you." 
 
 " I have certainly been followed," said Arthur, " and I feel 
 sure that if I had moved out of the main street I should have 
 been attacked. There were two fellows who kept together, 
 and another who followed close behind. I suspected all three, 
 as they generally kept at about the same distance from me. 
 Well, I have no doubt now that you were right about Don 
 Silvio. I will see if they have got such a thing as a map in 
 the hotel. I don't suppose they have; but at any rate I will 
 ask the landlord to send up some man who knows the roads 
 well to my room, and I will find out as much as I can of the 
 different routes, and then we can decide on what we had best 
 do." 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 
 
 THE result of Arthur's enquiries was that the three roads 
 by which he could travel to Saragossa were about equally 
 bad, and that upon all of them there were places along the 
 face of the hills at which attacks might be made. 
 
 " I had half a mind," he said to Roper afterwards, " to hire
 
 348 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 a couple of men as guides, telling them that they had better 
 bring weapons with them. But it is likely enough that one 
 or two of Don Silvio's men may be stationed in the hotel, and 
 you may be sure they would question anyone who had been 
 up to my room. Don Silvio might afterwards see them and 
 hire their services, and we might be shot in the back when 
 the others opened fire at us from an ambush. So I think we 
 cannot do better than go forward by the main road. If we 
 once get a start of them they may not be able to catch us, for 
 they are certainly not likely to be better mounted than we are; 
 and they cannot go on before us, for then they could not know 
 which road we should take." 
 
 Accordingly in the morning, as soon as they had mounted, 
 they took the straight road and travelled fast. They kept a 
 keen look-out at all spots where an ambush was likely to 
 be planted, but everything was quiet, and they reached their 
 destination that evening without adventure. 
 
 " It will be more dangerous to-morrow, Roper," Arthur said 
 as they sat at supper together. " We are fairly started on this 
 road now, and there is no choice open to us as to which route 
 we can take. They will know that, and may start before we 
 do, and choose their position for attacking us." 
 
 " Well, I almost hope they will do so, sir. I am not afraid 
 of a fight, but it makes one jumpy keeping always on the 
 look-out, and expecting a shot from every bush we pass." 
 
 " I feel that myself, Roper. If we must fight I would rather 
 do so now, and have done with it." 
 
 Next morning, feeling that if their enemies had started in 
 front of them it would be useless to try to evade them, they 
 proceeded at a much slower pace than on the previous day. 
 After riding three hours they came to a spot where the road 
 was cut along the face of an almost perpendicular hill, with a 
 torrent running at its foot. As they began to ascend this,
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 349 
 
 Arthur unbuckled the covers of the holsters, so that the 
 pistols were ready for instant use. He directed Roper to do 
 the same. 
 
 "Now," he said, "will you ride on my left, keeping exactly 
 alongside? It is I whom they will fire at, but as this mail 
 shirt of mine will keep out ordinary pistol balls I am not 
 afraid that I shall be hurt. Directly they have fired, they 
 will be sure to jump out from the place where they may be 
 lying; then empty your pistols among them and go at them. 
 There is no place for them to hide here, but there may be farther 
 on. At any rate, do as I tell you. Keep your horse's head in 
 a line with mine." 
 
 Holding his rein in his left hand, and keeping his right 
 close on the handle of a pistol, Arthur rode on. Roper had 
 attempted to remonstrate against the order he had given, but 
 Arthur silenced him. 
 
 " You must just do as you are ordered, Roper. One or two 
 might shoot at you if you were riding behind me, and then I 
 should be left alone to fight the whole of them. I shall cer- 
 tainly want your help." 
 
 They rode along until they came to a spot where the cliff 
 fell away, leaving a semicircular depression which was filled 
 with low bush. 
 
 "They are here, if anywhere," said Arthur. "Get your 
 pistol ready, Roper!" 
 
 As they rode along past the place, a number of men 
 sprang up and fired a volley. Arthur felt a sudden and acute 
 pain in the ribs, and was nearly knocked from his horse. Re- 
 covering himself with a great effort, he fired twice, and two 
 of the men dropped. A moment later his horse staggered 
 and fell As it did so he dragged the other pistol out 
 and shot a man who was rushing at him with a clubbed 
 musket. He heard Roper's pistols go off, but was too much
 
 350 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 engaged with a fourth man who rushed at him, to see what 
 was the result. He had just run his antagonist through, 
 when Don Silvio leapt upon him. Arthur parried the thrust 
 aimed at him, and at once engaged in a furious combat. Don 
 Silvio leapt round him with the agility of a cat, springing in 
 and out, and delivering fierce lunges as he did so. Other- 
 wise there was silence. He was vaguely conscious that Roper 
 was down, but that he had disposed of the last of his an- 
 tagonists, and that the issue remained solely between himself 
 and the count. He was at a disadvantage with the latter, 
 for while he himself was armed only with the regulation 
 cutting sword, his antagonist had a long, straight, duelling 
 rapier. 
 
 For a time he contented himself with standing on his 
 guard, but was several times narrowly touched. At last, 
 seizing his opportunity, he struck at his opponent's rapier with 
 all his force. The blade shivered in the count's hand, but 
 before he could raise his guard again the latter sprung upon 
 him like a wild cat and grasped him by the throat, trying to 
 hurl him over the precipice. Arthur dropped his sword, Avhich 
 was useless to him now, and, grasping his antagonist's wrists, 
 tried to drag them from his throat; but rage had given Don 
 Silvio strength, while Arthur himself was almost choking under 
 the pressure. At last, with a mighty effort he succeeded, and 
 in turn gained a grip on the throat of his antagonist. He 
 dragged him to the edge of the precipice, and, holding one 
 hand on his throat and with the other grasping him by the 
 middle, raised him from the ground to hurl him over. Another 
 instant and Don Silvio's career would have come to an end, 
 but almost in the act of throwing Arthur paused. 
 
 The sight of the count's convulsed face and eyes moved him 
 from his purpose, and he set him down again on the road, 
 releasing him as he did BO.
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 351 
 
 "Don Silvio," he said sternly, "I had you at my mercy, 
 but thoughts came into my mind that caused me to change 
 my purpose. I feel, as I have all along felt, that I have not 
 been altogether blameless in this matter. It was natural that 
 you should have been exasperated by the belief that I had 
 gained the affections of Donna Mercedes, and that you should 
 thereupon have forced a duel upon me. I feel that I was 
 wrong in the way in which I fought you. I might have con- 
 tented myself with merely wounding you, whereas I played 
 with you first and made you the laughing-stock of the friends 
 you had brought to witness your triumph. Considering that 
 you are a Spaniard and have your ideas of revenge, I can 
 pardon the attempt of those two men, whom, I doubt not, you 
 bribed to stab me. I do not know what share you had in 
 getting me into prison, nor do I care to enquire. I have now 
 again worsted you, and have you at my mercy; but, looking 
 back, and seeing that I have been myself to some extent 
 wrong, I give you your life. Go home, senor, and retrieve 
 the past. I believe that you were an honourable gentleman 
 before you were led astray by your anger at being super- 
 seded in the affections of Donna Mercedes. That quarrel 
 has been fought out and come to an end. Go home and 
 try to forget what has passed. You will never hear of it 
 from me." 
 
 Don Silvio staggered back and stared in bewildered incredu- 
 liby at Arthur, who, turning away, at once went to Roper's 
 side. The latter was insensible, evidently from the effects of 
 a tremendous blow from the butt-end of a musket delivered 
 by a man who lay dead beside him. Roper had indeed fired 
 and inflicted a mortal wound upon his adversary, who was 
 in the act of striking. The blow had fallen, but it was the 
 last effort of the striker. The two had fallen side by side. 
 Arthur went to his dead horse, pulled out a flask from the
 
 352 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 wallet, poured some brandy and water between Roper's lips 
 and rubbed some on his forehead, and soon he had the satis- 
 faction of seeing his follower open his eyes. 
 
 "It is all right, Roper," he said, "we have thrashed them 
 all. You have had a nasty knock on the head. Fortunately 
 your crown is pretty thick, and you will be all right again HI 
 a few minutes;" then, as he saw that Eoper was rallying, he 
 turned to the count, who was sitting on a fallen rock with his 
 head in his hands. Seven dead bodies lay in the road. The 
 count got up as he approached. 
 
 "Englishman," he said in a low voice, "you have indeed 
 proved my conqueror in every way, in fighting and in gener- 
 osity. I can scarcely even now believe that I am alive, and 
 that you have spared me when I was wholly at your mercy. 
 I do not deserve life at your hands." 
 
 " Say no more about it," Arthur said. " I injured you first 
 unconsciously and then consciously; you have tried to strike 
 back hard, and this is the result. Let all animosity be at 
 an end between us. Go back to your estate, live there quietly 
 for a while, and then let the memory of our duel and all con- 
 nected with it pass away such matters are soon forgotten 
 and return to Madrid. I shall no longer be there. In a few 
 months I shall be back in England. Now," he said in a 
 different tone, "where are these men's horses? They must 
 have ridden here; and as they have killed my favourite, I must 
 provide myself with another." 
 
 " They are all round the next turn," Don Silvio said. " I 
 can at least make reparation to you in the matter of the horse, 
 for mine is as good as yours was. I will take one of the others, 
 which indeed are all my own." 
 
 "What is to be done with these bodies?" 
 
 " There is a man with the horses. I will get him to throw 
 them over into the gorge. It may be months before anyone
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 353 
 
 finds them. We shall lead four of the best of the horses back, 
 and the others can be left for the first comer." 
 
 " But the man will be a trouble to you in the future, will he 
 not?" 
 
 " No ; he is my steward, and devoted to the family. It was 
 he who arranged for the services of these men, at a town 
 twelve miles from my plae. He fetched them over and pro- 
 vided them with horses. They will not be missed from their 
 homes, and indeed the town will have some reason to rejoice 
 over their disappearance." 
 
 By this time Roper was sufficiently recovered to be able to 
 stand, but he was still a good deal dazed and bewildered. 
 Arthur assisted him to mount, took the saddle and bridle off 
 his own horse, and, carrying them with him and leading 
 Koper's horse, he followed the count round the corner. Here 
 was a group of nine horses ready saddled, with a tall old man 
 standing beside them. 
 
 " Raphael," the count said, " take the saddle off my horse 
 and put this gentleman's on to it. I have had a heavy lesson, 
 and one that will last me all my life. This gentleman, whose 
 life I strove to take, has spared mine when he had it at his 
 mercy. I must get you to help me to throw into the gorge 
 below the seven bodies of the men who went with me. They 
 have all been killed. Put my saddle on to one of theirs. 
 What do you think we had better do with the others'?" 
 
 "I would leave them here, senor. I picked out the worst 
 lot on the estate. They are not worth the trouble of taking 
 home; and if I were to lead three or four horses for the five 
 days it will take us to get there, it would be remarked upon. 
 People are sure to come along the road in the course of the 
 day, and you may be certain that the horses will all be ap- 
 propriated before night, and that nothing will be said about 
 them." 
 
 ( M 966 ) Z
 
 354 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "Very well; perhaps that will be the best way." 
 
 The count's horse had by this time been saddled. Arthur 
 mounted. 
 
 "Well, count, I will say good-bye. Our feud has been 
 a fierce one while it lasted, but it is well over now, and I 
 think it may have done both of us good." 
 
 "I am sure it will do me good," the count said humbly. 
 "Adieu! may the good fortune you deserve always attend 
 you!" 
 
 Arthur waved his hand, touched his horse with his spur, 
 and went on with Roper. 
 
 "How are you feeling, Koper 1 ?" 
 
 "I am getting all right, sir, though my head still seems 
 to hum. I hardly know how it came about. I fired right at 
 a man close to me. He was in the act of striking at me, 
 and I thought he would have dropped; but before I had time 
 to throw up my hand or parry in any way, the blow came 
 down, and I remember nothing else till I found you pouring 
 brandy down my throat." 
 
 " You fired a second too late. I found the man lying dead 
 beside you, but I suppose the blow was already falling when 
 you hit him, and it came down on to your head without any 
 further effort on his part." 
 
 "And we killed the whole of them, sir?" 
 
 "Yes; I brought down three with my pistols and one with 
 my sword. You must have accounted for the other three." 
 
 "Yes; I fired four times, sir. I know I shot the two first 
 men, but before I could get my pistol fairly out of the other 
 holster the third man was on me. I missed him the first time, 
 but hit him with the second barrel just as he was in the act of 
 striking me down. He was the only man, I think, who had 
 a gun, all the others used pistols." 
 
 "Now I think of it, Roper, I have a strong suspicion, by
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 355 
 
 the pain I am feeling, that one or two of my ribs are broken. 
 I felt a very sharp pang for a moment. That mail shirt kept the 
 bullets from penetrating, but it did not keep them from hit- 
 ting me very hard. I think I will dismount now and strip to 
 the waist, and get you if you feel up to it to bandage me 
 tightly. I know you always carry a couple of bandages in 
 your valise." 
 
 " Oh, I am well enough for that, sir!" Roper said, dismount- 
 ing. Then, leaving his horse, he went across to Arthur and 
 assisted him to dismount and to take off his coat and shirt. 
 
 "Here are the two bullets, sir, jammed tightly in the coat 
 of mail; one is about an inch above the other. I am afraid 
 two of the ribs are broken. I will make a shift to bandage 
 you up as tightly as I can, and we will stop at the next town, 
 which can only be six or seven miles away, and get a surgeon 
 to attend to you properly. We will walk our horses all the 
 way, it would never do to trot." 
 
 When Arthur had dressed again they continued on their 
 journey at a very quiet pace, and arrived two hours later at 
 a town. They put up at the principal inn and sent for 
 a surgeon, who, on examining Arthur, at once found that the 
 two ribs were broken. 
 
 " How long shall I be kept here?" 
 
 " It will depend how quickly the bones knit. I should say 
 that you ought to stay for at least three weeks; but possibly 
 you may go on before that, provided you take matters quietly. 
 I shall, of course, bandage you up so tightly that they cannot 
 shift unless you give yourself a wrench." 
 
 Arthur was detained ten days, but at the end of that time 
 he insisted on proceeding. He was tightly enveloped in broad 
 bandages, and, as he said, felt as if he were in a stiff pair of 
 stays. He promised the surgeon that he would not let his 
 horse go beyond a walk. However, they accomplished the
 
 356 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 journey to Saragossa at a pretty fair rate, travelling from 
 eight to nine hours a day, making an average of twenty-five 
 miles. By the time they got there Arthur no longer felt any 
 acute pain, and was confident that the bones were healing. 
 However, he resolved to follow the surgeon's advice and not 
 attempt to remove the bandages for another month. 
 
 He found Saragossa a scene of great preparations. Espartero 
 had determined not to move, as Oraa had done, with an in- 
 sufficient siege-train, and during the months of comparative 
 inactivity he had collected a battering train of forty pieces, of 
 which eight were 24-pounders, twelve 16-pounders, ten mortars, 
 and ten howitzers. Each gun was provided with a thousand 
 rounds of ammunition. 
 
 Besides the siege-train he had also with him three field 
 batteries armed with heavy guns. Transport had been col- 
 lected with immense difficulty, for to carry the ammunition 
 alone five hundred carts and two thousand mules were re- 
 quired, besides the waggons of the commissariat train and those 
 for regimental transport. The force that was to accompany 
 these amounted to twenty thousand men, while some eight 
 thousand others were posted on the road and as garrisons in 
 various villages. On the 18th of May the battering train 
 moved forward, and was followed the next day by the main 
 body. The first division advanced to the height of San Marcos, 
 within sight of Morella. The main body with the head- 
 quarters and artillery halted a few miles short of this on the 
 heights above Pobleta. 
 
 During the night the weather changed suddenly. A very 
 heavy snow-storm set in, and several men and mules were 
 frozen to death. There was no change on the next day, but 
 on the 23rd the army again advanced, and arrived early in the 
 afternoon within range of the fort of San Pedro. It halted 
 about two thousand yards from the town on its north side.
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 357 
 
 The fort stood on a commanding height and was surrounded by 
 a deep ditch. On its south and west sides it was inaccessible; 
 on its north front it was well covered by a glacis. Its only 
 exposed face was visible from another height, called San 
 Marcos, at a distance of a thousand yards on the same level on 
 the opposite side of the valley. Owing to the distance at 
 which San Pedro stood from the city, Cabrera had since the 
 last siege erected another strong redoubt called La Querola 
 to protect the communications. He had made a great mistake, 
 however, in not erecting another fortification on the heights 
 facing La Querola. The two would have protected each other, 
 and their fire crossing the road between them would have 
 enabled them to hold out, even against the powerful artillery 
 brought against them, for at least a fortnight. 
 
 Cabrera, however, who was no engineer, instead of covering 
 the approaches with fortifications, had wasted much time in 
 forming entrenchments in the town which would be of little 
 or no use after an entry was once made. He himself was 
 still suffering from the effects of the wounds Arthur had in- 
 flicted upon him, and was unable to undertake the defence of 
 the place ; and when the besieging army drew near he left the 
 town with some eight thousand men in order to harass com- 
 munications, and interfere as far as possible with the progress 
 of the siege. 
 
 Espartero found that it was necessary to take La Querola 
 before the city itself could be attacked, because it commanded 
 the road by which the siege artillery was brought up. There 
 was, too, in the valley along which the road ran, an aqueduct 
 which supplied the city with water, and behind this a large 
 body of troops could form up without being seen from the 
 city. 
 
 It was also desirable that this should be effected because 
 the weakest part of the wall was between the castle and the
 
 358 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 gate of San Miguel; and were a breach effected there, the 
 whole of the interior entrenchments would be commanded 
 from it. The army encamped in front and on the flanks of 
 San Pedro, the stores and heavy guns being placed on the 
 height of San Marcos. On the 24th of May the engineers 
 commenced an approach against the north front of San Pedro, 
 and the artillery on the opposite height opened fire upon it. 
 The work of the sappers was arduous; an incessant musketry 
 fire was kept up upon them, and the ground was so rocky 
 that it was very difficult to obtain shelter. Finding, therefore, 
 that the approach could not be made in a regular way, the 
 sappers went forward at a run to within two hundred yards 
 of the fort, and then covered themselves by hurriedly throw- 
 ing up a stone wall. 
 
 Behind this they kept up so rapid and heavy a fire that 
 they silenced that of the defenders, and during the night 
 carried forward the work to within a hundred yards of the 
 wall, and completed a little battery of three 16 -pounders, 
 which were to fire at the very small part of the work which 
 was not covered by the glacis. They opened fire at day- 
 break, but did very little damage. It was otherwise, how- 
 ever, on the eastern side, where the wall was so effectually 
 pounded by the heavy guns on the opposite heights that the 
 whole of the parapet on that face was destroyed, and there 
 was therefore no shelter for the defenders. Some of the light 
 troops, seeing this, crept up close to the ditch. The defenders, 
 thinking that an assault was intended, rushed to oppose them,, 
 but suffered terribly from the fire from San Marcos. 
 
 Again and again they exposed themselves in the most 
 gallant manner, but the fire from the guns was so excellent 
 that they fell in great numbers. At eight o'clock the garrison 
 sounded a parley, and the governor offered to surrender on 
 condition that the survivors should be permitted to retreat
 
 THE END OP A FEUD 359 
 
 to Morella. Espartero refused, and as the garrison could 
 riot any longer continue the hopeless defence, the governor 
 surrendered at discretion. In the meantime Espartero had 
 moved some light infantry against La Querola, the newly- 
 raised fort built to keep up the communications between San 
 Pedro and the city. The garrison here showed none of the 
 same spirit that had animated the defenders of San Pedro. 
 Notwithstanding the assistance rendered by a strong sortie 
 from Morella, they resisted the attack for only half an hour 
 and then abandoned the fort, being cut up as they retired 
 by Espartero's cavalry. 
 
 Thus the way was opened for an advance of the besiegers 
 to the neighbourhood of the city itself, and the whole army 
 moved forward. A natural ridge, at a distance of from seven 
 to eight hundred yards from the city, covered their movements, 
 and here the batteries were at once commenced. By the 29th 
 all was ready thirty-five guns were in position and a tre- 
 mendous fire was opened against the town. The mortars did 
 not effect the expected damage, for the town was almost en- 
 tirely composed of stone, and but few houses were set on fire. 
 The destruction wrought by the other guns was, however, 
 very great: the wall between the castle and the gate of San 
 Miguel crumbled rapidly, while the fire from the castle was 
 almost wholly silenced, and a very destructive explosion took 
 place in one of the principal magazines. The northern de- 
 fences of the castle were almost destroyed, and communication 
 could no longer be held by daylight between it and the town. 
 
 At half -past two in the afternoon an officer let himself 
 down by a rope from the western wall and informed Espartero 
 that a meeting of the principal officers of the town had 
 been held, and that it had been determined that the troops 
 in the city should that night endeavour to escape through 
 the besieging army and join Cabrera, who was with the field
 
 360 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 force and very ill. The garrison of the castle was to remain 
 and cover the escape of their comrades. Espartero at once 
 took precautions to frustrate the attempt to escape. Directing 
 an incessant fire to be kept up by all the guns, he despatched 
 officers to the different divisions to order that the investment, 
 which had not hitherto been complete, should at once be care- 
 fully closed, and that at nightfall the troops should draw nearer 
 to the town and occupy in force all the roads, particularly 
 that towards the gate of the Puerta del Estudio, which alone 
 had not been blocked before the siege began. As, however, 
 he was by no means certain that the information brought 
 by the deserter was true, he directed the erection of two new 
 batteries at the north-west angle of the wall, while another 
 battery was erected at the south-west side of the city, a couple 
 of h'eld-batteries being also sent round there. 
 
 At ten o'clock in the evening fire was opened all round 
 Morella. This seemed to show that the information that had 
 been received was correct, and that this outburst of firing was 
 intended to show that the garrison was vigilant and active. 
 At dawn the troops, ignorant that their scheme had been 
 betrayed, marched down, headed by the governor. To their 
 surprise they were encountered by an overwhelming force, and 
 in the hasty struggle that ensued three hundred and fifty of 
 the Carlists were made prisoners. The rest of the column 
 endeavoured to regain the town, but a shell fell on the draw- 
 bridge and destroyed it. A terrible scene now ensued. A 
 great many of the wives and children of the troops had marched 
 out with them, believing that the road was perfectly clear. 
 These were pressed back by the retreating troops. Numbers 
 of men, women, and children were forced into the moat, which 
 soon became filled with a mass of struggling, suffocating people. 
 
 To add to the horror of the scene, those of the garrison who 
 still remained within the walls, hearing the shouts of the
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 361 
 
 Christines "Viva la Reyna!" fired miscellaneously, in a 
 panic, upon friends and foes. At six o'clock in the morning 
 the officer second in command, and now acting as governor, 
 sent out to offer to capitulate on the condition that the garri- 
 son should be allowed to withdraw to a foreign country. This 
 was peremptorily refused by Espartero, and at eight o'clock 
 the place surrendered unconditionally. The remainder of the 
 garrison marched out and piled arms under the castle, their 
 number exceeding three thousand. In both the city and the 
 castle the magazines were found stored with provisions sufficient 
 to enable them to hold out for several months. The defence 
 was, on the whole, quite unworthy of the traditions of the 
 Carlists in fact the little garrison of San Pedro alone behaved 
 well. 
 
 There could be no doubt that the defenders had been cowed 
 by the overwhelming powers of the siege artillery. They had 
 relied upon being able to repulse any assault that might be 
 made, but were utterly unprepared for a bombardment such as 
 they had to endure. There was no precedent for the collection 
 of so great a force of artillery. At the unsuccessful siege 
 by Oraa only some eight to ten small pieces had been used; 
 these had been badly placed and badly handled, and time had 
 not even been allowed for them to complete the breaches. 
 When, therefore, the walls were swept by the fire of fifty or 
 sixty guns, and the garrison saw their defences in one day 
 crumble before them, they thought only of escape. The 
 lamentable part of the affair was the fearful destruction of 
 life outside the gate. 
 
 This was a worthy conclusion of a struggle that had been 
 conducted on both sides with an amount of ferocity, brutality, 
 and bloodshed altogether without precedent in modern war- 
 fare; indeed, to find a parallel it is necessary to go back to the 
 wholesale slaughter committed by Alva in the Low Countries.
 
 362 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 The English officers, after order was restored, called upon 
 Espartero to congratulate him on his complete success, and 
 two or three of them took leave of him at once, as it was 
 certain that although some guerrilla skirmishing might still go 
 on, the war was practically at an end. They then rode back 
 to the hut which had formed their head-quarters during the 
 siege. 
 
 The general expression was that of joy that their arduous 
 and thankless work was at an end. They had been, in some 
 cases, for years travelling almost constantly with flying 
 columns, which moved aimlessly through the country, or 
 remained for months together inactive without making an 
 effort to get in touch with the enemy. It was not their 
 business to give advice unless it was asked for : their mission 
 was to endeavour to humanize the war. And although at 
 times one or another of the commanders would act with some 
 little humanity, these were quite exceptional cases, and as a 
 rule little quarter was given on either side, both insisting 
 that these atrocities were but reprisals for acts of the other 
 party. 
 
 In vain had the British commissioners urged, in the name 
 not only of humanity but of good policy, that the customs of 
 war should be followed, and that their antagonists should not 
 be excited to madness by the wanton destruction of life, the 
 wholesale devastation of the country, and the razing to the 
 ground of villages and homesteads. Both parties admitted 
 the justice of their reasons, both bewailed the necessity for 
 such actions, but both continued to commit them to the end 
 of the war. There was, then, a feeling of deep satisfaction 
 among the three or four British officers, at the capture of 
 Morella and its garrison. As long as that city remained in 
 the hands of the Carlists, it was a rallying centre for them 
 a reminder of the signal defeat of the army that had besieged
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 363 
 
 it. Now it had fallen after a resistance that could not but be 
 considered as feeble. The Carlists had, it is true, other strong- 
 holds in different parts of the country, but these were com- 
 paratively insignificant, and would doubtless open their gates 
 as soon as detachments of Espartero's army appeared before 
 them. 
 
 Indeed, the weakness of the defence of Morella showed that 
 the spirit of the Carlists was already broken. Had Cabrera 
 remained among them to cheer and encourage them, the 
 defence would have been much more desperate, though it 
 could not have been very much more prolonged, for another 
 day or two would have seen the defences so destroyed that the 
 place would have been untenable; but the fact that Cabrera 
 was away wounded and sick took all the spirit out of the 
 defence. The first offer of the governor to surrender if the 
 garrison were allowed to march out and cross a foreign 
 frontier, was no doubt the result of an order that Cabrera had 
 given him before he left, when he found that he was no longer 
 able to defend the place, and probably foreshadowed the plan 
 that Cabrera himself thought it likely he would be compelled 
 to adopt. 
 
 Espartero's triumph had been complete. He had, indeed, 
 proved the saviour of Spain. When he began one among 
 half a dozen generals he found jealousy and jobbery every- 
 where rampant. Most of the generals thought only of avoid- 
 ing defeat, and not of gaining victory. So long as the Carlists 
 left them alone they were well content to allow them to march 
 almost at will through the country. The army, which was 
 ill-clothed and ill-fed, was wholly deficient in artillery, and had 
 but a very small body of cavalry. Worst of all, the govern- 
 ment was rotten to the core. Corruption prevailed in every 
 office, and positions were only secured through favouritism, 
 merit counting not at all. Little by little Espartero changed
 
 364 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 all this. His honesty, his talent, and dogged perseverance 
 triumphed over his adversaries. The people at large came to 
 regard him as their one hope, and answered his appeal to them 
 by overthrowing the government that had thwarted him, and 
 making him towards the end of the war practically Dictator of 
 Spain. 
 
 He had all along distinguished himself by the courtesy with 
 which he had treated the British commissioners. He had 
 relied a great deal upon the advice of Colonel "Wylde, who 
 was senior of that body, and had himself set, as a rule, an 
 example of clemency to the captives except when he was 
 driven by the massacre of prisoners taken by the Carlists to 
 carry out striking reprisals. Many of the other generals, on 
 the other hand, kept the commissioners at arm's-length, and 
 would not only give them no information themselves, but 
 ordered their officers not to do so. It is not difficult to 
 understand the feeling that actuated them. These officers 
 were unwelcome at their head -quarters not because they 
 were there to plead the cause of humanity, but because they 
 furnished the British government with accurate reports of the 
 movements and conduct of the army, and thus exposed the 
 falsity of their own bombastic reports of their doings. 
 
 " For my part, I am heartily glad it is over," Arthur said. 
 "I certainly do not mean to remain to witness the expul- 
 sion of Cabrera and the stamping out of the last embers of 
 disaffection. I have had six years of it, and I intend to 
 send in my resignation as soon as I arrive at Madrid. When 
 I came out it was with the intention of serving merely for the 
 term of my enlistment, a couple of years; then I had the good 
 fortune to be transferred to the army when the Legion was 
 broken up, though I still thought that it was but for another 
 year or so. However, I have no reason to regret that I have 
 seen it through. I have been fortunate in all respects very
 
 THE END OF A FEUD 365 
 
 fortunate in serving under so kind and good a chief as Colonel 
 Wylde." 
 
 "What are you thinking of doing if you leave the army?" 
 
 "I have a small estate waiting for me at home, which 
 has been little by little piling up capital for me during my 
 absence. I shall be a good deal more fit to take charge of it 
 now, and to settle down, than I should have been if I had 
 never come out here." 
 
 " It seems a pity, too," Colonel Lacy said. " You have done 
 very good service, and Colonel Wylde has always reported 
 well of you. You have been a captain now for four years, 
 and you will be sure to get your majority as a reward for your 
 work here." 
 
 "Yes, sir; if I had entered the army for the purpose of 
 staying in it, I should have every reason for congratulating 
 myself on my good fortune ; but as I did not, I should not value 
 the majority, for which indeed I feel myself much too young. 
 Besides, I should be altogether unfit for it. I learned the 
 work of a subaltern for a year in a hard, rough school, where 
 there was no occasion to know more than the simplest move- 
 ments. For the past four years I have not commanded a 
 corporal's guard, and I could no more drill a battalion of 
 British troops on a parade-ground than fly, so I have quite 
 made up my mind to leave, and have indeed only held on 
 for the past two years in the belief that the war would 
 speedily come to an end." 
 
 "Well, Hallett, of course you know your own business best; 
 and I am quite sure that if I had a nice little estate waiting 
 for me in England, I should take the same course as you are 
 going to do."
 
 366 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 HOME 
 
 THE next day Arthur mounted, and, after saying good-bye 
 to his friends, started for Madrid. He was still wearing 
 his bandages, but as a measure of precaution rather than as a 
 necessity, for the bones had knit well, and Espartero's surgeon 
 had told him that he could safely give them up. Arthur, 
 however, said that he was accustomed to them now, and as 
 they were no great inconvenience it would be folly to run 
 the smallest risk, and he would therefore keep them on for 
 another month. Roper was in high glee at the thought that 
 he was going to return home. 
 
 " When we get to Madrid," Arthur said, " we will both lay 
 aside our uniforms, and you will cease to be my servant. 
 We can return to the position we formerly occupied towards 
 each other, that of good friends, though of course much closer 
 ones than of old. We have gone through many dangers 
 together, and it will only be a matter of regret to me that you 
 should have been in the position of my servant." 
 
 "I won't give it up when we get to Madrid, sir. At any 
 rate I shall remain your servant till we embark on board ship 
 for England, after which you will have no more occasion for 
 me, and I shall be proud to become your humble friend. 
 I suppose, sir," he said with a quiet smile, "you are not 
 thinking of going back to England alone?" 
 
 " Not if I can help it," Arthur answered. " Of course 
 nothing is settled, but I don't fancy that I shall have to go 
 back alone. If I do I shall return shortly, but I hope to 
 manage everything satisfactorily before I leave." 
 
 Arthur had heard regularly every six months from his
 
 HOME 367 
 
 uncle, who had of late said he hoped he would soon leave the 
 army and return home, and in his last letter, written after 
 he had come of age, had said : " I may now tell you, my dear 
 Arthur, that the will of your father contains a secret clause 
 giving me the power, if I considered you fit to undertake the 
 responsibility, of handing your estates over to you when you 
 came of age. I must say that it seems to me you are quite fit 
 to assume that responsibility. Your letters do not tell me 
 a very great deal about yourself, but it is clear that, as in 
 these five years you have won your way from being a private 
 to holding a commission as a captain, you ought certainly to 
 possess a sufficient amount of steadiness and knowledge of the 
 world to fit you for the not very onerous duties of a country 
 squire. You do not tell us very much about yourself, and we 
 all consider your letters in that respect very unsatisfactory; 
 but it is evident that you have seen a great deal of service, 
 and must have cured yourself of that tendency to wildness that 
 caused us such trouble before you left. In fact we all feel 
 proud of you, holding, as you do, the appointment as one of 
 the British assistant commissioners. 
 
 "I own that it has been a surprise to me, but my wife 
 declares that she was always sure you would do well, and 
 I need hardly say that the girls are very fond of parading 
 their cousin, a captain in the army and royal commissioner in 
 Spain, among their acquaintances. Of course I do not urge 
 you to return that is a question entirely for you to decide; 
 but I say that, in virtue of the power given to me by your 
 father, I shall have no hesitation in placing you, on your 
 return, in possession of your father's estates and the accumula- 
 tion of rents during your minority." 
 
 Communication was slow, and this letter had only been 
 received by Arthur a few days before his seizure by the 
 monks. It had been a great satisfaction to him, as he would
 
 368 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 now be able to maintain Mercedes in a position not altogether 
 inferior to that to which she had been accustomed. He had, 
 however, not spoken on the subject even to Leon, preferring 
 to continue to stand on the same basis as before. He travelled 
 by easy stages to Madrid, and was most warmly greeted on 
 his return there by Leon and the girls. 
 
 " Rather a curious thing has happened since you have been 
 away," Leon said, when they were chatting together on the 
 first evening after his return. " I have received a letter from 
 Don Silvio. I don't understand it, but it is, as far as it goes, 
 very satisfactory; still, I cannot quite make it out. He writes 
 to say that he regrets very deeply his conduct towards us and 
 you, and implores our pardon. He says that henceforth we 
 need fear no annoyance whatever from him, and that he can 
 only hope that some day he may resume his former position 
 as a friend of our family. He says that of course we shall 
 have heard from you the reasons that have brought about this 
 entire change in his sentiments, and that we can easily under- 
 stand that after your treatment of him he is an entirely 
 changed man. I received this letter a fortnight ago. I really 
 did not know how to answer it, so have waited to get some 
 explanation from you as to the circumstances that have 
 brought about this change in his sentiments, in which I own 
 I have no belief whatever. Indeed I consider that the letter 
 was only written to put us off our guard. Certainly in the 
 letters you have written since you left there has been nothing 
 that would explain the matter, except indeed that you said 
 you had had a trifling affair with some brigands and had got 
 the better of them, though at the cost of a slight wound. Had 
 this anything to do with it?" 
 
 "It had, Leon. It was not worth writing about, although 
 the affair was a somewhat sharp one, and I had not intended 
 to say anything about it; but as it has apparently brought
 
 HOME 369 
 
 about a very satisfactory state of things, I suppose I had 
 better tell it." 
 
 He then related how Roper had, as he thought, recognized 
 Don Silvio; how they had discovered that they were really 
 watched; the precautions they had taken against attack; and 
 gave an account of the fight, telling how the seven men who 
 had attacked them had been killed in the encounter. "Don 
 Silvio fought hard," he said carelessly, "but I had him at 
 my mercy. Reflecting, however, that I had injured him by 
 winning the affections of Mercedes, and that I had certainly 
 behaved wrongly in fooling with him in that duel, I let him 
 
 go-" 
 
 "You let him go!" Leon said in astonishment. "Do you 
 mean to say that when you had him at your mercy you actually 
 let him go?" 
 
 "That is what it came to, I suppose," Arthur admitted. 
 " I had him by the throat at the edge of the precipice, then 
 it occurred to me that the man had good grounds for com- 
 plaint against me. But for me he might have married Mer- 
 cedes, and as, over and above this, I had made him the laugh- 
 ing-stock of Madrid, it was natural that he should have en- 
 deavoured to get rid of me. I therefore concluded that I 
 ought not to take his life; so I released him and explained 
 this to him, and we parted, I think, very good friends." 
 
 Leon gazed at him in astonishment. "By San Paolo, 
 Arthur, but you are an extraordinary man! The idea of 
 sparing that fellow when you had him at your mercy ! You 
 astound me!" 
 
 "It was good of you, Arthur, wonderfully good!" Mercedes 
 exclaimed, "but just the thing that you would do. I am 
 proud of you! Of course I have always been proud of you, 
 but more now than ever. And do you think he is sincere 
 in this letter he wrote to Leon?" 
 
 ( M 966 ) A 2
 
 370 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 "I do think so. From the way in which he spoke to me 
 I believe that he was thoroughly sincere, and that he felt 
 that he had been in the wrong, and that the feud between us 
 was now at an end. I think, Leon, you can now answer his 
 letter, saying that you have seen me and heard my explana- 
 tion, and that you are heartily glad that the feud is over, and 
 are ready again to receive him as a friend." 
 
 "As to that I should be only too glad," Leon said. "Until 
 this thing happened I always esteemed him, as you may sup- 
 pose by my consenting to give Mercedes to him. He has not 
 injured me, and if you have brought yourself to forgive his 
 attempts upon your life it is little enough for me to shake 
 hands with him again. I will write and tell him so to-morrow 
 morning, and express my willingness that bygones shall be 
 bygones, and that our friendship can be again renewed. And 
 now to return to a still more interesting subject. What are 
 your plans?" 
 
 " As I have already told you, I shall to-morroAv send in my 
 resignation. The next step must necessarily depend upon you 
 a great deal. It seems to me that it would be exceedingly 
 difficult for Mercedes and myself to be married here. The 
 ceremony could be performed at the British Embassy, but for 
 my part I would much rather that it took place in England; 
 and I should think, Leon, that that would also be most pleasant 
 for you all. Our marriage here would undoubtedly cause a 
 considerable amount of feeling. You would be blamed very 
 strongly for giving your sister to a foreigner and a heretic, 
 and things might be made very unpleasant for you and the 
 girls. My own idea is, that the best thing possible would be 
 for us all to travel quietly down to Cadiz, and thence take 
 ship to England. There we could be married comfortably. 
 While preparing for that, I could see that my place was made 
 ready to receive us; then I hope you would stay with us for
 
 HOME 371 
 
 some timo before returning home. In that way you would 
 avoid all trouble here, for whereas a wedding in the face of 
 the public of Madrid would cause no end of scandal, a quiet 
 marriage in England would scarcely be noticed." 
 
 Leon was silent for a minute, and then said: "I think a 
 good deal is to be said in favour of your plan. There can 
 be no doubt that the marriage would create much less com- 
 ment and talk than if it were to take place here. Secondly, 
 I should like to see the new home in which Mercedes ic to be 
 established not to say that I should certainly like to see 
 something more of England; but I don't know about the 
 girls." 
 
 " Oh, Leon ! " both exclaimed, " you would never leave us 
 behind! Why, of course we should want just as much as you 
 do to be at Mercedes' wedding. You never can really think 
 of leaving us here. What reason could there be why we 
 shouldn't go with you ?" 
 
 "Well, you see, in the first place you don't speak English." 
 
 "Nor do you, Leon, at least not well." 
 
 " Well, you know that in point of fact I do speak it pretty 
 fairly. However, it's too important a matter to be settled 
 offhand, girls. Suppose, for example, that one of you took it 
 into your head to marry an English gentleman 1 ?" 
 
 "Well, Leon," Inez said mischievously, "as it appears to 
 us that you are likely before long to enter the married state 
 yourself, I should have thought that you would be very glad 
 to get us off your hands, even to Englishmen. I am sure if all 
 Englishmen were like Arthur I should have no objection at 
 all. I have always been lamenting that I did not go with you, 
 instead of Mercedes, to our country place, and then perhaps I 
 might have had the chance that Mercedes has had." 
 
 They all laughed. 
 
 " Well, really, I will think it over, Inez. It might be
 
 372 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 managed, and the three months' trip would do us all good 
 after the stormy time we have been having here." 
 
 "I am sure it would," Arthur said; "so I think, girls, we 
 can consider that settled." 
 
 " Well, of course we could not think of going for a month 
 yet," Mercedes said. " You must remember that we shall all 
 have preparations to make." 
 
 " But you can get things made in England," Arthur urged. 
 
 "No, sir," Mercedes said. "We are not going away without 
 a sufficient supply of clothes. At any rate, we shall want 
 travelling suits, and a lot of other things, though I admit 
 that I should prefer getting some of my dresses in England. I 
 don't want to have everyone staring at me, when I go about, as 
 a foreigner." 
 
 " Well, of course you must have time, Mercedes, and I don't 
 think a month is very unreasonable; besides, all sorts of papers 
 will have to be got ready and drawn up." 
 
 " Certainly," Leon said. " As Mercedes' guardian and the 
 head of the family, it is my duty to see that everything is 
 done regularly. As far as you are concerned, Arthur, I should 
 be quite content to have no settlements of any kind; but it 
 would be unseemly for a daughter of our house to marry in 
 the haphazard way of a small farmer's daughter." 
 
 " I agree with you thoroughly, Leon, but I think it would 
 be better for you to have the settlements drawn up in Eng- 
 land. You may calculate that it will be a month after my 
 return before things will be ready, which will give plenty of 
 time for you to have the deeds drawn up there. You see, the 
 laws of your country are not the same as ours." 
 
 " I should say they had better be drawn up in both coun- 
 tries," Leon said. "Mercedes' income is a charge upon a 
 Spanish estate, and the people acting as her trustees here 
 would be bound by Spanish law only. I think that when
 
 HOME 373 
 
 these troubles are all over, and land rises in value again, it 
 would be best that the estates should be sold. Mercedes 
 could then invest her money in England. The other girls' 
 shares would be held in trust for them till they marry." 
 
 "That would certainly be a very good plan, Leon. You 
 will understand, of course, that I wish Mercedes' fortune to 
 be entirely under her own control." 
 
 Arthur spent a very pleasant month in Madrid. He was, 
 at the regent's request, very frequently at the palace, and 
 when he informed her that Mercedes was going to England 
 to be married to him, she presented her with a splendid 
 suite of diamonds. 
 
 "You see, Captain Hallett," she said, "you would not let 
 me do for you a quarter of what I wished to do; but at 
 least you cannot interfere between me and Donna Mercedes 
 de Balen. I wish greatly that you had permanently settled 
 here. I would have made you a Grand Duke of Spain, 
 and there would be pleasure in knowing that my daughter 
 would have one absolutely disinterested and faithful friend. 
 My own health is not good. I have had a terribly anxious 
 time for the past eight years. I have been surrounded by men 
 whom I despise. I have seen how few of them care for the 
 cause to which they profess to be devoted, and think only 
 of themselves and their own interests. Fortunately, should 
 anything happen to me, I shall leave her in Espartero's hands 
 with a certain knowledge that he will protect and guard her 
 during her minority." 
 
 " I trust sincerely, madam, that there will be no occasion for 
 him to assume such a charge; but I thoroughly agree with 
 you that should he have to do so, he will perform it well and 
 honourably." 
 
 Before leaving, Leon and the girls made no formal farewell 
 visits to their friends. They knew that if their intentions
 
 374 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 were announced there would be a storm of opposition, and that 
 all their friends and the members of the families with which 
 they were connected would move heaven and earth to try and 
 dissuade them. Mercedes' engagement had never been formally 
 announced, and although her attachment for Arthur might be 
 suspected by the intimates of the family, nothing could be said 
 until their betrothal was made public. 
 
 At last the preparations were all complete, and the deeds 
 drawn up and signed. Leon had made the usual stipulation 
 that while any boys born of the marriage should be brought 
 up in their father's religion, the girls should be brought up in 
 that of their mother. 
 
 They journeyed by easy stages the men on horseback, the 
 girls in the family coach down to Cadiz, where berths had 
 already been secured on board a ship sailing for England. The 
 voyage was a slow but fair one. After the first day or two 
 none of the party suffered from sea-sickness. Roper had 
 refused to allow a passage to be taken for him aft with the 
 others. 
 
 " It is kind of you to wish it, sir, but I should not be com- 
 fortable. If you were travelling alone it would be different, 
 but the count and his sisters have only been accustomed to 
 look upon me as your servant. They are always very kind 
 and friendly to me. They know that we have gone through 
 a very great deal together, but I think they would feel and I 
 am sure I should be very uncomfortable if I were to sit at 
 table with them on terms of equality." 
 
 " Well, it must be as you wish, Roper, but I am quite sure 
 they do not feel it so. They know that I regard you, and 
 always have done so, as a friend; that we have gone through 
 many adventures together, besides the one in which you aided 
 me to save Mercedes from Cabrera. However, it shall be as 
 you like."
 
 HOME 375 
 
 The girls and Leon, after the first two days, thoroughly 
 enjoyed the voyage, which was a novelty to them. On ar- 
 riving in London the count took private rooms at an hotel, 
 and for two or three days Arthur went about with them, 
 enjoying the sights as much as they did, as he had never 
 before been to London. Then he travelled down to Liverpool 
 by the North-Western Railway then only recently opened. 
 
 He had written briefly to his uncle on his arrival, mention- 
 ing the day on which he should come down. When he reached 
 Liverpool, therefore, he drove from the station to his house. 
 
 Although he had written home regularly once every three 
 or four months, he had simply mentioned the positions he 
 held and the scenes he had witnessed, and had said but very 
 little as to his private adventures. 
 
 When he drove up to the door his Uncle and aunt both came 
 out to meet him. They paused in astonishment. " Is it pos- 
 sible that you are Arthur?" Mr. Hallett asked. 
 
 " Not only possible, but a fact, uncle." 
 
 " Well, we are delighted to see you home again, my boy ; 
 but we certainly did not expect to see a giant." 
 
 " Nor do you, uncle. I am only six feet one, not at all an 
 out-of-the-way height." 
 
 "Well, I must kiss you, my dear," his aunt said; "but I 
 almost feel as if I were taking a liberty." 
 
 " Nonsense, aunt ! I don't think I have changed much 
 since I went away ; but of course in six years I have grown a 
 bit bigger. And how are you, girls? How are you both?" 
 
 They went into the house. 
 
 "Well, Arthur," his uncle said, looking at him closely, "it 
 may have been only six years since you left us, but by your 
 appearance I should have thought that it was ten." 
 
 " I suppose I do look older than I am, uncle. Everyone 
 takes me for three or four years older, but I can tell you it has
 
 376 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 been a most fortunate thing for me. I should never have been 
 made a captain if they had had an idea that I was only eighteen 
 years old." 
 
 "Well, Arthur, I suppose you have quite given up your 
 tendency to get into scrapes," his aunt said. 
 
 "I don't think I have, aunt," Arthur laughed. "I have 
 been in a good many of what you might call scrapes since I 
 went away, but, as you see, I have come all right through them. 
 The only casualty that I have had is, that I got a couple of 
 ribs broken in a fight with some brigands three months ago. 
 And now I am going to astonish you. I am going to get 
 married." 
 
 There was a general exclamation of astonishment. "You 
 are not serious, Arthur?" 
 
 "Never was more serious in my life." 
 
 "And is it to a Spanish lady?" 
 
 "Yes, uncle. She is the sister of a count who is a great 
 friend of mine, and I am sure you will say, when you see her, 
 that she is a most charming young lady. She is a year 
 younger than I am, and is reasonably endowed with the world's 
 goods." 
 
 His aunt was the first to rally from her astonishment. " It 
 sounds very nice, Arthur," she said, "and I have no doubt that 
 we shall congratulate you very much when we get to know 
 her; but of course it has come as a little shock to us." 
 
 " I expected it would, aunt. I know that English people 
 are prejudiced against foreigners. Of course, I have been 
 living in Spain for six years, and have got over any ideas of 
 that sort." 
 
 "But is she a Catholic, Arthur?" his aunt asked in rather 
 an awed tone. 
 
 "All Spanish ladies are Catholics, aunt; but as this parti- 
 cular one is by no means a bigoted one, we are not likely to
 
 HOME 377 
 
 quarrel over it. She already speaks English well, and I can 
 assure you that you will find her charming." 
 
 "And you say she has a fortune?" 
 
 "Yes, she has about twenty-five thousand pounds in her 
 own right." 
 
 "Well, that is comfortable; anyhow, you will not do badly 
 in the money way. Your own estate was worth about one 
 thousand pounds a year, but as it has been accumulating since 
 you were ten years old, and as I have always invested the 
 rents carefully, it will bring you in about as much more." 
 
 "That is not bad at all, uncle; and I may add that I have 
 twenty thousand pounds of my own lying to my order at the 
 Bank of Liverpool." 
 
 " Twenty thousand, Arthur ! Why, how in the world did 
 you get that?" 
 
 "I did a little service to the queen. It really was not 
 worth troubling about, but she and the government between 
 them insisted on making me a present of that sum. I may 
 mention also that I am a member of the first class of the 
 Order of San Fernando and a Knight of Isabella the Catholic. 
 Now, girls, I should like to see you curtsy to me. So you see, 
 uncle, that my running away and joining the British Legion 
 has not turned out so badly." 
 
 " No, indeed, Arthur. Of course, you will tell us all about 
 it presently; as yet we can only wonder. I suppose you 
 intend to go back to Spain shortly to fetch your wife home?" 
 
 " No, I have no idea of returning to Spain for an indefinite 
 time. Donna Mercedes de Balen that is her full name, 
 uncle accompanied me home to England under the protection 
 of her brother, the Count Leon de Balen, whose name I have 
 more than once mentioned in my letters, and with them came 
 their two sisters, Donna Inez and Donna Dolores, two very 
 charming young ladies. They will return home with their
 
 378 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 brother in three or four months' time. After our marriage 
 takes place they will travel about England." 
 
 "You certainly seem to have the whole thing arranged, 
 Arthur, and it appears to me that you are as headstrong as 
 you were when a boy." 
 
 " I don't think so, uncle. I have been doing a man's work 
 for six years, and, though I say it myself, have done it fairly 
 well. Now I have finished wandering, and am going to settle 
 down for good." 
 
 They talked until a very late hour in the evening. Arthur 
 refused to satisfy their curiosity as to the service he had 
 rendered to the queen, and said nothing about his private 
 adventures. He told them principally about his work in the 
 Legion, and afterwards as an assistant commissioner. 
 
 "Now, what is your first business going to be, Arthur?" 
 his uncle asked when they met the next morning. 
 
 " The very first thing is to go over to my place. I have no 
 doubt you have had it kept in good order; but it is certain 
 that great changes will be needed before I bring Mercedes 
 home there. I should wish you and aunt and the girls to go 
 over there with me, and give me the benefit of your opinions 
 as to the alterations to be made. It will save time if we 
 drive first to some of the best builders and upholsterers in 
 town, and get them to send out men an hour and a half or so 
 after we start, to meet us there. I think," he said, turning to 
 his aunt, "that the wedding will take place in London, and 
 hope that you will all come up and be present." 
 
 "You quite take my breath away, Arthur, with your 
 impetuosity." 
 
 "Well, aunt, when a thing has to be done, it seems to 
 me that the sooner it is done the better. When it is over 
 we shall go away for a fortnight or so, and when we come 
 home the count and his sisters will meet us. The idea is, that
 
 HOME 379 
 
 they shall spend about three weeks with us, and that we shall 
 then travel with them for a month." 
 
 "Well, James," Mrs. Hallett said, "it seems to me that 
 the programme is a very good one. The girls have never 
 been up to London, and I have not been up there since we 
 were married. It is nothing of a journey now that the railway 
 is open. I am sure you want a holiday too; you have not 
 had one for years. Arthur will no doubt get nice lodgings 
 for us, and I am sure we shall enjoy the trip immensely. 
 When is the marriage to come off, Arthur?" 
 
 "I should say in about a week or ten days; there is no 
 conceivable reason why we should wait any longer." 
 
 " In that case it is only three weeks till your home-coming. 
 You don't suppose that the alterations you propose to make 
 could be carried out in that time?" 
 
 "A lot can be done with money, uncle, and I don't care 
 what I spend. At any rate, a portion of the house large 
 enough to hold our party can be in good order by that time, 
 and the rest must be finished while we are away." 
 
 " I don't know how I can give up my work," Mr. Hallett 
 began ; but Arthur broke in : 
 
 " My dear uncle, you need not say that. Your head clerk 
 can surely manage the business for ten days. If he cannot, I 
 should advise you to sack him and get another. Now, if you 
 will give me the address of the builder and upholsterer, I will 
 drive round and see them, and arrange for them to send men, 
 and will bring the carriage to the door in an hour's time." 
 
 " Well, I cannot go to-day anyhow, Arthur." 
 
 " Well, I am sorry for that, uncle, because I should have 
 liked your opinion. However, in the matter of furnishing 
 and so on, I know that I can rely upon aunt." 
 
 "But I cannot understand," Mr. Hallett said, "why you 
 didn't get married out there."
 
 380 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 " My dear uncle, if you lived in Spain you would very soon 
 find out the amount of pressure that is used to prevent a 
 young lady of noble family from marrying a Protestant and 
 a stranger. It is simply enormous; and therefore we agreed 
 that it would be infinitely better for us to come over to Eng- 
 land. When a thing is once done, it is useless to say anything 
 against it. The priests may tear their hair over what they 
 will consider an act of backsliding on the part of Mercedes, 
 but she won't hear anything of it." 
 
 On reaching his house Arthur found that, although it was 
 in a fair state of repair, a great deal must be done to meet his 
 requirements. It was a good country house, but not a large 
 one, and he decided that the dining-room must be enlarged, 
 the drawing-room doubled in size, a boudoir built adjoining 
 it, and several new bedrooms added. It was clearly impossible 
 to do all this in three weeks, and it was decided that the 
 dining-room should be left for the present as it stood, and the 
 builder promised to put so many hands to work that the 
 drawing-room and boudoir, and rooms over them, should be 
 finished in time. The stables were altogether condemned and 
 would have to be rebuilt, and orders were given to have the 
 gardens put in perfect order and planted with flowers before 
 Arthur returned with his wife. 
 
 "It is a large order," the builder said, " but as you say that 
 I can put on any number of men, I think I can guarantee to 
 get it finished." 
 
 The order for the upholsterer was very large, as the whole 
 house was to be refurnished, and there was much consultation 
 between Mrs. Hallett and the girls as to the patterns, etc. 
 However, they returned in the evening very well satisfied with 
 the work they had done, and next morning Arthur went to 
 town again. 
 
 He found that a special licence could be obtained at once,
 
 HOME 381 
 
 and therefore wrote to his uncle and aunt to come up on the 
 following day by an afternoon train. He met them at the 
 station and drove with them to lodgings he had taken for 
 them in Clarges Street. 
 
 " These must be rather expensive rooms," Mr. Hallett said 
 gravely. 
 
 "My dear uncle, that makes no difference to you; I am 
 going to pay the piper. While you are here, you will be my 
 guests. I am very flush of money, for I have in my bank six 
 hundred pounds of the money you sent me, for twenty pounds 
 a year in addition to my pay quite sufficed for my wants." 
 
 Arthur had secured a room for himself in the same house, 
 and next morning after breakfast took his friends to visit Leon 
 and his sisters. They were mutually pleased with each other, 
 and the girls pronounced Mercedes to be charming, and the 
 other girls almost as nice, though they were unable to get on so 
 well with them, as Arthur had to act as interpreter. After 
 talking for an hour the ladies decided to go shopping together, 
 while Leon, Arthur, and his uncle strolled through the town. 
 
 "Well, have you done your shopping to your satisfaction, 
 aunt?" Arthur said when they met again. 
 
 "Yes, we have bought loads of things. I am quite 
 frightened to think what your uncle will say when he gets 
 the bill." 
 
 "He won't get the bill at all," Arthur said quietly. "You 
 are my guests, and I am going to stand paymaster." 
 
 "Oh, but that is impossible, Arthur! We have bought 
 almost everything new. I have reckoned it roughly up, and it 
 will come to over a hundred and twenty pounds." 
 
 "If it would come to two hundred and forty it would be 
 all the better," Arthur said. "You don't understand, aunt. 
 This allowance money is burning in my pocket. I have had no 
 means of spending it till now, and I am going to indulge my-
 
 382 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 self. Please say no more about it, but just hand me the bills 
 and I will see them paid. Now, you will really hurt me if 
 you say any more." 
 
 Leon and his party came round to dinner, which Arthur 
 had ordered to be sent in from a restaurant in Bond Street. 
 > "How did you and Arthur get to know each other, 
 Mercedes 1" one of the girls asked. 
 
 "Well, we only knew each other from his knowing our 
 brother, up to the time when he saved my life." 
 
 " Saved your life! He never told us anything about that." 
 
 "That is just like him!" Mercedes said impetuously. "It 
 is too bad of him, everyone ought to know it;" and she gave 
 them a vivid account of the manner in which he had rescued 
 her. "After that," she said, " what could I do but marry him? 
 I was engaged to someone else. I did not love him, you 
 know; but it was a proper sort of engagement. The count 
 was a man of good family and a friend of my brother's. He 
 had asked Leon's consent, and Leon had given it, so there 
 was nothing for me to say. But after Arthur had saved my 
 life, of course it was different altogether, and I broke off 
 the engagement. It was more than a year after that before 
 I became engaged to Arthur. He declares that he never 
 suspected I cared for him, though really I am afraid I 
 showed it very much. Then Arthur had to fight a duel with 
 the count and wounded him, and the count made two attempts 
 on his life, and then you know the Church interfered and shut 
 Arthur up in a dungeon, and he dug his way out in a wonder- 
 ful way. Have you not heard all this before 1 ?" 
 
 "No, he never said a word about it in his letters," Mrs. 
 Hallett said. 
 
 "Mercedes, you are chattering too much," Arthur said. 
 " You thought a great deal about these things, but there was 
 nothing worth telling."
 
 HOME 383 
 
 " I am the best judge of that, sir," Mercedes said, tossing her 
 head. " You go on talking to Leon and my sisters." 
 
 "And haven't you heard, Mrs. Hallett," she said, "of the 
 wonderful way in which he rescued the Eegent of Spain and 
 the little Queen when they were carried off?" 
 
 "Not a word, dear." 
 
 " Well, then, I shall scold him very much," Mercedes said. 
 " When he has done so many splendid things, why should he 
 not speak of them 1 ?" 
 
 " I think he might have told us, my dear," Mrs. Hallett said 
 gently, " but I suppose he thought it would look like bragging, 
 and there is nothing Englishmen hate more than that. Men 
 who do great things are the very last to speak of them." 
 
 "Ah well, I will tell you some day all about them!" 
 Mercedes said, " and then you will not be surprised that I say 
 he is one of the most wonderful men in the world, and why 
 I, and Leon and my sisters, love him so." 
 
 The two girls looked at Arthur with wondering eyes. He 
 had always been rather a hero with them in his young days, 
 and they could quite imagine that he would be a brave soldier, 
 but they had never dreamt of his performing such deeds as 
 these. 
 
 At the wedding, Eoper, who had at once on his arrival 
 gone down to see his family, and who had now come up for 
 the purpose, acted as Arthur's best man. He had vainly en- 
 deavoured to excuse himself. Arthur insisted that, having 
 for six years been his best friend, he should certainly occupy 
 that place on this important occasion. 
 
 In spite of the effort of the builders the house was not 
 ready for habitation at the time fixed on, and it was two 
 months before the whole party returned together from their 
 tour. Roper was by this time installed on a farm on the 
 estate. When Leon returned to Spain he left Inez with her
 
 384 WITH THE BRITISH LEGION 
 
 sister, and six months later she married a neighbour of 
 Arthur's, to the great satisfaction of Mercedes; and neither of 
 them has once regretted that she has exchanged the troubles 
 and struggles of her native land for the peace and quiet of 
 England. As to Arthur, he has always said that the day he 
 enlisted in the British Legion was the most fortunate one in 
 his life. 
 
 THE END.
 
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 [46] (O A
 
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 10 page Illustrations by 
 W. RAINEY, R.I., and a Map. 6^. 
 
 The heroic story of the relief of Ladysmith forms the theme of one of the 
 most powerful romances that have come from Mr. Henty's pen. When the 
 war breaks out, the hero, Chris King, and his friends band themselves to- 
 gether under the title of the Maritzburg Scouts. From first to last the boy 
 scouts are constantly engaged in perilous and exciting enterprises, from 
 which they always emerge triumphant, thanks to their own skill and cour- 
 age, and the dash and ingenuity of their leader. 
 
 " A glowing tale of heroism." Eastern Daily Press. 
 
 " Just the sort of book to inspire an enterprising boy." Army and Navy Gazette. 
 
 By England's Aid: r ' T1 T Freeing of the Nether- 
 J o lands (1585-1 604). With 10 page 
 
 Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE, and 4 Maps. 6s. 
 
 Two English lads go to Holland in the service of one of " the fighting 
 Veres". After many adventures one of the lads finds himself on board a 
 Spanish ship at the defeat of the Armada, and escapes from Spain only to 
 fall into the hands of the Corsairs. He is successful, however, in getting 
 back to Spain, and regains his native country after the capture of Cadiz. 
 
 " Boys know and love Mr. Henty's books of adventure, and will welcome his tale 
 of the freeing of the Netherlands." Atheiupum. 
 
 "Mr. Henty can give you the sense of battle in the veins." National Observer. 
 
 "Geoffrey's adventures will impart to the tale that element which lays hold of the 
 boy reader. Christian Leader. 
 
 "R irrVif- rf PrmrmpQf or > With Cortez in Mexico - 
 
 Kignt or Conquest. with iopage Illustrations 
 
 by W. S. STAGEY, and 2 Maps. 6.r. 
 
 The conquest of Mexico, by a small band of resolute men under the 
 magnificent leadership of Cortez, is rightly ranked amongst the most romantic 
 exploits in history. With this as the groundwork of his story, Mr. Henty 
 has interwoven the adventures of an English youth, Roger Hawkshaw, the 
 sole survivor of the good ship Swan, which had sailed from a Devon port to 
 challenge the supremacy of the Spaniards in the New World. 
 
 " Mr. Henty's skill has never been more convincingly displayed than in this 
 admirable and ingenious story." Saturday Review. 
 
 "Cleverly written and wonderfully interesting." BimtingJtam Gazette. 
 
 "A volume full of interest and excitement, which cannot fail to charm its readers." 
 
 Journal of Education. 
 
 (S)
 
 From AT THE POINT OF THE BAYONET 
 BY G. A. HENTY. 6s. (Seepage i) 
 
 "HARRY RAN UP TO THE PROCLAMATION AND TORE IT DOWN"
 
 STORIES BY G. A. HENTY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 A Roving Commission: ? r ' Through th f e 
 
 O Insurrection of Hayti. 
 
 With 12 page Illustrations by WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I. 6s. 
 
 The hero of this story takes part in some of the principal engagements in 
 the revolt of the slaves of Hayti against their French masters at the end ot 
 last century, and is able to rescue many of the unfortunate French colonists 
 from the infuriated blacks. He also does good service against the pirates 
 who infested the West Indian seas at that period, for which he is rapidly 
 promoted from midshipman to commander. 
 
 "A stirring tale, which may be confidently recommended to schoolboy readers." 
 
 Guardian. 
 
 " A singularly lucky and attractive hero, for whom boy readers will have an intense 
 admiration. " Standard. 
 
 T^ritrm ^ Story of the Roman Invasion of 
 ' Britain. With 12 page Illustrations 
 by W. PARKINSON. 6s. 
 
 Beric is a boy-chief of a British tribe which takes a prominent part in the 
 insurrection under Boadicea : and after the defeat of that heroic queen he 
 continues the struggle in the fen-country. Ultimately Beric is defeated and 
 carried captive to Rome, where he succeeds in saving a Christian maid by 
 slaying a lion in the arena, and is rewarded by being made the personal 
 protector of Nero. Finally, he escapes and returns to Britain, where he 
 becomes a wise ruler of his own people. 
 
 " He is a hero of the most attractive kind. . . . One of the most spirited and well- 
 imagined stories Mr. Henty has written." Saturday Review. 
 
 "His conflict with a lion in the arena is a thrilling chapter." School Board 
 Chronicle. 
 
 " Full of every form of heroism and pluck." Christian World. 
 
 The Dash for Khartoum: <* 
 
 page Illustrations by JOHN SCHONBERG and J. NASH. 6^. 
 
 In the record of recent British history there is no more captivating page 
 for boys than the story of the Nile campaign, and the attempt to rescue 
 General Gordon. For, in the difficulties which the expedition encountered, 
 and in the perils which it overpassed, are found all the excitement of 
 romance, as well as the fascination which belongs to real events. 
 
 " The Dash for Khartoum is your ideal boys' book." Tablet. 
 " It is literally true that the narrative never flags a moment." Academy. 
 " The Dash for Khartoum will be appreciated even by those who don't ordinarily 
 care a dash for anything." Punch. 
 
 (7)
 
 BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Bonnie Prince Charlie: p ^ e of ^T y and 
 
 Culloden. With 12 page 
 Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 6s. 
 
 The hero, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is arrested for aiding a 
 Jacobite agent, escapes, but is wrecked on the French coast, reaches Paris, 
 and serves with the French army at Dettingen. He succeeds in obtaining, 
 through Marshal Saxe, the release from confinement of both his parents. 
 He kills his father's foe in a duel, and, escaping to the coast, shares the 
 adventures of Prince Charlie. 
 
 " Mr. Henty can tell a c; pital story; but here, for freshness of treatment and 
 variety of incident, he has surpassed himself." Spectator. 
 
 " The adventures and incidents throughout are of the most exciting kind, and the 
 interest is never for one moment allowed to flag." Literary World. 
 
 " Is most intensely thrilling." Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 In the Irish Brigade: A Trie of War in Flanders 
 D and Spain. With 12 page 
 
 Illustrations by CHARLES M. SHELDON. 6s. 
 
 The hero is a young officer in the Irish Brigade, which for many years 
 after the siege of Limerick formed the backbone of the French army. He 
 goes through many stirring adventures, successfully carries out dangerous 
 missions in Spain, saves a large portion of the French army at Oudenarde, 
 and even has the audacity to kidnap the Prime Minister of England. 
 
 " A good subject made good use of." Spectator. 
 
 " A stirring book of military adventure." Scotsman. 
 
 " Should be popular among boys of all ages." Yorkshire Post. 
 
 A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. 
 with I2 page in ustrat i ons by WAL 
 
 PAGET. 6s. 
 
 Sir Eustace de Villeroy, in journeying from Hampshire to his castle in 
 France, made young Guy Aylmer one of his escort. Soon thereafter the 
 castle was attacked, and the English youth displayed such valour that hi:> 
 liege-lord made him commander of a special mission to Paris. This he 
 accomplished, returning in time to take part in the campaign against the 
 French which ended in the glorious victory for England at Agincourt. 
 
 " Is one of Mr. Henty's best." Standard. 
 
 "There is not a better book for boys in Mr. Henty's extensive repertory." 
 
 Scotsman* 
 
 "Cannot fail to commend itself to boys of all ages." Manchester Courier. 
 (8)
 
 "Young readers have no better friends than Blackie & Son." Westminster Gaxette 
 
 Blackie & Son's 
 Story Books for Boys 
 
 G. MANVILLE FENN 
 
 BOVS 
 
 / 
 
 ^ Ta ^ e ^ t ^ ie Nort ^ Shore. With 12 page 
 Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 6s. 
 
 The scene is laid on the picturesque rocky coast of North Devon, where 
 the three lads pass through many perils both afloat and ashore. Fishermen, 
 smugglers, naval officers, and a stern old country surgeon play their parts 
 in the story, which is one of honest adventure with the mastering of diffi- 
 culties in a wholesome manly way, mingled with sufficient excitement to 
 satisfy the most exacting reader. 
 
 "An admirable story, as remarkable for the individuality of its heroes as for the 
 excellent descriptions of coast scenery and life in North Devon. One of the best 
 books we have seen this season." Athetueum. 
 
 Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in &e Eastern 
 
 Seas. With 8 page Pictures by 
 GORDON BROWNE. $s. 
 
 The boy Nat and his uncle go on a voyage to the islands of the Eastern 
 seas to seek specimens in natural history, and their adventures there are full 
 of interest and excitement. The descriptions of Mr. Ebony, their black 
 comrade, and of the scenes of savage life sparkle with genuine humour. 
 
 "This book encourages independence of character, develops resource, and teaches 
 a boy to keep his eyes open." Saturday Review. 
 
 Yussuf the Guide: ith . 6 page Illustrations b y J- 
 
 SCHONBERG. 3-T. 
 
 A lad who has been almost given over by the doctors, but who rapidly 
 recovers health and strength in a journey through Asia Minor with his 
 guardians and Yussuf as their guide. Their adventures culminate in their 
 being snowed up for the winter in the mountains, from which they escape 
 while their captors are waiting for the ransom that does not come. 
 
 " This story is told with such real freshness and vicour that the reader ftels he is 
 actually one of the party, sharing in the fun and facing the dangers w,th them." 
 
 Pall Mall Gatttte. 
 
 (f)
 
 From THE DRAGON OF PEKIN 
 BY CAPT. F. S. BRERETON. $s. (Seepage n) 
 
 "WITH A SHOUT HE THREW HIMSELF UPON THE MAN BEARING 
 THE SWORD"
 
 BLACKJES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 Dr. GORDON STABLES, R.N. 
 
 In Far Bolivia : A Story of a Stran e Wil <i Land. 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations by J. 
 
 FlNNEMORE, R.I. 3.?. 6d. 
 
 Life on the beautiful plantation on the banks of the great Amazon flows 
 gently and dreamily on, until the abduction of the heroine by Bolivian 
 savages. Then the stir indeed begins, and the adventures of the rescue- 
 party, in which the heroine's boy cousin and his chum are the moving 
 spirits, are the subject of an enthralling narrative. 
 
 "Written in Dr. Gordon Stables' best style." -Yorkshire Herald. 
 
 "An exciting and altogether admirable story. "Sheffield Telegraph. 
 
 -In Quest of the Giant Sloth with6fuii- P a g e 
 
 Illustrations by 
 J. FlNNEMORE, R.I. Cloth elegant, y, 6d. 
 
 The hero and his companions set out to find that most marvellous 
 South American survival the Giant Sloth. In the course of their eventful 
 journey they meet many strange animals, and men far wilder than the 
 beasts themselves. 
 
 " Marked by all the author's characteristic breeziness." Saturday Review. 
 
 Capt. F. S. BRERETON, R.A.M.C. 
 
 The Dragon of Pekin: p St , ory l. th " 8 Bo /n r 
 
 O Revolt. With 8 full- 
 
 page Illustrations by W. RAINEY, R.I., and Map. Cloth elegant, $s. 
 
 Bob Duncan and his friend enter the besieged Legations in Pekin, 
 and volunteer to carry despatches to Tientsin. They rescue Mr. Duncan 
 from the Chinese, and having seen heavy fighting at Tientsin, and 
 marched to the relief of the Legations, they follow his captor hotly, only 
 to witness his tragic death at the hands of a Boxer whom he has cruelly 
 wronged. 
 
 " Gives an excellent picture of life in China, and is brimful of brave deeds, hair- 
 breadth escapes, battles, and stratagems." Literary World. 
 
 -A Gallant Grenadier: 
 
 Illustrations by WAL PAGET, and Map. Cloth elegant, 55-. 
 
 Phil Western, who is high-spirited to the verge of recklessness, longs for 
 the life of a soldier, and disappoints his adoptive father by enlisting. He 
 sails to the Crimea, and takes part in the historic battles fought on the 
 outskirts of Sebastopol. Many and hazardous are his adventures, for he 
 is twice a prisoner, and actually takes part in the famous charge of the 
 Light Brigade at Balaclava. 
 
 " Full of dash and spirit." Atlienu'mn.
 
 BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 LEON GOLSCHMANN 
 
 A Story of the Siberian Forest. Adapted 
 from the Russian by LON GOLSCHMANN. 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. 3-y. 6d. 
 
 Two Russian lads are so deeply impressed by reading Robinson Crusoe 
 that they run away from home. They lose their way in a huge trackless 
 forest, and for two years are kept busy hunting for food, fighting against 
 wolves and other enemies, and labouring to increase their comforts, before 
 they are rescued. 
 
 " This is a story after a boy's own heart." Nottingham Guardian. 
 
 FRED SMITH 
 
 The World of Animal Life. ^ e T d H by F p R r D 
 
 fusely Illustrated with Engravings after F. SPECHT and other 
 eminent artists. Cloth elegant, 5-r. 
 
 The aim of The World of Animal Life is to give in non-scientific lan- 
 guage an account of those inhabitants of the land, sea, and sky with whose 
 names we are all familiar, but concerning whose manner of life the majority 
 of us have only the haziest conceptions. 
 
 "An admirable volume for the young mind enquiring after Nature." 
 
 Birmingham Gazette. 
 
 MEREDITH FLETCHER 
 
 Every Inch a Briton : A ^ Story K Q with 6 
 
 J page Illustrations by SYDNEY 
 
 COWELL. 3.?. 6d. 
 
 This story is written from the point of view of an ordinary boy, who gives 
 an animated account of a young public-schoolboy's life. No moral is 
 drawn ; yet the story indicates a kind of training that goes to promote 
 veracity, endurance, and enterprise ; and of each of several of the characters 
 it might be truly said, he is worthy to be called, " Every Inch a Briton ". 
 
 " In Every Inch a Briton Mr. Meredith Fletcher has scored a success." 
 
 Manchester Guardian. 
 
 JOHN SAMSON 
 
 In the Dictator's Grip: A sty of Adventure in 
 
 i the Pampas and Para- 
 guay. With 6 page Illustrations by PAUL HARDY. 3.5-. 6</. 
 
 The hero, an English country lad, goes to sea, and, arriving at Montevideo 
 at the time of the British invasion of 1801, takes part in General Whitelock's 
 disastrous expedition. Afterwards he lives on the pampas, hunts game in 
 Patagonia, and ultimately journeys to Paraguay, where he witnesses and 
 experiences the effects of the rule of the terrible Dictator, Dr. Francia. 
 
 " Full of movement and 'go', and as fresh as to be especially exciting." World. 
 
 (12)
 
 BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 E. HARCOURT BURRAGE 
 
 Carbineer and Scout: ^ ory of the T * oe t r ) Van 
 
 With 4 pace Illustrations 
 by N. TESTELIN. Cloth elegant, 2s. 6d. 
 
 Hugh Dunstan and Cyril Johnstone are driven by circumstances into 
 the arena of war, and, having joined the Carbineers, are selected for 
 special scouting service. In this work their pluck and resource find ample 
 scope, and the story presents a kaleidoscopic picture of the battles, 
 skirmishes, and ambushes, and the thousand and one incidents of warfare. 
 
 " Crammed with exciting incidents, and cannot fail to arouse the interest and 
 patriotism of young readers." Graphic. 
 
 FRED SMITH 
 
 The Boyhood of a Naturalist. 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, y. 6d. New Edition. 
 
 Few lovers of Nature have given to the world a series of recollections so 
 entertaining, so vigorous, and so instinct with life as these delightful remin- 
 iscences. The author takes the reader with him in the rambles in which he 
 spent the happiest hours of his boyhood, a humble observer of the myriad 
 forms of life in field and copse, by stream and hedgerow. 
 
 "We cannot too highly recommend the book to all readers." Guardian. 
 
 EDGAR PICKERING 
 
 An Olrl TirnR Yorn Adventures in the West Indies 
 
 /in um- n . and Mexico with Hawkins and 
 
 Drake. With 6 page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. 3^. 6d. 
 
 The hero sails from Plymouth in the flagship of Master John Hawkins. 
 Divers are the perils through which he passes. Chief of these are the 
 destruction of the English ships by the treacherous Spaniards, the fight 
 round the burning vessels, the journey of the prisoners to the city of Mexico, 
 the horrors of the Inquisition, and the final escape to England. 
 
 "An excellent story of adventure. . . . The book is thoroughly to be recom- 
 mended. " Guardian. 
 
 WALTER P. WRIGHT 
 An Ocean Adventurer: < 
 
 Illustrations by PAUL HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 There is a fight at the beginning of this story, and treasure at the end of 
 it. From the day he is robbed of his father's priceless secret, through all 
 the desperate adventures of the privateer Orb, until he solves the great 
 mystery, Frank Pingle has a thrilling time of it, and so will his reader. 
 
 "A breezy and exciting sea story . . . which is full of stirring incidents from be- 
 ginning to end." Court Circular. 
 
 (13)
 
 BLACKIES STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 CHARLES SQUIRE 
 
 The Great Khan's Treasure : A Story of 
 
 Adventure m 
 
 Chinese Tartary. With 6 full-page Illustrations by MONRO S. 
 ORR. Cloth elegant, y. 6d. 
 
 The hero fits out a small expedition to go to Mongolia and search for a 
 treasure the whereabouts of which he learned from a letter in the possession 
 of his father. The adventurers run the gauntlet of wolves and brigands in 
 the great Gobi Desert, and find the treasure only to discover that it is 
 guarded by Tartars. After many hairbreadth escapes, they succeed in 
 carrying off the treasure in the face of their enemies. 
 "A capital book of stirring adventure." Guardian. 
 
 S. BARING-GOULD 
 Grettir the Outlaw: A f ^%?. Icdan ?J" th * days 
 
 oi the Vikings. With 6 page 
 Illustrations by M. ZENO DIEMER. 3^. New Edition. 
 
 A narrative of adventure of the most romantic kind. No boy will be able 
 to withstand the magic of such scenes as the fight of Grettir with the twelve 
 bearserks, the wrestle with Karr the Old in the chamber of the dead, the 
 combat with the spirit of Glam the thrall, and the defence of the dying 
 Grettir by his younger brother. 
 
 " Has a freshness, a freedom, a sense of sun and wind and the open air, which make 
 it irresistible." National Observer. 
 
 C. J. CUTCLIFFE HYNE 
 
 The Captured Cruiser: >. ?? Years ^ Land - 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations 
 by F. BRANGWYN. New Edition, y. 6d. 
 
 The central incidents deal with the capture, during the war between Chili 
 and Peru, of an armed cruiser. The heroes and their companions break 
 from prison in Valparaiso, board this warship in the night, overpower the 
 watch, escape to sea under the fire of the forts, and finally, after marvellous 
 adventures, lose the cruiser among the icebergs near Cape Horn. 
 
 " The two lads and the two skippers are admirably drawn. Mr. Hyne has now 
 secured a position in the first rank of writers of fiction for boys." Spectator. 
 
 - Stimson's Reef: th 4 ** iu^ ions by A ^ s " 
 
 STAGEY. New Edition. 2s. 6d. 
 
 This is the extended log of a cutter which sailed from the Clyde to the 
 Amazon in search of a gold reef. It relates how they discovered the 
 bucaneer's treasure in the Spanish Main, fought the Indians, turned aside 
 the river Jamary by blasting, and so laid bare the gold of Stimson's Reef. 
 
 " Few stories come within hailing distance of Stimson's Reef'm startling incidents 
 and hairbreadth 'scapes. It may almost vie with Mr. R. L. Stevenson's Treasure 
 Island. " Guardian.
 
 From A GALLANT GRENADIER 
 BY CAPT. F. S. BRERETON. $s. (See page n) 
 
 "A PISTOL EXPLODED ALMOST IN HIS FACE"
 
 BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 MICHAEL MACMILLAN 
 
 Tales of Indian Chivalry. * 6 P* ge " lus - 
 
 / trations by PAUL 
 HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 Professor Macmillan's great acquaintance with India and Indian litera- 
 ture has placed an almost unequalled store of romance at his disposal; and 
 the present collection of typical stories of Rajput, Moghul, and Mahratta 
 chivalry should win for itself a permanent place among the treasures of the 
 British schoolboy. 
 
 " Capital reading for boys." Outlook. 
 
 HARRY COLLINGWOOD 
 
 Pirafp "Manr! With 6 P a e Illus trations by C. 
 QQ< J. STANILAND and J. R. WELLS. 
 y. New Edition. 
 
 By a deed of true gallantry the hero's whole destiny is changed, and, going 
 to sea, he forms one of a party who, after being burned out of their ship in 
 the South Pacific, are picked up by a pirate brig and taken to the " Pirate 
 Island ". After many thrilling adventures, they ultimately succeed in 
 effecting their escape. 
 
 "A capital story of the sea; indeed in our opinion the author is superior in some 
 respects as a marine novelist to the better-known Mr. Clark Russell." Times. 
 
 FLORENCE COOMBE 
 
 Boys of the Priory School. 
 
 HAROLD COPPING, is. 6d. 
 
 The interest centres in the relations of Raymond and Hal Wentworth, 
 and the process by which Raymond, the hero of the school, learns that in 
 the person of his ridiculed cousin there beats a heart more heroic than his 
 own. 
 
 " It is an excellent work of its class, cleverly illustrated with ' real boys ' by Mr. 
 Harold Copping." Literature. 
 
 JANE H. SPETTIGUE 
 
 A Trek and a Laager: A Borderland story, with 
 
 o 4 page Illustrations by 
 
 PAUL HARDY. 2s. 6d. 
 
 A story of pioneer life in South Africa, full of stirring adventure and in- 
 teresting information about the country. The hero and his sister are cut 
 off from the laager by a party of natives, and are captured by the Kafirs 
 after making a bold stand against overwhelming odds. They escape and 
 reach the laager, which is afterwards fiercely attacked by the natives, but 
 is successfully defended. 
 
 " Full of novelty and excitement." Spectator. 
 (16)
 
 Blackie & Son's 
 
 Story Books for Girls 
 
 KATHARINE TYNAN 
 
 A Girl of Galway. ^ 8 M ^ e "lustrations 
 
 / by JOHN H. BACON. 6s. 
 
 When Bertha Grace is on the threshold of young womanhood, she goes 
 to stay with her grandfather in Ireland, with the trust from her mother of 
 reconciling him and his son, Bertha's father. Bertha finds her grandfather 
 a recluse and a miser, and in the hands of an underling, who is his evil 
 genius. How she keeps faith with her mother and finds her own fate, 
 through many strange adventures, is the subject of the story. 
 
 " Full of the poetic charm we are accustomed to find in the works of that gifted 
 writer." World. 
 
 ETHEL F. HEDDLE 
 
 An Orirrirml f^irl with 8 ^H-page Illustrations 
 ^^to 11 by GORDON BROWNE. 6s. 
 
 The heroine, Christobel Beauchamp, makes her living by typewriting in 
 an office till chance throws her across the path of Lady Anne Prideaux, 
 her grandmother, from whom her parents have been estranged. Lady 
 Anne desires to adopt Christobel, but the girl returns to her father, who 
 sadly needs her help. A love story, in which Donald Ramsay, a rising 
 young Scotsman, is the wooer, forms a not unimportant part of the plot. 
 
 "Will be acceptable and enjoyable at any time and whoever the reader may 
 be." Glasgow Herald. 
 
 CAROLINE AUSTIN 
 
 Con sin GeofFrev and T with 6 full -P a g e Illus - 
 ^oub .rey ana i. tmtions by w PARK . 
 
 INSON. 3-y. 
 
 The only daughter of a country gentleman finds herself unprovided for at 
 her father's death, and for some time lives as a dependant upon her kins- 
 man. Life is kept from being unbearable to her by her young cousin 
 Geoffrey, who at length meets with a serious accident for which she is held 
 responsible. She makes a brave attempt to earn her own livelihood, until 
 a startling event brings her cousin Geoffrey and herself together again. 
 
 " Miss Austin's story is bright, clever, and well developed." Saturday Review. 
 [46] (17) B
 
 BLACKIES BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS 
 
 With 6 Illustrati 
 by HAROLD COPPING. 
 
 A Queen among Girls. with 6 Illustrations 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3-r. 6d. 
 
 Augusta Pembroke is the head of her school, the favourite of her teachers 
 and fellow-pupils, who are attracted by her fearless and independent nature, 
 and her queenly bearing. She dreams of a distinguished professional 
 career; but the course of her life is changed suddenly by pity for her 
 timid little brother Adrian, the victim of his guardian-uncle's harshness. 
 The story describes the daring means adopted by Augusta for Adrian's relief. 
 
 "An interesting and well-written narrative, in which humour and a keen eye for 
 character unite to produce a book happily adapted for modern maidens." Globe. 
 
 A Oirl rf To-Dciv With 6 P a S e Illustrations by 
 *V * G. D. HAMMOND, R.I. y. 6d. 
 
 " What are Altruists?" humbly asks a small boy. " They are only people 
 who try to help others," replies the Girl of To-Day. To help their poorer 
 neighbours, the boys and girls of Woodend band themselves together into 
 the Society of Altruists. That they have plenty of fun is seen in the 
 shopping expedition and in the successful Christmas entertainment. 
 
 " It is a spirited story. The characters are true to nature and carefully developed. 
 Such a book as this is exactly what is needed to give a school-girl an interest in the 
 development of character." Educational Times. 
 
 FRANCES ARMSTRONG 
 
 A Fair Pi aim ant- The Story of a Girl's Life. With 
 naill: - 6 page Illustrations by G. DEMAIN 
 HAMMOND, R.I. 3-r. 
 
 The heroine, when a child, is found deserted in an attic. She is adopted 
 by a wealthy lady, and resides abroad until the death of her benefactress. 
 Thereafter, Olive Bethune comes to England as a governess, and then 
 begins to learn her own strange history. It is a tale of surprising vicissi- 
 tude, but in the end all the wrongs are pleasantly righted. 
 
 " There is a fascination about this story. The splendid character of the heroine, 
 together with the happy manner in which the interest is sustained to the end, combine 
 to make this one of the most acceptable gift-books of the season." Church Review. 
 
 G. NORWAY 
 A True Cornish Maid. 
 
 The heroine of the tale is sister to a young fellow who gets into trouble 
 in landing a contraband cargo on the Cornish coast. In his extremity the 
 girl stands by her brother bravely, and by means of her daring scheme he 
 manages to escape. 
 
 '' The success of the year has fallen, we think, to Mrs. Norway, whose True 
 Cornish Maid is really an admirable piece of work." Review of Reviews. 
 
 (*)
 
 From A GIRL OF GALWAY 
 BY KATHARINE TYNAN. 6s. (See page 17) 
 
 "COAL AND GOLD, MISS, COAL AND GOLD
 
 BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 ROSA MULHOLLAND (LADY GILBERT) 
 Cynthia's Bonnet Shop. 
 
 HAMMOND, R.I. 5*. 
 
 Cynthia and her star-struck sister Befind go to London, the former to 
 open the bonnet shop, and the other to pursue the study of astronomy. 
 How both girls find new interests in life, more important even than bonnet 
 shop or star-gazing, is described with mingled humour and pathos in this 
 charming story. 
 
 "Just of the kind to please and fascinate a host of girl readers." 
 
 Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 f^ian net-fa A Girl's Story of Hersell. With 6 full-page 
 
 LlClld. j llustrations by LOCKHART BOGLE. 3* 
 
 The story of a changeling who is suddenly transferred to the position of 
 a rich English heiress. She develops into a good and accomplished woman, 
 and has gained too much love and devotion to be a sufferer by the surrender 
 of her estates. 
 
 ANNIE E. ARMSTRONG 
 Violet Vereker's Vanity. , w f t 6 ful !/^ e n n ' 
 
 J lustrations by G. DE- 
 MAIN HAMMOND, R.I. 3.5-. 6d. 
 
 The heroine was an excellent girl in most respects. But she had one 
 small weakness, which expressed itself in a snobbish dislike of her neigh- 
 bours the Sugdens, whose social position she deemed beneath her own. In 
 the end, however, the girl acknowledged her folly, with results which are 
 sure to delight the reader. 
 
 "A book for girls that we can heartily recommend, for it is bright, sensible, ard 
 with a right tone of thought and feeling." Stieffield Independent. 
 
 ALICE CORKRAN 
 
 Margery Merton's Girlhood. 
 
 o J page Illustra- 
 
 tions by GORDON BROWNE. 3-$-. 6d. 
 
 The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her father an 
 officer in India to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. The 
 accounts of the various persons who have an after influence on the story are 
 singularly vivid. 
 
 "Margery Merton's Girlhood is a piece of true literature, as dainty as it is deli- 
 cate, and as sweet as it is simple." Woman's World. 
 
 (*>)
 
 BLACKIE'S BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 ELIZA F. POLLARD 
 
 The Doctor's Niece. ith 6 c 
 
 SYDNEY COWELL. 3^. 6d. 
 
 The scene of this charming story is laid in Brittany at the end of the 
 eighteenth century. Rosette, the heroine, is brought up very simply as 
 the niece of a country doctor, but is educated considerably above her 
 station. When she is about sixteen she becomes companion to a little 
 girl at a neighbouring chateau. The peasants break out in rebellion, 
 under the leadership of a young Royalist refugee. Her charge mysteriously 
 disappears, and she goes out into the woods to find her. The result of 
 the adventure is that Rosette discovers her mother, who proves to be the 
 rightful owner of the chateau, and the tale ends happily. 
 
 " Sure to interest girls who love a good, wholesome, exciting book." 
 
 Literary World. 
 
 MRS. E. J. LYSAGHT 
 
 Rrnfh^r snrl ^icfpr With 6 P a S e Illustrations by 
 
 Drotner ana sister . GORDON BR OWNE. y . &* 
 
 1 A story showing, by the narrative of the vicissitudes and struggles of a 
 
 family which has " come down in the world ", and of the brave endeavours 
 of its two younger members, how the pressure of adversity is mitigated by 
 domestic affection, mutual confidence, and hopeful honest effort. 
 
 "A pretty story, and well told. The plot is cleverly constructed, and the moral is 
 excellent." Atheiueum. 
 
 ANNE BE ALE 
 The Heiress of Courtleroy. ^^[0"^ 
 
 T. C. H. CASTLE. $s. 
 
 Mimica, the heroine, comes to England as an orphan, .and is coldly 
 received by her uncle. The girl has a brave nature, however, and succeeds 
 in saving the estate from ruin and in reclaiming her uncle from the misan- 
 thropical disregard of his duties as a landlord. 
 
 SARAH TYTLER 
 
 A T nvsl T it-He VTnirl With 4 page Illustrations by 
 
 j\ L,oyai tittle iviaia. PAUI HARDY 2S 6(f 
 
 This pretty story is founded on a romantic episode of Mar's rebellion. 
 A little girl has information which concerns the safety of her father in hid- 
 ing, and this she firmly refuses to divulge to a king's officer. She is lodged 
 in the Tolbooth, where she finds a boy champion, whom in future years she 
 rescues in Paris from the lettre de cachet which would bury him in the Bastille. 
 
 " Has evidently been a pleasure to write, and makes very enjoyable reading." 
 
 Ltteratvrt.
 
 From AN ORIGINAL GIRL 
 BY ETHEL F. HEDDLE. 6s. (Seepage 17) 
 
 "CHRISTOBEL GAVE HIM AN ACCOUNT OF THE INTERVIEW 1 '
 
 BLACKIES BOOKS FOR GIRLS 
 
 The Four Miss Whittingtons : . f tor >L f r 
 
 o Girls. With 
 
 8 full-page Illustrations by CHARLES M. SHELDON. 5.$-. 
 
 This story tells how four sisters, left alone in the world, went to London 
 to seek their fortunes. They had between them .400, and this they re- 
 solved to spend on training themselves for the different careers for which 
 they were severally most fitted. On their limited means this was hard 
 work, but their courageous experiment was on the whole very successful. 
 "A story of endeavour, industry, and independence of spirit." World. 
 
 ALICE STRONACH 
 
 A Newnham Friendship, with 6 fuii-page nius- 
 
 F trations by HAROLD 
 COPPING. 3-$-. 6d. 
 
 A sympathetic description of life at Newnham College. After the tripos 
 excitements, some of the students leave their dream-world of study and 
 talk of "cocoas" and debates and athletics to begin their work in the real 
 world. Men students play their part in the story, and in the closing 
 chapters it" is suggested that marriage has its place in a girl graduate's life. 
 
 " Foremost among all the gift-books suitable for school-girls this season stands Miss 
 Alice Stronach's A Newnliam Friendship." Daily Graphic. 
 
 BESSIE MARCHANT 
 
 Three Girls on a Ranch: S - tory ** 
 
 Mexico. With 4 
 page Illustrations by W. E. WEBSTER. Cloth elegant, 2s. 6d. 
 
 The Lovell family emigrate from England to New Mexico, where they 
 settle on a ranch. Mr. Lovell is delicate and unfit for farming, but the 
 three eldest girls take upon themselves the burden of working the ranch. 
 They have adventures of a perilous kind, and the story of their mishaps 
 and how they overcame them is throughout both exciting a id stimulating. 
 "A story with a fresh, bright theme, well handled." Nottingham Guardian. 
 "A rousing book for young people." Queen. 
 
 Relrl Pt RanSOTTT A Story of Colonial Life. With 4 
 
 full-page Illustrations by SYDNEY 
 
 COWELL. 2S. 6(t. 
 
 A story of life in Cape Colony shortly after the discovery of diamonds at 
 Kimberley. How the heroine ransoms her father, but herself falls into the 
 hands of his captors, and how both are eventually rescued, is told in a most 
 graphic and entertaining manner. 
 
 "A stirring, graphically-written story." Bookman.
 
 J. M. CALLWELL 
 
 A Little Irish Girl. l ^T^ d b 7 H -J OPPING - 
 
 Cloth elegant, 2s. oa. 
 
 An orphaned family inherit a small property on the coast of Clare. The 
 two youngest members of the party have some thrilling adventures in their 
 western home. They encounter seals, smugglers, and a ghost, and lastly, 
 by most startling means, they succeed in restoring their eldest brother to 
 his rightful place as heir to the ancestral estates. 
 
 "Sure to prove of thrilling interest to both boys and girls." Literary World. 
 
 SARAH DOUDNEY 
 
 Under False Colours: f . Sto ^ * Tw ni rls> 
 
 Lives. With 6 page Illus- 
 trations by G. G. KILBURNE. 45. 
 
 A story which wiU attract readers of all ages and of either sex. The 
 incidents of the plot, arising' from the thoughtless indulgence of a deceptive 
 freak, are exceedingly natural, and the keen interest of the narrative is sus- 
 tained from beginning to end. Under False Colours is a book which will 
 rivet the attention, amuse the fancy, and touch the heart. 
 
 " This is a charming story, abounding in delicate touches of sentiment and pathos. 
 Its plot is skilfully contrived. It will be read with a warm interest by every girl who 
 takes it up." Scotsman. 
 
 E. EVERETT-GREEN 
 
 Miriam's Ambition, with illustrations, 2*6*2 
 
 Miriam's ambition is to make someone happy, and her endeavour carries 
 with it a train of incident, solving a mystery which had thrown a shadow 
 over several lives. A charming foil to her grave elder sister is to be found 
 in Miss Babs, a small coquette of five, whose humorous child-talk is so 
 attractive. 
 
 " Miss Everett-Green's children are real British boys and girls, not smell men and 
 women. Babs is a charming little one." Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 EMMA LESLIE 
 
 Gytha's Message: * , Tale of Saxon ^ gland with 
 
 / D Illustrations. 2s. 6d. 
 
 We get a glimpse of the stirring events taking place at that period; and 
 both boys and girls will delight to read of the home life of Hilda and 
 Gytha, and of the brave deeds of the impulsive Gurth and the faithful 
 Lcofric. 
 
 " This is a charmingly told story. It is the sort of book that all girls and some 
 boys like, and can only get good from." Journal of Education. 
 
 (MJ
 
 Blackie & Son's 
 
 Finely Illustrated Books for 
 
 Children 
 
 CHARLES ROBINSON- -WALTER 
 JERROLD 
 
 Nonsense, Nonsense! 28 ^ es in Colour > 
 
 36 pages in two colours, cover 
 
 design and end papers, by CHARLES ROBINSON. Verses by 
 WALTER JERROLD. Picture boards, cloth back, 6.r. ' 
 
 Mr. Charles Robinson has excelled himself in this irresistibly droll series 
 of nonsense pictures, and he has had a fruitful source of inspiration in the 
 verses of Mr. -Walter Jerrold, who shows himself a master of the difficult 
 art of writing nonsense jingles for children. The book forms an ideal gift 
 for a child of whatever age. 
 
 "The chief nonsense book of the year is Nonsense, Nonsense!" Academy. 
 
 STEWART ORR JOHN BRYMER 
 
 Osmmnn snrl Snirmrh pictures b y STEWART 
 Spinacn. QRR V ersesbyJOHN 
 
 BRYMER. Cover design and 24 pages in Full Colour. Picture 
 boards, cloth back, 6.y. 
 
 In Gammon and Spinach Mr. Stewart Orr has produced a picture-book 
 unique of its kind. Nothing could be more droll than the situations in 
 which he represents the frog, the pig, the mouse, the elephant, and the 
 other well-known characters who appear in his pages. Little folk will 
 find in these pictures a source of endless delight, and the artistic skill which 
 they display will have a special appeal to children of an older growth. 
 "Should attain a wide popularity in the nursery." Morning Post. 
 
 MRS. PERCY DEARMER 
 
 Roundabout Rhymes. with 20 full ;P age K Illu f/ a - 
 
 J tions in colour by Mrs. 
 
 PERCY UEARMER. Imperial 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d. 
 
 A charming volume of verses and colour pictures for little folk rhymes 
 and pictures about most of the everyday events of nursery life. 
 
 "The best verses written for children since Stevenson's Ckiltfs Garden." 
 
 Tke Guardian. 
 
 (as)
 
 BLACKI&S BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 HARRY B. NEILSON 
 
 F)ro11 DoinP"S Illustrated by HARRY B. NEILSON, with 
 O Verses by the Cockiolly Bird. Twenty- 
 three full pages and 18 vignettes in full colour. Royal 4to, picture 
 boards, cloth back, 6s. 
 
 In Droll Doings Mr. Harry B. Neilson has produced a picture-book of 
 striking originality and irresistible humour. He shows us our most familiar 
 friends in the animal world engaged in the same pursuits, playing the same 
 tricks, and involved in the same scrapes, as ordinary human girls and boys. 
 The Cockiolly Bird pipes a merry note, and his song will add not a little 
 to the enjoyment of the happy youngsters into whose hands this delightful 
 volume may come. 
 
 "Distinctly clever and funny." Record. 
 
 "A really delightful picture book." Gentlewoman. 
 
 H. B. NEILSON 
 An Animal ABC. w f ? pages in 7, 
 
 and 26 pages in black-and- 
 white. Picture boards, cloth back, 2s. 6d. 
 
 A novel and most amusing picture alphabet. "Mr. Neilson", says 
 the Academy, "has a positive genius for making animals comic." 
 "Children", says the Daily Graphic, "will certainly revel in his work." 
 All the most familiar figures in the animal world have a place in these 
 pages; and Mr. Neilson's extraordinary skill shows itself in the fact that, 
 although his characters are masquerading in human garb, their identity 
 can never be mistaken. 
 
 "Will make the alphabet a subject of laughter instead of tears." World. 
 
 FRED SMITH 
 
 The Animal Book. * at ^ a ' H ' st ry ^ Lit , tle 
 
 Folk. With a Coloured Frontis- 
 piece and 34 full-page Illustrations by F. SPECHT. Crown quarto, 
 uX inches by 9^ inches, picture boards, cloth back, 2s. 6d. 
 
 This book consists of a series of bright and instructive sketches of the 
 better-known wild beasts, describing their appearance, character and habits, 
 and the position they hold in the animal kingdom. The text is printed in 
 a large, clear type, and is admirably illustrated with powerful, realistic 
 pictures of the various creatures in their native state by that eminent animal 
 artist F. Specht. 
 
 " A work of the greatest value to the young." Eastern Morning News. 
 (26)
 
 From NONSENSE, NONSENSE! 
 BY CHARLES ROBINSON WALTER JERROLD. 6s. (See page 25) 
 
 There are Twins on a farm on tHe prairie, 
 "WKo are Known as young' Marg'ret and Mary; 
 
 EacK is so liKe the other 
 
 That even their Mother 
 Calls Mary, Madge; Marg'aret, Mary!
 
 BLACKIES BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 OUR DARLING'S FIRST BOOK 
 
 Bright Pictures and Easy Lessons for 
 
 Little Folk Q uarto > I0 /^ inches by 7^ inches, picture 
 ' boards, \s.\ cloth, gilt edges, 2s. 
 
 An interesting and instructive picture lesson-book for very little folk. 
 Beginning with an illustrated alphabet of large letters, the little reader goes 
 forward by easy stages to word-making, reading, counting, writing, and 
 finally to the most popular nursery rhymes and tales. 
 
 ' ' The very perfection of a child's alphabet and spelling-book. " St. James's Budget. 
 
 ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS 
 
 Thn<sP Twins I With a Frontispiece and 28 Illustrations 
 by S. B. PEARSE. Cloth elegant, 2s. 6d. 
 
 Two little rogues are the twins, Horatio and Tommy; but loyal-hearted 
 and generous to boot, and determined to resist the stern decree of their 
 aunt that they shall forsake the company of their scapegrace grown-up 
 cousin Algy. So they deliberately set to work to "reform" the scape- 
 grace; and succeed so well that he wins back the love of his aunt, and 
 delights the twins by earning a V.C. in South Africa. 
 " A merry story for young and old." World. 
 
 A. B. ROMNEY 
 
 Little Village Folk. ^ p h E 37 !|^ tions by RoBERT 
 
 A series of delightful stories of Irish village children. Miss Romney 
 opens up a new field in these beautiful little tales, which have the twofold 
 charm of humour and poetic feeling. 
 
 "A story-book that will be welcomed wherever it makes its way." Literary World. 
 
 JENNIE CHAPPELL 
 
 TernVc Travel c Or > The Adventures of a Small 
 
 raveis. Boy with 2I Illustrations by 
 
 S. B. PEARSE. Cloth extra, 2s. 
 
 Terrie wanders away from the nurse who has charge of him, and after 
 being carried out to sea in a drifting boat, and rescued by a fishing smack, 
 is handed from one guardian to another, is believed to be drowned, has 
 sundry scrapes and adventures, and is finally restored to his father's arms. 
 
 "Will keep young readers in a state of excited suspense and bewilderment to the 
 very end. " Glasgow Herald.
 
 BLACKIEb BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 STORIES BY GEORGE MAC DONALD 
 
 (NEW AND UNIFORM EDITION) 
 
 Shaking. With I2 P a * e ** by W. 
 & PARKINSON. Crown 8vo, cloth 
 elegant, y. 6d. 
 
 Clare, the hero of the story, is a boy whose mother is killed at his side by 
 the fall of a church during an earthquake. The kindly clergyman and his 
 wife, who adopt him, die while he is still very young, and he is thrown upon 
 the world a second time. The narrative of his wanderings is full of interest 
 and novelty, the boy's unswerving honesty and his passion for children and 
 animals leading him into all sorts of adventures. He works on a farm, sup- 
 ports a baby in an old deserted house, finds employment in a menagerie, 
 becomes a bank clerk, is kidnapped, and ultimately discovers his father on 
 board the ship to which he has been conveyed. 
 
 At the Back of the North Wind. 
 
 Illustra- 
 tions by ARTHUR HUGHES, and a Frontispiece by LAURENCE Hous- 
 MAN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3-y. 6d. 
 
 "In At the Back of the North Wind we stand with one foot in fairyland and one on 
 common earth. The story is thoroughly original, full of fancy and pathos." The Times. 
 
 Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, wwhtfinu 
 
 J trations by 
 
 ARTHUR HUGHES. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 " Dr. Mac Donald has a real understanding of boy nature, and he has in consequence 
 written a capital story, judged from their stand-point, with a true ring all through which 
 ensures its success." The Spectator. 
 
 The Princess and the Goblin. 
 
 HUGHES, and a Frontispiece by LAURENCE HOUSMAN. Crown 8vo, 
 cloth elegant, 3^. 6d. 
 
 In the sphere of fantasy George Mac Donald has very few equals, and his 
 rare touch of many aspects of life invariably gives to his stories a deeper mean- 
 ing of the highest value. His Princess and Goblin exemplifies both gifts. A 
 fine thread of allegory runs through the narrative of the adventures of the 
 young miner, who, amongst other marvellous experiences, finds his way into 
 the caverns of the gnomes, and achieves a final victory over them. 
 
 Trie Prinre<:<; and Curdle With Frontispiece and 
 
 > ana ^uruic. 3o IIlustrations by 
 
 HELEN STRATTON. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 3-r. 6d. 
 
 A sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, tracing the history of the young 
 miner and the princess after the return of the latter to her father's court, where 
 more terrible foes have to be encountered than the grotesque earth-dwellers.
 
 From a Colour Illustration in 
 MY PRETTY PICTURE BOOK 
 
 (See page 32) 
 
 w, 
 
 HIGHER STILL!
 
 BLACKIES BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 NEW "GRADUATED" SERIES 
 
 With coloured frontispiece and black-and-white illustrations 
 
 "M"O child of six or seven should have any difficulty in reading- and 
 understanding- unaided the pretty stories in the 6d. series. In the 
 gd. series the language used is slig-htly more advanced, but is well within 
 the capacity of children of seven and upwards, while the is. series is de- 
 signed for little folk of somewhat greater attainments. If the stories are 
 read to and not by children, it will be found that the 6d. gd. and is. series 
 are equally suitable for little folk of all ages. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT A SHILLING 
 
 Bears and Dacoits. By G. A. HENTY. New Edition. 
 
 Crusoes of the Frozen "North. By Dr. GORDON STABLES. 
 
 A Saxon Maid. By ELIZA F. POLLARD. 
 
 Uncle Bob. By MEREDITH FLETCHER. 
 
 Betty the Bold. By ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS. 
 
 Jack of Both Sides. By FLORENCE COOMBE. 
 
 Do Your Duty! By G. A. HENTY. 
 
 Tony's Pains and Gains. By W. L. ROOFER. 
 
 Terry. By ROSA MULHOLLAND (Lady Gilbert). 
 
 The Choir School. By FREDERICK HARRISON. 
 
 The Skipper. By E. CUTHELL. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT NINEPENCE 
 
 Cherrythorpe Fair. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 
 Little Greycoat. By ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS. 
 
 Tommy's Trek. By BESSIE MARCHAN r. 
 
 That Boy Jim. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 
 The Adventures of Carlo. By KATHARINE TYNAN. 
 
 The Shoeblack's Cat. By W. L. ROOPER. 
 
 Three Troublesome Monkeys. By A. B. ROMNEY. 
 
 The Little Red Purse. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 
 Put to the Proof. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 
 Irma's Zither. By EDITH KING HALL. 
 
 "GRADUATED" STORIES AT SIXPENCE 
 
 Two Little Crusoes. By A. B. ROMNEY. 
 The Lost Doll. By JENNIE CHAPPELL. 
 Bunny and Furry. By GERALDINE MOCKLER. 
 Bravest of All. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 Winnie's White Frock. By JENNIE CHAPPELL 
 Lost Toby. By M. S. HAYCRAFT. 
 A Boy Cousin. By GERALDINE MOCKLER. 
 Travels of Fuzz and Buzz. By GERALDINE MOCKLER. 
 Teddy's Adventures. By Mrs. HENRY CLARKE. 
 Sahib's Birthday. By L. E. TIDDEMAN. 
 The Secret in the Loft. By MABEL MACKNESS. 
 (31)
 
 BLACKIES BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 
 
 NEW CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS 
 
 Each of these books contains many full-page and other illustrations, a number 
 of which are in colour. The text is printed in bold type, and comprises 
 bright and humorous stories and rhymes, specially written for the purpose. 
 
 IN DOORS AND OUT STORY-BOOK TIME 
 
 Each contains 38 colour pages, over 40 full-page black-and-white 
 Illustrations, and a large number of Vignettes. Quarto, 10^/6 
 inches by 7% inches, picture boards, 2s. 6d. each; cloth, gilt 
 edges, y. 6d. each. 
 
 TWO SHILLING SERIES 
 
 Quarto, 10^5 inches by 7^ inches 
 
 Faithful Friends. 
 
 My Book of Nursery Stories. 
 
 My Very Best Book. 
 
 Arm-chair Stories. 
 
 My Very Own Picture Book. 
 
 Cosy Corner Stories. 
 
 Our Darling's First Book. 
 
 Twenty pages in colour. Cloth, gilt edges, 2s. ; picture boards, is. 
 
 EIGHTEENPENNY SERIES 
 
 My Pretty Picture Book. Strongly and attractively bound in cloth, 
 inches by 6^ inches. Twenty-four pages in colour. 
 
 SIXPENNY SERIES 
 
 Quarto, lO^j inches by 7^ inches 
 
 Bow-Wow Picture Book. 
 Cats and Kits. 
 Friends at the Farm. 
 Once upon a Time. 
 Long, Long Ago. 
 Fairy Tales for Little Folk. 
 Smiles and Dimples. 
 Little Bright-Eyes. 
 For Kittie and Me. 
 
 As Nice as Nice Can Be. 
 Round the Mulberry Bush. 
 Little Rosebud. 
 For My Little Darling. 
 For Dolly and Me. 
 My Own Story Book. 
 Play-time Pictures. 
 Bed-time Stories. 
 For Little Chicks. 
 
 The cover and seven pages in colour. Picture boards. 
 THREEPENNY SERIES 
 
 Baby's Book. 
 Hushaby Stories. 
 Dolly Dimple. 
 
 Dolly's Peep-show. 
 Pussie's Picture Book. 
 A Picture Book for Me. 
 
 Cover and four pages in colour. Picture boards $% inches by 6^ inches. 
 
 (32)
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 MLD 
 \*& 
 
 AUG 
 
 AN' 
 
 7 * 
 
 4 
 
 Form L9-50m-ll.'50 (2554)444 
 
 FEB271988 
 
 1965
 
 3 ' 158 00457 8851 
 
 m m " "iiHini ,iii| |i || 
 
 AA 000370839