ge the whole country without robbing the
king's throops!" cried he, as he held him fast to the earth with one hand,
while he presented a loaded pistol to his face.

By this time the scene around me was sufficiently ludicrous. Such of the
Guerillas as had not been thrown by force from their saddles, had slid
peaceably down, and depositing their arms upon the ground, dropped upon
their knees in a semicircle around us, and amidst the hoarse laughter of
the troopers, and the irrepressible merriment of the Frenchmen, rose up the
muttered prayers of the miserable Spaniards, who believed that now their
last hour was come.

"_Madre de Dios_, indeed!" cried Mike, imitating the tone of a repentant
old sinner in a patched mantle; "it's much the blessed Virgin thinks of
the like o' ye, thieves and rogues as ye are; it a'most puts me beyond my
senses to see ye there crossing yourselves like _rale_ Christians."

If I could not help indulging myself in this retributive cruelty towards
the chief, and leaving him to the tender mercies of Mike, I ordered the
others to rise and form in line before me. Affecting to occupy myself
entirely with them, I withdrew the attention of all from the French
officers, who remained quiet spectators of the scene around them.

"_Point de facons_, gentlemen," said I, in a whisper. "Get to your horses
and away! Now's your time. Good-by!"

A warm grasp of the hand from each was the only reply, and I turned once
more to my discomforted friends the Guerillas.

"There, Mike, let the poor devil rise. I confess appearances were strong
against me just now."

"Well, Captain, are you convinced by this time that I was not deceiving
you?"

The Guerilla muttered some words of apology between his teeth, and while he
shook the dust from his cloak, and arranged the broken feather of his
hat, cast a look of scowling and indignant meaning upon Mike, whose rough
treatment he had evidently not forgiven.

"Don't be looking at me that way, you black thief! or I'll--"

"Hold there!" said I; "no more of this. Come, gentlemen, we must be
friends. If I mistake not, we've got something like refreshment at our
bivouac. In any case you'll partake of our watch-fire till morning."

They gladly accepted our invitation, and ere half an hour elapsed Mike's
performance in the part of host had completely erased every unpleasant
impression his first appearance gave rise to; and as for myself, when I did
sleep at last, the confused