ctions were placed upon the town,
he was exempted from them. Therefore the muleteers were able to
obtain a comfortable meal and, after resting their animals for
three hours, and giving them a good feed of corn, went on a few
miles farther; and then, turning off, encamped among the hills.
They were about to wrap themselves in their cloaks and blankets,
and to lie down for the night, when a number of armed men suddenly
appeared.

"Who are you, and whither are you going?" one, who appeared to be
their leader, asked.

"We are bound for Xeres," Garcia replied, rising to his feet. "We
are commissioned by Senor Moldeno, the well-known wine merchant of
Salamanca, to procure for him--as much good Xeres wine as our mules
will carry."

"It is a pity that we did not meet you on the way back, instead of
on your journey there. We should appreciate the wine quite as
thoroughly as his customers would do. But how do you propose to
bring your wine back, when the whole country south swarms with
Soult's cavalry?"

"Don Moldeno obtained a pass for us from Marmont; who, I suppose,
is one of his customers."

"We could not think of allowing wine to pass for the use of a
French marshal," the man said.

"It is not likely that he will drink it for some time," Garcia
said, carelessly; "for he is marching in this direction himself.
Two of his divisions have probably, by this time, reached Banos;
and we heard at Salamanca that he himself, with the rest of them,
will follow in a day or two."

"That is bad news," the man said. "There will be no travellers
along here, while the army is on its march. Are your mules carrying
nothing now?"

"Nothing at all. The mules would have been requisitioned two days
ago, as were most of the others in Salamanca; but Marmont's pass
saved us."

"Are you carrying the money to buy the wine with?"

"No, Don Moldeno knew better than that. I have only a letter from
him to the house of Simon Peron, at Xeres. He told me that that
would be sufficient, and they would furnish me with the wine, at
once, on my handing the letter to them."

"Well, comrades," the man said, to the others gathered round, "it
is evident that we shall get no booty tonight; and may as well be
off to our own fires, where supper is waiting for us; and move away
from here at daybreak. The French may have parties of horse all
over the hills, tomorrow, searching for provisions, cattle, and
sheep."

"That was a narrow escape," Garcia said,