"I am bidden to place my entire command at your service," he said with
obvious reluctance, glancing out of his little oblique eyes at the young
colonel.

Rollo considered a while before answering.

"It is my opinion that the fewer men concerned in such a venture the
greater the chances of success," he said at last; "furnish me with one
petty officer intimately acquainted with the country between Zaragoza
and San Ildefonso, and I will ask no more."

Cabrera drew a long breath and looked at the young man with infinitely
more approval than he had before manifested.

"You are right," he said, "three times right! If you fail, there are
fewer to go to the gallows. In prison fewer ill-sewn wine-skins to leak
information. If you succeed, there are also fewer to divide the credit
and the reward. For my own part, I do not think you will succeed, but I
will provide you with the best man in my command for your purpose and in
addition heartily wish you well out of your adventure!"

Cabrera was indeed immensely relieved to find the desires of our hero so
moderate. He had been directed to supply him with whatever force he
required, and he expected to be deprived of a regiment at least, at a
most critical time in the affairs of the Absolute King.

"Young man," he said, "you will certainly be shot or hanged before you
are a month older. Nevertheless in the mean time I would desire to have
the honour of shaking you by the hand. If you were not to die so soon,
undoubtedly you would go far! It is a pity. And the Cristinos are bad
shots. They will not do the job half as creditably as my fellows would
have done it for you this morning!"

The man who was chosen by Cabrera to accompany them on their mission was
of a most remarkable appearance. Tall, almost as tall as El Sarria, he
was yet distinguished from his fellows by a notable gauntness and
angularity of figure.

"A step-ladder with the bottom bars missing!" was Rollo's mental
description of him, as he stood before them in a uniform jacket much too
tight for him, through which his ribs showed not unlike the spars of a
ladder.

But in other respects Sergeant Cardono was a remarkable man. The iron
gravity of his countenance, seamed on the right-hand side by a deep
scar, took no new expression when he found himself detailed by his
general for this new and dangerous mission.

With a single salute he fell out and instantly attached himself to
Rollo, whom he relieved of his knapsack