Tell me whether I have any
thing to fear from your confederates?"

"The idea of robbing you did occur to us; but we concluded that all your
funds would be in the neighbouring towns; that you would carry no money
to the summit of mountains, where you would not know what to do with it,
and that our expedition against you could have no fruitful result.
Moreover, we cannot pretend to be as strong as the King of Spain. The
King's troops leave us quietly enough to exercise our industry; but on
the day that we molested an envoy from the Emperor of the French, they
would direct against us several regiments, and we should soon have to
succumb. Allow me to add, that the gratitude which I owe to you is your
surest guarantee."

"Very well, I will trust in your words; I shall regulate my conduct by
your answer. Tell me if I can travel at night? It is fatiguing to me to
move from one station to another in the day under the burning influence
of the sun."

"You can do so, sir; I have already given my orders to this purpose;
they will not be infringed."

Some days afterwards, I left for Denia; it was midnight, when some
horsemen rode up to me, and addressed these words to me:--

"Stop there, senor; times are hard; those who have something must aid
those who have nothing. Give us the keys of your trunks; we will only
take your superfluities."

I had already obeyed their orders, when it came into my head to call
out--"But I have been told, that I could travel without risk."

"What is your name, sir?"

"Don Francisco Arago."

"_Hombre! vaya usted con Dios_ (God be with you)."

And our cavaliers, spurring away from us, rapidly lost themselves in a
field of "algarrobos."

When _my friend_ the robber of Cullera assured me that I had nothing to
fear from his subordinates, he informed me at the same time that his
authority did not extend north of Valencia. The banditti of the northern
part of the kingdom obeyed other chiefs; one of whom, after having been
taken, was condemned and hung, and his body divided into four quarters,
which were fastened to posts, on four royal roads, but not without
their having previously been boiled in oil, to make sure of their longer
preservation.

This barbarous custom produced no effect; for scarcely was one chief
destroyed before another presented himself to replace him.

Of all these brigands those had the worst reputation who carried on
their depredations in the environs of Oropeza. The propri