; "but you must consider that my men, who
are perfect in their own pursuits and able enough to carry on a
guerilla-like fight against the Civil Guards in the mountains, have for
the first time in their lives been brought face to face with a body of
well-drilled soldiers ten times their number, and armed with weapons far
superior to ours."

"That is true," said the officer quietly; "but I expected to have seen
them do more to-day, and, with this strong place to hold, not so ready
to give up as they were."

"You take it, then," said the smuggler, "that we are beaten?"

"His Majesty has been the judge, and it is his opinion."

"His Majesty is a great and good king, then," said the smuggler, "but a
bad judge. We are not beaten. We certainly have the worst of it, and
my poor fellows have been a good deal disheartened, and matters would
have gone far worse with us if it had not been for the clever
marksmanship of those two boys."

"Ah!" exclaimed the officer, "I may as well come to that. His Majesty
speaks bitterly in the extreme about what he calls the cowardice which
resulted in those two poor lads being mastered and taken prisoners,
perhaps slain, before his eyes."

"Indeed!" said the smuggler sharply. "But I did not see that his
Majesty's followers did more to save them than my men."

"There, we had better cease this unfruitful conversation. But before I
take you to his Majesty, who is waiting for us, tell me as man to man,
perhaps face to face with death, what is really our position? You are
beaten, and unable to do more to save the King?"

The smuggler was silent for a few moments, busily tightening a bandage
round his arm.

"One moment, sir," he said. "Would you mind tying this?"

"A wound!" said the officer, starting.

"Yes, and it bleeds more freely than I could wish, for I want every drop
of blood to spend in his Majesty's service."

The officer sheathed his sword quickly, bent forward, and, in spite of
the darkness, carefully tightened the bandage.

"I beg your pardon, Senor el Contrabandista. I trust you more than
ever," he said. "But we are beaten, are we not?"

"Thanks, senor.--Beaten? No! When my fellows have finished their bread
and wine they will be more full of fight than ever. We smugglers have
plenty of the fox in our nature, and we should not treasure up our rich
contraband stores in a cave that has not two holes."

"Ha! You put life into me," cried the officer.

"I wish t