rs poured out of the shop, an angry and excited mob, buckling on
their belts, cartridge boxes and bayonets as they ran. Some had their
muskets, others hastened to get them and all save two stragglers rushed
out of the town in the direction from which I had entered. I wondered at
this, but soon discovered the reason. Some few women, hearing the
tumult, came into the street, but seeing nothing, went in again; the
stragglers all disappeared and the street was quiet.

[Illustration: UNDERGROUND PASSAGE AND STAIRS LEADING TO OLD BAILEY
DOCK.]

I came out of my corner and hurried in the shadow down the road in the
opposite direction to the course followed by my pursuers. Arriving at
the last house at the foot of the street, I found myself confronted by a
small river, quiet and apparently deep, with all the space from the
last house to the river one impassable barrier of giant cactus, I had
either to swim the river or turn back, and I ought to have plunged in as
I was, revolver and all, the distance over being short; and, as I am an
expert swimmer, I could easily have got across, loaded down as I was.
But a contemptible trifle had weight enough to cause me to adopt the
suicidal course of turning back.

The fierce animal instinct of hunger was on me, the smell of the food
enraged me, and I thought if I swam the stream the cakes and bread I
carried would be soaked and probably lost, for I had them loose in my
arms; beside, I was overconfident of my ability to escape my pursuers.
They had marched by the road that led behind the village to the bridge
crossing the river some distance up; evidently, not seeing me, they took
it for granted I knew of the bridge, and had gone that way.

To appease at once my hanger, in a fatal moment I retraced my steps. As
I passed a house three women came out. They spoke to me, and in my
excitement, instead of saying good evening in Spanish (buenas noches), I
said good morning (buenas dias). They, of course, saw I was a stranger.

Just then four soldiers came hurriedly into the street from the road,
and I was forced to leave the women and crouch down in my former hiding
place. Then they did what women seldom do--betrayed the fugitive.
Calling to the soldiers, they pointed out the place I was in. All four
came running, and in a moment were almost on top of me. I presented my
revolver and snapped the trigger twice without exploding the cartridges;
they were too close or too excited to use their mus