s
or solidity. After some scratching at the plaster, he succeeded in
uncovering the side of a small stone of irregular shape. A vigorous push
entirely dislodged it, and it fell from him, leaving an opening through
which he could pass his arm. This he did, and found that although on one
side of the aperture the wall was upwards of two feet thick, on the
other it was not more than six or eight inches, and of loose
construction. By a very little labour he knocked out half-a-dozen
stones, and then, weary of thus making an opening piecemeal, he receded
as far as he could, took a short run, and threw himself against the wall
with all his force. After a few repetitions of this vigorous but not
very prudent proceeding, the frail bulwark gave way, and amidst a shower
of dust and mortar, Paco entered the vault into which he had conquered
his passage.

The vault had apparently served, during some former occupation of the
convent by monks, as the wine-cellar of the holy fathers; and had been
walled up, not improbably, to protect it from the depredations of the
French soldiery during Napoleon's occupation of Spain. As already
mentioned, it was well stocked with casks of all sorts and sizes, most
of them empty and with bottles, for the most part full. Several of the
latter Paco lost no time in decapitating; and a trial of their contents
satisfied him that the proprietors of the cellar, whatever else they
might have been, were decidedly good judges of wine. Cheered and
invigorated by the pleasant liquor of which he had now so long been
deprived, he commenced, as soon as his eyes had got a little accustomed
to the exceedingly dim twilight that reigned in the vault, a thorough
investigation of the place, in hopes of finding either an outlet, or the
means of making one. In the former part of his hopes he was
disappointed; but after a patient search, his pains were rewarded by the
discovery of several pieces of old rope, and of a wooden bar or lever,
which had probably served to raise and shift the wine-casks. The rope
did not seem likely to be of any use, but the lever was an invaluable
acquisition; and by its aid Paco entertained strong hopes of
accomplishing his escape. He at once set to work to knock down the
remainder of the stones blocking up the doorway, and when they were
cleared he began to roll and drag empty casks into his cell. Of a number
of these, and with some labour, he formed a scaffolding, by means of
which he was enabl