rful words Brooke descended and Talbot followed. The
ladder had not been removed, for the simple reason that it consisted
of slats nailed against two of the principal beams, too solid even
for Samson himself to shake. On reaching the lower story they hurried
out at once, and the gang stood collected together awaiting them--a
grim and grisly throng. Among them, the man whom Brooke had taken for
their captain was now their spokesman.

"Who are you?" he asked, rudely, after a hasty glance at each.

Brooke could not now adopt the tone which had been so effective in
the morning, for his gown was off, and he could no longer be the Cure
of Santa Cruz. He kept his coolness, however, and answered in an
off-hand manner.

"Oh, it's all right; we're friends. I'll show you our papers."

"All right?" said the other, with a laugh. "That's good too!"

At this all the crowd around laughed jeeringly.

"I belong to the good cause," said Brooke. "I'm a loyal subject of
His Majesty. _Viva el Rey_!"

He expected some response to this loyal sentiment, but the actual
result was simply appalling. The captain looked at him, and then at
Talbot, with a cruel stare.

"Ah!" said he. "I thought so. Boys," he continued, turning to his
men, "we're in luck. We'll get something out of these devils. They're
part of the band. They can put us on the track."

This remark was greeted with a shout of applause.

"Allow me to inform you, senor," said the captain to the unfortunate
Brooke, "that you have made a slight mistake. You are not our
friends, but our enemies. We are not Carlists, but Republicans. I am
Captain Lopez, of the Fourteenth Regiment, and have been detailed
with these brave fellows on a special mission. You are able to give
us useful information; but if you refuse to give it you shall both be
shot."

In spite of the terrible mistake which he had made, Brooke kept his
coolness and his presence of mind admirably.

"I'm very glad to hear it," said he to Lopez. "The fact is, I thought
you were Carlists, and so I said that I was one too--as any one would
do. But I'm not a Carlist; I'm a Republican."

Lopez, at this, gave utterance to a derisive laugh.

"Oh yes," he said, "of course, you are anything we please. And if we
should turn out, after all, to be Carlists, you would swear that you
are a Carlist again. Doesn't it strike you, senor, that you are
trifling with us?"

"I assure you, Captain Lopez," said Brooke, "that I'm not a C