as jackets, were shining with the sea-water, and dripping upon the pavement at every step.
Before we could walk beyond reach, the man shouted out:
"Carajo! caballeros, why don't you strip before entering thebano ?"
"What is it?" cried a soldier, coming up and stopping us.
A group of his comrades joined him, and we were hurried into the light.
"Mil diablos!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, recognising Raoul; "our old friend the Frenchman!Parlez-vous francais ,Monsieur ?"
"Spies!" cried another.
"Arrest them!" shouted a sergeant of the guard, at the moment coming up with a patrol, and we were both jumped upon and held by about a dozen men.
In vain Raoul protested our innocence, declaring that we were only two poor fishermen, who had wet our clothes in drawing the nets.
"It's not a fisherman's costume, Monsieur," said one.
"Fishermen don't usually wear diamonds on their knuckles," cried another, snatching a ring from my finger.
On this ring, inside the circlet, were engraven my name and rank!
Several men, now coming forward, recognised Raoul, and stated, moreover, that he had been missing for some days.
"He must, therefore," said they, "have been with the Yankees."
We were soon handcuffed and marched off to the guard-prison. There we were closely searched, but nothing further was found, except my purse containing several gold eagles-an American coin that of itself would have been sufficient evidence to condemn me.
We were now heavily chained to each other, after which the guard left us to our thoughts. They could not have left us in much less agreeable companionship.
* * *
The guerilleros now halted and dismounted. We were left in our saddles. Our mules were picketed upon long lazos, and commenced browsing. They carried us under the thorny branches of the wild locust. The maguey, with its bill-shaped claws, had torn our uniform overalls to shreds. Our limbs were lacerated, and the cactus had lodged its poisoned prickles in our knees. But these were nothing to the pain of being compelled to keep our saddles, or rather saddle-trees-for we were upon the naked wood. Our hips ached intensely, and our limbs smarted under the chafing thong.
There was a crackling of fires around us. Our captors were cooking their breakfasts, and chattering gaily over their chocolate. Neither food nor drink was offered to us, although we were both thirsty and hungry. We were kept in this place for about an hour.
"They have joined another party here," said Raoul, "with pack-mules."
"How know you?" I inquired.
"I can tell by the shouts of the arrieros. Listen!-they are making ready to start."
There was a mingling of voices-exclamations addressed to their animals by the arrieros, such as:
"Mula! anda! vaya! levantate! carrai! mula-mulita!-anda!-st!-st!"
In the midst of this din I fancied that I heard the voice of a woman.
"Can it be-?"
The thought was too painful.
A bugle at length sounded, and we felt ourselves again moving onward.
Our road appeared to run along the naked ridge. There were no trees, and the heat became intense. Our serapes, that had served us during the night, should have been dispensed with now, had we been consulted in relation to the matter. I did not know, until some time after, why these blankets had been given to us, as they had been hitherto very useful in the cold. It was not from any anxiety in regard to our comfort, as I learned afterwards.
We began to suffer from thirst, and Raoul asked one of the guerilleros for water.
"Carajo!" answered the man, "it's no use: you'll be choked by and by with something else than thirst."
The brutal jest called forth a peal of laughter from his comrades.
About noon we commenced descending a long hill. I could hear the sound of water ahead.
"Where are we, Raoul?" I inquired faintly.
"Going down to a stream-a branch of the Antigua."
"We are coming to another precipice?" I asked, with some uneasiness, as the roar of the torrent began to be heard more under our feet,
Before we could walk beyond reach, the man shouted out:
"Carajo! caballeros, why don't you strip before entering thebano ?"
"What is it?" cried a soldier, coming up and stopping us.
A group of his comrades joined him, and we were hurried into the light.
"Mil diablos!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, recognising Raoul; "our old friend the Frenchman!Parlez-vous francais ,Monsieur ?"
"Spies!" cried another.
"Arrest them!" shouted a sergeant of the guard, at the moment coming up with a patrol, and we were both jumped upon and held by about a dozen men.
In vain Raoul protested our innocence, declaring that we were only two poor fishermen, who had wet our clothes in drawing the nets.
"It's not a fisherman's costume, Monsieur," said one.
"Fishermen don't usually wear diamonds on their knuckles," cried another, snatching a ring from my finger.
On this ring, inside the circlet, were engraven my name and rank!
Several men, now coming forward, recognised Raoul, and stated, moreover, that he had been missing for some days.
"He must, therefore," said they, "have been with the Yankees."
We were soon handcuffed and marched off to the guard-prison. There we were closely searched, but nothing further was found, except my purse containing several gold eagles-an American coin that of itself would have been sufficient evidence to condemn me.
We were now heavily chained to each other, after which the guard left us to our thoughts. They could not have left us in much less agreeable companionship.
* * *
The guerilleros now halted and dismounted. We were left in our saddles. Our mules were picketed upon long lazos, and commenced browsing. They carried us under the thorny branches of the wild locust. The maguey, with its bill-shaped claws, had torn our uniform overalls to shreds. Our limbs were lacerated, and the cactus had lodged its poisoned prickles in our knees. But these were nothing to the pain of being compelled to keep our saddles, or rather saddle-trees-for we were upon the naked wood. Our hips ached intensely, and our limbs smarted under the chafing thong.
There was a crackling of fires around us. Our captors were cooking their breakfasts, and chattering gaily over their chocolate. Neither food nor drink was offered to us, although we were both thirsty and hungry. We were kept in this place for about an hour.
"They have joined another party here," said Raoul, "with pack-mules."
"How know you?" I inquired.
"I can tell by the shouts of the arrieros. Listen!-they are making ready to start."
There was a mingling of voices-exclamations addressed to their animals by the arrieros, such as:
"Mula! anda! vaya! levantate! carrai! mula-mulita!-anda!-st!-st!"
In the midst of this din I fancied that I heard the voice of a woman.
"Can it be-?"
The thought was too painful.
A bugle at length sounded, and we felt ourselves again moving onward.
Our road appeared to run along the naked ridge. There were no trees, and the heat became intense. Our serapes, that had served us during the night, should have been dispensed with now, had we been consulted in relation to the matter. I did not know, until some time after, why these blankets had been given to us, as they had been hitherto very useful in the cold. It was not from any anxiety in regard to our comfort, as I learned afterwards.
We began to suffer from thirst, and Raoul asked one of the guerilleros for water.
"Carajo!" answered the man, "it's no use: you'll be choked by and by with something else than thirst."
The brutal jest called forth a peal of laughter from his comrades.
About noon we commenced descending a long hill. I could hear the sound of water ahead.
"Where are we, Raoul?" I inquired faintly.
"Going down to a stream-a branch of the Antigua."
"We are coming to another precipice?" I asked, with some uneasiness, as the roar of the torrent began to be heard more under our feet,
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