Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, July 22, 1858, Image 1

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    V j)LLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
Ihnroban fllorning. 3n!n 22, 1858.
gclctteb llocfrn.
the breeze in the church.
.■ hMuitiful poem is from a volume recently publith-
-y Mrs. Hinxmax, entitled " Poems."
' Iwas a sunny day. and the morning psalm
'\Ve in tlie churcll to g etlier ;
felt in our hearts the joy and calm
Of the cahu and joyous we ather.
TCe slow and sweet and sacred strain,
Through every bosom stealing.
Checked every thought that was light and rain,
Au d waked each holy feeling.
We knew by its sunny gleam how clear
Wiu, the blue sky smiling o'er us,
And iu every pause of the hymn could hear
The wild bird's happy ehorua.
And lo ! from its haunts by cave or rill,
With a sudden stare awaking,
A breeze came fluttering down the hill,
Its fragrant pinions shaking.
Through the open windows it bent its way,
And down the chancel's center.
Like a privileged thing that at will might stray,
And in holy places enter.
From niche to niche, from nook to nook,
With a lightsome rustle flying.
It lifted the leaves of the holy book,
0a the altar cushion lying.
It fanned the old clerk's hoary hair,
Cud the ehiidrea's bright young tares ;
Then vanished, none knew how or where,
Leaving its pleasant traces.
It left sweet thoughts of summer hours
Spent on the quiet mountains ;
Ac 1 the church sceined full of the scent or flower*,
And the trickling fall of fountains.
The image of scenes so still and fair,
With our music sweetly blended,
While it seemed their whispered hymn took sharo
lu the praise that to heaven ascended.
We thought of Him who had poured the rills
And through the green mountains led them,
Whose laud, wheu he piled tue enduring hilts
With a mantle of beauty spread tliem.
Aud a purer passion was borne above,
In a louder anthem swelling,
And we bowed to the visible spirit of love,
On those calm summits dwelling.
•Jcltthi) (bait. ;
A Tale of the Spanish Wars. !
On a June evening in the year 1839, four
persons were assembled in the balcony of a
j is,mi iittle villa, some half-lenrue from the
town of Logrono in Navarre. The site of Ihe
i ise in question was a narrow valley, formed
iiv a double range of wood-covered hills, the
lover limbs of a mountain chain t lint bounded ,
I the horizon some miles in rear of the villa.— I
The house itself was a long, low building, of
w i the white stone walls had acquired the
nrliovv tint that tune and exposure to the
M-uns can alone impart. A solid balcony of j
• trvctl niipuinted oak ran completely round !
tiie house, its breadth preventing the rays of I
the sun from entering the rooms on the ground j
fi'or, ami thereby converting them into a cool
ind delightful refuge from the heats of sum
rut Tue windows of the first and only story j
opened upon this balcony, which, in its turn, i
received shelter troin a roof of yellow canes, '
la I side by side, and fastened by innumerable
packthreads, in the same way as Indian inat
' g Tins sort of awning was supported by
Igiii wooden pillars, placed at distances of five
or six feet from each other, and corresponding
with the more massive columns that sustained
the balcony. At the foot of these latter, va
rious creeping plants had taken root. A I
broud-leufed vine pushed its knotty branches i
and curled tendrils up to the very roof of the j
dwell iig, and a passion flower displayed its I
optical purple blossoms nearly at as great a
heiirht ; while the small white s'ars of the
,'iwaine glittered among its narrow dark irreen
haves, and evprv passing breeze wafted the
scent of the honeysuckle and clematis through
the open wiudows, iu puffs of overpoweriug
fragrance.
About two hundred yards to the right of the
house rose oue of the ranges of hills already
tt-ntioned, and on the opposite side the eye
?n:eed over some of those luxuriant corn
""Ids which form so important a part of the
riches of the fertile province of Navarre, The
Pallid in front of the villa was tastefully laid
out as a flower garden, and, midway between
two magnificent chestnut trees, a mountain
rrnlet fell into a large stone basin, aud fed a
' uutain, from which it was spouted twenty
k*t into the air, greatly to the refreshment ol
■B surrounding pastures.
The party that on the evening in question
enjoying the scent of the flowers and the
| "ft of the nightingales, to which the neigh
boring trees afforded a shelter, consisted iu the
Er>t place, of Don Torribio Oluna, a wealthy
proprietor of La Rioja, and owner of the
l!:!r > house that has been described. He
<"i been long used to pass the hot months of
e "" year at this pleasant retreat ; and it was
small calamity to him when the civil war
. :,t broke out on the death of Ferdinand ren*
( ' ere, l it scarcely safe, in Navarre at least, to
)"■' out of musket shot of a garrison. Some
■!ts, however, and iu spite of the advice of
fronds, who urged huu to greater prudence,
I'orthy Rtojana would mount his easy
* round quartered cob, and leave the
fr>r a few hours' rustication at his Rrtiro.
I r a time, finding himself unmolested either
J uriists or by the numerous predatory bands
j ov crran the country, he took for compan
s v ''is excursions his duughter, Gertrudis,
1 a " orphan niece, to whom he supplied the
a father. Five years of impunity
taken as a g Uarttl ,ty f or future safety,
,, H . 1 00 Torribio now uo longer hesitated to
1 lIC "'ght at his country house as often as
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
he found it comvenieut. It whs observed, also,
that many of those persons who had at first
loudly blamed hirn fop risking his neck, afrd
that of his daughter and niece, in order to en
joy a a purer atmosphere than could be inhal
ed in the dusty streets of Logrono, at length
gathered so much courage from his example as
to accompany him out to the Retiro , and eat
his excellent dinuers, and empty his cobweb
covered bottles, without allowing their fear of
the Carlists to diminish their thirst or disturb
their digestion.
Up >n this occasion, however, the only guest
was a young and handsome man, whose sun
burnt countenance and military gait bespoke
the soldier, while a double strip of gold lace
on the cuff of his blue frock coat marked his
rank as that of lieutenant-colonel. Although
not more than thirty years of age, lion Ignacio
Guerra had already attained a grade which is
often the pri< e of as many years service ; but
his rapid promotion was so well justified by
his merit and gallantry, that few were found !
to complain of a preference which all felt was
deserved. Both by moral and physical quali-!
ties, he was admirably suited to the profession
he had embraced. Slender in person, but
well knit and muscular, he possessed extraor
dinary activity, and a capacity of enduring
great fatigue. Indulgent to those under his ,
command,and self-denying in all that regarding
himself personally, his enthusiasm for the cause
he served was such, that during nearly two
years he had been the accepted lover of Donna
Gertrudis Oiana.tliis was only the second time
he had left his regiment for a few days' visit
to his affianced bride. He had arrived at Lo- 1
g ouo the preceding day from a town lower
down the Ebro, where the battalion he com
manded was stationed ; and Don Torribio, with
whom he was a great favorite, hud lost no
time in taking hirn out to the Retiro ; nor,
perhaps, were the lovers sorry to leave the
noise and bustle of the town for this calm aud
peaceful retreat.
It was about an hour after sunset, and Don
Torribio sat dozing in an arm chair, with his
old black dog Moro coiled up at his feet, and
his ueice, Teresa, beside him, busying herself
in the arrangement of a boquet of choice
flowers, while at the other end of the balcony
Gertrudis aud her lover were looking out upon
the garden. The silence was unbroken, save
by the splashing noise of the fountain as it fell
back upon the wuter lilies (hat covered its
basin. The moon was as yet concealed be
hind tire high ground to the right of the house
but the sky in that direction was lighted up
by its beams, and the outline of every tree and
bush on the summit of the hill was defined and
cut out, as it were, against the clear blue back
ground. Suddenly, Gertrudis calle I tier com
panion's attention to the neighboring iroun
tuin. " See, Ignacio !" exclaimed she, " yon
der bush on the very highest point of the lull!
Could not one almost fancy it to he a man
with a gun in his hand? and that clump of
leaves on the top bough might be the boina of
one of thdse horrid Carlists?''
While she spoke the officer ran h : s eye along
the ridge of the hill,and started when he caught
sight of the object pointed out by Gertrudis ;
hut. before he could reply to her remark, she
was called away by Iter father. At that mo
ment the supposed bnsli made a sudden move
ment, and the long bright barrel of a mu-ket
glittered in the moonbeams. The next instant
the figure disappeared as suddenly as though
it had sunk into the earth.
Tiie Christiuo colonel remained for a mo
ment gazing on the mountain, and then, turn
ing away, hastened to accompany his host aud
the ladies, who had received a summons to sup
per On reaching the foot of the stairs, how
ever, itis ead of following them into the sup
per-rootn, he passed through the house-door,
which stood open, and, after a moment's halt
in the shade of the lattice portico, sprang for
ward with a light and noiseless step, and in
three or four bounds found himself under one |
of the large chestnut trees that stood on either j
side of the fountain. Keeping within the j
black shadow thrown by the branches, he cast
a keen and searching glance over the garden j
and shrubberies, now partially lighted up by
the moon. Nothing was moving, either in the
garden, or as far as he could see into the ad
jacent country. He was about to return to
the house, when a blow on the back ot tlu*
head stretched him stunned upon the ground
In an instant a slipknot was drawn tight
round his wrists, aud his jierson securely pin
ioned bv a strong cord to the tree under which
he had been standing. A clotb was crammed
into his month to prevent his calling out, and
the three men who had thus rapidly and dex
teriously eff cted his capture, darted off in the
direction o th • house.
Desperate were the efforts made by Don Ig
nacio to free himself from his bonds, and his
struggles became almost frantic, when the
sound'of a scuffle in the house, followed by the
piercing shrieks of women, reached his ears.
He succeeded in getting rid of the handkerchief
that gagged him. but the rope with which his
arms were bound, and that had afterwards
been twined round his body and the tree, with
stood his utmost efforts. In vain did he throw
himself forward with all his strength, striking
his feet furiouslv against the trunk of the tree,
aud writhing his arms till the sharp cord cut
into the very sinew. The rope appeared rath
er tightened than slackened by his violence.
The screams aud noise in the house continued,
ne was sufficiently near to hear the hoarse voi
ces and obscene oaths of the banditti the
prayers for mercy of their victims. At length
the shrieks became less frequent and fainter,
and at last they died away entirely.
Two hours had elapsed since lirnacio had
been inade prisoner, hours t iat to him appear
ed centuries. Exhausted by the violence of
his exertions, and still more by the mental
a-rony he had endured, his head fell forward
on his breast, a cold sweat stood upon his
bis forehead, and had it not been tor the cords
that held him up, he would have fallen to the
ground. He was roused from this state of x
--haustiou and despair by the noise of approach
ing footsteps, and by the arrival of a dozen
men, three or four of whom carried torches
They were dresied in the sort of half uniform
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
" REffiARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
worn by the Cartist " volantes," or irregular
troops ; round their waists were leathern belts
filled with cartridges, and supporting bayonets
aud long knives, in many instances without
sheaths. Ignacio observed with a shudder
that several of the ruffians had their hands
and weapons stained with blood.
" Whom have we here ?" exclaimed a sal
low, evil-visaged fellow, who wore a pair of
tarnished epaulets. "Is this the ' negro' you
secured at the beginning of the ufftir ?"
One of the men no Ided assent, and the chief
bandit taking a torch, passed it betore the face
of the captive officer.
"Un militar!" exclaimed he, observing the
uniform button. " Tour name and rank ?"
Receiving rio reply, he stepped a little on
one side and looked to the coat cuff for the
usual sign of grade
" Teniente. coronel /" cried he on seeing the
double stripe.
A man stepped forward, and Ignacio, who
knew that death was the best lie had to ex
pect at the hands of these ruffiuis, and was
observing their proceedings in stera, silence,
immediately recognised a deserter from his bat
talion.
"'Tis the Colonel Ignacio Guerra," said
the man ; " he commands the first battalion
of the Toledo regiment."
An exclamation of surprise and pleasure
burst from the Carlists on hearing the name
of an officer and battalion well known and
justly dreaded among the adherents of the
I'retender. Their lea ler again threw the light
of the torch on the feitures of the Chri.-tiuo
aud gazed at hi in for the space of a miuute
with an expression of cruel triumph.
" Ha !" exclaimed he, " el Coronel Guerra !
lie is worth taking to headquarters."
" We shall have enough to do to get away
ourselves, laden as we are," said one of the
men, pointing to a number of large packages
of plunder lying on the grass hard by. " Wlio
is to take charge of the prisoner ? Not I,
for one."
A murmur among the other brigands ap
proved this mutinous speech.
" Cuatro tiros,' 1 suggested a voice.
" Yes," said the leader, " to bring down the
enemy's pickets upon us. They are not a quar
ter of a leignenff P-dro. lend me your knife.
We will see," he added w tli a cruel grin, " how
the gallant colonel will look cropped."
A knife-blade glanced for a moment in the
torchlight as it was passed rouud the head of
the Chris'ino officer.
" Tuna ! chicvs !" said the savage, as lie
threw the eirs of the unhappy Ignacio among-t
his men. A ferociou. laugh from the banditti
welcomed this act of barbarous cruelty.
The leader sheathed the knife twice in his
victim's breast before restoring it lo its owner,
and the Carlists, snatching up their booty,
disappeared in the direction of the mountains.
At day break the following morning, some
peasants going to their labor in the field, saw
the body of the unfortunate officer still fasten
ed to the tree. Tiiey unbound him, and per- i
ceivitig some signs of life, carried him into Lo j
grooo, where they give the alarm. A detach
ment was immediately sent out to the Rrtiro,
but it was too late to pursue the assassins ;
and all that could be done was to bring in the
bodies ot Don Torribio, his daughter and neice,
who were lying dead in the supper-room. An
old groom and two women-servants ha I shared
a like late ; the hoises had been taken out of
the stable, and the house ransacked of every
thing valuable.
For several weeks Ignacio Guerra rim lined
wavering, as it were, between life and death.
At length he recovered ; but his health was
so much impaired that the surgeons forbade
his again encountering the fatigues of a cam
paign. Enfeebled in body, heart-broken at
the horrible fate of Gertrudis, and foreseeing
the speedy termination of the war, consequent
oil the concluded treaty of B rgura, he threw
up his commission, and left Spun to seek tor
getfulness of his misfortunes in foreign travel
lu all French towns of any consequence,
and in many whose size and population would
almost class them under tiie denomination of
villages, there is some favorite spot serving 11s
an evening lounge for the inhabitants, whith
er, on Sundays and fete days especially, the
belles and elegants of the place resort, to criti
cise each other's toilet, and parade up and
down a walk varying from oue to two or three
hundred yards in extent.
The ancient city of Toulouse is of course not
without i.s proiucuade, although but poor
taste has been evinced in its selection ; lor,
while on oue side of the town soft, well-trim
rued lawns, cool fountains and in ignificent ave
nues of elm an I pane trees, are aban lo.ied to
nursery-mauls and their charges, the rendez
vous of the fashionables of the pleasant capi
tal of Languedoc is a parched und dusty (dice,
scantily sheltered by trees of recent growth,
extending from the canal to the open square,
formerly known us the Place d'Angouleme,
ijut since 1830 re-baptized by the name of the
| revolutionary patriarch, Gen. L ifayette.
It was on a Sunday evening of the month of
August, 1840, and the Alice Lafayette was
more thau usually crowded. After a day ol
uncommon sultriness, a fresh breeze had sprung
up, and a little before sundown the fair Tou
lousaiues had deserted their darkened and ar
tifieially-cooled rooms and flocked to the prom
enade. The walk was thronged with gaily at
tired ladies, smirking dandies, and officers in full
dress. In the fields on the further side of the
canal, a number of men of the working-classes,
happy in their respite from the toils of the
week, were singing in parts, with all the inusi
cal taste and correctness of ear for which the
inhabitants of that part of France are noted ;
while, on the broad boul vard that traverses
rhe lower end of the a/lee, a crowd of recruits
whom the conscription had recently called un
der the colors, stood gazing in open-mouthed
astonishment, and infinite delight at some rude
ly constructed booths and shows, outside of
which clown and paliasse were rivaling each
other in the broad humor of their lazzi. Par
ties of studeuts, easily recognisable by their
eccentric and exaggerated style of dress, aud
the loud toue of their conversation, were seat
ed outside the rafe t and icc room?, or circulat
ing under the trees, puffing forth clouds of 'o
bacco smoke ; aud ou the road round the a/lee,
open carriages, smart tilburies, aud dapper
horsemen were careering.
Among the various groups thronging the
promenade was one, which, in Hyde Park or
on the Paris Boulevards, would have attracted
some notice ) but the persons composing it were
of a class too common of late years in the south
of France to draw upon them any attention
from the loungers. The party in question con
sisted of three men, who, by their bronzed com
plexions, ragged mustaches, and sullen dogged
countenances, as Well as their whole nir and
toumure, were easily distinguishable as belong
iug to the exiled and disappointed faction of
the Spanish Pretender. Their threadbare
costume still exhibited signs of their late mili
tary employment,probably from a lack of means
to replace it by any other garments. The
closely buttoned blue frock of one of them still
had upon its shoulders the small lace straps
used to support the epaulets, and another wore
for headdress a " lioina," with its large star
like tassels of silver cord. The third,aud most i
remarkable of the party, was a man iu the
prime of life and strength, whose countenance :
bore the impress c 1 every bad passion. It was !
one of those faces sometimes seen in old paint-1
ings of monkish inquisitors, on viewing which :
one feels inclined to suspect tliut the artist has I
outdone and exaggerated nature. The expres- j
sion of the Cold, glassy, grey eve, and thin, j
pale, compressed lips, was one of unrelenting j
ciuelty ; while the coarsely-moulded chin and j
jaw gave a sensual character to the lower part j
of the face. Tue scar of a sabre cut extended ;
from the centre of the forehead nearly to the !
upper lip, pirtly dividing the nose, and giving
a hideously distorted and unnatural appear- j
ance to that feature. Tiie man's frame wm j
bony and powerful ; the loose sheep skin jaek ;
et he wore was thrown open, and through the
imperfectly fastened shirt front, it might be
seen that Lis breast was covered with a thick :
felt of matted hair.
It was the moment of the short twilight that !
in the south of France intervenes between clay J
and night. Tiie Carlists had reached the up- j
per end of the walk, and, turning round, be j
gau to descend it again three abreast,and with j
the man who had been particularly described
in the centre. On a sudden the latter stopped
short, as though petrified where he stood. His {
countenance, naturally sallow, became as pale
as ashes, and as if to save himself from falling,
he clutched the arm of one of his companions
with n force that made him wince again, while
he gazed with discontented eyeballs on a man
who had halted within half a dozen paces of
the Spaniards. The person whose aspect pro
duced this Medusa-like effect upon the Carlist '
was a man about thirty years of age, plainly,
but elegantly dressed, and of a prepossessing
but somewhat sickly looking countenance, the
lines of which were now working under the ia
fluenre of some violent emotion. Tiie only j
particularity iu Ins appearance ivas a blank silk j
baud, which, passing under the chin, was.
brought u> on • ot!i sides of the head, und fas
tened oil the crown under the hat.
" Que tijiies, Song' ador 1 What ails thee, i
man ?" inquired the Carlists of their terror- j
stricken companion, addressing hiiu by a nam
de guerre that he doubtless owed to his bloody
deeds or disposition. At that moment the
stranger sprang like a blood hound into the
centre of the group. In an instant El Sangra
dor was on the ground, his assailant's knee up
on his breast, and his throat compressed by
two nervous hands, which bade fair to pet form i
the office of a bowstring on the prostrate man. 1
All this had passed in far less time than is re- :
quired to narrate it, aud the astonishment of j
•lie Carlists at their comrade's terror and this
sudden attack was such, that although men of
action and energy, they were for a moment par
alyzed,and thought not of rescuing their friend
from the iron gripe in which lie was held. Al
ready his eyes were blood-shot, his face purple,
and his tongue portruding from his mouth,
when a gendarme came up, and, aided by half
a dozen of those agents who, in plain clothes,
half-spy and half policemen, are to lie found iu
every place of a public resort iu France, suc
ceeded.but not without difficulty,in rescuing the
Carlist from the fierce clutch of his foe, who
clung to him with bull dog tenacity till they
were actually drawn asunder by main force.
Can lla ! inf ime !'' shouted the stranger, as
he wr the ! and struggled in the hands of his
guards. " By yonder viiliati have all my hopes
in life been blasted—an adored mistress out
raged and murdered —myself tortured and mu
tihited iu cold blood !" And tearing oft' the
black fillet that encircled his head, it was seen
that his ears had been cut off. A murmur of
horror ran through the crowd which this scene
had assembled. " And shall I not have re
venge ?" shouted Ignacio, (for he it was) in a
voice rendered shrill by furious passion. And
by a violent effort he again nearly succeeded
in shaking of the men who held him.
El Sangrador, whose first terror had proba
bly been caused by astonishment at seeing one
whom he firmly believed numbered with the
dead, had now recovered from his alarm.
" Adios, Don Ignacio,"cried he with a sneer,
as he walked away between two gend irmes,
while his enemy was hurried off in another di
rection.
The following day El Sangrador was sent to
a depot of Spanish Emigrants in the interior
of France. On his departure, the authorities,
who had made themselves acquainted with the
particulars of this dramatic incident, released
Don Ignacio from confinement ; but lie was in
formed that no passport would he given him to
quit Toulouse, unless it were for the Spanish
frontier.
At the distance of a tew leagues from the
town of Oleron, and in one ot the widest parts
of the I'yienees, is a difficult pass, scarcely
known, except to smugglers and lizard-hunters,
whose hazardous avocations make them ac
quainted with the most hidden recesses of those
rugged and picteresque mountains. Towards
the close of the summer of 1841, this defile was
occasionally traversed by adherents of the Ex-
Queen Regent Christina, entering Spain se-
I cretly and in small parties, to be ready to take
share in the abortive attempt subsequently
made to release the reins of government in the
hands of Ferdinand's widew. Not a few Carl
ists also, weary of the monotonous inactive Ue
! they were leading in France, prepired to join
the projected insurrection j and, leaving tin
towns in which a residence had been assigned
them, sought to gain the Spanish side of the
Pyrenees, where tlu-y might lie perdu until the
moment for active operation arrived, subsisting
in the meanwhile by brigandage and other law
less moans. Owing to the negligence, either
accidental or intentional, of the French author
ities, these adventurers usually found l.ttle dif
ficulty iu reaching the line of demarcation be
tween the two frontiers ; but it was there their
troubles began, and they had to take the great
est precaution to avoid falling into the fiftud
of the Spanish carabineros and light troops
posted along the frontier.
Among those who intended to take a share
in the rebellion, Don Lruacio Guerra occupied
r. prominent place. B-imr well known to the
Spanish government as a devoted adherent of
Cliristiua, it would have been iu vain for him
to have attempted entering Spain ''Vo.ie of the
ordinary roads. R -pairing to Oleron, there
fore, he procured hun-elf a guide, and one of
the small but sure-footed horses of the Pyre
nees, and, a'ter u wearisome march among the
mountains, arrived about dusk at a cottage, or
rather hovel, bui't on a ledge of rock within
half an hour's walk of the Spanish frontier. Be
yond this spot the road WHS impracticable for
a horse and even dangerous for u pedestrian,
und Don Ignacio had arranged to send back
iiis guide and horse and proceed ou foot ; iu
which manner, also, it was easier to a'onl fall
ing in with the Spanish troops. Tiie night was
fine, and having the road minutely explained
to him by his peasant guide, Igu.icio had no
doubt of finding himself within a few hours at
a village where shelter and concealment were
prepared for linn. Leaving the horse in a sort
of a shed that afforded shelter to two or three
pigs, the Christina officer entered the hut, fol
lowed by his guide and by n splendid wolf dog,
in old and faithful companion of his wander
ings. It was some seconds, however, before
their eyes got sufficiently accustomed to the
dark und smoky atmosphere of the place, to
distinguish the objects it contained. The
smoke came from a fire of green wood, that
was smouldering under an enormous chimney,
and over which a deerepid old woman was fry
ing ttdlou i, or maize meal-cake, iu grease of a
most suspicious odour. T.ie old 1 idy was so
intent on tiie preparation of this delicacy, a
favorite food of the Pyreneau mountaineers,
that it was with difficulty she could be pre
vailed upon to prepare something substantial
for the hungry travelers. Some smoked goat's
fl-sh and acid wine were at length obtained,
and, after a hasty meal, Ignacio paid his guide
and resumed his perilous journey, Tiie moon
had not yet risen—the night was dark—the
paths rugged and difficult, and tiie troops on
the alert ; to avoid falling iu with an enemy,
or down a precipice, so much care and atten
tion were necessary, that nearly three hours
had elapsed before Ignacio perceived that his
dog had not followed him fro m the cottage.—
The animal had gone into the stable, au-l lain
down I e-ide his master's horse/ioubt less imag
ining, by sort of half-ri asoning instinct which
dogs possess, that as long as the horse was
there, the ridel* would not be far off.
Igiiaeio's first impulse, on discovering the
absence of his four-footed companion, was to
return to the cottage ; hut the risk in so doing
was extreme, and as he felt certain his guide
would take care of tiie dog, and tlmt he should
get it on some future day, lie resolved to pur
sue his journey. Meantime the night became
darker and darker—clouds had gathered and
hung low—there was no longer the slightest
trace or indication of a path, and the darkness
prevented him from finding certain landmarks
he had been told to observe, he was obliged to
walk on nearly at Hazard, and soon became
aware lie had lost his way. To add to his dif
ficulties, the low grow lings of distant thun
der were heard, and some large dmps of rain
fell. A violent storm was evidently approach
ing, and Ignacio quickened his pace in hopes
of finding some shelter before it came on, re
solving to wait at all risks til! daylight before
continuing his route, h-st he should run, as it
were,blindfolded into the very dangers he wish
ml to avoid. A sort of cl ft' or wall of rock In
had for some time on his left hand, now sud
denlj ended,mid a scene burst on his view which
to h in was common place enough, but would
have appeared somewhat strange to a pcrso •
un c u-t in <1 to such sights. The mountain,
winch had been steep and difficult to descend,
now began to slope more gradually as it ap
proached its base. Ou a sort of shelving pla
teau of great extent, a number of chareotl
burners had established themselves, and as tin
most expeditious way of clearing the ground,
had set light in various places to the brush
wood and furze that clothed this part cf the
mountain. To prevent, however the confla
gration from extending too far, they had pre
viously, with their axes, cleared rings of sever
al feet around the places to which they set
fire. The bushes aad furze they rooted up
were thrown up in the centre, and increased
the blaze. In this m inner the entire moun
tain side, of which several hundred acres were
overlooked from the spot where Ignacio stood,
appeared dotted with brilliant fiery spots of
some fifty feet in diameter, the more distant
ones assuming a lurid-red look, seen through
the fog und mist that had no v gathered over
the mountain. Ignacio approached the near
est of the fires, lighted close to a crag that al
most overhung it, and that, offered a sufficient
shelter from the rin which had begun to de
scend in torrents. Throwing himself on the
ground with his feet towaids the flumes,lie en
deavored to get a little sleep, of which he
stood much in need. But it was in vain. The
situation in which he found himself suggested
thoughts that he was unable to drive away.
Gradually a sort of phatasmugoria passed be
fore his "mind's eye," wherein the various
events of his life, which, although a short one,
had not the less been sadly eventful, were re
presented in vivid colors. He thought of
i childhood, spent in the sunny re gas of Andalu
sia—of the companions of his military studies,
VOL. XIX. —NO. 7.
> igh-spiritcd, free heur'cd lads, of whom 9ofne
hu' 1 uihitvcd honors and fume, hut by far the
greater part had died on the battle field—the
oivouac fire, the merry laugh of the insouciant
-o dit r—the d>u and excitement of the tight—
the exultation of victory, and the well-won and
h glily relished pleasures of the garrison town
alter severe duty in the field ; —the graceful
form of (jertrudU now fitted acoss the picture
—her jetty hair braided over her pure white
forehead, the light of her swimming " eye,that
mocked her coal black veil," flashing from un
der tiie manhlhi. The father with his portiy
figure and good-humored countenance, was be
side hr. They smiled at ignacio, and seemed
to beckon to him. So life-like was the illusion
of his fancy, he could almost rpring forward
to join them. Cut again there was a change.
A large and handsome room, a well covered
table—.ill the appliances of modern luxury—
plate and crystal sparkling in the brilliant
lights—i happy, cheerful jrarty surrounding
the board. A as, for the tragedy played on
the stage 1 The hand of the spoiler was there
-100 ! and worn -n's screams, disheveled hair
and men's deep oaths, the wild and broken ac
cents of d -pair, the coarse and ferocious exub
tat on of gratified brutality. And then all
was dark and gloomy as a winter's night, and
through the darkness was seen a grave stone,
shadowy and spectral, and a man stili young,
but with heart crushed und hopes blighted, ly
ing prostrate before it, breast heaving with
convulsive sobs of agony, until at length lie
rose and moved sadly avsav, to become uu ex
ile and wanderer in a foreign land.
Maddened by these reflections, Ignacio
started to his feet, and was about to rush out
into the storm, and fly, lie knew not whither,
from Ins own thoughts, when he suddenly be
came aware of the presence of a man within ft
few yards of him. The projecting crag, under
which lie had sought a shelter, t-xtended ail
along one side of the fire. Iu one corner an
angle of the rock threw a deep shadow, iu
which Ignacio now stood, and was thus ena
bled, without being seen himself, to observe
the new-comer, who seated himself on u block
of stone close to the fire As he did so, the
flame, which had been deadened by the rain,
again burned up brightly, and threw a strong
light on the features of tlie stranger. They
were thos" of El Savgiador.
With stealthy pace, and trembling at every
step, lest !;ls prey should take the alarm, and
even yet escape him, Ignacio stole towards
his mortal foe. The noise of the storm, that
still raged furiously, enabled him to get within
five paces of him without being heard. He
then halted, and silently cocking a pistol, re
mained for some time motionless as a statue.
Mow that his revenge was within his grasp,
he hesitated to take it, not from any relent
ing weakness, but because the speedy death
it was in his power to give, appeared an inade
quate puni.-hment—a paltry vengeance. Ilud
he seen his enemy torn by wi'd iiorses, or bro
ken on the wheel, his burning thirst for re
venge would hardly ha :c been slaked ; and
an easy, painless death by knife or bullet, he
looked upon as a boon rather than a punish
meut. An end was put to his hesitation by
the Carlist himself, who, either tormented by
an evil conscience, or oppressed by one of
those unaccountable and mysterious presenti
ments that sometimes warn us of impending
danger, became restless, cast uneasy glances
about him, and at last, turning round, found
himself face to lace with Ignacio. Almost bft
fore lie recognized him, a hand was on his col
lar, and the muzzle of a pistol crammed into
his ear. The click of the lock was heard, but
no discharge ensued. The ruin hud dumped
the powder. Before Ignacio could draw his
other pistol, the Carlist grappled him fiercely,
and a terrible struggle commenced. Their
feet soon slipped ir on the wet rock, and they
fell, still grasping each other's throats, foam
ing with rage, and hate, and desperation. Tne
fire, now nearly out, afforded little light for
the contest, but us they rolled over the smoul
dering embers, clouds of sparks arose, their
clothes and hair were burned, and their faces
scorched by the heat. The Carlist was unarm
ed, save with a clasp knife, which, being iu
his pocket, was useless to him ; for had he
ventured to remove one hand from the strug
gle even for a moment, he would have given
his; antagonist a fatal advantage. At length
he contest seemed about to terminate in favor
of Ignacio. He got his enemy under, and
knelt upon his breast, while, with a charred,
half burned branch which he found at hand,
lie dealt furious blows upon his head. Half
dindt d by the smoke and heat, and by his our t
lood, the Carlist felt the sickness of death
coining over him. By a lust effort he slipped
one hand which was now at liberty, into his
pocket, and immediately withdrawing it, rais
ed it to his mouth. II s teeth grated upon
the blade of the knife as he opened it, and the
next instant Iguaeio, with n long deep sob,
rolled over among the ashes. The Carlist rose
painfully and with d fliculty into a sitting pos
ture, and wiili a grim smile gazed upon his
eneiuv, whoso eyes were glazing, and features
s.-ttli g into the rigidity of death. But the
eonquerer's triumph was short-lived. A deep
bark was heard, and a moment afterwards H
wolf-dog drenched with mud and rain, leaped
into the middle of the embers. Placing his
black muzzle to Igiiacio's face, ho gave a long
deep howl,which was succeeded by n growl like
that of i lion, us he sprang upon the Carlist.
The morning after the .-tonn, when the char
coal burners returned to their tires, they found
two dead bodies amidst the a.-dies. One of
them had a stub in his breast, which h id caus
ed his death. The other was frightfully dis
tigitred, and boro the marks of fangs of soma
savage animal In that wild dis rict, the.
skirmishing ground of smugglers and doimnitn,
the mountaineers think little of such occurren
ces. A hole was dug, the bodies thrown into
it ; and a cross rudely cut upon a rock, alone
marks the spot where Hie midnight conflict
took place.
modest, like the star, which, though
high and exalted, shines upon the water,rather
than lik the vapor, which, though mean and
obscure, lift? itself to the clouds