44 The Spanish Headsman. 



onwards with unrelenting activity, actuated by feelings of hate and fury. 

 The villages through which their road lay were already up in arms : but 

 they were soon reduced to obedience, and in all of them, each tenth man 

 was told off and shot. 



By some unaccountable fatality, the English fleet remained lying to and 

 inactive, without even communicating with the shore : so that the town 

 of Menda was surrounded by the French troops without the slightest show 

 of resistance on the part of its inhabitants : who, disappointed in the suc- 

 cour on which they had relied, offered to surrender at discretion. Such 

 as were more immediately implicated in the massacre of the garrison, 

 justly presuming that, for their act, the town would be delivered up to 

 flames, and the entire population put to death, by an effort of courage and 

 self devotion, not unfrequent in the war of the Peninsula, offered to become 

 their proper accusers. This unexpected and extraordinary proposition 

 was acceded to by the General -, and he engaged to accord a pardon to the 

 rest of the inhabitants, and prevent the town being fired or pillaged by the 

 incensed soldiery. But, at the same time he levied an enormous contri- 

 bution on the people ; for the payment of which, within twenty- four hours, 

 he commanded that the principal and wealthiest residences should be given 

 as hostages into his hands j and inflexibly decreed that all the persons 

 appertaining to the chateau, from the Marquis to his lowest valet, should 

 be placed, unconditionally, in his power. 



Having seen his soldiers encamped, and taken all due precautions for 

 their safety against a sudden attack, the General proceeded to the cha- 

 teau, of which he immediately assumed military possession. The respec- 

 tive members, with the domestics of the family of Leganes, were bound 

 with cords, and the ball-room was assigned them as a prison, the case- 

 ments whereof opened upon the terrace: while the General and his staff 

 occupied an adjoining suit of rooms, where a council was holden, to adopt 

 all necessary measures in the event of an attempted disembarkation by 

 the British. Orders were given for the erection of batteries on the coasts, 

 and despatches sent off to the Marshal. 



The two hundred Spaniards who had acknowledged themselves as the 

 authors of the massacre and resigned themselves into the General's 

 power, were drawn up on the terrace of the chateau, and shot ! without a 

 single exception. As soon as their execution had terminated, General 

 G**t**r ordered the erection of as many gallows as there were prisoners 

 in the ball-room, on the same spot ; directing, moreover, that the hang- 

 man of the town should be summoned. 



Victor Marchand profited by the interval in the work of death, which 

 the execution of the General's orders required, to visit the unhappy pri- 

 soners ; and a few minutes only elapsed before he again presented him- 

 self to his commanding officer. <f l presume, Sir, he said," with much 

 emotion, " to implore your consideration in behalf of the condemned 

 family." " You /" observed the General, with a sneer. "Alas, Sir; it 

 is a sorrowful indulgence they solicit. The Marquis, in observing the 

 preparations for the approaching execution, trusts that you will deign to 

 change the mode of punishment -, and that such as are of noble blood 

 may suffer by decapitation." " Granted," was the laconic reply. "He 

 also hopes you will allow him to have the aid of religion ; and in tender- 

 ing his solemn engagement not to indulge in the thought of escape, he 

 prays that he and his may be freed from their bonds." "Be it so," said 



