290 A Story of the Plague of Gibraltar. [[MARCH, 



in the Alameda, nor bearded Jews lying under the trees, talking and 

 smoking. As I raised my eyes to the face of the single sentinel at the 

 gate, I saw that he was smitten ; and when I entered the town, all was 

 like a sepulchre. It was at this hour, when the heats had subsided, that 

 the streets and the walks used to be crowded ; but all was deserted 

 there was no sound of pleasure or of business : one or two starving 

 African porters sat on the steps of the Exchange ; their services were 

 no longer needed : surfeited dogs lay in the streets, or were seen walk- 

 ing in and out of the open doors ; they looked smitten, and I avoided 

 them ; and as I passed along the rampart, I heard the occasional plash 

 of the bodies that were dropped into the sea. 



The greater part of the night was occupied with the duties I had to 

 perform, and it was the dawn before I returned to seek the friend who 

 was soon to be added to the number of the dead. I found him on the 

 spot where I had left him. I saw that disease was making rapid pro- 

 gress ; two letters lay before him, which he put into my hand, and at 

 the same moment the morning gun boomed over the sea. 



" "Tis nearly time, Seymour," said he, " yet I think I can spare a little 

 while j" and he was about to enter the house, when I held him back. 

 " No, Courtenay," I said, " if you wish to preserve your reason, and to 

 redeem your promise, do not risk it." " Well, well," said he, " we 

 shall meet soon," and I led him to the mole. 



The boat had slipped from its mooring, and, after some time had been 

 lost in ineffectual efforts to recover it, I was forced to swim, and bring it 

 under the wall. It was nearly six when we pushed off, and a strong east 

 wind had risen, and blew directly out of the bay. Courtenay seemed 

 fast sinking; he heaved deep sighs, and all the symptoms were fearfully 

 aggravated ; and, with no assistance from him, it was with difficulty I 

 could make way. We had proceeded but a very little distance, when 

 we heard the trumpet from the camp, calling the soldiers to muster, and 

 then the roll of the drum was heard as they fell into rank. We saw 

 them march down to the sands, and form ; and as we drew nearer, we 

 could even see the file of musqueteers take their places, ready to carry 

 the sentence into execution. It was now close upon seven o'clock. 

 The Exchange-clock is distinctly seen from the neutral ground and the 

 bay. Courtenay, although visibly approaching his last moments, yet 

 preserved his intellect, and gazed intently upon it. The hand trembled 

 upon the hour ; the boat was already surrounded by the surf j and the 

 sand was scarcely distant three hundred yards. Courtenay, with that 

 almost superhuman energy that sometimes accompanies the last stage of 

 disease, sprung from the boat, and dashing through the breakers, reached 

 the dry sand. With extended arm, and his finger pointed to the clock, 

 he rushed staggering forward, and fell upon the spot destined for the 

 scene of his execution, as the first chime told that the hour had arrived. 



There had been dead silence among the soldiery from the moment 

 that Courtenay was seen to leap from the boat ; but when he fell upon 

 the spot, and redeemed his word, a hum of mingled pity and approba- 

 tion ran through the ranks, and swelled into a faint huzza. 



The soldiers filed off the ground in silence, for Courtenay was dead. 

 I returned to the mole, as I had no permission to land ; and the next 

 tide, doubtless, swept the body of the unhappy youth to mingle with 

 the unburied victims of THE PLAGUE. I. 



