ANDALUSIAN SKETCHES. 55 



Franceses' .(meat for the French), said I to the idlers who were look- 

 ing on. The skin was soon stripped from the dead animal,, and the 

 carcass cut up by the town butcher and carried to the dragoons. It 

 was eagerly received, and cooking commenced. Towards evening I 

 strolled to the French position ; the invaders were at their meal, cer- 

 tainly making wry faces, and uttering exclamations not complimentary 

 to the beef of Olbera. A crowd from the town had assembled, and 

 some one shouted, e Ye are eating asses'-flesh !' I feared this insult 

 would have been instantly avenged ; but it was passed by unheeded. 

 Seeing that it would be impossible to effect any serious injury to the 

 Frenchmen during their occupancy of the position outside the town, 

 I employed myself in preparing for them a warm reception on their 

 inarch. They mounted, and were on the road for Ronda before day- 

 break ; I had placed my guerillas, and such of the inhabitants who 

 had fire-arms, along the upper crags of the mountains overhanging the 

 road. We allowed the enemy to advance nearly a league before our 

 fire opened upon them. One half of the robbers met at once their 

 just fate ! I myself loaded and fired five times, and each discharge 

 sent an invader to his long account; those who escaped this deadly 

 attack, pressed forward in desperation, and taking, by chance, the 

 road to Setenil, avoided the advanced guard of my band. But 

 for this, not a man could have escaped. As it was, the people of 

 this last-named village hung upon their rear, and cut off' the wounded 

 and most fatigued. Scarcely thirty out of the eighty dragoons who 

 were at Olbera, reached Ronda. 



" I have been thus prolix in recounting to you this affair, because it 

 was much talked of and applauded at the time ; and the enemy had 

 afterwards ample revenge ! Nothing of moment occurred for many 

 Aveeks subsequent to this feat. I then ventured with a small party 

 close to Ronda, for the purpose of cutting off a convoy of provisions. 

 We fell upon it, and had killed or wounded the entire escort, when 

 we were suddenly attacked by a strong force which had moved out 

 in support of the foragers, and escaped the observation of our scouts. 

 We fought desperately ; but were overpowered. Myself and three 

 companions only, survived, and all of us badly wounded. We were 

 conveyed prisoners to Ronda, and there thrown into a dungeon ; our 

 wounds undressed and unattended. Nevertheless we all four lived, 

 although sad cripples ; even now you see I am rather lame. At 

 length we were restored to liberty. The Serranos drove the French 

 out of Ronda and of the Sierra. Then did I find that all the misery 

 of my previous misfortunes was but as a drop of water into the 

 ocean compared to that which now fell upon me. Amongst our de- 

 liverers were several of the men of Olbera. From them I learned 

 that soon after my capture, a column of infantry had been sent by 

 the French general, commanding at Seville, to revenge, what they 

 termed, the cold-blooded slaughter of their countrymen near our 

 town. Terribly indeed did they perform their mission! They 

 sacked and plundered the place ; they inflicted a cruel death upon 



my friend and intended father-in-law, the alcalde, and , his 



daughter, was dishonoured ! She was of true Moorish de- 

 scent. She did not survive. With her own hand she gave herself 



