680 



THE TALISMAN 



be not he, I demand to be escorted at once to Don Alonzo. I have 

 a communication of some consequence to make to him." 



He regarded me for an instant with an expression of amazement, 

 and then looked at the token, which he had snatched from my 

 hand. 



" Caramba /" exclaimed he, " is it so ? Has she given you 

 the safeguard ? Why should she interest herself for such as you ? 

 No matter I have sworn." 



These words, muttered in various tones, somewhat reassured me. 

 In a minute he motioned to the band ; they immediately withdrew 

 into the wood, except one man, to whom a signal had been made, 

 and who loitered at a short distance from us. 



" You are safe," said the chief to me. " I know not who you are, 

 or why Marguerita should have given you this passport ; but I have 

 vowed to respect it, and I feel well assured that she would not com- 

 promise us by putting it into unwise hands, or allow a babbler 

 to become possessed of our secret. You are at liberty to proceed, 

 but as you may encounter others of my party, and thus be delayed, 

 I will send one of my people with you as a guide. He will quit 

 you to-night at Las Hermitas, but meet you again in the morning, 

 and conduct you in safety to the vineyards at the lower part of 

 the mountain, from whence you must return alone to Puebla 

 Carmona." 



" You say you are an Englishman/' continued the robber, after a 

 short pause ; " I therefore know your word is of more value than a 

 Frenchman's oath. Promise not only the strictest secrecy as to 

 what has now occurred, but also that if you ever meet me again 

 under other circumstances, you will not give the smallest sign of 

 recognition." 



I did not hesitate a moment in making these promises. Exchang- 

 ing the Spanish adieus of e( Vaya usted en hora buena" (Good luck 

 attend you), and " Queda usted con Dios" (God be with you), I parted 

 from Alonzo. Accompanied by the man who had remained in sight, 

 and who received his directions in a few brief commands whispered 

 by the chief, I pursued my way to the Hermitages. These I found 

 to be twelve small grottoes of crystalline spars, ornamented with 

 hanging crests in the form of icicles, the entrances to the caves 

 decorated with a variety of evergreens and odoriferous plants. A 

 single hermit dwells in each. I entered one of them, was received 

 with cordiality by a venerable old man, and partook of his supper, 

 consisting of wild fruit, boiled millet, and delicious spring water. 

 My host also accommodated me with a bed, formed of fragrant dried 

 leaves, upon a heap of which was spread a coarse rug. I obtained a 

 few hours' sound sleep, and took leave of the hermit, placing upon 

 the couch a dollar, which although he observed, he did not object to. 

 Not far from the cave I fell in with my robber-guide. I signified to 

 him my desire to move upwards before we returned towards Car- 

 mona. He nodded assent, and marched on before me. From one 

 of the peaks of the mountain, although not from its highest point, I 

 enjoyed a splendid view of the sunrise, and then was conducted down 

 to the vineyards by my attendant, who took a very circuitous route, 



