1830.] The Campaign of the Spanish Constitutionalists. 679 



volunteers, but was composed of a regiment of the royal guards and 

 troops of the line. How came it then to pass that soldiers who could 

 have not the slightest grounds of complaint, were seen to perform their 

 task so tamely ? How is this to be explained unless we admit that they 

 were not ardent in the cause they were sent to support ? We do not 

 mean that in some particular instances they did not shew a degree not 

 only of zeal but of ferocity ; for example, many of the officers (new 

 men) were vociferous in their cries of Viva II Re absoluto ! and the roy- 

 alists violated the French territory by killing and wounding several con- 

 stitutionalists in the pursuit ; but certain partial cases cannot affect our 

 opinion, and we may fairly believe that the spirit of the army in general 

 was, to say the least, very doubtful. 



Mina beheld the conflict from the heights of St.Marcial; and as he had 

 justly anticipated, should Valdes refuse to retreat, he perceived the de- 

 feat of the constitutionalists and their return into France. He was at the 

 moment attended by a few followers, as we have seen that the bulk of his 

 little army operated under El Pastor and Butron. To effect an escape into 

 the French territory was now the only object towards which his attention 

 ought to be directed ; but there were great difficulties in the accomplish- 

 ment of this plan : the country swarmed with royalists, who after the 

 repulse of the enemy, naturally enough directed their whole care to fer- 

 ret out and capture those whose escape had been intercepted. The roy- 

 alist chiefs were indefatigable in their pursuit, they suspected or rather 

 knew that Mina was surrounded and in their power, and they spared no 

 exertion to secure so rich a prize the few attendants of that general had 

 dispersed in order to effect their escape individually, as in this manner 

 they were more likely to succeed than by keeping in a body, which 

 would of course offer greater facility to a discovery. Mina at last remained 

 alone with his aid-de-camp Meca, a priest and an old servant. He wan- 

 dered about the mountains in the most destitute and wretched condition, 

 expecting every hour to fall into the hands of the enemy. He knew 

 the importance that attached to his capture his situation was deplorable, 

 but his mind remained unbroken by misfortune the fatal moment at 

 length arrived. His aid-de-camp perceived a strong detachment of roy- 

 alists advancing in their direction they had been seen to avoid a meet- 

 ing was totally impracticable. Mina perceived the horror of his situation, 

 from which he felt sensible nothing could extricate him. He finally re- 

 solved to exert every effort, however desperate and wild, rather than sub- 

 mit tamely to his melancholy fate. Collecting all his energies and summon- 

 ing to his assistance his extraordinary presence of mind, he turned to his 

 companions, who had lost every hope,and in a calm tone of voice said 



" Gentlemen, be composed remain here and let me advance." 



Saying this he resolutely went to meet the approaching party. In a 

 short time he was close to the royalists, when in a steady tone and col- 

 lected manner he cried out 



<( To what division does this detachment belong ?" 



The captain stared in astonishment, at a question so arrogantly and 

 confidently put. He did not recognise Mina, and he remained for a 

 few seconds in suspense ; he was as it were taken by surprise, and 

 knew not what to make of the man who addressed him in so command- 

 ing a tone. Mina, observing the confusion into which he had thrown 

 the royalist chief, lost no time in improving his first advantage ; feign- 



