680 The Campaign of the Spanish Constitutionalists. DEC. 



ing to fall into a rage, he exclaimed in a more haughty and impatient 

 manner 



" Sir, I ask again to whom does this troop belong ?" 

 The question was accompanied with an oath the captain's confusion 

 increased, his surprise was converted into a kind of dread, and fancy- 

 ing that he was addressed by some superior chief of the royalist army, 

 he submissively answered 



" This detachment belongs to the division of Juanito." 

 " Well then," returned Mina, forthwith, ef what brings you hither ? 

 hasten to join your division." 



The officer stared and demurred to obey this order. 

 Mina cast a glance of indignation, and in a fierce voice exclaimed 

 " Damnation, Sir ! what do you mean by not obeying immediately ? 

 Go, Sir, or depend upon it I shall report your conduct \" 



The royalist officer made no further shew of opposition, but in a 

 deferential manner, bowed to Mina, and followed the command so 

 sharply given : in a few minutes the deluded party were out of sight and 

 Mina joined his companions. The success of this extraordinary ruse, gave 

 the four unfortunate wanderers courage to support the new trials and 

 hardships which they were aware they would have to encounter 

 before they could gain the French line. Though they had escaped 

 one imminent danger, a thousand equally appalling obstructed their 

 path they were not deceived in their melancnoly surmises the roy- 

 alists, who by this time had received correct information relating to 

 Mina's fugitive course and destitute condition, were exerting all their 

 endeavours to discover his lurking-place. The constitutional general 

 and his attendants, knowing that those places were filled with their 

 pursuers, had taken refuge in an obscure cavern, situated in a retired 

 and dismal ravine. There they remained in concealment until an oppor- 

 tunity should offer for their escape. Meantime the royalists were 

 very actively engaged in scouring the forest and every spot around, 

 but to no purpose. Their ingenuity was next put to the utmost stretch, 

 in order to devise means for arriving at the attainment of their object. 

 They caused some shepherds to ramble about, sounding their horns, that 

 Mina, deceived by the welcome note, might be tempted to quit his con- 

 cealment in order to request succour. This stratagem was very 

 adroitly put in practice, but without success ; Mina, like an old fox, 

 would not quit his hole ; the failure, however, only served to stimulate 

 the contrivers of this plan to form another more pregnant with danger, 

 for the fugitives. Blood-hounds were then procured and let loose, 

 that they might scent the intended victims out j this expedient was 

 sagacious, and it was nearly proving fatal to Mina. The hounds went 

 on in their pursuit with fearful precision ; and the unfortunate men 

 were on the point of being discovered, when two stags suddenly 

 started from their repose, crossing in the direction of the hounds. 

 This singular incident saved the lives of Mina and his companions ; 

 the dogs, naturally enough, followed in the tract of the stags, and this 

 new scheme of the royalists completely failed. Had this extraordinary 

 circumstance happened when the life of a royalist general was con- 

 cerned, the monks and friars would, no doubt, have cried out " A 

 miracle ! a miracle !" The two stags would have been converted 

 into angels, expressly sent from heaven, in that moment of peril. In 



