Scenes in Spain. 391 



One night, about a week after our arrival, I was aroused from sleep 

 by the report of fire-arms immediately under my window. The 

 house in which I slept was the last one in the place, and looked upon 

 the space which the gate of the town once occupied, and where the 

 inlying picket was stationed round a large fire. On hearing the 

 noise I sprung out of bed, and, thrusting open the shutter of the un- 

 glazed window, a single glance sufficed to make me acquainted with 

 the cause of the disturbance. A party of the enemy had pushed on 

 undiscovered into the very town, and, springing upon the unprepared 

 picket, speedily put them to flight. Their principal object being 

 plunder, they immediately commenced effecting an entry into the 

 nearest houses by battering down the doors, and it was with feelings 

 of small satisfaction that I heard their repeated and vigorous thumps 

 at the frail door of my abode. Jumping into my breeches, and 

 seizing my pistols and sword, I aroused my servant who was sleeping 

 on the ground beside my bed, and in few words informed him of the 

 state of the case. Taking his musket with bayonet fixed, which lay 

 at hand for the emergency, we descended the ladder that formed 

 the only descent to the lower part of the house, the whole of which, 

 as is usual in Spanish villages, formed the stabling of the house. No 

 sooner had we alighted, than I beheld, to my horror, \hepatron or 

 master of the house (whom I had always suspected of being a Car- 

 list at heart), with a lamp in his hand, hurriedly attempting to push 

 back the bar of the door, the only hinderance to the admission of the 

 unwelcome intruders. I called out to him in no very measured lan- 

 guage to desist, " Espera, traidor! ladron ! Carajo!" but in vain. 

 My expostulation only seemed to expedite his proceedings, and as 

 he gave the final push, and the door flew half open, with correct aim 

 I discharged my pistol at him, and the shot taking effect in his 

 shoulder he fell instantaneously, by his fall serving for a moment to 

 impede the full opening of the door. With a rush forward, my 

 servant and myself managed to secure it for a few moments longer, 

 until a volley and a charge from the main guard, which suddenly 

 made its appearance, dispersed the hostile visitors ; who, carrying off 

 a few wounded men with them, made their retreat with little benefit 

 from their experiment. The next morning I gave my host a severe 

 lecture upon his disloyalty, but on account of his wound, which was 

 not however very serious, I let him off all other consequences. 



With the exception of incidents such as these, our existence in the 

 villages was monotonous in the extreme, and we ardently longed to 

 exchange it for one of more active service. Our wish was not long 

 delayed, for the fever ceasing, more from want of victims than any 

 other cause, at the latter end of April we had intimation of our ap- 

 proaching departure for San Sebastian. We marched through 

 Vittoria for the last time, rejoiced at the prospect of quitting that 

 inhospitable and fatal town. We had entered it but a few months 

 before in health and spirits ; we quitted it a broken and debilitated 

 army of skeletons, destined within a few days to fight a battle the 

 most severe and best contested of the present war. 



(To be continued.) 



