1828. ] The Smugglers of Algesiras. 335 
soldiers. At their heard was Fernandez, covered with dust and blood. 
By his side, or just after him, came up Hadoud the Moor, with a drawn 
scimitar in his hand, and glancing fire as he went from beneath his 
dark eyebrows. They advanced to the table—and a word, a single 
word, bursting from the lips of the young leader, stopped the head- 
long career of the troops. 
« Serafin !” exclaimed Fernandez, as he gazed on the haggard coun- 
tenance of the man who sate like death between his two speechless 
accomplices 
« Serafin!” he exclaimed; and the flash of rage was clouded over 
by a sad and pensive expression, that indicated deep inward sorrow and 
unutterable meditations. 
« Ha! bloodhound!” cried the furious Moor, “is it you who have 
sunken my ships, and despoiled me of my property? Is it you who have 
branded me with disgrace, and made me homeless? Is it you who cursed 
the true believer, and smote so grievously his helpless little ones ?—Ha! 
is it not the Prophet who has blessed me in seeing this sight?” 
But his words passed across the unhappy man he addressed like whis- 
pers at midnight in the ear of a dreamer ;—his eye was glazed in idiotcy, 
and the half-opened mouth could not disclose the unmeaning syllables 
that he seemed on the eve of uttering. 
« Despatch him at once!” cried the Moor. 
« Hold! fool!” interrupted Fernandez ; “ you know not what you 
say. The laws ” 
« He has transgressed every one of them !” replied the other. 
« Ay, ay—true ; it may be so ;—but he is the father——Oh! God, 
have mercy !” 
The eye of the young soldier was filled with the tears of womanhood, 
and he did not recover from this overpowered state till another impreca- 
tion from Hadoud urged him to be on his guard. Composing himself as 
he might, he ordered his men to lead off the culprits to the town of Alge- 
siras, where they were to abide the course of the law. Taking his sta- 
‘tion at their head, he himself led the way to the gates, and gave all the 
necessary orders for his prisoners’ confinement. They were lodged 
together for the night, and, on the following morning, were brought 
before the municipal authorities for examination and commitment. Pre- 
sumptive proof of guilt was so strong, that no time was lost in sending 
them on to Madrid, to take their trial there for the alleged crimes and 
misdemeanors. In the mean time, Fernandez betook himself, disconso- 
late but not despairing, to the former house of Don Francisco Serafin. 
He was admitted to his daughter. He narrated the past circumstances, 
and begged that he might be allowed to investigate the secret chambers 
of the old Cobo, to ascertain his exact connexion with the illicit traffic 
which he was appointed to destroy. There he discovered several series 
of correspondence, and. other documents, demonstrating most fully the 
_ existence of most extensive dealings with the smugglers themselves. He 
collected these papers, and reserved them for subsequent use. He next 
proceeded to the offices and lower rooms, and beneath the ground- 
floor he found deposited several casks of powder, and other articles of 
suspicion, which he had also removed, and placed so as to be instantly 
disposable. Having done this by the assistance of the family servants 
and some of his own men, whom he secretly employed ander the cover of 
night, his next measure was to procure an interview with Julia as speedily 
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