CONSTERNATION OF MY- FATHER. 51 



They placed us in a casemate, where we had barely 

 the space necessary for lying down. In the windmill, 

 they used to bring us, from time to time, some provisions, 

 which came from our boat. Here, the Spanish govern 

 ment purveyed our food. We received every day some 

 bread and a ration of rice ; but as we had no means of 

 dressing food, we were in reality reduced to dry bread. 



Dry bread was very unsubstantial food for one who 

 could see from his casemate, at the door of his prison, a 

 sutler selling grapes at two farthings a pound, and cook 

 ing, under the shelter of half a cask, bacon and herrings ; 

 but we had no money to bring us into connection with 

 this merchant. I then decided, though with very great 

 regret, to sell a watch which my father had given me. 

 I was only offered about a quarter of its value ; but I 

 might well accept it, since there were no competitors 

 for it. 



As possessors of sixty francs, M. Berthemie and I 

 could now appease the hunger from which we had long 

 suffered ; but we did not like this return of fortune to be 

 profitable to ourselves alone, and we made some presents, 

 which were very well received by our companions in 

 captivity. Though this sale of my watch brought some 

 comfort to us, it was doomed at a later period to plunge 

 a family into sorrow. 



The town of Rosas fell into the power of the French 

 after a courageous resistance. The prisoners of the gar 

 rison were sent to France, and naturally passed through 

 Perpignan. My father went in quest of news wherever 

 Spaniards were to be found. He entered a cafe at the 

 moment when a prisoner officer drew from his fob the 

 watch which I had sold at Rosas. My good father saw 

 in this act the proof of my death, and fell into a swoon. 



