22 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 



north of the month of the river Xucar, and to the south 

 of the Albufera, I once conceived the project of establish- 

 ing a station on the high mountains which are in front of 

 it. I went to see them. The alcaid of one of the neigh- 

 bouring villages warned me of the danger to which I was 

 about to expose myself. " These mountains," said he to 

 me, " form the resort of a band of highway robbers." I 

 asked for the national guard, as I had the power to do so. 

 My escort was supposed by the robbers to be an expedi- 

 tion directed against them, and they dispersed themselves 

 at once over the rich plain which is watered by the Xu- 

 car. On my return I found them engaged in combat 

 with the authorities of Cullera. Wounds had been given 

 on both sides, and, if I recollect right, one alguazil was 

 left dead on the plain. 



The next morning I regained my station. The follow- 

 ing night was a horrible one ; the rain fell in a deluge. 

 Towards night, there was knocking at my cabin door. 

 To the question "Who is there?' 1 the answer was, "A 

 custom-house guard, who asks of you a shelter for some 

 hours." My servant having opened the door to him, I 

 saw a magnificent man enter, armed to the teeth. He 

 laid himself down on the earth, and went to sleep. In 

 the morning, as I was chatting with him at the door of 

 my cabin, his eyes flashed on seeing two persons on the 

 slope of the mountain, the alcaid of Cullera and his prin- 

 cipal alguazil, who were coming to pay me a visit. " Sir," 

 cried he, " nothing less than the gratitude which I owe to 

 you, on account of the service which you have rendered 

 to me this night, could prevent my seizing this occasion 

 for ridding myself, by one shot of this carabine, of my 

 most cruel enemy. Adieu, sir ! ' And he departed, 

 springing from rock to rock as light as a gazelle. 



