BRIGANDAGE IN SPAIN. 119 



cavalcade halted, and one man was sent forward to rtcon- 

 noitre. A shrill whistle was heard in that direction, and 

 presently nine other horsemen rode in. The captives were 

 now ordered to dismomit, their eyes were closely bandaged, 

 and they were informed that their lives depended on 

 implicit obedience to orders, and that it was better for 

 them to see nothing and to hear less — the latter an almost 

 unnecessary injunction, since hardly a word had been 

 spoken. For hours the captives were led forward, their 

 horses stumbling along a rocky ascent, and they presently 

 knew, by the absence of brushwood, that they had reached 

 the higher regions of the sierra ; then a halt was ordered, 

 they were assisted to dismount, and led on foot along a 

 l^assage whose echoing sounds told them it was sub- 

 terranean. Here, in an extensive cavern, probably the 

 long-abandoned workings of a Roman mine, his eyes were 

 unbandaged, and Pedro found himself in the presence of 

 his three original assailants. The only furniture in the 

 cave consisted of a few empty boxes ; on one of these 

 glimmered a flickering wick in a saucerful of oil. The 

 robber-leader drew up another box for a seat, and produc- 

 ing writing materials, ordered Pedro to write to his dicta- 

 tion as follows : — " My dear father, I am in the power of 

 sequestradores, who make good plans and bind fast. It is 

 madness to put Government on their track — they will 

 escape and you will lose your son. Your secrecy and 

 money at once free me. You can send the silver by Diego, 

 our steward, who bears you this. Let him appear on the 

 mountain-road between Grazalema and El Bosque, riding 

 a white donkey, and bringing ten thousand dollars." . . 

 . . At this point the prisoner, who had so far written as 

 directed, stopped short, and point-blank refused to demand 

 such a sum — declaring he would not take from his 

 brothers any part of their patrimony, and that the only 

 sum he would accept of his father was such as might fall 

 to him as one of a numerous family. The fairness of this, 

 and the undaunted attitude of Pedro, seemed to please the 

 brigand, who declared, with a shake of his hand, that 

 whatever bargain was struck should be honourably adhered 



