BRIGANDAGE IN SPAIN. 123 



evening, as he was entering the village of Benocaz, a goat- 

 herd said, " At the well beyond the village you will find a 

 woman in black who will direct you to those you seek." 

 He passed along the line of white caaifas which form the 

 only street of Benocaz, and by the old Moorish draw-well 

 beyond sat a woman in black. As directed by the goat- 

 herd, he addressed her, " Que hora cs .' " and the reply, 

 " Las docc,'' was what he had been told to expect. The 

 woman at once struck over into the hills till she reached a 

 well-worn track and directed Diego to follow this till 

 accosted by a shepherd. He did as he was bidden, and 

 after two hours' rough riding over the dark hill, heard the 

 same words, " Que hora es V " Lasdoce,'" he replied, and 

 was piloted by this new guide to a cavern, in which, to his in- 

 tense joy, he found his young master, alive and well. The 

 mone}' was at once paid over, and though at first the 

 brigands refused to release their captive on the ground that 

 only half the stipulated sum had been brought, yet sus- 

 pense did not last long, for during the night a messenger 

 from Yizco arrived, announcing the due payment of the 

 other half, and instructing the robbers at once to set free 

 their prisoners, and to place them on a road which they 

 would know. And on the following evening, after a cap- 

 tivity of fifteen days, Pedro rode once more into the cit}^ 

 of Jerez. 



Since the above was written Yizco el Borje has died — 

 died as a robber-chieftain should die, by the rifle-ball. 

 Several times, towards the end, his life was only saved by 

 his magnificent pluck and resource. But at last, while 

 campaigning in the Sierra Morena, not far from Cordova, 

 his whereabouts became known to the authorities — pre- 

 sumably through treachery — -and after a series of desperate 

 deeds of bravery, the bold brigand was finally surrounded, 

 all retreat cut oft', and Vizco el Borje fell with five bullets in 

 his bodv. 



We now give a brief history of a robber of the other 

 type — and, incidentally, of the vagaries of judicial justice 

 in Spain. 



