MAEQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 173 



the same moment, Marquinez heard in the distance 

 the qui vive of a French soldier challenging the guard 

 which was relieving the various sentries placed round 

 the temporary quarters of the troops. 



It is no disparagement to the often proved courage 

 of Marquinez, to say that in this agitating moment 

 his heart beat with unusual quickness, whilst big 

 drops of perspiration covered his forehead. His 

 hand, however, lost none of its steadiness, and he 

 plied his bayonet with redoubled vigour, but with 

 less caution than before. Fragments of stone flew 

 from the wall as he struck and delved with desperate 

 violence. He fixed the sharp end of his weapon 

 under the bar, and prizing as with a lever, endeavoured 

 to force it out, when the bayonet, already bent by the 

 unusual purpose to which it was applied, broke off 

 short, and the point remained in the wall. At the 

 same instant Villa verde, awakened by the noise, which 

 had fortunately not reached the ears of the soldiers in 

 the guard-room, stood by the side of his chief, and in 

 an instant comprehended their position. Our two 

 guerillas seized the iron bar, which was all that inter- 

 vened between them and liberty between an un- 

 timely death and a life of freedom and enjoyment. 

 They tugged and wrenched at the fatal obstacle, which 

 shook but would not give way ; the heavy tread of 

 the Frenchmen had become audible, when, by an 

 almost superhuman effort, the iron was torn from its 

 place, and with the violence of the shock the two 



