120 WILD SPAIN. 



to. The sum of 6,000 dollars was then inserted, the mis- 

 sive signed- and sealed, and Diego, who had remained 

 blindfold, was led to a point in the sierra which was 

 familiar to him, his eyes unhandaged, and told to make 

 the best of his way with the note to Jerez. This, as the 

 dawn was just breaking, he had no difficulty in doing 

 before night. 



After Diego's departure, the chief invited his captive to 

 sup with him and join in a borraclia (skin) of wine, under 

 whose influence the bandit became more genial, and 

 related certain facts concerning his personal history. He 

 had formerly been an officer of carabineros, but being dis- 

 missed for some, as he held, trifling fault, all means of 

 subsistence were denied to him, and losing caste step by 

 step, there had gradually developed in his breast an intense 

 hatred of all social arrangements, which had finally led to 

 his present state of outlawry. First he had been a smug- 

 gler, but, as the Spanish proverb runs, — 



" De contrabandista a ladron 

 No hay mas que un escalon." 

 (From a smuggler to a thief 

 The step is short, the time is brief.) 



Little by little his revolt against law and order led him 

 into further excesses and more outrageous acts of crime. 

 The daring courage and character of the man had attracted 

 rogues of lesser calibre to his side, and now Yizco el Borje 

 was the acknowledged chief of the party of plunder and 

 anarchy. 



The following night another party of robbers arrived : 

 the captive was again blindfolded, and the dark journey 

 resumed. For three days and nights the same course was 

 pursued — the brigands each morning at dawn going to 

 ground in a fresh earth. An amusing incident occurred 

 during one of these nocturnal marches. The cavalcade was 

 suddenly brought to a stop, and the words passed down 

 the line — Civiles, civiles ! The prisoner now hoped that his 

 deliverance was at hand ; the chief ordered his band to 

 close up their ranks — the prisoner being removed some 

 yards to the rear— and to prepare to fire. During the 



