126 WILD SPAIN. 



For some years after this Agua-Dulce continued his 

 course of petty robbery and outrage without especial 

 incident, but with increasing audacity and immunity. 

 Of a lady named Varela he had demanded three thousand 

 dollars under threat of destroying the valuable stock of 

 mares upon her farm of Vicos. Of Don Antonio Diaz, of 

 Paterna, he had requisitioned a thousand dollars under 

 similar terms : and a large number of donkeys belonging 

 to Don Jose Calero, also of Paterna, who had refused his 

 extortions, were found with their throats cut. Lastly, 

 from a farm-steward at Eomanina he had taken a small 

 sum of money, his gun, and cartridge-belt. The authori- 

 ties in this last (minor) case had clear evidence against 

 Agua-Dulce and were keenly on his track. 



The crimes of the miscreant (all these having occurred 

 within a few days) were thus assuming alarming propor- 

 tions, and two amongst the Municipal Guard of Jerez swore 

 they would put an end to him. On the 23rd of May these two, 

 Antonio Sanchez and Jose Salado, were returning towards 

 Jerez after several days of fruitless search, when, passing 

 the ford of the Alamillo (a preserve belonging to the Duke 

 of San Lorenzo), a woman informed them that Agua- 

 Dulce had been at work only an hour or two before, and 

 had taken all he possessed from a poor carboncro. This 

 decided them to remain in the neighbourhood, and shortly 

 afterwards, while riding through the coverts of El Espinar, 

 they observed two men, armed with guns, running between 

 the trees. 



The mounted guards gave chase, overhauled the men, 

 and demanded their surrender. The reply was prompt — 

 a couple of shots : meeting the simultaneous fire of the 

 guards. No sooner, however, had the latter fired than 

 Salado fell dead from his horse, for Agua-Dulce's bullet had 

 gone true. Sanchez leaped from his saddle and, seeing 

 that one robber was done for, went for the other, whom 

 he now recognized as Agua-Dulce. A hand-to-hand 

 struggle was imminent, but the bandit availed himself of 

 the thick lentisk-covert, and contrived to put some distance 

 between himself and his assailant. Both knew it was a 



