“Our Lady of the Dew” 87 
commanding at Seville ordered that Almonte should be razed 
to the ground and its inhabitants beheaded—that being the 
penalty decreed by Murat for any shedding of French blood. 
A detachment of dragoons, despatched to Almonte, had already 
taken prisoner the mayor, the priests, and all the chief in- 
habitants preparatory to their execution. In this grave situation 
they bethought themselves to pray to the Virgin of Rocio, 
promising that if she would rescue them from their deadly peril, 
they would institute a new pilgrimage to her shrine for 
thanksgiving. 
Already the detachment of French soldiers detailed to carry 
out the executions had reached Pilas, a village within six leagues 
of Almonte, when, by mere coincidence, a handful of Spanish 
troops flung themselves against the French positions at Seville. 
The French, thinking that their assailants must be the fore- 
runners of a larger army, hurriedly recalled all their outposts, 
including those commissioned to destroy Almonte ! 
Thus the wretched Alcalde and his fellow-prisoners were 
saved ; for, their innocence of the “crime” being presently estab- 
lished, the town was let off with a fine. Since then, in accordance 
with the promise made 100 years ago, the whole of Almonte 
repairs every 7th of August to the shrine of Nuestra Senora del 
Rocio. 
PRAYING MANTIS (Mantis religivsa) 
