178 Unexplored Spain 
rest of his crew escaped, and found shelter in the fastnesses of 
the Sierra Moréna—thence returning to their favourite hunting- 
grounds nearer Seville. 
Riding along the bye-ways of Marchena, disguised as rustic 
travellers, on June 2 they demanded at a remote farm a night’s 
food and lodging. MHalf-concealed knives and revolvers proved 
strong arguments in favour of obedience, and, despite suspicion 
and dislike, the bailiff acceded. This time the Civil Guard were 
on the track. At midnight they silently surrounded the house, 
communicated with the watchful bailiff, and ordered all doors 
to be locked. The turning of a heavy key, however, reached 
Pernales’ ear. In a moment the miscreants were on the alert. 
While one saddled-up the horses, the other unloosed a young farm 
mule, boldly led him across the courtyard to the one open doorway, 
and, administering some hearty lashes to the animal’s ribs, set 
him off in full gallop into the outer darkness. The police, seeing 
what they concluded was an attempted escape, first opened fire, 
then started helter-skelter in pursuit of a riderless mule! The 
robbers meanwhile rode away at leisure. 
Five days later, on June 7, both bandits attacked a venta, 
or country inn, near Los Santos, in Villafranca de los Barrios, 
carrying off £200 in cash, six mules, with other valuables, and 
leaving the owner for dead. This particular crime, for some 
reason or other, was more noised abroad than dozens of others 
equally atrocious, and orders were now issued jointly both by 
the Mimstro de Gobernacion, the Captain-General of the district, 
and the Colonels commanding the Civil Guard throughout the 
whole of the harassed regions, that at all hazards the murderous 
pair must be taken at once, dead or alive. This peremptory 
mandate evolved unusual activities; the whole of the western 
sierra was reported blockaded. Pernales, nevertheless, receiving 
warning through innumerable spies of the police plans, succeeded 
in escaping from the province of Seville into that of Cérdoba, 
where the pair pursued their career of crime, though now under 
conditions of increased hazard and difficulty. Sometimes for 
days together they lay low or contented themselves with petty 
felonies. 
Then suddenly in a new district—that of Puente-Genil— 
burst out a fresh series of the most audacious outrages. Big 
sums of money, with alternative of instant death, were extorted 
