COUNT RAOUSSRT BOULBON. 43 



made a very poor appearance before Yanez ; they hastily 

 concluded the conference, ?nd gave a wrong account of what 

 had taken place between them and the General. Count 

 Raousset was undecided what to do when the sudden query 

 from one of his followers, " You ARE NOT WHAT YOU 

 WERE?" made him start, and rising his head he only said. 

 En avant. 



Yanez with 300 men shut himself up in the barracks. 

 The National Guard occupied the neighbouring houses and 

 four cannons were placed in such a way that they could fire 

 ■effectually on all sides. To the watchword of Raousset, many 

 volunteers at first refused to march, but they were won over, 

 took their arms and followed him, manv aorainst their will. The 

 advance was made in three different directions. Raousset at 

 the head of the two first companies marched in the principal 

 street, and went straight to the cannons, but the firing of two 

 case shots caused great havoc among his men. None the less, 

 with thirty men, they slowly advanced, and disabled all the 

 artillerymen ; the least assistance would have secured the 

 victorv. But the two other columns had not executed their 

 plan of attack, besides which Yanez was there, and being short 

 of men, he loaded one of the guns himself, fired it, and left 

 onlv ten valid men to Raousset, who tried to escalade the 

 barracks, but his efforts were useless. He sought for death 

 but found it, not. 



At the same time the dispersed French thought less of 

 fighting than to beg for mercy ; downcast and repentant, they 

 took refuge in the house of the French Vice-Consul, imploring 

 his protection. Raousset left almost alone, returned to the 

 sea shore with the hope of finding his schooner there, but those 

 who had charge of it were gone. 



He went to the house of the Vice-Consul, tried to persuade 

 his men to renew the fighting, did not succeed, gave up his 

 sword, and waited. Yanez came out with his men and attacked 

 the Sonora Hotel, still occupied by the French. They forced 

 an entrance, and the slaughter began. Every one of them 

 would have perished if the Vice-Consul, Mr. Calvo, an 

 influential man, had not interfered in their favour. They 

 were all made prisoners. Pistols were left to Raousset with the 

 hope that he would kill himself, but he did not do so, and 

 from that moment the intrepid adventurer became a mild 

 and peaceful Christian. He felt what he owed to his name 

 and to himself, and disdaining to defend his own life, he only 

 thought of his honour, and declared that all his acts were 



