Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-16

begun There was much murmuring, therefore,
to which, however he gave little heed and
several weeks had passed in the manner above
described, when on incident occurred to rouse
him from the sort of lethargy in which he was
sunk
A despatch reached him from the Captain
General Don Gregorio Rodrigo, requiring his
immediate presence at Cuidad Rodrigo, there
TO receive directions concerning the execution
of a service OF the greatest Importance, and
which was to be intrusted to him.
This order had its origin in circumstances Of
which the Empecinado was totally ignorant -
The jeweler Barbot, finding that neither large
| offers nor threats of punishment had any effect
upon the Empecinado, who persisted in keeping
his wife prisoner, made interest with the Duke
! of Infantado, then general of one of the Span
iSh armies, and besought him to exert his indu-
ence in favor of the captive lady, and have her
| restored to her friends The Duke, who was
very important parsonage at the Court of
Charles the Fourth, and favcrite Of Ferdi-
nand the Seventh, at the beginning of his reign,
entertained q particular friendship for Barbot !;
and, if the thronigue scandaleuce of Madrid
might be believed, a still more particular for
his wife. He Immediately wrote to General
Cuesta, desiring that the lady might be sent
back to her husband without delay, as we'll as
all the jewels and other spoil that had been
seized by the Empecinado
With much difficulty did the guerilla make
up his mind TO abandon the inglorOus position
and to 90 to where duty called him. Strong
ly recommending his captive to his brother and
sister inlaw, he set out for Cuidad Rodrigo,
! escorted by a sergeant and two men of his par
tda They had not proceeded half a mile from
Castrillio, when, from hedge bordering the
road shot was fired, and the bullet slightly
wounded the Empecinado's charger. Two of
the escort pushed their horses through the
hedge, and Immediately returning, dragging
between q gray haired old man, seventy years
of age, who clutched in his wrinkled fingers q
rusty carbine that had just been discharged
He is surely mad p exclaimed the Empeci
nadO, gazing in astonshmeHt at the venerable
! assassin
Dime rieo; do you know me? And why
do you seek my life? ?"
".Si 81 te conozes You are the Empecinado
the bloody Empecinado. Give me back my
Pedro, whom you murdered. Aydl me j.! PEI!
| riilo ts hunmdtado ~
| And the old mans frame quivered with rage,
os he glared on the Empecinado with an ex-
! preston Of unutterabie hate.
| One of the gurllas stepped forward
The old Gutierrez, the father of Pedro,
who was hung in the Pinares de Coca, for be-
/ travng Us to the French"
Throw his carbine into yonder pool, and
leave the poor wretch" said Empecinado " his
son deserved the death he met"
He missed his aim to-day, but he may point
/ kl. I
| drawing pistol from his holster
Harm him not !" said the Empecnado,
sternly. and the party rode on.
| &" Maldtto seas r' screamed the old man,
casting himself in the dust of the road, in a
paroxysm Of impotent fury "Maidito 9fal-
! difo Ay dc me ! nj Pedriilo F'
! And his cruises and lamentations continued
till the guerillas were ont of hearing
! On arriving at Ciudad Rodrigo, the EmPeci-
nado went Immediately to General CueSta who
although he did not receive him unkndly, could
not but blame him greatly for the enormous
crime he had committed in carrying off q lady
who was distinguished by so mighty person
| age as the Duke of Infantado. He told him
! il was absolutely necessary to devise some plan
! by which the Dukes anger might be appeased.
! Murat had also sent o message to the central
iunta, saving that il satisfaction were not given,
| he would send troops to lay waste the whole
district of Penafel, in which CaStr;llo was
situated and it was probable that if he had
not done so already, it was because a large
portion of the inhabitants OF that district were
! believed to be well-affected 10 the French
Without exactly telling him what he must do,
! the old general gave him a despatch for the
I c0rreridor of Penafel, and desired him to pres.
ent himself before that functionary. and con
/ cert with him the measures to be taken.
! The Empecinado took his leave and was
! quitting the governors palace, when he over
took at the door an drogado who was q coun-
tryman Of his, and whom he had left at CastrillO
/ when he set out from that place. The sight
of this man was ray of light to the Empecina-
do who Immediately suspected that his enemies
were intriguing against him. He proposed 10
| the LAWYER that they should walk to the inn.
| to which the latter consented. They had TO
traverse q lonely place known by the name OF
| San Francisco's Meadow, and arriving there be-
| hind the shelter of some walls, the Empecinado
seized the advocate by the Collar, and swore
he would strangle him if he did not instantly
confess what business had brought him to
| Ciudad Rodrigo, as we'll as all the plans or
plots against the Empecinado to which he
might be privy.
| The lawyer who had known Diez from his
childhood and was fully aware of his desperate
| character and of his own peril trembled for his
| life and besought him earnestly to use no
| violence for that ne was wiling 70 tell all ne
knew. Thereupon he nigh throttled the poor
avocado, and cooking apisto', asa sort OF warm
! ing to the other 70 tell the trutL babe him S.,
I down beside hiu and proceed with his @asra-
/ tive
! The lawyer informed him that the sr..t7-
! aisrt- or corporation Of Castri..o and those a
I all tie towns and villages of the district, foHat
/ themselves in GREAT trouble on account Of the
! cnnrnr b. I'D ln.arcan.el. and more narucu.