Year: 1862

the city, but by a steep mountain path
you can arrive by short cut. No one,
however, dares to venture up the path,
which runs along the bed of an ancient
torrent. You can only go on horseback
added she, pinchihg her lips, d" for no
carriage could ever accomplish that peri
lous ascent"


The old general, who had been COM
pletely fascinated by the sweet little maid
en-, protested, of course, against all idea
of fear, although warned that the road
was anything but safe, as many travellers
had of late been robbed, and left to per-
form the rest of the journey almost naked


1T was too near Pampeluna for mur
der, thank Heaven but as for highway
robbery, that was an everyday occur
renee"


The general laughed again he did not
believe in robbers-the moonlight would
serve him. The Archduke would not
require his service till next day--he
would go Immediately on leaving the ball;
the night was beautiful and warm--he
would return and take refreshing sleep
at the Governors palace, and be ready to
proceed with the Archduke by noon.


To this proposition the merry deceiver
agreed with laughing approval, and soon
after left the ball, bidding a cheerful good
night to the general and wishing him a
pleasant ride up the rock. He was true
to his word, and started on his good stsed,
accompanied only by his groom, to climb
the steep rock on the top of which was to
be found the castle. About midway he
was attacked by a band of some dozen or
more of real genuine highway robbers
belonging to the province-in that there
was no mistake, for the shrill voices and
lncessant chatter bespoke their real and
true Navarese.


The general, who was armed with his
pistols, needed not the summons to sur
render, but boldly fred among the troop.
Both pistols hung fire, a thing which had
never happened before, and the poor tray
eler, soon surrounded by numbers, and
beholding his faithful groom dismounted,
and sitting disconsolate by the roadside,
as though badly wounded, was compelled
to suffer himself TO be searched by the
robbers, and to give up his purse and to
hand over the diamond ring he wore to
the little Navarese peasant, who seemed
to be the chief of the band, and whose
astonishing quiokness and vivacity of
movement he could not fail to notice.


The robbers were, however, bons dia-
bles; they suffered him to depart, them
selves disappearing behind the rock as
ysterously as they had appeared. The
groom was found to be only frightened,
not hurt, and the pistols to have been
loaded with damp powder; so that the ad-
venture, after all, was not so bad hut that
it might have been worse. There was but
little in the purse, and the ring was not
of more value to him than it would have
sold for; so that by the time he got back
to the palace, lie felt more inclined to
laugh than to lament.


Before he retired to his room he told
the Governor of his adventure, and had
obtained the assurance that a mounted
force would be dispatched at dawn in
search of the malefactors. But no sooner
had lie retired to his own chamber than
the adventure assumed another aspect.
On his table he found his purse and ring,
with a little line written in pencil, re-
preaching him for his want Of faith in the
existence of robbers in old Spain, and
calling upon him to vindicate the race
henceforth, as being possessed of courtesy
and grace, and ever ready to bear witness
to the chivalry and honor of Gen. -l---.


The paper was signed by the whole
band OF young ladies who had been most





conspicuous at the ball, and who had fin
shed the evenings pleasure with this
frolic.


During the past winter the adventure
has been utilized for charade, and per-
formed at Court banQaeroute has been
the word. The general, at first, is seen
playing at lansquenet, and holding banco;
then comes the route where the adven
ture happens; and finally the visit of
apology made by the young ladies, led by
the merry maiden who had invented the


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