Year: 1873

NEW Y
ruined population speak Of tnese republican occu-
psttons ss the worst moments they have endured.
Bestdes the usual contributions the town has addi
ttonaa burdens 70 bear for being aCariist centre.
At the present moment there II ne man to be seen
IN tho town except those armed, the civn portion
of the population apparently consisting OF women
and children only. Half OF the houses deserted
shut up, and, exoept in the evening. scarcely any
one is to be seen In the street, the women being
anxious TO keep mp such little field work as they
possibly can. They toll hard all day long and the
Cartsts eagerly assist them whenever they have
day Of rest from perpetual marching. The soldiers
OF Don Estevan Indart, who were in possession Of
the place when l reached 1t, were, to the last
man, At work tn the fields. except the men
on duty ss senttnels. The misery and wretched-
ness of the place is nevertheless, quite shocking.
or cows, oxen, horses or pigs there Is no longer
any trace. few sheep few fowls and couple
Of dOnkeys seem to be all the inhabitants Vera
still possess in the way OF beasts. Their own num-
ber has also decreased to barely 1000. and this
small community, consisting almost exclusively OF
women and children, has to pay every month
about four thousand five hundred dollars in "a
tions of bread, wine and meat only, without reck-
oning either lodgings or such extras as are always
likely to occur, especially when the revengelul
republicans come in. Ny two hostesses and their
father had over thirty francs for q month to pay
for nearly two years past and they said they could
not make out where families with less resources
got the money wanted. Seeing that the dock
of the place was quite exhausted, Senior
Santa Cruz invented . rather ingenious
mode OF supplying the wants OF his
hon II md in
other places, or taxes them on the high road, or
captures them from the republicans and sells them
to the civil authorities OF Vera for ready cash,
which he invests In arms and ammunition, while
the town, after having bought from him The beasts
delivers them back again in the form Of rations.
Notwithstanding all this misery however, the
Inhabitants seem to be on the best possible terms
with the Carhsss. They are evidently tired OF the
war, but not q word of reproach is to be heard
against the Carsts their Chiefs and Santa Cruz Is


A GENERAL OBJECT OF WORSHIP


among this population. Now and then only they
would whisper that he is too severe, but this Is
meant with reference to hts own men only, not to
what he is doing 70 the republicans And 1t must
be said that the discipline OF Santa Cruz's bands is
kept up with o stern hand Within the week he
spent Vera previous to tine Enderaza nght he shet
two Of his for attempting to rob some travellers
who turned out to be Carlists, and gave the bas
tinadO to three more men who failed in performance
Of their duties. What terrifes his men above all
Is that he never SPEAKS Of what he intends doing
or makes any reproach He ia q man Of really
few words, and one Of the best characteristics Of
the nature of the man is perhaps offered by the
manner in which he treated, q few days ago, one
Of his former friends-an old man, sixty-Ave years
OF age and OF the name Of Amilibia


Two brothers Amilibia, and man OF the name Of





when Don Carlos was defeated and Serrano IN
duced some OF the Oarist. chiefs to lay down their
arms and to sign q convention. Santa Cruz was
then chaplain Of Recondo's BATTALION which
operated in conjunction with that OF the brothers
Amilibia, and seems to have urged the three OFF,
GERS not to lay down arms or to sign q convention.
They did not listen to his advice, and Santa Cruz
has felt since that time an invtncible hatred to
these men and has never called them since other
wlse than traitors About week since he came
one morning to Achalar, where one Of the brothers
Amiiiba had also arrived on his way towards the
headquarters where he intended resuming service


4What are you doing here, traitorf" exclaimed
Santa Cruz, on seeing Amilibia looking out Of the
inn window as he was passing BY with his troops.
"You had better leave Spain at once if you care
for your life"


But az the troops remained for dinner in the vii
lage, Amllibia, probably anxious to whitewash
himself In their eyes, II not in those OF their Chief
asked some or the men ne knew to the inn, gave
them some wine and began to talk over last years
business. II would seem that his language with
reference to Santa Cruz was not particularly re-
spectful, and that he made some illusions to his
being a despot not Obeying either his superiors
nor his lord, the king. The conversation was soon
reported to Santa Cruz, and Senior Amtlibia had
not finished hts arguing when several armed men
olIt>
The invitation was addressed to the man who
spoke as TO those who listened. All were carried
to santa Cruzs house. in front Of which company
OF his crack men was ranged and heap OF oastOnes
prepared.


~ gave you advice which you did not consider 1t
worth your while listening to-" said Santa Cruz to
his OLD friend. "You even considered yourself JUS
titled in trying to excite my men against me. I
will therefore give you lesson in another way !;
and the first time meet you or your brother or
Recondo again on Spanish soil


WILL SHOOT you LIKE DOGS"


After this the very same men whom Amiibta
had been treating were ordered to take the pre-
pared sticks and to give q bastinado to the old
man. AS much as ITO strokes were reckoned, and
the poor man was carried senseless to his inn. A
few days later when had to pass through Achalar
alighted at the same inn an old man lying, as
l thought, hopelessly Ill, but no one told me the
sad story OF his Illness 1t was only yesterday at
Vera that learned It, when l saw the poor man
carried on stretcher toward the French frontier
on the other side Of which he hoped
to recover Santa Cruz lett Achalar the same after
noon, and from the whispering tone in which the
affair was spoken Of must conclude that its effect
was all the wild Cure could have desired. No one
either at Achaar or at Vera, Will now attempt to
betray the Carlist cause o. to speak against
TIL EBR UTAL AUTHORITY OF THE CELEBRATED CURE


Another fact characteristic OF the nature Of this
man Is his dealing with the only prisoner he had
taken


AT ENDERLAZA


The result of this fight was greatly exaggerated
The whole number Of cdrtotneros which took part
IN it amounted to forty-one men, Five OF them
escaped two were drowned in attempting to