Year: 1873

bastinad0." These and similar thoughts crossed
my mind with the rapidity Of lightning. But the
master OF my destiny passed my door and turned
round the corner. There must be something
going on In the town square, "said The old tailor;
ana all four OF us, rs by common accord went
down stairs with the intention to follow the Cure,
but sentry posted at the corner stopped u.s. say
ing that we had better wait bit II we had any
business that way. Soon some vague noise reached
our ears, and by and by very distinct cries OF suf
fering man. "Some one Is being punished again."
whispered my humpbacked friend, and made
sign to all OF US to return home. few moments
later we learned that the gunsmith Of the band,
whom Santa Cruz had given some work to
DO, did not iuldl his task, went away during the
Cures absence for couple of days to q neighbor-
ing village and


GOT DRUNK.


His reward was fifty bastanes and very hard must
they have been; ior passing by his house, heard
the poor man still groaning to-day, after
than twentyfour hours had passed. 1t did not
take, however, much time for Santa Cruz to
give this new ''iesson," he calls it. In less than
quarter OF an hour he was walking back again
from the town square with the same body guards,
ana as he reached my house saw Don Estevan re-
ceiving some order and rushing up our staircase.
There was no longer any mistake that my turn had
come to be attended to. "COme alOng'' would be
the literal translation or the short but expressive
speech Don Estevan delivered to me on entering
the room. Down we went at once and found the
Cure waiting with his staff at the door and talking
to short and stOutish man. In the costume OF
private. learned subsequently that the man
was Don Cruz Ochoa late Carlist Deputy In
the COrtes, and now private soldier in
Santa Cruz's bands, and q secretary to his
leader Don Cruz OchOa Is q wen educated man,
speaking very lair French, which he was anxious to
make show Of each time there was some little
hesitation either in my Spanish speech or In
Santa Cruz's Spanish understanding. But he had
besides being very short one. was by no means a
verbose one.


THE INTERVIEW.


In fact, do not remember of having had so bust
ness like an interview tor long time past with
any man, bg or little The greater portion or 1t
was occupied by the Cure examining my papers.
OF the Carlist passport delivered to me by COM
mand OF Don Carlos himself he did not seem to
take any notice at all. But he examined very
closely the paper embOdying the HERALD's Gre
dentials ana bearing q pisa OF the American EN-
bassy in Madrid The credential being wOrded in
French gave him, it seemed, good deal of trouble,
but he went through the paper without
the assistance of his French speaking secre-
tary. The eagle on the Embassy's seal
he examined al If it were miniature painting.
And when he had gone through all that apparently
calculated to persuade MIN that was not some
agent of the republicans or Of his enemies at the
headquarters. he put me the simple and short
question:


"What is it that you wantr'


told him that good deal having been written
and told OF his and his troops activity in the pres
ent war the HERALD wished to ascertain what was
really true in the reports circulated aud what was
the exact position of the various Carlist corps
that had been sent not to MIN alone, but to the
whole OF the Carltst army, as my Carlist passport
showed, and that my account would not have been
complete If l had not visited his corps and wit
messed its operations.


"Of my men you can see but small portion
now," answered the Cure "they are all gone In
different directions, and l myself am starting at
once for place where cannot take you to. But
on some future occasion l would not mind your
being present at any Of our fights, provided you
can stand fire and great fatigue. or my future
plans can, Of course, say nothing, and to no enc
Besides, before allowing you to join rs l mus,
make some inquiries about you and the paper yoI
represent. II we are treated by the HERALD DI
NUEvA YORK az the miserable French and Spanish
papers treat l shall not allow any man to be
presents and If you are not prepared to defend the
Catholic cause you had better not here at ALL


don't know why the dark, bearded head OF the
Cure, deeply sunken in his shoulders, appeared to
me at this moment as the head Of black bull
about to charge me.


with whom you acquainted OF our Carlist
people ?" continued Santa Cruz, walking at slow
pace abreast wIthme towards his house, the guards
following manned several persons knew to
be on friendly terms with him.


Every well will make inquiries and will let you
know when you may come here again, II you wish
1t. am sorry have no time now. But hope
shall be soon back to Vera II you live, you can
wait here"


Being of course by no means anxious to lose any
time at the miserable place and to run the risk OF
his receiving information that New YORK was under
republican government and the HERALD liberal
paper, for both Of which circumstances he might
prescribe me o more or less strong dose OF basri.
nado, answered, with many thanks for the propo-
sal, that previous invitation from General Elio
did not allow me to postpone my journey to the
headquarters; but that hoped TO receive soon a
permission from him and to come then at once to
Vera.


Every well; go to the headquarters But do you
know where they are ? don'tn said that
knew them to have been o few days since in the
neighborhood OF Penacerada, short distance from
Vittoria and that hoped to find them II could
get guide knowing well the mountain passes.
81 don't think you can get one here at all events
not before tomorrow, for we have but very few
men disengaged. will give you man who must
return to town tomorrow. He will take you to the
first Carlist post which he Will be able to nd and
you must there ask the oflcer In command TO tor
ward you further This is all can do for you at
present." and, stretching out to me his hand, the
fierce Cure added the usual spanish "Vapa Va con-
Dtos'' God help you on your journey and entered
his house, to the door OF which had by that time
walked down. Don Cruz Ochoa, probably anxious
TO put IN few French words more and to justify
at least little the dry and not very urbane recep-
ton his leader gave me, remained o little behind
the Cure and began TO assure me tnat Senior santa
Cruz had really not moment to spare
just them assured him l quite believed it
and was very much obliged for the favor
shown to me, Notwithstanding the pressing occu-
nations and that the Onlv thing I reuret tod wa u