“Monsieur,” said he, addressing me in his native tongue, and not without some little surprise in his countenance, “il me parait que votre figure me revient.”
“Very likely, Monsieur Leboucher,” I replied in Spanish; “probably you again recognise Blas el Ratonero, and have come for your reward. Here, compañeros,” I continued, addressing my attendants; “pay this worthy gentleman the thousand crowns reward due to his penetration. Let them be put up in a bag, the bag tied to his heels, and he by the neck to the next tree.”
“Savage!—Monster!”—exclaimed my old acquaintance, as my orders were carrying into execution; “order your ruffians at all events to shoot me, that I may die like a French soldier.”
“You are a bold fellow,” said I, “to beard the tiger in his lair; and I like a brave fellow although an enemy; so get ye gone, and read a lesson on humanity to your generals, for many of them stand much in need of it.”
He thanked me like a brave man, without expressing such extravagant gratitude as his nation is wont to do; and I felt an inward satisfaction at having spared him. Nevertheless, I had my reasons for it, be assured; for, since the Ronda affair, I knew not what dependence to place on my fellows, and thought I might perchance have need, some time or other, of a friend in the enemy’s camp.
I must now, caballeros, hurry on to the conclusion of my tale; for though the day is not yet dawning, the cocks are giving notice of its approach, and, like yourselves, I purpose being on horseback by sunrise.
The true manner of Beltran’s death was never known, and his corpse was left to furnish a meal to the vultures. I knew I could depend on the secrecy of my Montejaque bravo, Andres; and Pépé swore that he had seen Beltran fall dead from his horse, whilst attempting to rejoin his troop after leaving me. Not the slightest suspicion, therefore, fell upon me.
It was some years, however, ere Engracia could be persuaded to become my wife. She has since told me that it was her brother Melchor who always dissuaded her from it; but he was killed in a skirmish with the French in the Pyrenees, and her brother Alonzo never recovered from the Tertiana that laid him up at Gaucin.
Paca, on her side, opposed my marriage, with all her most impassioned rhetoric; but its influence was no longer felt, and our intimacy broke off with a violent explosion. I have never seen her since, but understand she absconded from her disconsolate Pépé soon afterwards.
On the termination of our glorious war of independence, and the elevation of Ferdinand the Seventh to the constitutional throne, as established by the National Cortes, in 1812, I proceeded to Madrid to swear allegiance to the sovereign for whose return I had fought and bled, and claim the reward of my long services. But instead of surrounding himself with the valiant chieftains who had driven the vile gavachos across the Pyrenees, and placed the crown of the two worlds upon his head, the imbecile monarch had hedged himself round with the same impotent old grandees, intriguing priests, and other parasites and bribones, who, but for the in-born valour of the Spanish people, would have been now fawning with the same abject servilism at the feet of the usurper Josef. At length, however, by dint of perseverance, I obtained an audience. The king received me in his usual graceless, gracious manner—regretted my wounds—presented me with a cigar—referred me to his ministers—and wished me good morning.