My gallant boy, as appeared as well by the letters found upon him, as by a decoration at his breast, had already distinguished himself in the field, when fate directed a father’s hand to close his promising career.
Don Benito, I further learned, overwhelmed with grief by the death of his grandson, had retired from Madrid to his native town. There, clothed with power, I longed to beard him in his fancied security; to tell him that his vile deceit had caused a son to raise his arm against a father—had caused that father, in ignorance, to become the murderer of his son; to tell him, in fine, that all his property, his ill-gotten property—his life even—was at my disposal, to take and destroy as I thought fit. To accomplish this was now the ruling desire within my breast; my country’s wrongs were but the pretence for acquiring power amongst my companions.
Esteban, the leader of our quadrilla, was an overbearing, avaricious, craven-hearted Catalan, who, fearful of venturing far from his own mountain retreats, resolutely and effectually opposed my project of making a dash at Andalusia. As a first step towards effecting my purpose, therefore, it became necessary to dispose of him.
I have before stated that I had many friends in the troop, and by an assumed generosity,—my share of plunder, unless consisting of arms, horses, &c., being generally left to be divided amongst my comrades,—I gradually succeeded in increasing the number of my adherents; thus paving the way for becoming, one day, the leader of the band. In this I but adopted the maxim of my favourite Guzman de Alfarache, who says, “ganar amigos es dar dinero a logro y sembrar en regadio.”[184] I valued wealth, however, only as the means of obtaining power; and at that moment, to give money was to gain friends, and to gain friends, to attain power.
The friends I gained were very uncertain ones, it may be said. They were such, nevertheless, as I could depend upon whilst fortune favoured me; and what is friendship after all? a flimsy veil thrown over the double face of mutual interest, which the slightest breath of adversity blows aside! a mere footstep to the seat of power, which is trodden upon the moment that seat is gained! Friendship! I have never in my eventful life known it last when once the bond of interest was broken!
Strong, however, as my party had become, by the means I have stated, it was not yet sufficiently so to warrant my coming to an open rupture with Esteban, even had that been advisable. On the contrary, as the band consisted principally of his countrymen, whose services I did not wish to lose, it was desirable, in the step I meditated taking, to avoid even the suspicion of treachery. With this view, I arranged a plan with three of my most faithful supporters, which was crowned with complete success.
Esteban had obtained information, that, on a certain day, a convoy, conveying treasure and ammunition for the use of the French division employed at the siege of Gerona, would be sent from Figueras. The escort, on account of the value of the convoy, would of course be strong; but the avarice of our chief serving as a fillip to his courage, we succeeded in persuading him to make an attempt to capture it. Taking post, therefore, in a deep ravine, situated in the heart of a forest through which the enemy must necessarily pass, a council was called to consider the best mode of making the attack. Contrary to my usual custom, I recommended the adoption of the most cautious proceedings. I hinted that we must have been misinformed respecting the strength of the escort; as, doubtless, so enormous a sum as that the enemy was sending would be protected by a very strong body of troops. In fact, whilst feeding Esteban’s cupidity, I succeeded so completely in frightening him, that he asked me to propose a plan for the attack.
I readily acquiesced; and my project meeting with unanimous approval, was immediately acted upon. It was as follows. Two thirds of our force were concealed in a hollow some distance from and to the right of the road, beyond the pass. Their horses were muzzled to prevent detection by their neighing, but were provided with slip knots to release them at a moment’s notice. The rest of the troop took post on foot on the left side of the defilé, immediately over the road, three of the men retiring some distance into the forest with the horses of this party, and keeping them ready to bring up to the spot at the concerted signal.
The first party was placed under the command of the lieutenant of the troop, the bosom friend of Esteban, who, screening his men carefully from observation, was to allow the enemy’s advanced guard to pass unmolested until it had gained a comparatively open space clear of the ravine, and then to charge it à cierra ojos,[185] for the purpose of drawing to its support the main body of the escort, and so leave the mules with the treasure but slightly protected. This done, he was to retire, or not, according to circumstances.
Meanwhile, Esteban concealed himself in the thick foliage of an evergreen oak that grew on the summit of an isolated crag, which, standing out from the bank of the hollow way, protruded into and commanded a perfect view of the road. From this elevated spot he was (should he deem it advisable) to make the signal for a general attack by liberating a huge eagle, which we always kept for this purpose; a signal that, instead of exciting suspicion, we found rather tended to throw the enemy off his guard. Our rendezvous was given for the night at a village some ten miles from the scene of action.