CHAPTER XXIV.

CHAPTER XXIV.AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.Intwelve hours after she started, the American Prince was in the harbor of Cadiz. Bark Lingall was on board; and Jacob Lobo, who spoke five languages, had been engaged at the Hotel de la Alameda as his companion. Mr. Pelham sent them ashore as soon as the anchor went over the bow.“Do you expect to find the Count de Escarabajosa in Cadiz?” asked the interpreter, as they landed.“Of course not: I told you he would not be here,” replied Bark. “I may find out where he went to from here, and I may not. I left him at the Hotel de Cadiz; and we will go there first.”“I can tell you where he went without asking a question,” added Lobo, to whom Bark had told the whole story of Raymond.“I can guess at it, as you do; but I want information if I can obtain it,” replied Bark.“You would certainly have been caught if you hadn’t thrown the detective off the track by going over to Oran.”“We went to Oran for that purpose.”“The count has got out of Spanish territory, and hewill keep out of it for the present. Our next move will be to go to Gibraltar. He is safe there.”“I think we shall find him there.”The landlord of the hotel recognized Bark, who had been a guest in his house for several weeks. Raymond had not told him where he was going when he left. He had gone from the hotel on foot, carrying his bag in his hand.“Where do you think he went?” asked Bark.“My opinion at the time was that he went to Gibraltar; for a steamer sailed for Algeciras that day, and there was none for any other port,” replied the landlord.“But he might have left by the train,” suggested Bark.“He went away in the middle of the day, and the steamer left at noon.”“He did not leave by train,” added the guide.“I don’t think he did,” said Bark. “Now, when does the next steamer leave for Gibraltar?”“You will find the bills of the steamers hanging in the hall,” replied the landlord.One of these indicated that a Spanish steamer would sail at noon the next day.“Perhaps she will, and perhaps she will not,” said Lobo.“But she is advertised to leave to-morrow,” added Bark.“Very likely before night you may find another bill, postponing the departure till the next day: they do such things here.”“What shall we do?”“Wait till a steamer sails,” replied Lobo, shrugging his shoulders.“Is there any other way to get there?” asked Bark, troubled by the uncertainty.“Some other steamer may come along: we will go to the office of the French line, and inquire when one is expected,” replied Jacob.They ascertained that the French steamer did not touch at Gibraltar; and there was no other way than to depend upon the Spanish line. As Jacob Lobo had feared, the sailing of the boat advertised was put off till the next day.“You can go by land, if you are not afraid of the brigands,” said the interpreter.“Brigands?”“Within a year a party of English people were robbed by brigands, on the way from Malaga to Ronda; but that is the only instance I ever heard of. The country between here and Malaga used to be filled with smugglers; and there are some of that trade now. When their business was dull, they used to take to the road at times.”“How long would it take to go by the road?” asked Bark, who was very enthusiastic in the discharge of his duty, and unwilling to lose a single day.“That depends upon how fast you ride,” laughed Lobo. “It is about sixty miles, and you might make it in a day, if you were a good horseman.”“But I am not: I was never on a horse above three times in my life.”“Then you should take two days for the journey.”“If we should start to-morrow morning, we should not get there as soon as the steamer that leaves the following day.”“That steamer may not go for three or four days yet: it will depend upon whether she gets a cargo, or not.”Bark was vexed and perplexed, and did not know what to do. He went down to the quay where they had landed, and found the boats from the ship, bringing off the Josephines and the Tritonias. He applied to Mr. Pelham for advice; and, after consulting Mr. Fluxion, it was decided that he should wait for a steamer, if he had to wait a week; for there was no such desperate hurry that he need to risk an encounter with brigands in order to save a day or two. So the services of Bark and Jacob Lobo were economized as guides, for both of them knew the city. Two days later the Spanish steamer actually sailed; and in seven hours Bark and his courier were in Algeciras, whence they crossed the bay in a boat to Gibraltar.We left Raymond in Gibraltar, watching the newspapers for tidings of the American Prince; and he had learned of her arrival at Cadiz, where she had been for three days when Bark arrived at the Rock. He had heard nothing of the death of his uncle in Barcelona, and had no suspicion of the change of the circumstances we have described. He was not willing to risk himself in Cadiz while the Prince was there. As her consorts had not gone to Cadiz with her, he was satisfied that the steamer was to return to Malaga.After he obtained the news, and had satisfied himself that the Princes were going overland to Cadiz, he went to his chamber at the King’s Arms, where he attempted to reason out the future movements of the squadron. He had concluded, weeks before, that the fleet would not go to Lisbon, since all hands had visitedthat city; and now it appeared that Cadiz would be avoided for a second time, for the same reason. The Prince would wait there till her own ship’s company arrived, and then go back to Malaga. The Josephines and Tritonias would do the place, and then return to Malaga overland. It looked to Raymond like a very plain case; and he was confident that the fleet would come to Gibraltar next.He was entirely satisfied that his conclusion was a correct one. The squadron would certainly visit the Rock, for the principal could not think of such a thing as passing by a fortress so wonderful. Raymond was out of the way of arrest, if the detective should trace him to this place; and he could join his ship when she came. If the principal still wanted to send him to Barcelona, he would tell his whole story; and, if this did not save him, he would trust to his chances to escape. He sat at the window, thinking about the matter. It was just before sunset, and the air was delicious. He could look into the square in front of the hotel, and he was not a little startled to see the uniform of the squadron on a person approaching the hotel. He looked till he recognized Bark as the one who wore it.But who was the man with him? This question troubled him. The man was a stranger to him; for the fugitives had not employed a guide in Malaga, and therefore Jacob Lobo was all unknown to him. Neither the Prince nor her consorts were in Gibraltar; and it was plain enough to the Spaniard that Bark and his companion had come in the steamer he had seen going into Algeciras two hours before. They had come fromCadiz, and they could have no other errand in Gibraltar than to find him. Had Bark become a traitor? or, what was more likely, had he been required by the principal to conduct this man in search of him? Had Mr. Lowington ascertained that he was at the Rock? It was almost impossible, for he had met no one who knew him.He saw Bark and his doubtful companion enter the Club-House Hotel, and he understood their business there. He had not seen thealguacil, or detective, who had come on board of the Tritonia for him; but he jumped at the conclusion that this was the man. The principal had afforded him every facility for finding the object of his search; and now it appeared that he had sent Bark with him, to identify his expected prisoner. Raymond decided on the moment not to wait for the detective to see him. He rang the bell, and sent for his bill: he paid it, and departed before Bark could reach the hotel. He scorned to ask the landlord or waiters to tell any lies on his account. He hastened down to the bay; and at the landing he found the very boat that had brought Bark and his companion over from Algeciras, just hoisting her sails to return. The boatman was glad enough to get a passenger back, and thus double the earnings of the trip. It is about five miles across the bay; and, with a fresh breeze from the south-east, the distance was made in an hour.On the way, Raymond learned that the boat had brought over two passengers; and, from the boatman’s description of them, he was convinced that they were Bark and his companion. He questioned the skipper in regard to them; but the man had no idea who orwhat they were. The passengers talked in English all the way over, and he could not understand a word they said. It was not prudent for the fugitive to stay over night in Algeciras; and, procuring a couple of mules and a guide, he went to San Roque, where he passed the night. He found a fair hotel at this place; and he decided to remain there till the next day.He had time to think now; and he concluded that Bark and his suspicious companion would depart from the Rock when they found he was not there. But he did not lose sight of the fact that he was in Spain again. What would his pursuers do when they found that he had left the hotel? They would see his name on the books, and the landlord would tell them he had just left. There were plenty of boatmen at the landing, who had seen him embark in the boat for Algeciras. Raymond did not like these suggestions as they came up in his mind. They would cross the bay, and find the boatman, who would be able to describe him, as he had them. Then, when they had failed to find him at thefondas, they would visit the stables. It was easy enough to trace him.At first he thought of journeying on horseback to Xeres, and there taking the train to the north, and into Portugal; but he abandoned the thought when he considered that he was liable to meet the students at any point on the railroad. Finally he decided to start for Ronda, an interior city, forty miles from the Rock. At eight o’clock in the morning, he was in the saddle. He had retained the mules that brought him from Algeciras. José, his guide, was one of the retired brigands, of whom there are so many in this region.As it was too soon for him to be pursued, he did not hurry, and stopped at Barca de Cuenca to dine.After dinner he resumed his journey. José was a surly, ugly fellow, and Raymond was not disposed to converse with him. This silence made the miles very long; but the scenery was wild and grand, and the traveller enjoyed it. After he had ridden about five miles he came to a country which was all hills and rocks. The path was very crooked; and it required many angles to overcome steeps, and avoid chasms. Suddenly, as he passed a rock which formed a corner in the path, he was confronted by three men, all armed to the teeth, with muskets, pistols, and knives. José was provided with the same arsenal of weapons; but he did not offer to use any of them.The leading brigand was a good-natured ruffian, and he smiled as pleasantly as though his calling was perfectly legitimate. He simply held out his hand, and said, “Por Dios,” which is the way that beggars generally do their business.“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied Raymond, shaking his head.This is the usual way to refuse a beggar: “Excuse us for God’s sake, brother.” Raymond did not yet understand whether the three men intended to beg or rob; but he soon ascertained that the leader had only adopted this facetious way of doing what is commonly done with the challenge, “Your money or your life!” It was of no avail to resist, even if he had been armed. Most of his gold was concealed in a money-belt worn next to his skin, while he carried half a dozen Isabelinos in his purse, which he handed to the gentlemanly brigand.“Gracias, señorito!” replied the leader. “Your watch, if you please.”Raymond gave it up, and hoped they would be satisfied. Instead of this, they made him a prisoner, leading his mule to a cave in the hills, where they bound him hand and foot. José waited for his mule, and then, with great resignation, began his return journey.CHAPTER XXV.CORDOVA, SEVILLE, AND CADIZ.Cordovais a gloomy and desolate city with about forty thousand inhabitants. It was once the capital of the kingdom of Cordova, and had two hundred thousand people within its walls; and some say a million, though the former number is doubtless nearer the truth. The grass grows in its streets now, and it looks like a deserted city, as it is. There is only one thing to see in Cordova, and that is the mosque. As soon as the party had been to breakfast, they hastened to visit it.“We will first take a view of the outside,” said the doctor to his pupils when they had reached the mosque. “This square in front of it is the Court of Oranges; you observe a few palms and cypresses, as well as orange-trees. The fountain in the centre was built by the Moors nearly a thousand years ago.”“But I don’t see any thing so very grand about the mosque, if that great barn-like building is the one,” said Murray. “It looks more like a barrack than a mosque. We have been in the mosque business some, and they can’t palm that thing off upon us as a real mosque. We have seen the genuine thing in Constantinople.”“I grant that the outside is not very attractive,” added the doctor. “But in the days of the Moors, when the mosque was in its glory, the roof was covered with domes and cupolas. In spite of what you say, Murray, this was the finest, as it is one of the largest mosques in the world. It covers an area of six hundred and forty-two by four hundred and sixty-two feet. It was completed in the year 796; and the work was done in ten years. It was built to outdo all the other mosques of the world except that at Jerusalem. Now we will go in.”The party entered the mosque, and were amazed, as everybody is who has not been prepared for the sight, by the wilderness of columns. There are about a thousand of them; and they formerly numbered twelve hundred. Each of them is composed of a single stone, and no two of them seem to be of the same order of architecture. They come from different parts of the globe; and therefore the marbles are of various kinds and colors, from pure white to blood red. These pillars form twenty-nine naves, or avenues, one way, and nineteen the other. The roof is only forty feet high, and the columns are only a fraction of this height. They have no pedestal, and support a sort of double arch, the upper one plain, and the lower a horseshoe; indeed, this last looks like a huge horseshoe stretching across below the loftier arch.For an hour the party wandered about in the forest of pillars, pausing at theMih-ràb, or sanctuary of the mosque, where was kept the copy of the Koran made by Othman, the founder of the dynasty of that name. It is still beautiful, but little of its former magnificenceremains; for the pulpit it contained is said to have cost the equivalent of five millions of dollars.“St. Ferdinand conquered Cordova in 1236; and then the mosque was turned into a Christian church without any great change,” said Dr. Winstock, as they approached the choir in the centre of the mosque. “The victors had the good sense and the good taste to leave the building pretty much as they found it. But three hundred years later the chapter of the church built this choir, which almost ruins the interior effect as we gaze upon it. The fine perspective is lost. Sixty columns were removed to make room for the choir. When Charles V. visited Cordova, and saw the mischief the chapter had wrought, he was very angry, and severely reproached the authors of it.”The tourists looked into the high chapel, and glanced at the forty-four others which surround the mosque. Then they walked to the bridge over the Guadalquiver. Arabian writers say it was built by Octavius Cæsar, but it was entirely reconstructed by the Moors. An old Moorish mill was pointed out; and the party returned to the mosque to spend the rest of their time in studying its marvellous workmanship. Early in the afternoon the excursionists left for Seville, and arrived in three hours. The journey was through a pleasant country, affording them an occasional view of the Guadalquiver.“He simply held out his hand.”Page356.“To my mind,” said Dr. Winstock, as the party passed out of theHotel de Londresto thePlaza Nueva, which is a small park in front of the City Hall,—“to my mind Seville is the pleasantest city in Spain, I have always been in love with it since I came here the first time; and I have spent four months here altogether. The air is perfectly delicious; and, though it often rains, I do not remember a single rainy day. The streets are clean, the houses are neat and pretty, the people are polite, the ladies are beautiful,—which is a consideration to a bachelor like myself,—and, if I had to spend a year in any city of Europe, Seville would be the place.”“What is there to see here?” asked Murray. “I should like a list of the sights to put in a letter I shall write to-day.”“The principal thing is the cathedral; then theGiralda, theAlcazar, the tobacco-factory, the Palace of San Telmo, theCasa de Pilatos.”“That will do, doctor. I can’t put those things in my letter,” interposed Murray.“You may say ‘Pilate’s house’ for the last; and add theCalle de las Sierpes, which is the most frequented street of the city.”“But I can’t spell the words.”“It is not in good taste to translate the name of a street; but it means ‘the street of the serpents.’ But I think you had better wait till you have seen the sights, before you attempt to describe them in your letter.”“I will look them up in the guide-book, when I write.”“This is theCalle de las Sierpes,” continued the doctor, as they entered a narrow street leading from thePlaza de la Constitucion—nearly every Spanish city has one with this name—in the rear of the City Hall. “This is the business street of the town, and it is generally crowded with people. Here are the retailstores, the cafés, the post-office, and the principal theatre.”The students were interested in this street, it was so full of life. The ends of it were barred so that no carriages could enter it; and the whole pavement was a sidewalk, as O’Hara would have expressed it. Passing the theatre, they followed a continuation of the same street.“Do you notice the name of this street?” said the doctor, as he pointed to the sign on a corner. “It is theCalle del Amor de Dios. It is so near like the Latin that you can tell what it means.”“But it seems hardly possible that a street should have such a name,—the ‘Street of the Love of God,’” added Sheridan.“That is just what it is; and it was given by reverent men. There is also in this city theCalle de Gesu, or Jesus Street; and the names of the Virgin and the saints are applied in the same way.”Passing through this street, the party came to theAlameda de Hercules.“The city has about the same history as most others in the South of Spain,—Romans, Goths, Vandals, Moors, Christians,” said the doctor. “But some of the romancists ascribe its origin to Hercules; and thisalamedais named after him. Now we will take a closer view of one of the houses. You observe that they differ from those of our cities. They are built on the Moorish plan. What we call the front door is left open all day. It leads into a vestibule; and on the right and left are the entrances to the apartments. Let us go in.”“Is this a private house?” asked Sheridan, who seemed to have some doubts about proceeding any farther; but then the doctor astonished him by ringing the bell, which was promptly answered by a voice inquiring who was there.“Gentes de paz” (peaceful people), replied the surgeon; and this is the usual way to answer the question in Spain.It presently appeared that Dr. Winstock was acquainted with the gentleman who lived in the house; and he received a cordial welcome from him. The young gentlemen were introduced to him, though he did not speak English; and they were shown the house.In the vestibule, directly opposite the front door, was a pair of iron gates of open ornamental work, set in an archway. A person standing in the street can look through this gateway into thepatio, or court of the mansion. It was paved with marble, with a fountain in the middle. It was surrounded with plants and flowers; and here the family sit with their guests in summer, to enjoy the coolness of the place. Thanking the host, and promising to call in the evening, the surgeon left with his pupils,—his “pupilos,” as he described them to the gentleman.After lunch the sight-seers went to theGiralda, which is now the campanile or bell-tower of the cathedral. It was built by the Moors in 1296 as a muezzin tower, or place where the priest calls the faithful to prayers, and was part of the mosque that stood on this spot. It is square, and built of red brick, and is crowned with a lofty spire. The whole height is three hundred and fifty feet. To the top of this tower theparty ascended, and obtained a fine view of the city and its surroundings,—so fine that they remained on their lofty perch for three hours. They could look down into the bull-ring, and trace the Guadalquiver for many miles through the flat country. The doctor pointed out all the prominent objects of interest; and when they came down they had a very good idea of Seville and its vicinity.The next day, as Murray expressed it, they “commenced work on the cathedral.” It is the handsomest church in Spain, and some say in the world. It is the enlargement of an old church made in the fifteenth century. On the outside it looks like a miscellaneous pile of buildings, with here and there a semicircular chapel projecting into the area, and richly ornamented with various devices. It is in the oblong form, three hundred and seventy by two hundred and seventy feet, not including the projecting chapels.“Now we will enter by the west side,” said the doctor, when they had surveyed the exterior of the vast pile. “TheGiraldais on the other side. By the way, did I tell you what this word meant?”“You did not; but I supposed it was some saint,” replied Sheridan.“Not at all. It comes from the Spanish verbgirar, which means to turn or whirl; and from this comesGiralda, a weathercock. The name is accidental, coming probably from the vane on the top of it at some former period,” continued the doctor as they entered the cathedral. “The central nave is about one hundred and twenty-five feet high; and here you get an idea of the grandeur of the edifice. Here is the burial-placeof the son of Columbus. This slab in the pavement contains his epitaph:—FERNANDO COLON.——◆——Á Castilla, y á LeonNuevo mundo dío Colon.”“Hablo Español!” exclaimed Murray. “And I know what that means,—‘To Castile and Leon Columbus gave a new world.’”“It is in all the school-books, and you ought to know it,” added Sheridan. “Colon means Columbus; but what was his full name in Spanish?”“Cristobal Colon. This son was quite an eminent man, and gave his library to the chapter of this church. Seville was the birthplace and the residence of Murillo; and you will find many of his pictures in the churches and other buildings.”The party went into the royal chapel. The under part of the altar is formed by the silver and glass casket which contains the remains of St. Ferdinand, nearly perfect. It is exhibited three days in the year; and then the body lies dressed in royal robes, with the crown on the head. The doctor pointed out the windows of stained glass, of which there are ninety-three. Nearly the whole day was spent in the church by those of the students who had the taste to appreciate its beautiful works of art. The next morning was devoted to theAlcazar. It was the palace of the Moorish sovereigns when Seville became the capital of an independent kingdom. After the city was captured, St. Ferdinand took up his quarters within it. Don Pedro theCruel repaired and rebuilt portions of it, and made it his residence; and it was occupied by the subsequent sovereigns as long as Seville was the capital of Spain. Though the structure as it now stands was mainly erected by Christian kings, its Arabian style is explained by the fact that Moorish architects were employed in the various additions and repairs.It is very like the Alhambra, but inferior to it as a whole. It contains apartments similar to those the students had seen at Granada, and therefore was not as interesting as it would otherwise have been. The gardens of the palace were more to their taste. They are filled with orange-trees and a variety of tropical plants. The avenues are lined with box, and the garden contains several small ponds. The walks near the palace are underlaid with pipes perforated with little holes, so that, when the water is let on, a continuous line of fountains cools the air; and it is customary to duck the visitors mildly as a sort of surprise.The tobacco-factory is the next sight, and is located opposite the gardens of theAlcazar. It is an immense building used for the manufacture of cigars, cigarillos, and smoking-tobacco. The article is a monopoly in the hands of the Government; and many of the larger cities have similar establishments, but none so large as the one at Seville. At the time of which we write, six thousand women were employed in making cigars, and putting up papers of tobacco. Visitors go through the works more to observe the operatives than to see the process of making cigars; and the students were no exception to the rule. Most of the females were old and ugly, though many were young. Among themwere not a few gypsies, who could be distinguished by their olive complexion.These women all have to be searched before they leave the building, to prevent them from stealing the tobacco. Women are employed for this duty, who become so expert in doing it that the operation is performed in a very short time.On the river, near the factory, is the palace of San Telmo, the residence of the Duke de Montpensier, son of Louis Philippe, who married the sister of the late queen of Spain. It is a very unique structure, with an elaborate portico in the centre of the front, rising one story above the top of the palace, and surmounted with a clock. It has a score of carved columns, and as many statues. The rest of the building is quite plain, which greatly increases the effect of the complicated portico. The picture-gallery and the museums of art in the palace are opened to the tourist, and they richly repay the visit. Among the curiosities is the guitar used by Isabella I., the sword of Pedro the Cruel, and that of Fernando Gonzales. The building was erected for a naval school, and was used as such for a hundred and fifty years. It was presented by the queen to her sister in 1849.Leaving the palace, the party walked along the quays by the river, till they came to theToro del Oro, or tower of gold. It was originally part of a Moorish fortress; but now stands alone on the quay, and is occupied as a steamboat-office. The Moors used it as a treasure-house, and so did Pedro the Cruel. In the time of Columbus it was a place of deposit for the gold brought over by the fleets from the New World,and landed here. It is said that more than eight million ducats were often stored here.Near this tower, is the hospital ofLa Caridad, or charity. It was founded by a young nobleman who had reformed his dissipated life, and passed the remainder of it in deeds of piety in this institution. It is a house of refuge for the poor and the aged. It contains two beautifulpatios, with the usual plants, flowers, and fountains. The institution is something on the plan of the Brotherhood of Pity in Florence; and the young gentlemen of the city render service in it in turn. The founder was an intimate friend of Murillo, which accounts for the number of the great artist’s pictures to be found in the establishment. Its little church contains several of them. A singular painting by another artist attracted the attention of some of the students as a sensation in art. It represents a dead prelate in full robes, lying in the tomb. The body has begun to decay; and the worms are feasting upon it, crawling in and out at the eyes, nose, and mouth. It is a most disgusting picture, though it may have its moral.A day was given to the museum which contains many of Murillo’s pictures, and next to that at Madrid is the finest in Spain. TheCasa de Pilatoswas visited on the last day the excursionists were in Seville at this time, though it happened that they came to the city a second time. It belongs to the Duke of Medina Celi, though he seldom occupies it. It is not the house of Pilate, but only an imitation of it. It was built in the sixteenth century, by the ancestors of the duke, some of whom had visited the Holy Land. ThePatioislarge and is paved with white marble, with a checkered border and other ornaments. In the centre is a fountain, and in each corner is a colossal statue of a goddess. Around it are two stories of galleries, with fine arches and columns. The palace contains a beautiful chapel, in which is a pillar made in imitation of that to which Christ was bound when he was scourged. On the marble staircase the guides point out a cock, which is said to be in the place of the one that crowed when Peter denied his Master; but of course this is sheer tomfoolery, and it was lawful game for Murray, who was the joker of the officers’ party.On another day the doctor and his pupils walked over the bridge to the suburb of Triana, where the gypsies lived. They were hardly more civilized than those seen at Granada. Then, as the order was not given for the departure, they began to see some of the sights a second time; and many of them will bear repeated visits. During a second examination of theAlcazar, Dr. Winstock told them many stories of Pedro the Cruel, of Don Fadrique, of Blanche of Bourbon, and of Maria de Padilla, which we have not the space to repeat, but which are more interesting than most of the novels of the day. After the ship’s company had been in Seville five days, the order was given to leave at quarter before six; and the party arrived at Cadiz at ten.This city is located nearly on the point of a tongue of land which encloses a considerable bay; and, when the train had twenty miles farther to go, the students could see the multitude of lights that glittered like stars along the line of the town. Cadiz is a commercialplace, was colonized by the Phœnicians, and they supposed it to be about at the end of the earth. They believed that the high bluff at Gibraltar, which was called Calpe, and Abyla at Ceuta in Africa, were part of the same hill, rent asunder by Hercules; and they erected a column on each height, which are known as the Pillars of Hercules. Cadiz was held by the Romans and the Moors in turn, and captured by the Spaniards in 1262. After the discovery of America, it shared with Seville the prosperity which followed that event; and the gold and merchandise were brought to these ports. Its vast wealth caused it to be often attacked by the pirates of Algiers and Morocco; the English have twice captured it, and twice failed to do so; and it was the civil and military headquarters of the Spaniards during the peninsular war. When the American colonies of Spain became independent, it lost much of its valuable commerce, and has not been what it was in the last century since the French Revolution.The boats of the American Prince, in charge of the forward officers and a squad of firemen and stewards, were on the beach near the railroad station; and the ship’s company slept on board that night. The next day was devoted to Cadiz. The cathedral is a modern edifice and a beautiful church, though the tourist who had been to Toledo and Seville does not care to give much of his time to it. In the Capuchin Monastery, to which the doctor took his pupils, is the last picture painted by Murillo. It is the Marriage of St. Catharine, and is painted on the wall over the high altar of the chapel. Before it was quite finished, Murillo fellfrom the scaffold, was fatally injured, and died soon after. The picture was finished by one of his pupils, at his request.There are no other sights to be seen in Cadiz; but the students were very much pleased with the place. Its public buildings are large and massive; its white dwellings are pretty; and its squares and walks on the seashore are very pleasant. By the kindness of the banker, the club-house was opened to the party.“I am rather sorry we do not go to Xeres,” said the doctor, when they were seated in the reading-room. “I supposed we should stop there on our way from Seville. I wished to take you into the great wine-vaults. I think you know what the place is noted for.”“Vino del Xeres,” replied Murray,—“Sherry wine.”“It is made exclusively in this place; and its peculiarity comes from the kind of grapes and method of manufacture. The business here is in the hands of English, French, and German people, who far surpass the Spaniards in the making of wine. The immense cellars and store-houses where the wine is kept are well worth seeing, though they are not encouraging to men with temperance principles. The place has forty thousand inhabitants, and is theXeres de la Frontera, where Don Roderick was overwhelmed by the Moors, and the Gothic rule in Spain was ended.”“Seville is a larger place than Cadiz, isn’t it?” asked Sheridan.“More than twice as large. Seville is the third city of Spain, having one hundred and fifty-two thousand inhabitants; while Cadiz is the ninth, with only seventy-two thousand.”The party returned to the steamer; and the next morning she sailed for Malaga, where the Josephines and Tritonias had arrived before them. The fleet immediately departed for Gibraltar, and in five hours was at anchor off the Rock.CHAPTER XXVI.THE CAPTURE OF THE BEGGARS.WhenBark Lingall and Jacob Lobo arrived at Gibraltar, they went to the Club-House Hotel to inquire for the fugitive. He was not there; but they spent half an hour questioning the landlord and others about the hall, in regard to the town and its hotels and boarding-houses. Then they went to the King’s Arms; and, in the course of another half-hour, they learned that Henry Raymond had left this hotel within an hour. Where had he gone? The landlord could not tell. No steamer had left that day; he might have left by crossing the Neutral Ground, or he might have gone over to Algeciras in a boat.“I wonder why he cleared out so suddenly,” said Bark, very much annoyed at the situation.“I suppose he was frightened at something,” replied Jacob. “Very likely he saw you when we went into the Club-House.”“But he wouldn’t run away from me. He and I are the best of friends.”“But circumstances alter cases,” laughed the interpreter. “He may have supposed you had gone over to the enemy, and had come here to entrap him in some way.”“It may be; but I hardly believe it,” mused Bark.Jacob Lobo had no suspicion that he had been the cause of Raymond’s hurried departure; and he did not suggest the true solution of the problem. But the fugitive was gone; and all they had to do was to look him up. They were zealous in the mission with which they were charged, and lost not a moment in prosecuting the search. But they had almost gained the battle in obtaining a clew to the fugitive. Lobo declared that it would be easy enough to trace him out of the town, for he must have gone by the Neutral Ground, which is the strip of land separating the Rock from the mainland, or crossed to Algeciras in a boat. They were on their way to the landing-port, when the evening gun was fired.“That’s as far as we can go to-night,” said Lobo, coming to a sudden halt.“Why? what’s the matter now?” asked Bark.“That’s the gun, and the gate will be closed in a few minutes,” replied Lobo. “They wouldn’t open it to oblige the King of Spain, if he happened along here about this time.”It was no use to argue the matter in the face of fact; and they spent the rest of the day in making inquiries about the town. They went to the drivers of cabs, and to those who kept horses and mules to let. They questioned men and women located near the gate. No one had seen such a person as was described. They went to the King’s Arms for the night; and as soon as the gate was opened in the morning they hastened to the landing-port to make inquiries among the boatmen. They found one with whom theyhad spoken when they landed the day before. He wanted a job, as all of them do. He had seen a young man answering to the description given; and he had gone over to Algeciras in the very boat that brought them over. Would they like to go over to Algeciras? They would, immediately after breakfast; for they had left their bags, and had not paid their bill at the hotel.The wind was light, and it took them two hours to cross the bay. With but little difficulty they found the stable at which the fugitive had obtained his mules, and learned that the name of the guide was José Barca. The keeper of thefondavolunteered the information that José was a brigand and a rascal; but the stable-keeper, who had furnished the guide, insisted that the landlord spoke ill of José because he had not obtained the job for his own man.“About all these guides are ex-brigands and smugglers,” said Lobo.“But the landlord of thefondalooks like a more honest man than the stable-keeper,” added Bark. “I think I should prefer to trust him.”“I believe you are right, Mr. Lingall; but either of them would cheat you if he got the chance,” laughed Lobo; but, being a courier himself, it was for his interest to cry down the men with whom travellers have to deal, in order to enhance the value of his own calling.The landlord would furnish mules and a guide; and in an hour the animals were ready for a start. It was not known where Raymond had gone: he had taken the mules for San Roque, but with the understanding that he could go as far as he pleased with them. The name of the landlord’s guide was Julio Piedra. Hewas armed to the teeth, as Raymond’s guide had been. He was a good-natured, talkative fellow; and the fugitive would certainly have done better, so far as the agreeableness of his companion was concerned, if he had patronized the landlord instead of the stable-keeper.When the party arrived at the hotel in San Roque, their store of information was increased by the knowledge that Raymond had started that morning for Ronda. The pursuit looked very hopeful now, and the travellers resumed their journey.“We are not making more than three or four knots an hour on this tack,” said Bark, when they had ridden a short distance.“Three miles an hour is all you can average on mules through this country,” replied Lobo.“Can’t we offer the guide a bonus to hurry up?”“You can’t stand it to ride any faster; and, as it is, you will be very sore when you get out of bed to-morrow morning.”“I can stand any thing in this chase,” added Bark confidently.“What good will it do to hurry?” persisted Lobo. “It is one o’clock now; and Raymond has five hours the start of us. It will be impossible to overtake him to-day. The mules can go about so far; and at six o’clock we shall reach the place where Raymond stopped to dine. That will be Barca de Cuenca; and that will be the place for us to stop over night.”“Over night! I don’t want to stop anywhere till we come up with Raymond,” replied Bark.“You won’t say that when you get to Barca,” laughedLobo. “You will be tired enough to go to bed without your supper. Besides, the mules will want rest, if you do not; for the distance will be twenty miles from Algeciras. Raymond stopped over night at San Roque.”“But where shall we catch up with him?”“Not till we get to Ronda, as things now stand.”“I don’t like the idea of dragging after him in this lazy way,” protested Bark.“What do you wish to do?” demanded Lobo, who had been over this road twenty times or more, and knew all about the business.“I don’t believe in stopping anywhere over night,” replied Bark with enthusiasm.“Very well, Mr. Lingall,” added Lobo, laughing. “If when you get to Barca, and have had your supper, you wish to go any farther, I will see what can be done. I can make a trade with Julio to go on with these mules, or we can hire others.”“You say that Raymond left at noon the place where we shall be at supper-time: where will he be at that time?” asked Bark.“He will go on to Barca de Cortes, which is twelve miles farther; unless he takes it into his head, as you do, that he will travel in the night.”“I am in favor of going on to that place where he sleeps.”“You are in favor of it now; but, take my word for it, you will not be in favor of it when you get to Barca de Cuenca,” laughed Lobo.“It will be only four hours more; and I can stand that, if I am tired, as I have no doubt I shall be. In fact, I am tired now, for I am not used to riding on horseback, or muleback either.”Before six o’clock they reached Barca de Cuenca; and Bark was certainly very tired. The motion of the mule made him uncomfortable, and he had walked a good part of the distance. But, in spite of his weariness, he was still in favor of proceeding that night to the place where it was supposed the fugitive lodged. It would save going about twenty miles in all; and he thought he should come out of the journey better in the end if he were relieved of riding this distance. Julio was willing to take out his mules again after they had rested two hours, for a consideration.While they were making these arrangements in the court of theventa, or inn, a man mounted on one mule, and leading another, entered the yard. He was dressed and armed in the same style as Julio. At this moment the landlord called the party to supper. Bark was democratic in his ideas; and he insisted that the guide should take a seat at the table with Lobo and himself. Julio was a little backward, but he finally took the seat assigned to him. He said something in Spanish to the interpreter as soon as he had taken his chair, which seemed to excite the greatest astonishment on the part of the latter. Lobo plied him with a running fire of questions, which Julio answered as fast as they were put. Bark judged, that, as neither of them touched the food which was on their plates, the subject of the conversation must be exceedingly interesting.“What is it, Lobo?” he asked, when he had listened, as long as his patience held out, to the exciting talk he could not understand.“Did you notice the man that rode into the yard on a mule, leading another?” said Lobo.“I did: he was dressed like Julio,” replied Bark.“That was José Barca, who came from Algeciras as Raymond’s guide.”“But what has he done with Raymond?” demanded Bark, now as much excited as his companions.“We don’t know. Julio has quarrelled with José, and refuses to speak to him; and he says José would not answer him if he did.”“Do you suppose any thing has gone wrong with Raymond?” asked Bark anxiously.“I don’t know; but it looks bad to see this fellow coming back at this time.”“Well, can’t you see José, and ask him what has become of Raymond?”“Certainly I can; but whether he will tell me is another thing.”“Of course he will tell you: why shouldn’t he?”“Circumstances alter cases. If Raymond has dismissed him in order to continue his journey in some other way, José will tell all he knows about it.”“Do you suppose that is what he has done?”“I am afraid not,” answered Lobo seriously.“What has become of him, then?” asked Bark, almost borne down by anxiety for his friend.“There is only one other thing that can have happened to him; and that is, that he has been set upon by brigands, and made a prisoner for the sake of the ransom. If this is the case, José will not be so likely to tell what he knows about the matter.”“Brigands!” exclaimed Bark, startled at the word.“A party of English people were captured last year; but I have not heard of any being on the road thisyear,” added Lobo. “But they won’t hurt him if he is quiet, and don’t attempt to resist.”After supper Lobo had a talk with José. He did not know what had become of the young gentleman. Three beggars had met them on the road, and Raymond had gone away with them. They wanted to show him a cave in the mountains, and he accompanied them. José had waited two hours for him, and then had gone to look for him, but could not find him.“Where was this?” demanded Lobo.“Less than two leagues from here,” replied José.Lobo translated this story to Bark, and declared that every word of it was a lie.“Raymond went from thisventafive hours ago; and it must have taken six or seven hours for all that José describes to take place,” added Lobo. “But we must pretend to believe the story, and not say a word.”Bark could not say a word except to the interpreter, who had a talk with Julio next; and the guide presently disappeared. Lobo had formed his plan, and put it into execution.“The route by which we have come is not by the great road from San Roque to Ronda, but a shorter one by which two leagues are saved,” said Lobo, explaining his operations to Bark. “All the guides take this route. About a league across the country, is a considerable town, which is the headquarters of the civil guard, sent here last year after the English party was captured, to guard the roads. This is an extra force; and I have sent Julio over to bring a squad of them to this place. José will spend the night here, and start for home to-morrow morning. I want some ofthe civil guard before he goes; and they will be here in the course of a couple of hours. Julio is glad enough of a chance to get José into trouble.”“But do you believe José has done any thing wrong, even if Raymond has been captured by brigands?” asked Bark.“Very likely he is to have a share of the plunder and the ransom; and I think you will find him ready to negotiate for the ransom now.”This proved to be the case; for in the course of an hour José broached the subject to Lobo. He thought, if the friends of the young man would pay liberally for the trouble of looking him up, he might possibly be found. He did not know what had become of him; but he would undertake to find him. He was a poor man, and he could not afford to spend his time in the search for nothing. Lobo encouraged him to talk as much as he could, and mentioned several sums of money. They were too small. The beggars had probably lured the young man into the mountains; and he did not believe they would let him go without a reward. He thought that the beggars would be satisfied with fifty thousandreales.While they were talking about the price, Julio returned with an officer and ten soldiers, who at once took José into custody. It seemed that he had been mixed up in some other irregular transaction, and the officers knew their man. Lobo stated the substance of his conversation with José, who protested his innocence in the strongest terms. It was evident that he preferred to deal with the friends of Raymond, rather than the civil guard.The officer of the guard examined the guide very closely; and his story was quite different from that he had told Lobo, though he still insisted that the men whom they had encountered were beggars. The officer was very prompt in action. José was required to conduct the party to the spot where the young man had been captured. Bark and Lobo mounted their mules again, and Julio led the way as before.“Can any thing be done in the night?” asked Bark.“The officer says the night is the best time to hunt up these gentlemen of the road,” replied Lobo. “They often make fires, and cook their victuals, for the soldiers do not like to follow them in the dark.”When the procession had been in motion an hour and a quarter, José indicated that it had reached the place where the beggars—as he still persisted in calling them—had stopped the traveller. For some reason or other, he told the truth, halting the soldiers at the rock which made a corner in the road. He also indicated the place where the beggars had taken to the hills. The officer of the civil guard disposed of his force for a careful but silent search of the region near the road. Many of the soldiers were familiar with the locality; for they had examined it in order to become acquainted with the haunts of brigands. The members were widely scattered, so as to cover as much territory as possible. Bark and Lobo were required to remain with the officer.Not a sound could be heard while the soldiers were creeping stealthily about among the rocks, and visiting the various caverns they had discovered in their former survey. In less than half an hour, several of the guardreturned together, reporting a fire they had all seen at about the same time. One of them described the place as being not more than ten minutes’ walk from the road; and he knew all about the cave in which the fire was built.“The mouth of the cave is covered with mats; but they do not conceal the light of the fire,” continued the soldier; and Lobo translated his description to Bark. “The smoke goes out at a hole in the farther end of the cave; and, when the brigands are attacked in front, they will try to escape by this opening in the rear.”“We will provide for that,” replied the officer.He sent out some of the men to call in the rest of the party; and, at a safe distance from the fire, they used a whistle for this purpose. In a short time all the soldiers were collected in the road, at the nearest point to the cave. The lieutenant sent five of his men to the rear of the cave, and four to the front, leaving José in charge of one of them.“Tell him not to let his men fire into the cave,” said Bark to the interpreter. “I am afraid they will shoot Raymond.”“I will speak to him; but I do not think there will be any firing,” replied Lobo. “When the beggars find they are in any danger, they will try to get out at the hole in the rear; and the lieutenant will bag them as they come out.”The officer directed the men in front not to fire at all, unless the brigands came out of the cave; and not then, if they could capture them without. Bark and Lobo accompanied the party to the rear, which startedbefore the others. They went by a long roundabout way, creeping like cats the whole distance. They found the hole, and could see the light of the fire through the aperture.The beggars appeared to be having a jolly good time in the cavern, for they were singing and joking; and Lobo said they were drinking the health of the prisoner while he was listening at the aperture. The lieutenant thought that one of their number had been to a town, a league from the place, to procure wine and provisions with the money they had taken from Raymond; for they could smell the garlic in the stew that was doubtless cooking on the fire. And this explained the lateness of the hour at which they were having their repast.Bark looked into the hole. It appeared to be formed of two immense bowlders, which had been thrown together so as to form an angular space under them. The aperture was quite small at the rear end, and the bottom of the cave sloped sharply down to the part where the beggars were. Raymond could not be seen; but Bark heard his voice, as he spoke in cheerful tones, indicating that he had no great fears for the future. But, while Bark was looking into the den, the soldiers in front of the cave set up a tremendous yell, as they had been instructed to do; and the brigands sprang to their feet.The rear opening into the cave was partly concealed by the rocks and trees: and probably the brigands supposed the cave was unknown to the soldiers. The officer pulled Bark away from the hole, and placed himself where he could see into it.“Arrida! Alto ahi!” (Up! Up there!) shouted one of the brigands; and in a moment Raymond appeared at the opening, with his hands tied behind him, urged forward by the leader of the beggars.They evidently intended to make sure of their prisoner, and were driving him out of the cave before them. The moment the first beggar appeared, he was seized by a couple of the soldiers; and in like manner four others were captured, for their number had been increased since Raymond was captured. Bark was overjoyed when he found that his friend was safe. He cut the rope that bound his hands behind him, and then actually hugged him.“Who are you?” demanded Raymond; for it was too dark, coming from the bright light of the fire, for him to identify the person who was so demonstrative.“Why, don’t you know me, Henry?” asked Bark, wringing the hand of his friend.“What! Is it Bark?” demanded Raymond, overwhelmed with astonishment to find his late associate at this place.“Of course it is Bark.”“What are you doing here?”“I came after you; and I think, under the circumstances, it is rather fortunate I did come,” added Bark.“God bless you, Bark! for you have saved me from these vagabonds, who might have kept me for months, so that I could not join my ship.”That was all the harm the fugitive seemed to think would come of his capture. The soldiers had led the brigands down into the cavern, and the young men followed them. The fire was still burning briskly, andthe pot over it was boiling merrily. Everybody was happy except the brigands; and the leader of these did not appear to be much disturbed by the accident that had happened to him.“For Dios,” said Raymond, extending his hand to this latter worthy.“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied the leader, shrugging his shoulders.Raymond informed the lieutenant that this was the manner the interview on the road had commenced. The officer ordered the ruffians to be searched; and the purse and watch of Raymond were found upon the chief beggar. They were restored to the owner, with the request that he would see if the money was all in the purse.“I was not fool enough to give the beggar all I had,” answered Raymond. “I have a large sum of money in my belt, which was not disturbed.”The good-natured leader of the beggars opened his eyes at this statement.“There were sixIsabelinosin the purse, and now there are but five,” added Raymond.“We spent one of them for food and wine,” said the gentle beggar. “We had nothing to eat for two days, till we got some bread we bought with this money. We were going to have a good supper before we started for the mountains; but you have spoiled it.”The officer was good-natured enough to let them eat their supper, as it was ready by this time. But Raymond and Bark did not care to wait, and started for theventa, where they intended to pass the night. Julio walked, and Raymond rode his mule.“I congratulate the Count de Escarabajosa on his escape,” said Lobo, as they mounted the mules.“I thank you; but where did you get that title, which I will thank you never to apply to me again?” replied Raymond rather coldly.“I beg your pardon; but I meant no offence,” said Lobo, rather startled by the coldness and dignity of Raymond.“He is a good friend; and if it hadn’t been for him I never should have found you, Henry,” interposed Bark.“I do not understand where he learned about that title, and I do not know who he is,” added Raymond. “If you say he is a friend, Bark, I am satisfied.”“He is, and a good friend. But why did you leave Gibraltar so suddenly?” asked Bark, thinking it best to change the subject.“I left because I saw you and your companion go into the Club-House Hotel; and I knew that you would come to the King’s Arms next,” replied Raymond.“You left because you saw me!” exclaimed Bark, astonished at this statement. “Why, I was sent after you because the principal thought you would not dodge out of sight if you saw Scott or me.”“I did not dodge out of sight because I saw you, but because I saw you had a companion I did not know: I came to the conclusion that your friend was the detective sent after me.”Bark explained who and what Lobo was; and Raymond apologized to the interpreter for his coldness. Before the party reached theventa, the messenger ofthe principal had explained the situation as it was changed by the death of Don Alejandro. Raymond was happy in being justified for his past conduct, and glad that his uncle had died confessing his sins and at peace with the Church.The fugitive and his friend were asleep when the soldiers arrived with the prisoners. In the morning Raymond read the letter of Don Francisco, and immediately wrote a reply to it, requesting him to take charge of his affairs in Barcelona; and to ask the advice of his uncle in New York. Bark wrote to the principal a full account of his adventures in search of Raymond. These letters were mailed at Ronda, where the prisoners were taken, and where Raymond had to go as a witness. The testimony was abundant to convict them all; but Spanish courts were so slow, that Bark and Raymond were detained in Ronda for two weeks, though Lobo was sent back to Malaga at once.The three brigands were sentenced to a long imprisonment; the two men who were found in the cave with them to a shorter term, as accomplices; but nothing was proved against José. Raymond made a handsome present to each of the soldiers, and to Julio, for the service they had rendered him; and, though his gratitude to Bark could not be expressed in this way, it was earnest and sincere. Julio and José were still in Ronda with their mules; and it was decided to return to Gibraltar as they had come. During their stay in this mountain city, the two students had seen the sights of the place; and they departed with a lively appreciation of this wild locality.In two days they arrived at Gibraltar, to find that the fleet had been there, and left. Both of them were astonished at this information, which was given them at the King’s Arms, where they had both been guests before. They had been confident that the squadron would take her final departure for the “Isles of the Sea” from this port.“Left!” exclaimed both of them in the same breath.“The three vessels sailed three days ago,” replied the landlord.“Where have they gone?” asked Raymond, who had depended upon meeting his friends on board of the Tritonia that evening.“That I couldn’t tell you.”They walked about the town, making inquiries in regard to the fleet; but no one knew where it had gone. The custom-house was closed for the day; and they were obliged to sleep without knowing whether or not the vessels were on their way across the ocean, or gone to some port in Spain.

CHAPTER XXIV.AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.Intwelve hours after she started, the American Prince was in the harbor of Cadiz. Bark Lingall was on board; and Jacob Lobo, who spoke five languages, had been engaged at the Hotel de la Alameda as his companion. Mr. Pelham sent them ashore as soon as the anchor went over the bow.“Do you expect to find the Count de Escarabajosa in Cadiz?” asked the interpreter, as they landed.“Of course not: I told you he would not be here,” replied Bark. “I may find out where he went to from here, and I may not. I left him at the Hotel de Cadiz; and we will go there first.”“I can tell you where he went without asking a question,” added Lobo, to whom Bark had told the whole story of Raymond.“I can guess at it, as you do; but I want information if I can obtain it,” replied Bark.“You would certainly have been caught if you hadn’t thrown the detective off the track by going over to Oran.”“We went to Oran for that purpose.”“The count has got out of Spanish territory, and hewill keep out of it for the present. Our next move will be to go to Gibraltar. He is safe there.”“I think we shall find him there.”The landlord of the hotel recognized Bark, who had been a guest in his house for several weeks. Raymond had not told him where he was going when he left. He had gone from the hotel on foot, carrying his bag in his hand.“Where do you think he went?” asked Bark.“My opinion at the time was that he went to Gibraltar; for a steamer sailed for Algeciras that day, and there was none for any other port,” replied the landlord.“But he might have left by the train,” suggested Bark.“He went away in the middle of the day, and the steamer left at noon.”“He did not leave by train,” added the guide.“I don’t think he did,” said Bark. “Now, when does the next steamer leave for Gibraltar?”“You will find the bills of the steamers hanging in the hall,” replied the landlord.One of these indicated that a Spanish steamer would sail at noon the next day.“Perhaps she will, and perhaps she will not,” said Lobo.“But she is advertised to leave to-morrow,” added Bark.“Very likely before night you may find another bill, postponing the departure till the next day: they do such things here.”“What shall we do?”“Wait till a steamer sails,” replied Lobo, shrugging his shoulders.“Is there any other way to get there?” asked Bark, troubled by the uncertainty.“Some other steamer may come along: we will go to the office of the French line, and inquire when one is expected,” replied Jacob.They ascertained that the French steamer did not touch at Gibraltar; and there was no other way than to depend upon the Spanish line. As Jacob Lobo had feared, the sailing of the boat advertised was put off till the next day.“You can go by land, if you are not afraid of the brigands,” said the interpreter.“Brigands?”“Within a year a party of English people were robbed by brigands, on the way from Malaga to Ronda; but that is the only instance I ever heard of. The country between here and Malaga used to be filled with smugglers; and there are some of that trade now. When their business was dull, they used to take to the road at times.”“How long would it take to go by the road?” asked Bark, who was very enthusiastic in the discharge of his duty, and unwilling to lose a single day.“That depends upon how fast you ride,” laughed Lobo. “It is about sixty miles, and you might make it in a day, if you were a good horseman.”“But I am not: I was never on a horse above three times in my life.”“Then you should take two days for the journey.”“If we should start to-morrow morning, we should not get there as soon as the steamer that leaves the following day.”“That steamer may not go for three or four days yet: it will depend upon whether she gets a cargo, or not.”Bark was vexed and perplexed, and did not know what to do. He went down to the quay where they had landed, and found the boats from the ship, bringing off the Josephines and the Tritonias. He applied to Mr. Pelham for advice; and, after consulting Mr. Fluxion, it was decided that he should wait for a steamer, if he had to wait a week; for there was no such desperate hurry that he need to risk an encounter with brigands in order to save a day or two. So the services of Bark and Jacob Lobo were economized as guides, for both of them knew the city. Two days later the Spanish steamer actually sailed; and in seven hours Bark and his courier were in Algeciras, whence they crossed the bay in a boat to Gibraltar.We left Raymond in Gibraltar, watching the newspapers for tidings of the American Prince; and he had learned of her arrival at Cadiz, where she had been for three days when Bark arrived at the Rock. He had heard nothing of the death of his uncle in Barcelona, and had no suspicion of the change of the circumstances we have described. He was not willing to risk himself in Cadiz while the Prince was there. As her consorts had not gone to Cadiz with her, he was satisfied that the steamer was to return to Malaga.After he obtained the news, and had satisfied himself that the Princes were going overland to Cadiz, he went to his chamber at the King’s Arms, where he attempted to reason out the future movements of the squadron. He had concluded, weeks before, that the fleet would not go to Lisbon, since all hands had visitedthat city; and now it appeared that Cadiz would be avoided for a second time, for the same reason. The Prince would wait there till her own ship’s company arrived, and then go back to Malaga. The Josephines and Tritonias would do the place, and then return to Malaga overland. It looked to Raymond like a very plain case; and he was confident that the fleet would come to Gibraltar next.He was entirely satisfied that his conclusion was a correct one. The squadron would certainly visit the Rock, for the principal could not think of such a thing as passing by a fortress so wonderful. Raymond was out of the way of arrest, if the detective should trace him to this place; and he could join his ship when she came. If the principal still wanted to send him to Barcelona, he would tell his whole story; and, if this did not save him, he would trust to his chances to escape. He sat at the window, thinking about the matter. It was just before sunset, and the air was delicious. He could look into the square in front of the hotel, and he was not a little startled to see the uniform of the squadron on a person approaching the hotel. He looked till he recognized Bark as the one who wore it.But who was the man with him? This question troubled him. The man was a stranger to him; for the fugitives had not employed a guide in Malaga, and therefore Jacob Lobo was all unknown to him. Neither the Prince nor her consorts were in Gibraltar; and it was plain enough to the Spaniard that Bark and his companion had come in the steamer he had seen going into Algeciras two hours before. They had come fromCadiz, and they could have no other errand in Gibraltar than to find him. Had Bark become a traitor? or, what was more likely, had he been required by the principal to conduct this man in search of him? Had Mr. Lowington ascertained that he was at the Rock? It was almost impossible, for he had met no one who knew him.He saw Bark and his doubtful companion enter the Club-House Hotel, and he understood their business there. He had not seen thealguacil, or detective, who had come on board of the Tritonia for him; but he jumped at the conclusion that this was the man. The principal had afforded him every facility for finding the object of his search; and now it appeared that he had sent Bark with him, to identify his expected prisoner. Raymond decided on the moment not to wait for the detective to see him. He rang the bell, and sent for his bill: he paid it, and departed before Bark could reach the hotel. He scorned to ask the landlord or waiters to tell any lies on his account. He hastened down to the bay; and at the landing he found the very boat that had brought Bark and his companion over from Algeciras, just hoisting her sails to return. The boatman was glad enough to get a passenger back, and thus double the earnings of the trip. It is about five miles across the bay; and, with a fresh breeze from the south-east, the distance was made in an hour.On the way, Raymond learned that the boat had brought over two passengers; and, from the boatman’s description of them, he was convinced that they were Bark and his companion. He questioned the skipper in regard to them; but the man had no idea who orwhat they were. The passengers talked in English all the way over, and he could not understand a word they said. It was not prudent for the fugitive to stay over night in Algeciras; and, procuring a couple of mules and a guide, he went to San Roque, where he passed the night. He found a fair hotel at this place; and he decided to remain there till the next day.He had time to think now; and he concluded that Bark and his suspicious companion would depart from the Rock when they found he was not there. But he did not lose sight of the fact that he was in Spain again. What would his pursuers do when they found that he had left the hotel? They would see his name on the books, and the landlord would tell them he had just left. There were plenty of boatmen at the landing, who had seen him embark in the boat for Algeciras. Raymond did not like these suggestions as they came up in his mind. They would cross the bay, and find the boatman, who would be able to describe him, as he had them. Then, when they had failed to find him at thefondas, they would visit the stables. It was easy enough to trace him.At first he thought of journeying on horseback to Xeres, and there taking the train to the north, and into Portugal; but he abandoned the thought when he considered that he was liable to meet the students at any point on the railroad. Finally he decided to start for Ronda, an interior city, forty miles from the Rock. At eight o’clock in the morning, he was in the saddle. He had retained the mules that brought him from Algeciras. José, his guide, was one of the retired brigands, of whom there are so many in this region.As it was too soon for him to be pursued, he did not hurry, and stopped at Barca de Cuenca to dine.After dinner he resumed his journey. José was a surly, ugly fellow, and Raymond was not disposed to converse with him. This silence made the miles very long; but the scenery was wild and grand, and the traveller enjoyed it. After he had ridden about five miles he came to a country which was all hills and rocks. The path was very crooked; and it required many angles to overcome steeps, and avoid chasms. Suddenly, as he passed a rock which formed a corner in the path, he was confronted by three men, all armed to the teeth, with muskets, pistols, and knives. José was provided with the same arsenal of weapons; but he did not offer to use any of them.The leading brigand was a good-natured ruffian, and he smiled as pleasantly as though his calling was perfectly legitimate. He simply held out his hand, and said, “Por Dios,” which is the way that beggars generally do their business.“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied Raymond, shaking his head.This is the usual way to refuse a beggar: “Excuse us for God’s sake, brother.” Raymond did not yet understand whether the three men intended to beg or rob; but he soon ascertained that the leader had only adopted this facetious way of doing what is commonly done with the challenge, “Your money or your life!” It was of no avail to resist, even if he had been armed. Most of his gold was concealed in a money-belt worn next to his skin, while he carried half a dozen Isabelinos in his purse, which he handed to the gentlemanly brigand.“Gracias, señorito!” replied the leader. “Your watch, if you please.”Raymond gave it up, and hoped they would be satisfied. Instead of this, they made him a prisoner, leading his mule to a cave in the hills, where they bound him hand and foot. José waited for his mule, and then, with great resignation, began his return journey.

AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.

Intwelve hours after she started, the American Prince was in the harbor of Cadiz. Bark Lingall was on board; and Jacob Lobo, who spoke five languages, had been engaged at the Hotel de la Alameda as his companion. Mr. Pelham sent them ashore as soon as the anchor went over the bow.

“Do you expect to find the Count de Escarabajosa in Cadiz?” asked the interpreter, as they landed.

“Of course not: I told you he would not be here,” replied Bark. “I may find out where he went to from here, and I may not. I left him at the Hotel de Cadiz; and we will go there first.”

“I can tell you where he went without asking a question,” added Lobo, to whom Bark had told the whole story of Raymond.

“I can guess at it, as you do; but I want information if I can obtain it,” replied Bark.

“You would certainly have been caught if you hadn’t thrown the detective off the track by going over to Oran.”

“We went to Oran for that purpose.”

“The count has got out of Spanish territory, and hewill keep out of it for the present. Our next move will be to go to Gibraltar. He is safe there.”

“I think we shall find him there.”

The landlord of the hotel recognized Bark, who had been a guest in his house for several weeks. Raymond had not told him where he was going when he left. He had gone from the hotel on foot, carrying his bag in his hand.

“Where do you think he went?” asked Bark.

“My opinion at the time was that he went to Gibraltar; for a steamer sailed for Algeciras that day, and there was none for any other port,” replied the landlord.

“But he might have left by the train,” suggested Bark.

“He went away in the middle of the day, and the steamer left at noon.”

“He did not leave by train,” added the guide.

“I don’t think he did,” said Bark. “Now, when does the next steamer leave for Gibraltar?”

“You will find the bills of the steamers hanging in the hall,” replied the landlord.

One of these indicated that a Spanish steamer would sail at noon the next day.

“Perhaps she will, and perhaps she will not,” said Lobo.

“But she is advertised to leave to-morrow,” added Bark.

“Very likely before night you may find another bill, postponing the departure till the next day: they do such things here.”

“What shall we do?”

“Wait till a steamer sails,” replied Lobo, shrugging his shoulders.

“Is there any other way to get there?” asked Bark, troubled by the uncertainty.

“Some other steamer may come along: we will go to the office of the French line, and inquire when one is expected,” replied Jacob.

They ascertained that the French steamer did not touch at Gibraltar; and there was no other way than to depend upon the Spanish line. As Jacob Lobo had feared, the sailing of the boat advertised was put off till the next day.

“You can go by land, if you are not afraid of the brigands,” said the interpreter.

“Brigands?”

“Within a year a party of English people were robbed by brigands, on the way from Malaga to Ronda; but that is the only instance I ever heard of. The country between here and Malaga used to be filled with smugglers; and there are some of that trade now. When their business was dull, they used to take to the road at times.”

“How long would it take to go by the road?” asked Bark, who was very enthusiastic in the discharge of his duty, and unwilling to lose a single day.

“That depends upon how fast you ride,” laughed Lobo. “It is about sixty miles, and you might make it in a day, if you were a good horseman.”

“But I am not: I was never on a horse above three times in my life.”

“Then you should take two days for the journey.”

“If we should start to-morrow morning, we should not get there as soon as the steamer that leaves the following day.”

“That steamer may not go for three or four days yet: it will depend upon whether she gets a cargo, or not.”

Bark was vexed and perplexed, and did not know what to do. He went down to the quay where they had landed, and found the boats from the ship, bringing off the Josephines and the Tritonias. He applied to Mr. Pelham for advice; and, after consulting Mr. Fluxion, it was decided that he should wait for a steamer, if he had to wait a week; for there was no such desperate hurry that he need to risk an encounter with brigands in order to save a day or two. So the services of Bark and Jacob Lobo were economized as guides, for both of them knew the city. Two days later the Spanish steamer actually sailed; and in seven hours Bark and his courier were in Algeciras, whence they crossed the bay in a boat to Gibraltar.

We left Raymond in Gibraltar, watching the newspapers for tidings of the American Prince; and he had learned of her arrival at Cadiz, where she had been for three days when Bark arrived at the Rock. He had heard nothing of the death of his uncle in Barcelona, and had no suspicion of the change of the circumstances we have described. He was not willing to risk himself in Cadiz while the Prince was there. As her consorts had not gone to Cadiz with her, he was satisfied that the steamer was to return to Malaga.

After he obtained the news, and had satisfied himself that the Princes were going overland to Cadiz, he went to his chamber at the King’s Arms, where he attempted to reason out the future movements of the squadron. He had concluded, weeks before, that the fleet would not go to Lisbon, since all hands had visitedthat city; and now it appeared that Cadiz would be avoided for a second time, for the same reason. The Prince would wait there till her own ship’s company arrived, and then go back to Malaga. The Josephines and Tritonias would do the place, and then return to Malaga overland. It looked to Raymond like a very plain case; and he was confident that the fleet would come to Gibraltar next.

He was entirely satisfied that his conclusion was a correct one. The squadron would certainly visit the Rock, for the principal could not think of such a thing as passing by a fortress so wonderful. Raymond was out of the way of arrest, if the detective should trace him to this place; and he could join his ship when she came. If the principal still wanted to send him to Barcelona, he would tell his whole story; and, if this did not save him, he would trust to his chances to escape. He sat at the window, thinking about the matter. It was just before sunset, and the air was delicious. He could look into the square in front of the hotel, and he was not a little startled to see the uniform of the squadron on a person approaching the hotel. He looked till he recognized Bark as the one who wore it.

But who was the man with him? This question troubled him. The man was a stranger to him; for the fugitives had not employed a guide in Malaga, and therefore Jacob Lobo was all unknown to him. Neither the Prince nor her consorts were in Gibraltar; and it was plain enough to the Spaniard that Bark and his companion had come in the steamer he had seen going into Algeciras two hours before. They had come fromCadiz, and they could have no other errand in Gibraltar than to find him. Had Bark become a traitor? or, what was more likely, had he been required by the principal to conduct this man in search of him? Had Mr. Lowington ascertained that he was at the Rock? It was almost impossible, for he had met no one who knew him.

He saw Bark and his doubtful companion enter the Club-House Hotel, and he understood their business there. He had not seen thealguacil, or detective, who had come on board of the Tritonia for him; but he jumped at the conclusion that this was the man. The principal had afforded him every facility for finding the object of his search; and now it appeared that he had sent Bark with him, to identify his expected prisoner. Raymond decided on the moment not to wait for the detective to see him. He rang the bell, and sent for his bill: he paid it, and departed before Bark could reach the hotel. He scorned to ask the landlord or waiters to tell any lies on his account. He hastened down to the bay; and at the landing he found the very boat that had brought Bark and his companion over from Algeciras, just hoisting her sails to return. The boatman was glad enough to get a passenger back, and thus double the earnings of the trip. It is about five miles across the bay; and, with a fresh breeze from the south-east, the distance was made in an hour.

On the way, Raymond learned that the boat had brought over two passengers; and, from the boatman’s description of them, he was convinced that they were Bark and his companion. He questioned the skipper in regard to them; but the man had no idea who orwhat they were. The passengers talked in English all the way over, and he could not understand a word they said. It was not prudent for the fugitive to stay over night in Algeciras; and, procuring a couple of mules and a guide, he went to San Roque, where he passed the night. He found a fair hotel at this place; and he decided to remain there till the next day.

He had time to think now; and he concluded that Bark and his suspicious companion would depart from the Rock when they found he was not there. But he did not lose sight of the fact that he was in Spain again. What would his pursuers do when they found that he had left the hotel? They would see his name on the books, and the landlord would tell them he had just left. There were plenty of boatmen at the landing, who had seen him embark in the boat for Algeciras. Raymond did not like these suggestions as they came up in his mind. They would cross the bay, and find the boatman, who would be able to describe him, as he had them. Then, when they had failed to find him at thefondas, they would visit the stables. It was easy enough to trace him.

At first he thought of journeying on horseback to Xeres, and there taking the train to the north, and into Portugal; but he abandoned the thought when he considered that he was liable to meet the students at any point on the railroad. Finally he decided to start for Ronda, an interior city, forty miles from the Rock. At eight o’clock in the morning, he was in the saddle. He had retained the mules that brought him from Algeciras. José, his guide, was one of the retired brigands, of whom there are so many in this region.As it was too soon for him to be pursued, he did not hurry, and stopped at Barca de Cuenca to dine.

After dinner he resumed his journey. José was a surly, ugly fellow, and Raymond was not disposed to converse with him. This silence made the miles very long; but the scenery was wild and grand, and the traveller enjoyed it. After he had ridden about five miles he came to a country which was all hills and rocks. The path was very crooked; and it required many angles to overcome steeps, and avoid chasms. Suddenly, as he passed a rock which formed a corner in the path, he was confronted by three men, all armed to the teeth, with muskets, pistols, and knives. José was provided with the same arsenal of weapons; but he did not offer to use any of them.

The leading brigand was a good-natured ruffian, and he smiled as pleasantly as though his calling was perfectly legitimate. He simply held out his hand, and said, “Por Dios,” which is the way that beggars generally do their business.

“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied Raymond, shaking his head.

This is the usual way to refuse a beggar: “Excuse us for God’s sake, brother.” Raymond did not yet understand whether the three men intended to beg or rob; but he soon ascertained that the leader had only adopted this facetious way of doing what is commonly done with the challenge, “Your money or your life!” It was of no avail to resist, even if he had been armed. Most of his gold was concealed in a money-belt worn next to his skin, while he carried half a dozen Isabelinos in his purse, which he handed to the gentlemanly brigand.

“Gracias, señorito!” replied the leader. “Your watch, if you please.”

Raymond gave it up, and hoped they would be satisfied. Instead of this, they made him a prisoner, leading his mule to a cave in the hills, where they bound him hand and foot. José waited for his mule, and then, with great resignation, began his return journey.

CHAPTER XXV.CORDOVA, SEVILLE, AND CADIZ.Cordovais a gloomy and desolate city with about forty thousand inhabitants. It was once the capital of the kingdom of Cordova, and had two hundred thousand people within its walls; and some say a million, though the former number is doubtless nearer the truth. The grass grows in its streets now, and it looks like a deserted city, as it is. There is only one thing to see in Cordova, and that is the mosque. As soon as the party had been to breakfast, they hastened to visit it.“We will first take a view of the outside,” said the doctor to his pupils when they had reached the mosque. “This square in front of it is the Court of Oranges; you observe a few palms and cypresses, as well as orange-trees. The fountain in the centre was built by the Moors nearly a thousand years ago.”“But I don’t see any thing so very grand about the mosque, if that great barn-like building is the one,” said Murray. “It looks more like a barrack than a mosque. We have been in the mosque business some, and they can’t palm that thing off upon us as a real mosque. We have seen the genuine thing in Constantinople.”“I grant that the outside is not very attractive,” added the doctor. “But in the days of the Moors, when the mosque was in its glory, the roof was covered with domes and cupolas. In spite of what you say, Murray, this was the finest, as it is one of the largest mosques in the world. It covers an area of six hundred and forty-two by four hundred and sixty-two feet. It was completed in the year 796; and the work was done in ten years. It was built to outdo all the other mosques of the world except that at Jerusalem. Now we will go in.”The party entered the mosque, and were amazed, as everybody is who has not been prepared for the sight, by the wilderness of columns. There are about a thousand of them; and they formerly numbered twelve hundred. Each of them is composed of a single stone, and no two of them seem to be of the same order of architecture. They come from different parts of the globe; and therefore the marbles are of various kinds and colors, from pure white to blood red. These pillars form twenty-nine naves, or avenues, one way, and nineteen the other. The roof is only forty feet high, and the columns are only a fraction of this height. They have no pedestal, and support a sort of double arch, the upper one plain, and the lower a horseshoe; indeed, this last looks like a huge horseshoe stretching across below the loftier arch.For an hour the party wandered about in the forest of pillars, pausing at theMih-ràb, or sanctuary of the mosque, where was kept the copy of the Koran made by Othman, the founder of the dynasty of that name. It is still beautiful, but little of its former magnificenceremains; for the pulpit it contained is said to have cost the equivalent of five millions of dollars.“St. Ferdinand conquered Cordova in 1236; and then the mosque was turned into a Christian church without any great change,” said Dr. Winstock, as they approached the choir in the centre of the mosque. “The victors had the good sense and the good taste to leave the building pretty much as they found it. But three hundred years later the chapter of the church built this choir, which almost ruins the interior effect as we gaze upon it. The fine perspective is lost. Sixty columns were removed to make room for the choir. When Charles V. visited Cordova, and saw the mischief the chapter had wrought, he was very angry, and severely reproached the authors of it.”The tourists looked into the high chapel, and glanced at the forty-four others which surround the mosque. Then they walked to the bridge over the Guadalquiver. Arabian writers say it was built by Octavius Cæsar, but it was entirely reconstructed by the Moors. An old Moorish mill was pointed out; and the party returned to the mosque to spend the rest of their time in studying its marvellous workmanship. Early in the afternoon the excursionists left for Seville, and arrived in three hours. The journey was through a pleasant country, affording them an occasional view of the Guadalquiver.“He simply held out his hand.”Page356.“To my mind,” said Dr. Winstock, as the party passed out of theHotel de Londresto thePlaza Nueva, which is a small park in front of the City Hall,—“to my mind Seville is the pleasantest city in Spain, I have always been in love with it since I came here the first time; and I have spent four months here altogether. The air is perfectly delicious; and, though it often rains, I do not remember a single rainy day. The streets are clean, the houses are neat and pretty, the people are polite, the ladies are beautiful,—which is a consideration to a bachelor like myself,—and, if I had to spend a year in any city of Europe, Seville would be the place.”“What is there to see here?” asked Murray. “I should like a list of the sights to put in a letter I shall write to-day.”“The principal thing is the cathedral; then theGiralda, theAlcazar, the tobacco-factory, the Palace of San Telmo, theCasa de Pilatos.”“That will do, doctor. I can’t put those things in my letter,” interposed Murray.“You may say ‘Pilate’s house’ for the last; and add theCalle de las Sierpes, which is the most frequented street of the city.”“But I can’t spell the words.”“It is not in good taste to translate the name of a street; but it means ‘the street of the serpents.’ But I think you had better wait till you have seen the sights, before you attempt to describe them in your letter.”“I will look them up in the guide-book, when I write.”“This is theCalle de las Sierpes,” continued the doctor, as they entered a narrow street leading from thePlaza de la Constitucion—nearly every Spanish city has one with this name—in the rear of the City Hall. “This is the business street of the town, and it is generally crowded with people. Here are the retailstores, the cafés, the post-office, and the principal theatre.”The students were interested in this street, it was so full of life. The ends of it were barred so that no carriages could enter it; and the whole pavement was a sidewalk, as O’Hara would have expressed it. Passing the theatre, they followed a continuation of the same street.“Do you notice the name of this street?” said the doctor, as he pointed to the sign on a corner. “It is theCalle del Amor de Dios. It is so near like the Latin that you can tell what it means.”“But it seems hardly possible that a street should have such a name,—the ‘Street of the Love of God,’” added Sheridan.“That is just what it is; and it was given by reverent men. There is also in this city theCalle de Gesu, or Jesus Street; and the names of the Virgin and the saints are applied in the same way.”Passing through this street, the party came to theAlameda de Hercules.“The city has about the same history as most others in the South of Spain,—Romans, Goths, Vandals, Moors, Christians,” said the doctor. “But some of the romancists ascribe its origin to Hercules; and thisalamedais named after him. Now we will take a closer view of one of the houses. You observe that they differ from those of our cities. They are built on the Moorish plan. What we call the front door is left open all day. It leads into a vestibule; and on the right and left are the entrances to the apartments. Let us go in.”“Is this a private house?” asked Sheridan, who seemed to have some doubts about proceeding any farther; but then the doctor astonished him by ringing the bell, which was promptly answered by a voice inquiring who was there.“Gentes de paz” (peaceful people), replied the surgeon; and this is the usual way to answer the question in Spain.It presently appeared that Dr. Winstock was acquainted with the gentleman who lived in the house; and he received a cordial welcome from him. The young gentlemen were introduced to him, though he did not speak English; and they were shown the house.In the vestibule, directly opposite the front door, was a pair of iron gates of open ornamental work, set in an archway. A person standing in the street can look through this gateway into thepatio, or court of the mansion. It was paved with marble, with a fountain in the middle. It was surrounded with plants and flowers; and here the family sit with their guests in summer, to enjoy the coolness of the place. Thanking the host, and promising to call in the evening, the surgeon left with his pupils,—his “pupilos,” as he described them to the gentleman.After lunch the sight-seers went to theGiralda, which is now the campanile or bell-tower of the cathedral. It was built by the Moors in 1296 as a muezzin tower, or place where the priest calls the faithful to prayers, and was part of the mosque that stood on this spot. It is square, and built of red brick, and is crowned with a lofty spire. The whole height is three hundred and fifty feet. To the top of this tower theparty ascended, and obtained a fine view of the city and its surroundings,—so fine that they remained on their lofty perch for three hours. They could look down into the bull-ring, and trace the Guadalquiver for many miles through the flat country. The doctor pointed out all the prominent objects of interest; and when they came down they had a very good idea of Seville and its vicinity.The next day, as Murray expressed it, they “commenced work on the cathedral.” It is the handsomest church in Spain, and some say in the world. It is the enlargement of an old church made in the fifteenth century. On the outside it looks like a miscellaneous pile of buildings, with here and there a semicircular chapel projecting into the area, and richly ornamented with various devices. It is in the oblong form, three hundred and seventy by two hundred and seventy feet, not including the projecting chapels.“Now we will enter by the west side,” said the doctor, when they had surveyed the exterior of the vast pile. “TheGiraldais on the other side. By the way, did I tell you what this word meant?”“You did not; but I supposed it was some saint,” replied Sheridan.“Not at all. It comes from the Spanish verbgirar, which means to turn or whirl; and from this comesGiralda, a weathercock. The name is accidental, coming probably from the vane on the top of it at some former period,” continued the doctor as they entered the cathedral. “The central nave is about one hundred and twenty-five feet high; and here you get an idea of the grandeur of the edifice. Here is the burial-placeof the son of Columbus. This slab in the pavement contains his epitaph:—FERNANDO COLON.——◆——Á Castilla, y á LeonNuevo mundo dío Colon.”“Hablo Español!” exclaimed Murray. “And I know what that means,—‘To Castile and Leon Columbus gave a new world.’”“It is in all the school-books, and you ought to know it,” added Sheridan. “Colon means Columbus; but what was his full name in Spanish?”“Cristobal Colon. This son was quite an eminent man, and gave his library to the chapter of this church. Seville was the birthplace and the residence of Murillo; and you will find many of his pictures in the churches and other buildings.”The party went into the royal chapel. The under part of the altar is formed by the silver and glass casket which contains the remains of St. Ferdinand, nearly perfect. It is exhibited three days in the year; and then the body lies dressed in royal robes, with the crown on the head. The doctor pointed out the windows of stained glass, of which there are ninety-three. Nearly the whole day was spent in the church by those of the students who had the taste to appreciate its beautiful works of art. The next morning was devoted to theAlcazar. It was the palace of the Moorish sovereigns when Seville became the capital of an independent kingdom. After the city was captured, St. Ferdinand took up his quarters within it. Don Pedro theCruel repaired and rebuilt portions of it, and made it his residence; and it was occupied by the subsequent sovereigns as long as Seville was the capital of Spain. Though the structure as it now stands was mainly erected by Christian kings, its Arabian style is explained by the fact that Moorish architects were employed in the various additions and repairs.It is very like the Alhambra, but inferior to it as a whole. It contains apartments similar to those the students had seen at Granada, and therefore was not as interesting as it would otherwise have been. The gardens of the palace were more to their taste. They are filled with orange-trees and a variety of tropical plants. The avenues are lined with box, and the garden contains several small ponds. The walks near the palace are underlaid with pipes perforated with little holes, so that, when the water is let on, a continuous line of fountains cools the air; and it is customary to duck the visitors mildly as a sort of surprise.The tobacco-factory is the next sight, and is located opposite the gardens of theAlcazar. It is an immense building used for the manufacture of cigars, cigarillos, and smoking-tobacco. The article is a monopoly in the hands of the Government; and many of the larger cities have similar establishments, but none so large as the one at Seville. At the time of which we write, six thousand women were employed in making cigars, and putting up papers of tobacco. Visitors go through the works more to observe the operatives than to see the process of making cigars; and the students were no exception to the rule. Most of the females were old and ugly, though many were young. Among themwere not a few gypsies, who could be distinguished by their olive complexion.These women all have to be searched before they leave the building, to prevent them from stealing the tobacco. Women are employed for this duty, who become so expert in doing it that the operation is performed in a very short time.On the river, near the factory, is the palace of San Telmo, the residence of the Duke de Montpensier, son of Louis Philippe, who married the sister of the late queen of Spain. It is a very unique structure, with an elaborate portico in the centre of the front, rising one story above the top of the palace, and surmounted with a clock. It has a score of carved columns, and as many statues. The rest of the building is quite plain, which greatly increases the effect of the complicated portico. The picture-gallery and the museums of art in the palace are opened to the tourist, and they richly repay the visit. Among the curiosities is the guitar used by Isabella I., the sword of Pedro the Cruel, and that of Fernando Gonzales. The building was erected for a naval school, and was used as such for a hundred and fifty years. It was presented by the queen to her sister in 1849.Leaving the palace, the party walked along the quays by the river, till they came to theToro del Oro, or tower of gold. It was originally part of a Moorish fortress; but now stands alone on the quay, and is occupied as a steamboat-office. The Moors used it as a treasure-house, and so did Pedro the Cruel. In the time of Columbus it was a place of deposit for the gold brought over by the fleets from the New World,and landed here. It is said that more than eight million ducats were often stored here.Near this tower, is the hospital ofLa Caridad, or charity. It was founded by a young nobleman who had reformed his dissipated life, and passed the remainder of it in deeds of piety in this institution. It is a house of refuge for the poor and the aged. It contains two beautifulpatios, with the usual plants, flowers, and fountains. The institution is something on the plan of the Brotherhood of Pity in Florence; and the young gentlemen of the city render service in it in turn. The founder was an intimate friend of Murillo, which accounts for the number of the great artist’s pictures to be found in the establishment. Its little church contains several of them. A singular painting by another artist attracted the attention of some of the students as a sensation in art. It represents a dead prelate in full robes, lying in the tomb. The body has begun to decay; and the worms are feasting upon it, crawling in and out at the eyes, nose, and mouth. It is a most disgusting picture, though it may have its moral.A day was given to the museum which contains many of Murillo’s pictures, and next to that at Madrid is the finest in Spain. TheCasa de Pilatoswas visited on the last day the excursionists were in Seville at this time, though it happened that they came to the city a second time. It belongs to the Duke of Medina Celi, though he seldom occupies it. It is not the house of Pilate, but only an imitation of it. It was built in the sixteenth century, by the ancestors of the duke, some of whom had visited the Holy Land. ThePatioislarge and is paved with white marble, with a checkered border and other ornaments. In the centre is a fountain, and in each corner is a colossal statue of a goddess. Around it are two stories of galleries, with fine arches and columns. The palace contains a beautiful chapel, in which is a pillar made in imitation of that to which Christ was bound when he was scourged. On the marble staircase the guides point out a cock, which is said to be in the place of the one that crowed when Peter denied his Master; but of course this is sheer tomfoolery, and it was lawful game for Murray, who was the joker of the officers’ party.On another day the doctor and his pupils walked over the bridge to the suburb of Triana, where the gypsies lived. They were hardly more civilized than those seen at Granada. Then, as the order was not given for the departure, they began to see some of the sights a second time; and many of them will bear repeated visits. During a second examination of theAlcazar, Dr. Winstock told them many stories of Pedro the Cruel, of Don Fadrique, of Blanche of Bourbon, and of Maria de Padilla, which we have not the space to repeat, but which are more interesting than most of the novels of the day. After the ship’s company had been in Seville five days, the order was given to leave at quarter before six; and the party arrived at Cadiz at ten.This city is located nearly on the point of a tongue of land which encloses a considerable bay; and, when the train had twenty miles farther to go, the students could see the multitude of lights that glittered like stars along the line of the town. Cadiz is a commercialplace, was colonized by the Phœnicians, and they supposed it to be about at the end of the earth. They believed that the high bluff at Gibraltar, which was called Calpe, and Abyla at Ceuta in Africa, were part of the same hill, rent asunder by Hercules; and they erected a column on each height, which are known as the Pillars of Hercules. Cadiz was held by the Romans and the Moors in turn, and captured by the Spaniards in 1262. After the discovery of America, it shared with Seville the prosperity which followed that event; and the gold and merchandise were brought to these ports. Its vast wealth caused it to be often attacked by the pirates of Algiers and Morocco; the English have twice captured it, and twice failed to do so; and it was the civil and military headquarters of the Spaniards during the peninsular war. When the American colonies of Spain became independent, it lost much of its valuable commerce, and has not been what it was in the last century since the French Revolution.The boats of the American Prince, in charge of the forward officers and a squad of firemen and stewards, were on the beach near the railroad station; and the ship’s company slept on board that night. The next day was devoted to Cadiz. The cathedral is a modern edifice and a beautiful church, though the tourist who had been to Toledo and Seville does not care to give much of his time to it. In the Capuchin Monastery, to which the doctor took his pupils, is the last picture painted by Murillo. It is the Marriage of St. Catharine, and is painted on the wall over the high altar of the chapel. Before it was quite finished, Murillo fellfrom the scaffold, was fatally injured, and died soon after. The picture was finished by one of his pupils, at his request.There are no other sights to be seen in Cadiz; but the students were very much pleased with the place. Its public buildings are large and massive; its white dwellings are pretty; and its squares and walks on the seashore are very pleasant. By the kindness of the banker, the club-house was opened to the party.“I am rather sorry we do not go to Xeres,” said the doctor, when they were seated in the reading-room. “I supposed we should stop there on our way from Seville. I wished to take you into the great wine-vaults. I think you know what the place is noted for.”“Vino del Xeres,” replied Murray,—“Sherry wine.”“It is made exclusively in this place; and its peculiarity comes from the kind of grapes and method of manufacture. The business here is in the hands of English, French, and German people, who far surpass the Spaniards in the making of wine. The immense cellars and store-houses where the wine is kept are well worth seeing, though they are not encouraging to men with temperance principles. The place has forty thousand inhabitants, and is theXeres de la Frontera, where Don Roderick was overwhelmed by the Moors, and the Gothic rule in Spain was ended.”“Seville is a larger place than Cadiz, isn’t it?” asked Sheridan.“More than twice as large. Seville is the third city of Spain, having one hundred and fifty-two thousand inhabitants; while Cadiz is the ninth, with only seventy-two thousand.”The party returned to the steamer; and the next morning she sailed for Malaga, where the Josephines and Tritonias had arrived before them. The fleet immediately departed for Gibraltar, and in five hours was at anchor off the Rock.

CORDOVA, SEVILLE, AND CADIZ.

Cordovais a gloomy and desolate city with about forty thousand inhabitants. It was once the capital of the kingdom of Cordova, and had two hundred thousand people within its walls; and some say a million, though the former number is doubtless nearer the truth. The grass grows in its streets now, and it looks like a deserted city, as it is. There is only one thing to see in Cordova, and that is the mosque. As soon as the party had been to breakfast, they hastened to visit it.

“We will first take a view of the outside,” said the doctor to his pupils when they had reached the mosque. “This square in front of it is the Court of Oranges; you observe a few palms and cypresses, as well as orange-trees. The fountain in the centre was built by the Moors nearly a thousand years ago.”

“But I don’t see any thing so very grand about the mosque, if that great barn-like building is the one,” said Murray. “It looks more like a barrack than a mosque. We have been in the mosque business some, and they can’t palm that thing off upon us as a real mosque. We have seen the genuine thing in Constantinople.”

“I grant that the outside is not very attractive,” added the doctor. “But in the days of the Moors, when the mosque was in its glory, the roof was covered with domes and cupolas. In spite of what you say, Murray, this was the finest, as it is one of the largest mosques in the world. It covers an area of six hundred and forty-two by four hundred and sixty-two feet. It was completed in the year 796; and the work was done in ten years. It was built to outdo all the other mosques of the world except that at Jerusalem. Now we will go in.”

The party entered the mosque, and were amazed, as everybody is who has not been prepared for the sight, by the wilderness of columns. There are about a thousand of them; and they formerly numbered twelve hundred. Each of them is composed of a single stone, and no two of them seem to be of the same order of architecture. They come from different parts of the globe; and therefore the marbles are of various kinds and colors, from pure white to blood red. These pillars form twenty-nine naves, or avenues, one way, and nineteen the other. The roof is only forty feet high, and the columns are only a fraction of this height. They have no pedestal, and support a sort of double arch, the upper one plain, and the lower a horseshoe; indeed, this last looks like a huge horseshoe stretching across below the loftier arch.

For an hour the party wandered about in the forest of pillars, pausing at theMih-ràb, or sanctuary of the mosque, where was kept the copy of the Koran made by Othman, the founder of the dynasty of that name. It is still beautiful, but little of its former magnificenceremains; for the pulpit it contained is said to have cost the equivalent of five millions of dollars.

“St. Ferdinand conquered Cordova in 1236; and then the mosque was turned into a Christian church without any great change,” said Dr. Winstock, as they approached the choir in the centre of the mosque. “The victors had the good sense and the good taste to leave the building pretty much as they found it. But three hundred years later the chapter of the church built this choir, which almost ruins the interior effect as we gaze upon it. The fine perspective is lost. Sixty columns were removed to make room for the choir. When Charles V. visited Cordova, and saw the mischief the chapter had wrought, he was very angry, and severely reproached the authors of it.”

The tourists looked into the high chapel, and glanced at the forty-four others which surround the mosque. Then they walked to the bridge over the Guadalquiver. Arabian writers say it was built by Octavius Cæsar, but it was entirely reconstructed by the Moors. An old Moorish mill was pointed out; and the party returned to the mosque to spend the rest of their time in studying its marvellous workmanship. Early in the afternoon the excursionists left for Seville, and arrived in three hours. The journey was through a pleasant country, affording them an occasional view of the Guadalquiver.

“He simply held out his hand.”Page356.

“He simply held out his hand.”Page356.

“He simply held out his hand.”Page356.

“To my mind,” said Dr. Winstock, as the party passed out of theHotel de Londresto thePlaza Nueva, which is a small park in front of the City Hall,—“to my mind Seville is the pleasantest city in Spain, I have always been in love with it since I came here the first time; and I have spent four months here altogether. The air is perfectly delicious; and, though it often rains, I do not remember a single rainy day. The streets are clean, the houses are neat and pretty, the people are polite, the ladies are beautiful,—which is a consideration to a bachelor like myself,—and, if I had to spend a year in any city of Europe, Seville would be the place.”

“What is there to see here?” asked Murray. “I should like a list of the sights to put in a letter I shall write to-day.”

“The principal thing is the cathedral; then theGiralda, theAlcazar, the tobacco-factory, the Palace of San Telmo, theCasa de Pilatos.”

“That will do, doctor. I can’t put those things in my letter,” interposed Murray.

“You may say ‘Pilate’s house’ for the last; and add theCalle de las Sierpes, which is the most frequented street of the city.”

“But I can’t spell the words.”

“It is not in good taste to translate the name of a street; but it means ‘the street of the serpents.’ But I think you had better wait till you have seen the sights, before you attempt to describe them in your letter.”

“I will look them up in the guide-book, when I write.”

“This is theCalle de las Sierpes,” continued the doctor, as they entered a narrow street leading from thePlaza de la Constitucion—nearly every Spanish city has one with this name—in the rear of the City Hall. “This is the business street of the town, and it is generally crowded with people. Here are the retailstores, the cafés, the post-office, and the principal theatre.”

The students were interested in this street, it was so full of life. The ends of it were barred so that no carriages could enter it; and the whole pavement was a sidewalk, as O’Hara would have expressed it. Passing the theatre, they followed a continuation of the same street.

“Do you notice the name of this street?” said the doctor, as he pointed to the sign on a corner. “It is theCalle del Amor de Dios. It is so near like the Latin that you can tell what it means.”

“But it seems hardly possible that a street should have such a name,—the ‘Street of the Love of God,’” added Sheridan.

“That is just what it is; and it was given by reverent men. There is also in this city theCalle de Gesu, or Jesus Street; and the names of the Virgin and the saints are applied in the same way.”

Passing through this street, the party came to theAlameda de Hercules.

“The city has about the same history as most others in the South of Spain,—Romans, Goths, Vandals, Moors, Christians,” said the doctor. “But some of the romancists ascribe its origin to Hercules; and thisalamedais named after him. Now we will take a closer view of one of the houses. You observe that they differ from those of our cities. They are built on the Moorish plan. What we call the front door is left open all day. It leads into a vestibule; and on the right and left are the entrances to the apartments. Let us go in.”

“Is this a private house?” asked Sheridan, who seemed to have some doubts about proceeding any farther; but then the doctor astonished him by ringing the bell, which was promptly answered by a voice inquiring who was there.

“Gentes de paz” (peaceful people), replied the surgeon; and this is the usual way to answer the question in Spain.

It presently appeared that Dr. Winstock was acquainted with the gentleman who lived in the house; and he received a cordial welcome from him. The young gentlemen were introduced to him, though he did not speak English; and they were shown the house.

In the vestibule, directly opposite the front door, was a pair of iron gates of open ornamental work, set in an archway. A person standing in the street can look through this gateway into thepatio, or court of the mansion. It was paved with marble, with a fountain in the middle. It was surrounded with plants and flowers; and here the family sit with their guests in summer, to enjoy the coolness of the place. Thanking the host, and promising to call in the evening, the surgeon left with his pupils,—his “pupilos,” as he described them to the gentleman.

After lunch the sight-seers went to theGiralda, which is now the campanile or bell-tower of the cathedral. It was built by the Moors in 1296 as a muezzin tower, or place where the priest calls the faithful to prayers, and was part of the mosque that stood on this spot. It is square, and built of red brick, and is crowned with a lofty spire. The whole height is three hundred and fifty feet. To the top of this tower theparty ascended, and obtained a fine view of the city and its surroundings,—so fine that they remained on their lofty perch for three hours. They could look down into the bull-ring, and trace the Guadalquiver for many miles through the flat country. The doctor pointed out all the prominent objects of interest; and when they came down they had a very good idea of Seville and its vicinity.

The next day, as Murray expressed it, they “commenced work on the cathedral.” It is the handsomest church in Spain, and some say in the world. It is the enlargement of an old church made in the fifteenth century. On the outside it looks like a miscellaneous pile of buildings, with here and there a semicircular chapel projecting into the area, and richly ornamented with various devices. It is in the oblong form, three hundred and seventy by two hundred and seventy feet, not including the projecting chapels.

“Now we will enter by the west side,” said the doctor, when they had surveyed the exterior of the vast pile. “TheGiraldais on the other side. By the way, did I tell you what this word meant?”

“You did not; but I supposed it was some saint,” replied Sheridan.

“Not at all. It comes from the Spanish verbgirar, which means to turn or whirl; and from this comesGiralda, a weathercock. The name is accidental, coming probably from the vane on the top of it at some former period,” continued the doctor as they entered the cathedral. “The central nave is about one hundred and twenty-five feet high; and here you get an idea of the grandeur of the edifice. Here is the burial-placeof the son of Columbus. This slab in the pavement contains his epitaph:—

FERNANDO COLON.

——◆——

Á Castilla, y á LeonNuevo mundo dío Colon.”

“Hablo Español!” exclaimed Murray. “And I know what that means,—‘To Castile and Leon Columbus gave a new world.’”

“It is in all the school-books, and you ought to know it,” added Sheridan. “Colon means Columbus; but what was his full name in Spanish?”

“Cristobal Colon. This son was quite an eminent man, and gave his library to the chapter of this church. Seville was the birthplace and the residence of Murillo; and you will find many of his pictures in the churches and other buildings.”

The party went into the royal chapel. The under part of the altar is formed by the silver and glass casket which contains the remains of St. Ferdinand, nearly perfect. It is exhibited three days in the year; and then the body lies dressed in royal robes, with the crown on the head. The doctor pointed out the windows of stained glass, of which there are ninety-three. Nearly the whole day was spent in the church by those of the students who had the taste to appreciate its beautiful works of art. The next morning was devoted to theAlcazar. It was the palace of the Moorish sovereigns when Seville became the capital of an independent kingdom. After the city was captured, St. Ferdinand took up his quarters within it. Don Pedro theCruel repaired and rebuilt portions of it, and made it his residence; and it was occupied by the subsequent sovereigns as long as Seville was the capital of Spain. Though the structure as it now stands was mainly erected by Christian kings, its Arabian style is explained by the fact that Moorish architects were employed in the various additions and repairs.

It is very like the Alhambra, but inferior to it as a whole. It contains apartments similar to those the students had seen at Granada, and therefore was not as interesting as it would otherwise have been. The gardens of the palace were more to their taste. They are filled with orange-trees and a variety of tropical plants. The avenues are lined with box, and the garden contains several small ponds. The walks near the palace are underlaid with pipes perforated with little holes, so that, when the water is let on, a continuous line of fountains cools the air; and it is customary to duck the visitors mildly as a sort of surprise.

The tobacco-factory is the next sight, and is located opposite the gardens of theAlcazar. It is an immense building used for the manufacture of cigars, cigarillos, and smoking-tobacco. The article is a monopoly in the hands of the Government; and many of the larger cities have similar establishments, but none so large as the one at Seville. At the time of which we write, six thousand women were employed in making cigars, and putting up papers of tobacco. Visitors go through the works more to observe the operatives than to see the process of making cigars; and the students were no exception to the rule. Most of the females were old and ugly, though many were young. Among themwere not a few gypsies, who could be distinguished by their olive complexion.

These women all have to be searched before they leave the building, to prevent them from stealing the tobacco. Women are employed for this duty, who become so expert in doing it that the operation is performed in a very short time.

On the river, near the factory, is the palace of San Telmo, the residence of the Duke de Montpensier, son of Louis Philippe, who married the sister of the late queen of Spain. It is a very unique structure, with an elaborate portico in the centre of the front, rising one story above the top of the palace, and surmounted with a clock. It has a score of carved columns, and as many statues. The rest of the building is quite plain, which greatly increases the effect of the complicated portico. The picture-gallery and the museums of art in the palace are opened to the tourist, and they richly repay the visit. Among the curiosities is the guitar used by Isabella I., the sword of Pedro the Cruel, and that of Fernando Gonzales. The building was erected for a naval school, and was used as such for a hundred and fifty years. It was presented by the queen to her sister in 1849.

Leaving the palace, the party walked along the quays by the river, till they came to theToro del Oro, or tower of gold. It was originally part of a Moorish fortress; but now stands alone on the quay, and is occupied as a steamboat-office. The Moors used it as a treasure-house, and so did Pedro the Cruel. In the time of Columbus it was a place of deposit for the gold brought over by the fleets from the New World,and landed here. It is said that more than eight million ducats were often stored here.

Near this tower, is the hospital ofLa Caridad, or charity. It was founded by a young nobleman who had reformed his dissipated life, and passed the remainder of it in deeds of piety in this institution. It is a house of refuge for the poor and the aged. It contains two beautifulpatios, with the usual plants, flowers, and fountains. The institution is something on the plan of the Brotherhood of Pity in Florence; and the young gentlemen of the city render service in it in turn. The founder was an intimate friend of Murillo, which accounts for the number of the great artist’s pictures to be found in the establishment. Its little church contains several of them. A singular painting by another artist attracted the attention of some of the students as a sensation in art. It represents a dead prelate in full robes, lying in the tomb. The body has begun to decay; and the worms are feasting upon it, crawling in and out at the eyes, nose, and mouth. It is a most disgusting picture, though it may have its moral.

A day was given to the museum which contains many of Murillo’s pictures, and next to that at Madrid is the finest in Spain. TheCasa de Pilatoswas visited on the last day the excursionists were in Seville at this time, though it happened that they came to the city a second time. It belongs to the Duke of Medina Celi, though he seldom occupies it. It is not the house of Pilate, but only an imitation of it. It was built in the sixteenth century, by the ancestors of the duke, some of whom had visited the Holy Land. ThePatioislarge and is paved with white marble, with a checkered border and other ornaments. In the centre is a fountain, and in each corner is a colossal statue of a goddess. Around it are two stories of galleries, with fine arches and columns. The palace contains a beautiful chapel, in which is a pillar made in imitation of that to which Christ was bound when he was scourged. On the marble staircase the guides point out a cock, which is said to be in the place of the one that crowed when Peter denied his Master; but of course this is sheer tomfoolery, and it was lawful game for Murray, who was the joker of the officers’ party.

On another day the doctor and his pupils walked over the bridge to the suburb of Triana, where the gypsies lived. They were hardly more civilized than those seen at Granada. Then, as the order was not given for the departure, they began to see some of the sights a second time; and many of them will bear repeated visits. During a second examination of theAlcazar, Dr. Winstock told them many stories of Pedro the Cruel, of Don Fadrique, of Blanche of Bourbon, and of Maria de Padilla, which we have not the space to repeat, but which are more interesting than most of the novels of the day. After the ship’s company had been in Seville five days, the order was given to leave at quarter before six; and the party arrived at Cadiz at ten.

This city is located nearly on the point of a tongue of land which encloses a considerable bay; and, when the train had twenty miles farther to go, the students could see the multitude of lights that glittered like stars along the line of the town. Cadiz is a commercialplace, was colonized by the Phœnicians, and they supposed it to be about at the end of the earth. They believed that the high bluff at Gibraltar, which was called Calpe, and Abyla at Ceuta in Africa, were part of the same hill, rent asunder by Hercules; and they erected a column on each height, which are known as the Pillars of Hercules. Cadiz was held by the Romans and the Moors in turn, and captured by the Spaniards in 1262. After the discovery of America, it shared with Seville the prosperity which followed that event; and the gold and merchandise were brought to these ports. Its vast wealth caused it to be often attacked by the pirates of Algiers and Morocco; the English have twice captured it, and twice failed to do so; and it was the civil and military headquarters of the Spaniards during the peninsular war. When the American colonies of Spain became independent, it lost much of its valuable commerce, and has not been what it was in the last century since the French Revolution.

The boats of the American Prince, in charge of the forward officers and a squad of firemen and stewards, were on the beach near the railroad station; and the ship’s company slept on board that night. The next day was devoted to Cadiz. The cathedral is a modern edifice and a beautiful church, though the tourist who had been to Toledo and Seville does not care to give much of his time to it. In the Capuchin Monastery, to which the doctor took his pupils, is the last picture painted by Murillo. It is the Marriage of St. Catharine, and is painted on the wall over the high altar of the chapel. Before it was quite finished, Murillo fellfrom the scaffold, was fatally injured, and died soon after. The picture was finished by one of his pupils, at his request.

There are no other sights to be seen in Cadiz; but the students were very much pleased with the place. Its public buildings are large and massive; its white dwellings are pretty; and its squares and walks on the seashore are very pleasant. By the kindness of the banker, the club-house was opened to the party.

“I am rather sorry we do not go to Xeres,” said the doctor, when they were seated in the reading-room. “I supposed we should stop there on our way from Seville. I wished to take you into the great wine-vaults. I think you know what the place is noted for.”

“Vino del Xeres,” replied Murray,—“Sherry wine.”

“It is made exclusively in this place; and its peculiarity comes from the kind of grapes and method of manufacture. The business here is in the hands of English, French, and German people, who far surpass the Spaniards in the making of wine. The immense cellars and store-houses where the wine is kept are well worth seeing, though they are not encouraging to men with temperance principles. The place has forty thousand inhabitants, and is theXeres de la Frontera, where Don Roderick was overwhelmed by the Moors, and the Gothic rule in Spain was ended.”

“Seville is a larger place than Cadiz, isn’t it?” asked Sheridan.

“More than twice as large. Seville is the third city of Spain, having one hundred and fifty-two thousand inhabitants; while Cadiz is the ninth, with only seventy-two thousand.”

The party returned to the steamer; and the next morning she sailed for Malaga, where the Josephines and Tritonias had arrived before them. The fleet immediately departed for Gibraltar, and in five hours was at anchor off the Rock.

CHAPTER XXVI.THE CAPTURE OF THE BEGGARS.WhenBark Lingall and Jacob Lobo arrived at Gibraltar, they went to the Club-House Hotel to inquire for the fugitive. He was not there; but they spent half an hour questioning the landlord and others about the hall, in regard to the town and its hotels and boarding-houses. Then they went to the King’s Arms; and, in the course of another half-hour, they learned that Henry Raymond had left this hotel within an hour. Where had he gone? The landlord could not tell. No steamer had left that day; he might have left by crossing the Neutral Ground, or he might have gone over to Algeciras in a boat.“I wonder why he cleared out so suddenly,” said Bark, very much annoyed at the situation.“I suppose he was frightened at something,” replied Jacob. “Very likely he saw you when we went into the Club-House.”“But he wouldn’t run away from me. He and I are the best of friends.”“But circumstances alter cases,” laughed the interpreter. “He may have supposed you had gone over to the enemy, and had come here to entrap him in some way.”“It may be; but I hardly believe it,” mused Bark.Jacob Lobo had no suspicion that he had been the cause of Raymond’s hurried departure; and he did not suggest the true solution of the problem. But the fugitive was gone; and all they had to do was to look him up. They were zealous in the mission with which they were charged, and lost not a moment in prosecuting the search. But they had almost gained the battle in obtaining a clew to the fugitive. Lobo declared that it would be easy enough to trace him out of the town, for he must have gone by the Neutral Ground, which is the strip of land separating the Rock from the mainland, or crossed to Algeciras in a boat. They were on their way to the landing-port, when the evening gun was fired.“That’s as far as we can go to-night,” said Lobo, coming to a sudden halt.“Why? what’s the matter now?” asked Bark.“That’s the gun, and the gate will be closed in a few minutes,” replied Lobo. “They wouldn’t open it to oblige the King of Spain, if he happened along here about this time.”It was no use to argue the matter in the face of fact; and they spent the rest of the day in making inquiries about the town. They went to the drivers of cabs, and to those who kept horses and mules to let. They questioned men and women located near the gate. No one had seen such a person as was described. They went to the King’s Arms for the night; and as soon as the gate was opened in the morning they hastened to the landing-port to make inquiries among the boatmen. They found one with whom theyhad spoken when they landed the day before. He wanted a job, as all of them do. He had seen a young man answering to the description given; and he had gone over to Algeciras in the very boat that brought them over. Would they like to go over to Algeciras? They would, immediately after breakfast; for they had left their bags, and had not paid their bill at the hotel.The wind was light, and it took them two hours to cross the bay. With but little difficulty they found the stable at which the fugitive had obtained his mules, and learned that the name of the guide was José Barca. The keeper of thefondavolunteered the information that José was a brigand and a rascal; but the stable-keeper, who had furnished the guide, insisted that the landlord spoke ill of José because he had not obtained the job for his own man.“About all these guides are ex-brigands and smugglers,” said Lobo.“But the landlord of thefondalooks like a more honest man than the stable-keeper,” added Bark. “I think I should prefer to trust him.”“I believe you are right, Mr. Lingall; but either of them would cheat you if he got the chance,” laughed Lobo; but, being a courier himself, it was for his interest to cry down the men with whom travellers have to deal, in order to enhance the value of his own calling.The landlord would furnish mules and a guide; and in an hour the animals were ready for a start. It was not known where Raymond had gone: he had taken the mules for San Roque, but with the understanding that he could go as far as he pleased with them. The name of the landlord’s guide was Julio Piedra. Hewas armed to the teeth, as Raymond’s guide had been. He was a good-natured, talkative fellow; and the fugitive would certainly have done better, so far as the agreeableness of his companion was concerned, if he had patronized the landlord instead of the stable-keeper.When the party arrived at the hotel in San Roque, their store of information was increased by the knowledge that Raymond had started that morning for Ronda. The pursuit looked very hopeful now, and the travellers resumed their journey.“We are not making more than three or four knots an hour on this tack,” said Bark, when they had ridden a short distance.“Three miles an hour is all you can average on mules through this country,” replied Lobo.“Can’t we offer the guide a bonus to hurry up?”“You can’t stand it to ride any faster; and, as it is, you will be very sore when you get out of bed to-morrow morning.”“I can stand any thing in this chase,” added Bark confidently.“What good will it do to hurry?” persisted Lobo. “It is one o’clock now; and Raymond has five hours the start of us. It will be impossible to overtake him to-day. The mules can go about so far; and at six o’clock we shall reach the place where Raymond stopped to dine. That will be Barca de Cuenca; and that will be the place for us to stop over night.”“Over night! I don’t want to stop anywhere till we come up with Raymond,” replied Bark.“You won’t say that when you get to Barca,” laughedLobo. “You will be tired enough to go to bed without your supper. Besides, the mules will want rest, if you do not; for the distance will be twenty miles from Algeciras. Raymond stopped over night at San Roque.”“But where shall we catch up with him?”“Not till we get to Ronda, as things now stand.”“I don’t like the idea of dragging after him in this lazy way,” protested Bark.“What do you wish to do?” demanded Lobo, who had been over this road twenty times or more, and knew all about the business.“I don’t believe in stopping anywhere over night,” replied Bark with enthusiasm.“Very well, Mr. Lingall,” added Lobo, laughing. “If when you get to Barca, and have had your supper, you wish to go any farther, I will see what can be done. I can make a trade with Julio to go on with these mules, or we can hire others.”“You say that Raymond left at noon the place where we shall be at supper-time: where will he be at that time?” asked Bark.“He will go on to Barca de Cortes, which is twelve miles farther; unless he takes it into his head, as you do, that he will travel in the night.”“I am in favor of going on to that place where he sleeps.”“You are in favor of it now; but, take my word for it, you will not be in favor of it when you get to Barca de Cuenca,” laughed Lobo.“It will be only four hours more; and I can stand that, if I am tired, as I have no doubt I shall be. In fact, I am tired now, for I am not used to riding on horseback, or muleback either.”Before six o’clock they reached Barca de Cuenca; and Bark was certainly very tired. The motion of the mule made him uncomfortable, and he had walked a good part of the distance. But, in spite of his weariness, he was still in favor of proceeding that night to the place where it was supposed the fugitive lodged. It would save going about twenty miles in all; and he thought he should come out of the journey better in the end if he were relieved of riding this distance. Julio was willing to take out his mules again after they had rested two hours, for a consideration.While they were making these arrangements in the court of theventa, or inn, a man mounted on one mule, and leading another, entered the yard. He was dressed and armed in the same style as Julio. At this moment the landlord called the party to supper. Bark was democratic in his ideas; and he insisted that the guide should take a seat at the table with Lobo and himself. Julio was a little backward, but he finally took the seat assigned to him. He said something in Spanish to the interpreter as soon as he had taken his chair, which seemed to excite the greatest astonishment on the part of the latter. Lobo plied him with a running fire of questions, which Julio answered as fast as they were put. Bark judged, that, as neither of them touched the food which was on their plates, the subject of the conversation must be exceedingly interesting.“What is it, Lobo?” he asked, when he had listened, as long as his patience held out, to the exciting talk he could not understand.“Did you notice the man that rode into the yard on a mule, leading another?” said Lobo.“I did: he was dressed like Julio,” replied Bark.“That was José Barca, who came from Algeciras as Raymond’s guide.”“But what has he done with Raymond?” demanded Bark, now as much excited as his companions.“We don’t know. Julio has quarrelled with José, and refuses to speak to him; and he says José would not answer him if he did.”“Do you suppose any thing has gone wrong with Raymond?” asked Bark anxiously.“I don’t know; but it looks bad to see this fellow coming back at this time.”“Well, can’t you see José, and ask him what has become of Raymond?”“Certainly I can; but whether he will tell me is another thing.”“Of course he will tell you: why shouldn’t he?”“Circumstances alter cases. If Raymond has dismissed him in order to continue his journey in some other way, José will tell all he knows about it.”“Do you suppose that is what he has done?”“I am afraid not,” answered Lobo seriously.“What has become of him, then?” asked Bark, almost borne down by anxiety for his friend.“There is only one other thing that can have happened to him; and that is, that he has been set upon by brigands, and made a prisoner for the sake of the ransom. If this is the case, José will not be so likely to tell what he knows about the matter.”“Brigands!” exclaimed Bark, startled at the word.“A party of English people were captured last year; but I have not heard of any being on the road thisyear,” added Lobo. “But they won’t hurt him if he is quiet, and don’t attempt to resist.”After supper Lobo had a talk with José. He did not know what had become of the young gentleman. Three beggars had met them on the road, and Raymond had gone away with them. They wanted to show him a cave in the mountains, and he accompanied them. José had waited two hours for him, and then had gone to look for him, but could not find him.“Where was this?” demanded Lobo.“Less than two leagues from here,” replied José.Lobo translated this story to Bark, and declared that every word of it was a lie.“Raymond went from thisventafive hours ago; and it must have taken six or seven hours for all that José describes to take place,” added Lobo. “But we must pretend to believe the story, and not say a word.”Bark could not say a word except to the interpreter, who had a talk with Julio next; and the guide presently disappeared. Lobo had formed his plan, and put it into execution.“The route by which we have come is not by the great road from San Roque to Ronda, but a shorter one by which two leagues are saved,” said Lobo, explaining his operations to Bark. “All the guides take this route. About a league across the country, is a considerable town, which is the headquarters of the civil guard, sent here last year after the English party was captured, to guard the roads. This is an extra force; and I have sent Julio over to bring a squad of them to this place. José will spend the night here, and start for home to-morrow morning. I want some ofthe civil guard before he goes; and they will be here in the course of a couple of hours. Julio is glad enough of a chance to get José into trouble.”“But do you believe José has done any thing wrong, even if Raymond has been captured by brigands?” asked Bark.“Very likely he is to have a share of the plunder and the ransom; and I think you will find him ready to negotiate for the ransom now.”This proved to be the case; for in the course of an hour José broached the subject to Lobo. He thought, if the friends of the young man would pay liberally for the trouble of looking him up, he might possibly be found. He did not know what had become of him; but he would undertake to find him. He was a poor man, and he could not afford to spend his time in the search for nothing. Lobo encouraged him to talk as much as he could, and mentioned several sums of money. They were too small. The beggars had probably lured the young man into the mountains; and he did not believe they would let him go without a reward. He thought that the beggars would be satisfied with fifty thousandreales.While they were talking about the price, Julio returned with an officer and ten soldiers, who at once took José into custody. It seemed that he had been mixed up in some other irregular transaction, and the officers knew their man. Lobo stated the substance of his conversation with José, who protested his innocence in the strongest terms. It was evident that he preferred to deal with the friends of Raymond, rather than the civil guard.The officer of the guard examined the guide very closely; and his story was quite different from that he had told Lobo, though he still insisted that the men whom they had encountered were beggars. The officer was very prompt in action. José was required to conduct the party to the spot where the young man had been captured. Bark and Lobo mounted their mules again, and Julio led the way as before.“Can any thing be done in the night?” asked Bark.“The officer says the night is the best time to hunt up these gentlemen of the road,” replied Lobo. “They often make fires, and cook their victuals, for the soldiers do not like to follow them in the dark.”When the procession had been in motion an hour and a quarter, José indicated that it had reached the place where the beggars—as he still persisted in calling them—had stopped the traveller. For some reason or other, he told the truth, halting the soldiers at the rock which made a corner in the road. He also indicated the place where the beggars had taken to the hills. The officer of the civil guard disposed of his force for a careful but silent search of the region near the road. Many of the soldiers were familiar with the locality; for they had examined it in order to become acquainted with the haunts of brigands. The members were widely scattered, so as to cover as much territory as possible. Bark and Lobo were required to remain with the officer.Not a sound could be heard while the soldiers were creeping stealthily about among the rocks, and visiting the various caverns they had discovered in their former survey. In less than half an hour, several of the guardreturned together, reporting a fire they had all seen at about the same time. One of them described the place as being not more than ten minutes’ walk from the road; and he knew all about the cave in which the fire was built.“The mouth of the cave is covered with mats; but they do not conceal the light of the fire,” continued the soldier; and Lobo translated his description to Bark. “The smoke goes out at a hole in the farther end of the cave; and, when the brigands are attacked in front, they will try to escape by this opening in the rear.”“We will provide for that,” replied the officer.He sent out some of the men to call in the rest of the party; and, at a safe distance from the fire, they used a whistle for this purpose. In a short time all the soldiers were collected in the road, at the nearest point to the cave. The lieutenant sent five of his men to the rear of the cave, and four to the front, leaving José in charge of one of them.“Tell him not to let his men fire into the cave,” said Bark to the interpreter. “I am afraid they will shoot Raymond.”“I will speak to him; but I do not think there will be any firing,” replied Lobo. “When the beggars find they are in any danger, they will try to get out at the hole in the rear; and the lieutenant will bag them as they come out.”The officer directed the men in front not to fire at all, unless the brigands came out of the cave; and not then, if they could capture them without. Bark and Lobo accompanied the party to the rear, which startedbefore the others. They went by a long roundabout way, creeping like cats the whole distance. They found the hole, and could see the light of the fire through the aperture.The beggars appeared to be having a jolly good time in the cavern, for they were singing and joking; and Lobo said they were drinking the health of the prisoner while he was listening at the aperture. The lieutenant thought that one of their number had been to a town, a league from the place, to procure wine and provisions with the money they had taken from Raymond; for they could smell the garlic in the stew that was doubtless cooking on the fire. And this explained the lateness of the hour at which they were having their repast.Bark looked into the hole. It appeared to be formed of two immense bowlders, which had been thrown together so as to form an angular space under them. The aperture was quite small at the rear end, and the bottom of the cave sloped sharply down to the part where the beggars were. Raymond could not be seen; but Bark heard his voice, as he spoke in cheerful tones, indicating that he had no great fears for the future. But, while Bark was looking into the den, the soldiers in front of the cave set up a tremendous yell, as they had been instructed to do; and the brigands sprang to their feet.The rear opening into the cave was partly concealed by the rocks and trees: and probably the brigands supposed the cave was unknown to the soldiers. The officer pulled Bark away from the hole, and placed himself where he could see into it.“Arrida! Alto ahi!” (Up! Up there!) shouted one of the brigands; and in a moment Raymond appeared at the opening, with his hands tied behind him, urged forward by the leader of the beggars.They evidently intended to make sure of their prisoner, and were driving him out of the cave before them. The moment the first beggar appeared, he was seized by a couple of the soldiers; and in like manner four others were captured, for their number had been increased since Raymond was captured. Bark was overjoyed when he found that his friend was safe. He cut the rope that bound his hands behind him, and then actually hugged him.“Who are you?” demanded Raymond; for it was too dark, coming from the bright light of the fire, for him to identify the person who was so demonstrative.“Why, don’t you know me, Henry?” asked Bark, wringing the hand of his friend.“What! Is it Bark?” demanded Raymond, overwhelmed with astonishment to find his late associate at this place.“Of course it is Bark.”“What are you doing here?”“I came after you; and I think, under the circumstances, it is rather fortunate I did come,” added Bark.“God bless you, Bark! for you have saved me from these vagabonds, who might have kept me for months, so that I could not join my ship.”That was all the harm the fugitive seemed to think would come of his capture. The soldiers had led the brigands down into the cavern, and the young men followed them. The fire was still burning briskly, andthe pot over it was boiling merrily. Everybody was happy except the brigands; and the leader of these did not appear to be much disturbed by the accident that had happened to him.“For Dios,” said Raymond, extending his hand to this latter worthy.“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied the leader, shrugging his shoulders.Raymond informed the lieutenant that this was the manner the interview on the road had commenced. The officer ordered the ruffians to be searched; and the purse and watch of Raymond were found upon the chief beggar. They were restored to the owner, with the request that he would see if the money was all in the purse.“I was not fool enough to give the beggar all I had,” answered Raymond. “I have a large sum of money in my belt, which was not disturbed.”The good-natured leader of the beggars opened his eyes at this statement.“There were sixIsabelinosin the purse, and now there are but five,” added Raymond.“We spent one of them for food and wine,” said the gentle beggar. “We had nothing to eat for two days, till we got some bread we bought with this money. We were going to have a good supper before we started for the mountains; but you have spoiled it.”The officer was good-natured enough to let them eat their supper, as it was ready by this time. But Raymond and Bark did not care to wait, and started for theventa, where they intended to pass the night. Julio walked, and Raymond rode his mule.“I congratulate the Count de Escarabajosa on his escape,” said Lobo, as they mounted the mules.“I thank you; but where did you get that title, which I will thank you never to apply to me again?” replied Raymond rather coldly.“I beg your pardon; but I meant no offence,” said Lobo, rather startled by the coldness and dignity of Raymond.“He is a good friend; and if it hadn’t been for him I never should have found you, Henry,” interposed Bark.“I do not understand where he learned about that title, and I do not know who he is,” added Raymond. “If you say he is a friend, Bark, I am satisfied.”“He is, and a good friend. But why did you leave Gibraltar so suddenly?” asked Bark, thinking it best to change the subject.“I left because I saw you and your companion go into the Club-House Hotel; and I knew that you would come to the King’s Arms next,” replied Raymond.“You left because you saw me!” exclaimed Bark, astonished at this statement. “Why, I was sent after you because the principal thought you would not dodge out of sight if you saw Scott or me.”“I did not dodge out of sight because I saw you, but because I saw you had a companion I did not know: I came to the conclusion that your friend was the detective sent after me.”Bark explained who and what Lobo was; and Raymond apologized to the interpreter for his coldness. Before the party reached theventa, the messenger ofthe principal had explained the situation as it was changed by the death of Don Alejandro. Raymond was happy in being justified for his past conduct, and glad that his uncle had died confessing his sins and at peace with the Church.The fugitive and his friend were asleep when the soldiers arrived with the prisoners. In the morning Raymond read the letter of Don Francisco, and immediately wrote a reply to it, requesting him to take charge of his affairs in Barcelona; and to ask the advice of his uncle in New York. Bark wrote to the principal a full account of his adventures in search of Raymond. These letters were mailed at Ronda, where the prisoners were taken, and where Raymond had to go as a witness. The testimony was abundant to convict them all; but Spanish courts were so slow, that Bark and Raymond were detained in Ronda for two weeks, though Lobo was sent back to Malaga at once.The three brigands were sentenced to a long imprisonment; the two men who were found in the cave with them to a shorter term, as accomplices; but nothing was proved against José. Raymond made a handsome present to each of the soldiers, and to Julio, for the service they had rendered him; and, though his gratitude to Bark could not be expressed in this way, it was earnest and sincere. Julio and José were still in Ronda with their mules; and it was decided to return to Gibraltar as they had come. During their stay in this mountain city, the two students had seen the sights of the place; and they departed with a lively appreciation of this wild locality.In two days they arrived at Gibraltar, to find that the fleet had been there, and left. Both of them were astonished at this information, which was given them at the King’s Arms, where they had both been guests before. They had been confident that the squadron would take her final departure for the “Isles of the Sea” from this port.“Left!” exclaimed both of them in the same breath.“The three vessels sailed three days ago,” replied the landlord.“Where have they gone?” asked Raymond, who had depended upon meeting his friends on board of the Tritonia that evening.“That I couldn’t tell you.”They walked about the town, making inquiries in regard to the fleet; but no one knew where it had gone. The custom-house was closed for the day; and they were obliged to sleep without knowing whether or not the vessels were on their way across the ocean, or gone to some port in Spain.

THE CAPTURE OF THE BEGGARS.

WhenBark Lingall and Jacob Lobo arrived at Gibraltar, they went to the Club-House Hotel to inquire for the fugitive. He was not there; but they spent half an hour questioning the landlord and others about the hall, in regard to the town and its hotels and boarding-houses. Then they went to the King’s Arms; and, in the course of another half-hour, they learned that Henry Raymond had left this hotel within an hour. Where had he gone? The landlord could not tell. No steamer had left that day; he might have left by crossing the Neutral Ground, or he might have gone over to Algeciras in a boat.

“I wonder why he cleared out so suddenly,” said Bark, very much annoyed at the situation.

“I suppose he was frightened at something,” replied Jacob. “Very likely he saw you when we went into the Club-House.”

“But he wouldn’t run away from me. He and I are the best of friends.”

“But circumstances alter cases,” laughed the interpreter. “He may have supposed you had gone over to the enemy, and had come here to entrap him in some way.”

“It may be; but I hardly believe it,” mused Bark.

Jacob Lobo had no suspicion that he had been the cause of Raymond’s hurried departure; and he did not suggest the true solution of the problem. But the fugitive was gone; and all they had to do was to look him up. They were zealous in the mission with which they were charged, and lost not a moment in prosecuting the search. But they had almost gained the battle in obtaining a clew to the fugitive. Lobo declared that it would be easy enough to trace him out of the town, for he must have gone by the Neutral Ground, which is the strip of land separating the Rock from the mainland, or crossed to Algeciras in a boat. They were on their way to the landing-port, when the evening gun was fired.

“That’s as far as we can go to-night,” said Lobo, coming to a sudden halt.

“Why? what’s the matter now?” asked Bark.

“That’s the gun, and the gate will be closed in a few minutes,” replied Lobo. “They wouldn’t open it to oblige the King of Spain, if he happened along here about this time.”

It was no use to argue the matter in the face of fact; and they spent the rest of the day in making inquiries about the town. They went to the drivers of cabs, and to those who kept horses and mules to let. They questioned men and women located near the gate. No one had seen such a person as was described. They went to the King’s Arms for the night; and as soon as the gate was opened in the morning they hastened to the landing-port to make inquiries among the boatmen. They found one with whom theyhad spoken when they landed the day before. He wanted a job, as all of them do. He had seen a young man answering to the description given; and he had gone over to Algeciras in the very boat that brought them over. Would they like to go over to Algeciras? They would, immediately after breakfast; for they had left their bags, and had not paid their bill at the hotel.

The wind was light, and it took them two hours to cross the bay. With but little difficulty they found the stable at which the fugitive had obtained his mules, and learned that the name of the guide was José Barca. The keeper of thefondavolunteered the information that José was a brigand and a rascal; but the stable-keeper, who had furnished the guide, insisted that the landlord spoke ill of José because he had not obtained the job for his own man.

“About all these guides are ex-brigands and smugglers,” said Lobo.

“But the landlord of thefondalooks like a more honest man than the stable-keeper,” added Bark. “I think I should prefer to trust him.”

“I believe you are right, Mr. Lingall; but either of them would cheat you if he got the chance,” laughed Lobo; but, being a courier himself, it was for his interest to cry down the men with whom travellers have to deal, in order to enhance the value of his own calling.

The landlord would furnish mules and a guide; and in an hour the animals were ready for a start. It was not known where Raymond had gone: he had taken the mules for San Roque, but with the understanding that he could go as far as he pleased with them. The name of the landlord’s guide was Julio Piedra. Hewas armed to the teeth, as Raymond’s guide had been. He was a good-natured, talkative fellow; and the fugitive would certainly have done better, so far as the agreeableness of his companion was concerned, if he had patronized the landlord instead of the stable-keeper.

When the party arrived at the hotel in San Roque, their store of information was increased by the knowledge that Raymond had started that morning for Ronda. The pursuit looked very hopeful now, and the travellers resumed their journey.

“We are not making more than three or four knots an hour on this tack,” said Bark, when they had ridden a short distance.

“Three miles an hour is all you can average on mules through this country,” replied Lobo.

“Can’t we offer the guide a bonus to hurry up?”

“You can’t stand it to ride any faster; and, as it is, you will be very sore when you get out of bed to-morrow morning.”

“I can stand any thing in this chase,” added Bark confidently.

“What good will it do to hurry?” persisted Lobo. “It is one o’clock now; and Raymond has five hours the start of us. It will be impossible to overtake him to-day. The mules can go about so far; and at six o’clock we shall reach the place where Raymond stopped to dine. That will be Barca de Cuenca; and that will be the place for us to stop over night.”

“Over night! I don’t want to stop anywhere till we come up with Raymond,” replied Bark.

“You won’t say that when you get to Barca,” laughedLobo. “You will be tired enough to go to bed without your supper. Besides, the mules will want rest, if you do not; for the distance will be twenty miles from Algeciras. Raymond stopped over night at San Roque.”

“But where shall we catch up with him?”

“Not till we get to Ronda, as things now stand.”

“I don’t like the idea of dragging after him in this lazy way,” protested Bark.

“What do you wish to do?” demanded Lobo, who had been over this road twenty times or more, and knew all about the business.

“I don’t believe in stopping anywhere over night,” replied Bark with enthusiasm.

“Very well, Mr. Lingall,” added Lobo, laughing. “If when you get to Barca, and have had your supper, you wish to go any farther, I will see what can be done. I can make a trade with Julio to go on with these mules, or we can hire others.”

“You say that Raymond left at noon the place where we shall be at supper-time: where will he be at that time?” asked Bark.

“He will go on to Barca de Cortes, which is twelve miles farther; unless he takes it into his head, as you do, that he will travel in the night.”

“I am in favor of going on to that place where he sleeps.”

“You are in favor of it now; but, take my word for it, you will not be in favor of it when you get to Barca de Cuenca,” laughed Lobo.

“It will be only four hours more; and I can stand that, if I am tired, as I have no doubt I shall be. In fact, I am tired now, for I am not used to riding on horseback, or muleback either.”

Before six o’clock they reached Barca de Cuenca; and Bark was certainly very tired. The motion of the mule made him uncomfortable, and he had walked a good part of the distance. But, in spite of his weariness, he was still in favor of proceeding that night to the place where it was supposed the fugitive lodged. It would save going about twenty miles in all; and he thought he should come out of the journey better in the end if he were relieved of riding this distance. Julio was willing to take out his mules again after they had rested two hours, for a consideration.

While they were making these arrangements in the court of theventa, or inn, a man mounted on one mule, and leading another, entered the yard. He was dressed and armed in the same style as Julio. At this moment the landlord called the party to supper. Bark was democratic in his ideas; and he insisted that the guide should take a seat at the table with Lobo and himself. Julio was a little backward, but he finally took the seat assigned to him. He said something in Spanish to the interpreter as soon as he had taken his chair, which seemed to excite the greatest astonishment on the part of the latter. Lobo plied him with a running fire of questions, which Julio answered as fast as they were put. Bark judged, that, as neither of them touched the food which was on their plates, the subject of the conversation must be exceedingly interesting.

“What is it, Lobo?” he asked, when he had listened, as long as his patience held out, to the exciting talk he could not understand.

“Did you notice the man that rode into the yard on a mule, leading another?” said Lobo.

“I did: he was dressed like Julio,” replied Bark.

“That was José Barca, who came from Algeciras as Raymond’s guide.”

“But what has he done with Raymond?” demanded Bark, now as much excited as his companions.

“We don’t know. Julio has quarrelled with José, and refuses to speak to him; and he says José would not answer him if he did.”

“Do you suppose any thing has gone wrong with Raymond?” asked Bark anxiously.

“I don’t know; but it looks bad to see this fellow coming back at this time.”

“Well, can’t you see José, and ask him what has become of Raymond?”

“Certainly I can; but whether he will tell me is another thing.”

“Of course he will tell you: why shouldn’t he?”

“Circumstances alter cases. If Raymond has dismissed him in order to continue his journey in some other way, José will tell all he knows about it.”

“Do you suppose that is what he has done?”

“I am afraid not,” answered Lobo seriously.

“What has become of him, then?” asked Bark, almost borne down by anxiety for his friend.

“There is only one other thing that can have happened to him; and that is, that he has been set upon by brigands, and made a prisoner for the sake of the ransom. If this is the case, José will not be so likely to tell what he knows about the matter.”

“Brigands!” exclaimed Bark, startled at the word.

“A party of English people were captured last year; but I have not heard of any being on the road thisyear,” added Lobo. “But they won’t hurt him if he is quiet, and don’t attempt to resist.”

After supper Lobo had a talk with José. He did not know what had become of the young gentleman. Three beggars had met them on the road, and Raymond had gone away with them. They wanted to show him a cave in the mountains, and he accompanied them. José had waited two hours for him, and then had gone to look for him, but could not find him.

“Where was this?” demanded Lobo.

“Less than two leagues from here,” replied José.

Lobo translated this story to Bark, and declared that every word of it was a lie.

“Raymond went from thisventafive hours ago; and it must have taken six or seven hours for all that José describes to take place,” added Lobo. “But we must pretend to believe the story, and not say a word.”

Bark could not say a word except to the interpreter, who had a talk with Julio next; and the guide presently disappeared. Lobo had formed his plan, and put it into execution.

“The route by which we have come is not by the great road from San Roque to Ronda, but a shorter one by which two leagues are saved,” said Lobo, explaining his operations to Bark. “All the guides take this route. About a league across the country, is a considerable town, which is the headquarters of the civil guard, sent here last year after the English party was captured, to guard the roads. This is an extra force; and I have sent Julio over to bring a squad of them to this place. José will spend the night here, and start for home to-morrow morning. I want some ofthe civil guard before he goes; and they will be here in the course of a couple of hours. Julio is glad enough of a chance to get José into trouble.”

“But do you believe José has done any thing wrong, even if Raymond has been captured by brigands?” asked Bark.

“Very likely he is to have a share of the plunder and the ransom; and I think you will find him ready to negotiate for the ransom now.”

This proved to be the case; for in the course of an hour José broached the subject to Lobo. He thought, if the friends of the young man would pay liberally for the trouble of looking him up, he might possibly be found. He did not know what had become of him; but he would undertake to find him. He was a poor man, and he could not afford to spend his time in the search for nothing. Lobo encouraged him to talk as much as he could, and mentioned several sums of money. They were too small. The beggars had probably lured the young man into the mountains; and he did not believe they would let him go without a reward. He thought that the beggars would be satisfied with fifty thousandreales.

While they were talking about the price, Julio returned with an officer and ten soldiers, who at once took José into custody. It seemed that he had been mixed up in some other irregular transaction, and the officers knew their man. Lobo stated the substance of his conversation with José, who protested his innocence in the strongest terms. It was evident that he preferred to deal with the friends of Raymond, rather than the civil guard.

The officer of the guard examined the guide very closely; and his story was quite different from that he had told Lobo, though he still insisted that the men whom they had encountered were beggars. The officer was very prompt in action. José was required to conduct the party to the spot where the young man had been captured. Bark and Lobo mounted their mules again, and Julio led the way as before.

“Can any thing be done in the night?” asked Bark.

“The officer says the night is the best time to hunt up these gentlemen of the road,” replied Lobo. “They often make fires, and cook their victuals, for the soldiers do not like to follow them in the dark.”

When the procession had been in motion an hour and a quarter, José indicated that it had reached the place where the beggars—as he still persisted in calling them—had stopped the traveller. For some reason or other, he told the truth, halting the soldiers at the rock which made a corner in the road. He also indicated the place where the beggars had taken to the hills. The officer of the civil guard disposed of his force for a careful but silent search of the region near the road. Many of the soldiers were familiar with the locality; for they had examined it in order to become acquainted with the haunts of brigands. The members were widely scattered, so as to cover as much territory as possible. Bark and Lobo were required to remain with the officer.

Not a sound could be heard while the soldiers were creeping stealthily about among the rocks, and visiting the various caverns they had discovered in their former survey. In less than half an hour, several of the guardreturned together, reporting a fire they had all seen at about the same time. One of them described the place as being not more than ten minutes’ walk from the road; and he knew all about the cave in which the fire was built.

“The mouth of the cave is covered with mats; but they do not conceal the light of the fire,” continued the soldier; and Lobo translated his description to Bark. “The smoke goes out at a hole in the farther end of the cave; and, when the brigands are attacked in front, they will try to escape by this opening in the rear.”

“We will provide for that,” replied the officer.

He sent out some of the men to call in the rest of the party; and, at a safe distance from the fire, they used a whistle for this purpose. In a short time all the soldiers were collected in the road, at the nearest point to the cave. The lieutenant sent five of his men to the rear of the cave, and four to the front, leaving José in charge of one of them.

“Tell him not to let his men fire into the cave,” said Bark to the interpreter. “I am afraid they will shoot Raymond.”

“I will speak to him; but I do not think there will be any firing,” replied Lobo. “When the beggars find they are in any danger, they will try to get out at the hole in the rear; and the lieutenant will bag them as they come out.”

The officer directed the men in front not to fire at all, unless the brigands came out of the cave; and not then, if they could capture them without. Bark and Lobo accompanied the party to the rear, which startedbefore the others. They went by a long roundabout way, creeping like cats the whole distance. They found the hole, and could see the light of the fire through the aperture.

The beggars appeared to be having a jolly good time in the cavern, for they were singing and joking; and Lobo said they were drinking the health of the prisoner while he was listening at the aperture. The lieutenant thought that one of their number had been to a town, a league from the place, to procure wine and provisions with the money they had taken from Raymond; for they could smell the garlic in the stew that was doubtless cooking on the fire. And this explained the lateness of the hour at which they were having their repast.

Bark looked into the hole. It appeared to be formed of two immense bowlders, which had been thrown together so as to form an angular space under them. The aperture was quite small at the rear end, and the bottom of the cave sloped sharply down to the part where the beggars were. Raymond could not be seen; but Bark heard his voice, as he spoke in cheerful tones, indicating that he had no great fears for the future. But, while Bark was looking into the den, the soldiers in front of the cave set up a tremendous yell, as they had been instructed to do; and the brigands sprang to their feet.

The rear opening into the cave was partly concealed by the rocks and trees: and probably the brigands supposed the cave was unknown to the soldiers. The officer pulled Bark away from the hole, and placed himself where he could see into it.

“Arrida! Alto ahi!” (Up! Up there!) shouted one of the brigands; and in a moment Raymond appeared at the opening, with his hands tied behind him, urged forward by the leader of the beggars.

They evidently intended to make sure of their prisoner, and were driving him out of the cave before them. The moment the first beggar appeared, he was seized by a couple of the soldiers; and in like manner four others were captured, for their number had been increased since Raymond was captured. Bark was overjoyed when he found that his friend was safe. He cut the rope that bound his hands behind him, and then actually hugged him.

“Who are you?” demanded Raymond; for it was too dark, coming from the bright light of the fire, for him to identify the person who was so demonstrative.

“Why, don’t you know me, Henry?” asked Bark, wringing the hand of his friend.

“What! Is it Bark?” demanded Raymond, overwhelmed with astonishment to find his late associate at this place.

“Of course it is Bark.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came after you; and I think, under the circumstances, it is rather fortunate I did come,” added Bark.

“God bless you, Bark! for you have saved me from these vagabonds, who might have kept me for months, so that I could not join my ship.”

That was all the harm the fugitive seemed to think would come of his capture. The soldiers had led the brigands down into the cavern, and the young men followed them. The fire was still burning briskly, andthe pot over it was boiling merrily. Everybody was happy except the brigands; and the leader of these did not appear to be much disturbed by the accident that had happened to him.

“For Dios,” said Raymond, extending his hand to this latter worthy.

“Perdon usted por Dios hermano,” replied the leader, shrugging his shoulders.

Raymond informed the lieutenant that this was the manner the interview on the road had commenced. The officer ordered the ruffians to be searched; and the purse and watch of Raymond were found upon the chief beggar. They were restored to the owner, with the request that he would see if the money was all in the purse.

“I was not fool enough to give the beggar all I had,” answered Raymond. “I have a large sum of money in my belt, which was not disturbed.”

The good-natured leader of the beggars opened his eyes at this statement.

“There were sixIsabelinosin the purse, and now there are but five,” added Raymond.

“We spent one of them for food and wine,” said the gentle beggar. “We had nothing to eat for two days, till we got some bread we bought with this money. We were going to have a good supper before we started for the mountains; but you have spoiled it.”

The officer was good-natured enough to let them eat their supper, as it was ready by this time. But Raymond and Bark did not care to wait, and started for theventa, where they intended to pass the night. Julio walked, and Raymond rode his mule.

“I congratulate the Count de Escarabajosa on his escape,” said Lobo, as they mounted the mules.

“I thank you; but where did you get that title, which I will thank you never to apply to me again?” replied Raymond rather coldly.

“I beg your pardon; but I meant no offence,” said Lobo, rather startled by the coldness and dignity of Raymond.

“He is a good friend; and if it hadn’t been for him I never should have found you, Henry,” interposed Bark.

“I do not understand where he learned about that title, and I do not know who he is,” added Raymond. “If you say he is a friend, Bark, I am satisfied.”

“He is, and a good friend. But why did you leave Gibraltar so suddenly?” asked Bark, thinking it best to change the subject.

“I left because I saw you and your companion go into the Club-House Hotel; and I knew that you would come to the King’s Arms next,” replied Raymond.

“You left because you saw me!” exclaimed Bark, astonished at this statement. “Why, I was sent after you because the principal thought you would not dodge out of sight if you saw Scott or me.”

“I did not dodge out of sight because I saw you, but because I saw you had a companion I did not know: I came to the conclusion that your friend was the detective sent after me.”

Bark explained who and what Lobo was; and Raymond apologized to the interpreter for his coldness. Before the party reached theventa, the messenger ofthe principal had explained the situation as it was changed by the death of Don Alejandro. Raymond was happy in being justified for his past conduct, and glad that his uncle had died confessing his sins and at peace with the Church.

The fugitive and his friend were asleep when the soldiers arrived with the prisoners. In the morning Raymond read the letter of Don Francisco, and immediately wrote a reply to it, requesting him to take charge of his affairs in Barcelona; and to ask the advice of his uncle in New York. Bark wrote to the principal a full account of his adventures in search of Raymond. These letters were mailed at Ronda, where the prisoners were taken, and where Raymond had to go as a witness. The testimony was abundant to convict them all; but Spanish courts were so slow, that Bark and Raymond were detained in Ronda for two weeks, though Lobo was sent back to Malaga at once.

The three brigands were sentenced to a long imprisonment; the two men who were found in the cave with them to a shorter term, as accomplices; but nothing was proved against José. Raymond made a handsome present to each of the soldiers, and to Julio, for the service they had rendered him; and, though his gratitude to Bark could not be expressed in this way, it was earnest and sincere. Julio and José were still in Ronda with their mules; and it was decided to return to Gibraltar as they had come. During their stay in this mountain city, the two students had seen the sights of the place; and they departed with a lively appreciation of this wild locality.

In two days they arrived at Gibraltar, to find that the fleet had been there, and left. Both of them were astonished at this information, which was given them at the King’s Arms, where they had both been guests before. They had been confident that the squadron would take her final departure for the “Isles of the Sea” from this port.

“Left!” exclaimed both of them in the same breath.

“The three vessels sailed three days ago,” replied the landlord.

“Where have they gone?” asked Raymond, who had depended upon meeting his friends on board of the Tritonia that evening.

“That I couldn’t tell you.”

They walked about the town, making inquiries in regard to the fleet; but no one knew where it had gone. The custom-house was closed for the day; and they were obliged to sleep without knowing whether or not the vessels were on their way across the ocean, or gone to some port in Spain.

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