could have induced me to pillage the dead body. Well, my lad,' replied the chief

6

of the robbers, I dare say it is as you relate, but if it is not, 'tis all the same to us, for your life is now in our power, and were we to carry you before a judge, every circumstance would go against you. Consent therefore, to become one of our comrades, for we shall be glad of you, having lately lost several brave fellows; but if you do not chuse to join us, we will dispatch you ourselves. Or should you pretend to consent and afterwards escape, you shall certainly be delivered up to justice, as we have spies and emissaries in numberless places. However, if you freely and heartily agree to make one among these honest men, you shall be supplied with money to extricate yourself from all the difficulties you have acquainted me with, and there is an old Moorish palace in the midst of the forest, where your mother can live with you. It will be an excellent concealment as none of the neighbouring peasants pe

netrate

netrate into the deepest part of the forest, and it will be very convenient if you are wanted to accompany us on any expedition, as it is near the cave where we reside chiefly.'

"Finding I had no alternative, and that death awaited me on all sides, I had not courage to encounter it, while I knew that I was innocent, and agreed to join the banditti, flattering myself my future actions would be unknown; and principally influenced by desire to save my poor mother from poverty, and the misfortune of thinking I had murdered the gentleman intentionally, which would condemn me to an ignominious end, that could not be concealed from her. I requested our chief as a favor, to employ me nevertheless as seldom as possible on any hostile occasion, and being very attentive to his commands, soon grew a favorite, and was chiefly engaged in purchasing such articles as the company wanted from the adjacent towns

or

or villages, and likewise to patrol about the forest, and carry intelligence when strangers made their appearance. I was frequently engaged to attend on the Captain, and fortunately by that means have very seldom been in any of their skirmishes, only two or three times, on the greatest emergency; and firmly hope and pray, that I have no innocent blood to answer for, self-preservation alone inducing me to continue with the banditti. I was in that engagement, lady, when the gentleman you escaped with was taken prisoner with his sister, and was very much vexed when I saw him at the palace after, fearful he should recollect me."

Amelrosa blushed and felt a cruel pang, when he mentioned this incident, and Jacome continued. "My mother, to whom I invented a plausible tale for residing in the forest unknown to any body we knew, firmly believed all I advanced; and though she did not like our dwelling, from its dis

mal

mal situation, was pleased, because we had plenty of money and she had less to do than before, an easy life being very agreeable to a woman of her years. Sometimes I used to see in company with our chief, a tall, thin, yellow, long faced man, who looked like one of our Portuguese noblemen; and my curiosity being raised, I asked one of our troop who that gentleman was, and received for answer, that his name was Don Luis de Zamara, a friend of the Captain's, and one of the greatest villains on earth, added my comrade. 'It is not to get money to maintain himself,' he continued; that Zamara commits crimes, but from a devilish disposition; for he is very rich! however, he pays any of the troop handsomely, that performs a job for him; and having us in his power, as we have him, we understand each other. The Moorish palace belongs to him, and a great part of the surrounding land, but for all that we rarely see him, except when he has some scheme in agitation that requires

our assistance.'

"A con

"A considerable time elapsed after this conversation, and the Captain came one morning to me, when I was busy cleaning my arms, and thus addressed me: I have a charge, Jacome, to confide to you in a few days, that must exercise your greatest vigilance. It is to escort a young lady from the borders of the forest to this place, and to keep her closely imprisoned here, and you are to receive a handsome sum of money if you perform your duty well. She is the niece of one of my friends, and was supposed to be dead; in consequence of which supposition, her uncle enjoys a large fortune she ought to inherit; but since he has found out she is living, fearful any chance shoul disclose who she is, he wishes from this and other motives, to confine her for life.' I promised to obey his commands in every point, and was glad to be engaged in an affair that would more than ever, prevent me from being employed on the sanguinary expeditions that I detested; and though I felt sorry for the lady, my heart

VOL. III.

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