he
associated. He could assume any character that he pleased: he could be
the Castilian, haughty and reserved; the Asturian, stupid and plodding;
the Catalonian, intriguing and cunning; the Andalusian, laughing and
merry;--in short, he was all things to all men. Nor was he incapable
of passing off, when occasion required, for a Frenchman; but as he
spoke the language with a strong German accent, he called himself an
Alsatian. He maintained that character with the utmost nicety; and as
there is a strong feeling of fellowship, almost equal to that which
exists in Scotland, amongst all those who are born in the departments
of France bordering on the Rhine, and who maintain their Teutonic
originality, he always found friends and supporters in every regiment
in the French service.

He was on one occasion entrusted with a very difficult mission by the
Duke of Wellington, which he undertook effectually to perform, and to
return on a particular day with the information that was required.

Great was the disappointment when it was ascertained beyond a doubt
that just after leaving the camp he had been taken prisoner, before he
had time to exchange his uniform. Such, however, was the case: a troop
of dragoons had intercepted him, and carried him off; and the
commanding officer desired two soldiers to keep a strict watch over him
and carry him to head-quarters. He was of course disarmed, and being
placed on a horse, was, after a short time, galloped off by his guards.
He slept one night under durance vile at a small inn, where he was
allowed to remain in the kitchen; conversation flowed on very glibly,
and as he appeared a stupid Englishman, who could not understand a word
of French or Spanish, he was allowed to listen, and thus obtained
precisely the intelligence that he was in search of. The following
morning, being again mounted, he overheard a conversation between his
guards, who deliberately agreed to rob him, and to shoot him at a mill
where they were to stop, and to report to their officer that they had
been compelled to fire at him in consequence of his attempt to escape.

Shortly before they arrived at the mill, for fear that they might meet
with some one who would insist on having a portion of the spoil, the
dragoons took from the prisoner his watch and his purse, which he
surrendered with a good grace. On their arrival at the mill, they
dismounted, and in order to give some appearance of truth to their
story, th