"Who have you got tied to you there, _caro mio_?"

"Croppo's wife. I had her tied to me for fear she should escape;
besides, she is not bad-looking."

"What a prize!" he exclaimed. "We have made a tolerable haul this
time,--twenty prisoners in all--among them the priest of the band. Our
colonel has just arrived, so I am in luck--he will be delighted. See,
the prisoners are being brought up to him now: but you had better remount
and present yours in a less singular fashion."

When we reached the colonel we found him examining the priest. His
breviary contained various interesting notes, written on some of the fly-
leaves. For instance:--

"Administered extreme unction to A---, shot by Croppo's orders: my share
ten _scudi_.

"Ditto, ditto, to R---, hung by Croppo's order; my share two _scudi_.

"Ditto, ditto, to S---, roasted by Croppo's order, to make him name an
agent to bring his ransom: overdone by mistake, and died--so got nothing.

"Ditto, ditto, to P---, executed by the knife by Croppo's order, for
disobedience.

"M--- and F---, and D---, three new members, joined to-day: confessed
them, and received the usual fees."

He was a dark, beetle-browed-looking ruffian, this holy man; and the
colonel, when he had finished examining his book of prayer and crime,
tossed it to me, saying,--"There! that will show your friends in England
the kind of politicians we make war against. Ha! what have we here? This
is more serious." And he unfolded a piece of paper which had been
concealed in the breast of the priest. "This contains a little valuable
information," he added, with a grim smile. "Nobody like priests and
women for carrying about political secrets, so you may have made a
valuable capture," and he turned to where I stood with Valeria; "let her
be carefully searched."

Now the colonel was a very pompous man, and the document he had just
discovered on the priest added to his sense of self-importance. When,
therefore, a large, carefully folded paper was produced from the
neighbourhood of Valeria's lovely bosom, his eyes sparkled with
anticipation. "Ho, ho!" he exclaimed, as he clutched it eagerly, "the
plot is thickening!" and he spread out triumphantly, before he had
himself seen what it was, the exquisitely drawn portrait of a donkey.
There was a suppressed titter, which exploded into a shout when the
bystanders looked into the colonel's indignant face. I only was affected
differently, as my gaz