ardens and
vineyards; but at last I made my way safe up to the convent and rang
at the bell. Presently the little window in the door opened, and a monk
said, 'Who is there?' I kept out of his sight and said in Spanish: 'A
fugitive who seeks sanctuary.' Thinking I was only somebody who had
stabbed three or four men in a row, the monk opened the door. He gave
an exclamation when he saw my uniform when I entered, and would have
slammed the door in my face; but I pushed in. Then he gave a shout,
and five or six other monks came running up and set up a jabbering, and
stood staring at me as if I had been a wild beast. Then they wanted to
turn me out; but I wouldn't budge, and as I had my sword still in my
hand they didn't know what to do.

"At last some chap in authority came down. He talked to me and tried to
persuade me to leave; but I said, 'No, I claim sanctuary;' and as they
were ready to give sanctuary to the worst of murderers, I didn't see as
they could deny it to me who had committed no crime whatever. He went
away and came back again after some time, and then told me to sheath my
sword and follow him. This I did, and he led the way to a sort of cell
where there were some rushes laid on a stone bed, and told me that I
could remain there.

"Thinking it was all right I lay down and went to sleep, but was
presently woke by half a dozen monks, who were tying my hands and feet
with cords. It was no use struggling, so I lay quiet; and when they
had done, they carried me away, took me some distance, and went down a
flight of stairs; a door was unlocked, and then I was pitched down
on the ground as if I had been a log of wood. I didn't move much that
night.

"In the morning there was just enough light came through a little slit
high up in the wall to show me that I was in a place about six feet
square. It was perfectly bare, without as much as a bit of straw to
lie on. Presently two monks came in. One of them untied the cords which
fastened my hands. They placed some black bread and a jug of water by
me, and then went out again. There they kept me for six days. At the
end of that time they told me to come along with them. I had, of course,
taken the cords off my legs when I had got my hands free, and I followed
them, wondering what was to come next. I was taken to the door of the
convent, and there I saw a party of French troopers, to whom the monks
handed me over. I mounted behind one of them, and was taken to Marshal
T