him into
raptures twenty years before when he was an apprentice in Tortosa, that
the grim man only smiled and turned again to the unwilling spokesman of
the municipality of Sarria.

A voice from the press before the burning house announced the delegate's
quality.

"Don Raphael de Flores, son of our _alcalde_."

"Speak on, Don Raphael," cried Cabrera; "I will not shoot you unless it
should be necessary."

Thus encouraged the trembling youth began.

"Your Excellency," he quavered, "we of Sarria have nothing to do with
the family of Fernandez. We would not give any one of them a handful of
maize or a plate of lentil broth if he were starving. We are loyal men
and women--well-wishers to the cause of the only true and absolute King
Carlos Quinto."

"I am credibly informed that it is otherwise," said Cabrera, "and that
you are a den of red-hot nationals. I therefore impose a fine of two
thousand _duros_ on the municipality, and as you are the alcalde's son,
we will keep you in durance till they be paid."

Don Raphael fell on his knees. His pale face was reddened by the flames
from the mill-house, the fate of which must have afforded a striking
object-lesson to a costive magistracy in trouble about a forced loan.

"We are undone," he cried; "I am a married man, your Excellency, and
have not a _maravedi_ to call my own. You had better shoot me out of
hand, and be done with it. Indeed, we cannot possibly pay."

"Go and find your father," cried Cabrera; "he pocketed half of the price
of Don Ramon Garcia's house. I cannot see my namesake suffer. Tell him
that two thousand _duros_ is the price up till noon. After that it will
have risen to four thousand, and by three of the afternoon, if the money
be not paid into the treasury of the only absolute and Catholic
sovereign (in the present instance my breeches pocket), I shall be
reluctantly compelled to shoot one dozen of the leading citizens of the
township of Sarria. Let a strong guard accompany this young man till he
returns from carrying his message."

In this way did Cabrera replenish the treasury of his master Don Carlos,
and with such pleasant argument did he induce reluctant _alcaldes_ to
discover the whereabouts of their strong boxes.

For a remarkably shrewd man was General Ramon Cabrera, the butcher of
Tortosa.

CHAPTER XXIV

HOW TO BECOME A SOLDIER

The change in the aspect of affairs would have made a greater difference
to most companies of adv