suddenly rushed at me.

I stepped back, drawing my sword, and exclaiming, "Assassins!" and then
with a rapid movement, I thrust my blade into the body of the nearest
assailant. I then left the arcade, and began to run down the street. The
second assassin fired a pistol at me, but it fortunately missed me. I
fell down and dropped my hat in my rapid flight, and got up and continued
my course without troubling to pick it up. I did not know whether I was
wounded or not, but at last I got to my inn, and laid down the bloody
sword on the counter, under the landlord's nose. I was quite out of
breath.

I told the landlord what had happened, and on taking off my great coat, I
found it to be pierced in two places just below the armpit.

"I am going to bed," I said to the landlord, "and I leave my great coat
and the sword in your charge. Tomorrow morning I shall ask you to come
with me before the magistrate to denounce this act of assassination, for
if the man was killed it must be shewn that I only slew him to save my
own life."

"I think your best plan would be to fly Barcelona immediately."

"Then you think I have not told you the strict truth?"

"I am sure you have; but I know whence the blow comes, and God knows what
will befall you!"

"Nothing at all; but if I fly I shall be accounted guilty. Take care of
the sword; they tried to assassinate me, but I think the assassins got
the worst of it."

I went to bed somewhat perturbed, but I had the consoling thought that if
I had killed a man I had done so to self-defence; my conscience was quite
clear.

At seven o'clock the next morning I heard a knocking at my door. I opened
it, and saw my landlord, accompanied by an officer, who told me to give
him all my papers, to dress, and to follow him, adding that he should be
compelled to use force in case of resistance.

"I have no intention of resisting," I replied. "By whose authority do you
ask me for my papers?"

"By the authority of the governor. They will be returned to you if
nothing suspicious is found amongst them."

"Where are you going to take me?"

"To the citadel."

I opened my trunk, took out my linen and my clothes, which I gave to my
landlord, and I saw the officer's astonishment at seeing my trunk half
filled with papers.

"These are all the papers I have," I said. I locked the box and gave the
officer the key.

"I advise you, sir," he said, "to put all necessary articles into a
portmanteau." He the