e just, I must say that in his conversations with me
he always concealed these ideas, doubtless through fear of being utterly
routed by the fire of my arguments; but in public innumerable stories
are told of his heretical ideas and his stupendous excesses.

"I cannot continue, my dear friend, for at this moment I hear firing.
As I have no love for fighting, and as I am not a soldier, my pulse
trembles a little. In due time I will give you further particulars of
this war.

"Yours affectionately, etc., etc."

"APRIL 22.

"MY EVER-REMEMBERED FRIEND:

"To-day we have had a bloody skirmish on the outskirts of Orbajosa. The
large body of men raised in Villahorrenda were attacked by the troops
with great fury. There was great loss in killed and wounded on both
sides. After the combat the brave guerillas dispersed, but they are
greatly encouraged, and it is possible that you may hear of wonderful
things. Cristobal Caballuco, the son of the famous Caballuco whom you
will remember in the last war, though suffering from a wound in the arm,
how or when received is not known, commanded them. The present leader
has eminent qualifications for the command; and he is, besides, an
honest and simple-hearted man. As we must finally come to a friendly
arrangement, I presume that Caballuco will be made a general in the
Spanish army, whereby both sides will gain greatly.

"I deplore this war, which is beginning to assume alarming proportions;
but I recognize that our valiant peasants are not responsible for it,
since they have been provoked to the inhuman conflict by the audacity of
the Government, by the demoralization of its sacrilegious delegates; by
the systematic fury with which the representatives of the state attack
what is most venerated by the people--their religious faith and the
national spirit which fortunately still exists in those places that are
not yet contaminated by the desolating pestilence. When it is attempted
to take away the soul of a people to give it a different one; when it is
sought to denationalize a people, so to say, perverting its sentiments,
its customs, its ideas--it is natural that this people should defend
itself, like the man who is attacked by highwaymen on a solitary road.
Let the spirit and the pure and salutiferous substance of my work on the
'Genealogies'--excuse the apparent vanity--once reach the sphere of the
Government and there will no longer be wars.

"To-day we have had here a very d