n unable to destroy, or even discover, this numerous band. He had
been deceived by the apparent zeal of the _alcalde mayor_ of the Ferrol,
Don V.G. D----, and of an _escribano_, named R----, a captain of
royalist volunteers. These two men denounced and prosecuted sundry small
offenders who formed no part of the grand association; and, by the good
understanding between them, baffled all the efforts of the
captain-general."

Eguia, finding that the robberies continued to as great an extent as
before, and that the temporary governor of the Ferrol did not aid him
efficaciously in detecting their perpetrators, removed him from his post
and conferred it on Zumalacarregui, with whose character he was well
acquainted. The latter in a very few days obtained a clue to the whole
confederacy, and arrested C---- and other rich accomplices. Various
anonymous offers of large sums of money were now made to Zumalacarregui,
and repeated threats of assassination held out to him; but he was
neither to be bribed nor frightened, and the wealthy and influential
confederates set every engine at work to bring about his dismissal and
ruin. Being known as a Royalist, the events that occurred at La Granja
in 1832 facilitated the designs of his enemies. At the same time
Brigadier-General Chacon, then commanding the royal corps of marines at
the Ferrol, and who has since been political chief of Madrid and one of
the cabinet, was also manoeuvring against Zumalacarregui, whose
character, it appears, awed him considerably. Under a pretext that a
Carlist _pronunciamento_ was contemplated, Chacon shut himself up in the
arsenal with his marines, and persisted in remaining there in spite of
the assurances of safety given to him by the governor. At last, having
had an interview at Santiago with the Captain-General Eguia, the latter
succeeded in tranquillizing his fears, and the marines came out of their
stronghold, looking very like a parcel of children whose nurse has
threatened them with a bugbear. Notwithstanding the absurdity of
Chacon's demonstration, it attracted the attention of the Christino
party, then in power; and as at that period all the officers of rank
known to entertain Royalist opinions were deprived, one after the other,
of their commands, there was nothing surprising in the same measure
being adopted with regard to Zumalacarregui, although nothing could be
alleged against him, whether as a man of honour or in a military or
political point