"Certainly not," returned Zumalacarregui; "but the undoubted facts that
have yesterday and to-day come to my knowledge, render any additional
atrocity on the part of our enemies unnecessary. The volley that they
fired yesterday on the glacis of Pampeluna, was the death-knell of their
own friends. Count Villabuena, the prisoners must die."

A hum of approbation ran through the assembly.

"With such opponents as ours," said Zumalacarregui, "humanity becomes
weakness. Captain Solano, let the prisoners be placed in capilla, and
order a firing-party for to-morrow noon."

The officer addressed left the room to fulfil the commands he had
received; and Zumalacarregui, as if desirous to get rid of a painful
subject, called Count Villabuena and some of his officers around him,
and began discussing with them a proposed plan of operations against the
division of one of the generals whom Rodil had left to follow up the
Carlist chief during his own absence in Biscay.

In the apartment in which the interview between the Conde de Villabuena
and his cousin had taken place, and within a few hours after the scene
in Zumalacarregui's quarters, the Count was seated alone, revolving in
his mind various schemes for the rescue of Luis Herrera from his
imminent peril. To rescue him, even at risk or sacrifice to himself, the
Count was fully resolved; but the difficulty was, to devise a plan
offering a reasonable chance of success. An appeal to Zumalacarregui
would, he well knew, be worse than useless. The general had decided on
the death of the prisoners from a conviction of its justice and utility;
and, had his own brother been amongst them, no exception would have been
made in his favour. The Count, therefore, found reason to rejoice at
having said nothing to Zumalacarregui of the interest he felt in Herrera
personally, and at having based his intercession in behalf of the
prisoners on the general ground of humanity. A contrary course would
greatly have increased the danger of the plans he was now forming. Since
there was no hope of obtaining Herrera's pardon, he was determined to
accomplish his escape. How to do this was a difficulty, out of which he
did not yet clearly see his way. The village was small, and crowded with
Carlist soldiers; the prisoners were strictly guarded; and even should
he succeed in setting Herrera at liberty, it would be no easy matter to
get him conveyed in safety to any post or garrison of the Christinos,
the n