alf-uniform;
a blue jacket decorated with three rows of metal buttons, coarse linen
trousers, and on his head the customary woollen boina. From underneath
the latter appeared a white linen bandage, none of the cleanest, and
considerably stained with blood. His face was pale and thin, and the
Count conjectured him to be a wounded man, recently out of hospital.
The person who had thus attracted Villabuena's notice, turned into the
street, and keeping on the shady side, either from disliking the heat,
or out of regard to his recently bleached complexion, walked slowly
along till he arrived near the Count's window; then looking up, he
brought his hand to his cap, and saluted. As he did so, the Count
recognised the well-known features of Paco the muleteer.

The surprise felt by the Count at the reappearance of this man, whom he
fully believed to have been killed when he himself was rescued from the
Christinos by Zumalacarregui, was succeeded by a joyful foreboding. By
the aid of Paco, with whose sagacity and courage he was well acquainted,
who had been at a former period in his service, and whom he knew to be
entirely devoted to him, he felt at once that he should be able to
accomplish the escape of Herrera. Giving but one glance around to see
that he was not observed, he made a sign to the muleteer to come up to
him. Paco obeyed, and in another moment entered the apartment.

"I thought you were in your grave, Paco," said Villabuena, "and so did
we all. I myself saw you lying in the dust of the road, with a sabre-cut
on your head that would have killed an ox."

"It was not so bad as it looked," replied the Navarrese. "Nothing like a
close-woven boina for turning a sabre edge. Pepe Velasquez is a hard
hitter, and if I had worn one of their pasteboard shakos, my head would
have been split in two like a ripe tomata. But as it was, the blow
glanced sideways, and only shaved off a bit of the scalp, though it left
me senseless, and as like dead as night be. After the troops and your
senoria had marched away, and just as life was returning, some peasants
found me. They took me home and doctored me, and three days ago I was
well enough to crawl hither. I am getting strong and hearty, and shall
soon be in the saddle again."

"So much the better," replied the Count. "We want all the men we can
muster, and especially brave fellows like yourself. Meanwhile, what are
you doing, and where are you quartered?"

"In the house of Jose Ur