me so much
that I could think of little else. I was constantly on the watch for an
opportunity of destroying the papers hidden in my bosom, and was now
sorry that I had taken them out of the despatch-case. We sometimes
slept in the open air; and my wound, as I lay on the hard ground, caused
me so much pain that I could scarcely sleep. At other times we stopped
at guard-houses, where I was devoured by fleas and other insects; for
the men who escorted me were afraid of entering the villages, the
inhabitants being generally favourable to the patriot cause. We of
course kept at a distance from Caracas, but I heard from my guards that
General Morales was marching from Valencia with a powerful force for the
purpose of recapturing it; and on the very day that we reached La
Guayra, I was further informed that he had entered the city and put the
whole of the patriot garrison to the sword. "Such will be the fate,"
added my informant in a triumphant tone, "of all who oppose our rightful
sovereign, the King of Spain." I thought it wise to make no reply to
this remark.

Shortly afterwards we reached a strong castle, close to the sea,--to the
governor of which I was delivered up. Though a Spaniard, he cast, I
thought, a glance of commiseration at me; and he whispered to an officer
in attendance--"Poor youth! he looks ill and weak. He has but a few
days to live, I suspect."

I had, indeed, suffered much from the pain of my wound and the fatigue
of the journey; the food, also, with which I had been furnished, was
insufficient and coarse. I was nevertheless placed in a dungeon, but I
was supplied with a bed and bedding, and a chair and table, by the
compassionate governor. There was also a small window, strongly barred,
through which the fresh sea-breeze blew into my cell, so that I was
better off than I had expected.

All this time I had never been searched, and had still the despatches
about me. Better food than I had hitherto been able to obtain was
brought to me; and had I not known that the fate of most prisoners
captured as I had been was to be put to death, I should have been
tolerably contented, in the hope of recovering, and of some day or other
regaining my liberty.

CHAPTER NINE.

IN PRISON--MY JAILER GIVES ME UNPLEASANT INFORMATION--SUFFERINGS FROM MY
WOUND--I ASK FOR A SURGEON--THE DOCTOR APPEARS--PLAN FOR ESCAPING--THE
DOCTOR AGAIN COMES TO ME--THE JAILER INFORMS ME THAT I AM TO BE
STRANGLED--VISITED