more than a sleepless night. It was only because we were unwilling to appear unsportsmanlike, that Edward and I followed Domingo to the ravine, and squatted down to watch for vultures which never made their appearance. As a compensation for our disappointment about the vultures, we saw the sun rise in a sky without a cloud, and the peaks of Guipuscoa and Navarre gradually clothe themselves in gold.

A little later the light haze vanished from the lowlands, and a flood of sunshine spread itself over the green plains of Labourd and the ocean. We returned to Aguerria thoroughly satisfied with our excursion. As a mark of special honour, our host made me sleep in his own chamber, assuring me that for his part he needed no sleep. I threw myself into his bed without waiting to undress, and was soon sound asleep.

When I awoke and opened the windows and the shutters outside, I observed something in the room which had escaped my notice in the morning. It was a trophy of arms, which almost completely covered one of the walls, and consisted of sabres of various forms, English carbines, so highly valued thirty or forty years ago, brightly polished blunderbusses, bayonets, pistols, some richly damascened, others without ornament; and in addition to all these a collection of long knives with leather-covered hafts, such as are worn by the Catalans and the Arragonese. I fancied they must be old companions of our host, relics probably of his Carlist warfare. But what surprised me most of all was to see in the middle of this circle of weapons that hung on the wall, and as the centre-piece of the formidable arsenal, the miniature of a remarkably beautiful woman. Her head was small, with dark brown hair and large blue eyes, her face rounded, the features full

of grace and vivacity. On her head she wore with a coquettish air a small straw hat, and her dress reminded me of those worn about the period of the Restoration, though there was an indescribable something about the decorations of the corsage which gave it the appearance of a local costume.

The painting, which was beautifully and delicately executed, had no name attached to it, and I should not have believed it possible to find such an object of art in the abode of a Basque mountaineer. The weapons on the wall were so arranged round this portrait as to leave no room for doubt that something was meant by making it the centre of a setting so warlike. Beneath the painting, the cross of the military order of Ferdinand was suspended over the weapons by its red ribbon. The whole was unquestionably a collection of highly valued relics, though it was a collection of a very heterogeneous kind. The difficulty was to disentangle their story. Over and over again I examined these weapons, which could have told many a thrilling tale of combat, and that charming portrait. Truth to tell, the lady did not appear very much astonished to find herself among such surroundings; for I could detect courage and daring, even more than feminine gentleness, in her aspect and in the curve of her lips. Some one entered the room, and laid a hand gently on my shoulder. I started. "Good morning, Lieutenant," said Sorrondo, with a laugh. "Have you had a good sleep?"

"I slept like a top, my excellent host. I was just admiring your collection of arms; they are really curious, and very much prized by you, I suppose."

"They are," said Manuel. "They have been borne either by myself or by some of my kin. These sabres have drunk the blood of

Christinos; and these trabucos have stretched on the ground many a soldier of the First Emperor."

"They are very interesting, indeed," I said. "You have also a beautiful miniature there-a family portrait, no doubt."

Sorrondo's face changed immediately, and fixing his penetrating gaze on me, he said, after a pause, and with a heavy sigh, "You are right-a family portrait! Do you think her beautiful? What would

you have said if you had known her ?"

I could say nothing in reply, and Manuel, recovering immediately his usual tone, said, "Come, my young friend, make your toilette speedily as if you were in camp. Dis waiting breakfast for us.'

as

In a few minutes I went downstairs. I was surprised at the friendly and familiar tone our host had assumed towards me, and I told Edward so.

for you.

"You do not know the Basques yet," he said. "In consequence of last night's adventure Manuel has conceived the strongest affection He believes that you were the cause of his success with the contraband convoy, by detaining the custom-house officers in the hut, and his success in that affair secures for him still more favour from the Carlist leaders. It is the dream of his life to obtain a command in the insurrection, and you are now his dearest friend."

After breakfast, Edward's servant arrived from St. Jean de Luz with letters for him. He showed them to Sorrondo, who seemed highly delighted with their contents. Edward was ordered to Bayonne by the Carlist Committee: his carriage was ready for him at Ascani, and he left immediately. Manuel begged me to remain at Aguerria till he should come back,

In this way I spent two days as the guest of the Contrabandist, and

they sufficed to cement our friendship. In the daytime Sorrondo attended to his business matters, and in the evenings we conversed together about Euskarien literature, or about his adventures in battle, but I made no reference again to the miniature.

Next day, in the course of my walk, I happened to meet a marriage procession near the village. A bride was being conducted to the bridegroom's house. A car drawn by oxen transported her furniture, the youths dancing Basque dances around it to the sound of a tabor and that large sort of flute which they call chiroula. I told Manuel what I had seen.

"As you are fond of our national music," he said, "I will take you to hear the nuptial chorus to-night. Some of these choruses are very beautiful. For my own part, I generally avoid marriage ceremonies, but I am ready to do anything that will give you pleasure."

At ten o'clock we went down to the village. In the principal street, near the church, we found two troops of singers, one composed of youths, the other of maidens, standing in the moonlight in front of one of the houses. The girls stood on one side, the young men on the other. In the midst of the latter a singer struck up a verse of a song, which his companions took up, and the maidens responded in refrain. It was the double chorus of the ancient epithalamium, the singers celebrating the happiness of the newly wedded spouses. The beauty of the voices, the precision of the choral singing, and the monotonous beauty of the melody, added to the charm of the nocturnal scene. I listened for some time in silence, and was about to express my admiration to Manuel, when I perceived him leaning against a wall a few paces off with his head buried between his hands. He

turned away at my approach, and I thought I saw him brush aside a

tear.

"You admire the singing, I do not doubt," he said sadly. "It is ancient music, and very popular here. Stay a little longer if you wish to hear more. I have not courage to remain-the music recalls the sweetest, and yet the most painful, moments of my life."

So saying, Manuel moved away abruptly, and I took the road to Aguerria after him. The night was beautifully calm. The full moon

illuminated the silent landscape far and wide. Sorrondo, absorbed in thought, now and again muttered some words in Basque, as if talking to himself. When we were crossing the oak wood in front of Aguerria he suddenly stood still, and looking forward fixedly, with one hand he lifted off his hat, and Iwith the other he crossed himself devoutly. I felt nervous in spite of myself.

What is it you see?" I asked, after looking all round carefully.

"Do you not see her?" he replied, pointing to an invisible object in front of him. "Look! she stretches out her arms to me."

And with a voice full of tenderness, he addressed in his own language the being he imagined he

He shook me by the hand, and we wished one another good night.

If Edward had not warned me how superstitious and how credulous about ghosts the Basques are, I should have come to the conclusion that Sorrondo had gone out of his wits. My curiosity was more and more excited about him; but I would not for the world have run the risk of reopening an old wound by any questions, and I resolved to be extremely cautious not to intrude upon him.

With this view, I set out early next morning for a long walk. On my return I observed Sorrondo seated in front of the house with a thoughtful expression. "I shall have important news to-day," he said, "that has been announced to me." I pretended not to see in his remark any allusion to the previous evening, and we were talking of indifferent matters, when Domingo made his appearance in the enclosure. The boy ran up to his uncle, and handed him a letter. Sorrondo opened it hurriedly, and his face immediately beamed with joy.

"Everything has succeeded!"
"What?"

"This letter is from D--. He has obtained for me the command of the district of Cinco-Villas, in the division of Bayonne. It is everything I wished for. I shall command the sons of the men who fought by my side before, and I shall lead them against the children of the men who fell by my sword before. The part is one I can play well!”

"But where are your soldiers?" My soldiers are the peasantry

of Navarre, who only await my signal to resume their hidden arms. Do you remember the line in the song of Altabisca* I repeated to you the other night :—

"Among the Basque mountains
The war-cry has sounded."

Aï, Aï, Escualdunac! By daybreak to-morrow I shall have crossed the Rhungomendia. Domingo, we shall set out soon after midnight. Get everything ready."

"The arms are ready," said the boy, reddening with pride.

"My good friend," said I to my host, "I shall return at once to St. Jean de Luz. I must leave you alone to make your preparations."

"Not at all, friend," said the Contrabandist. "We shall drink the stirrup-cup together, and you shall not leave Aguerria before me. Do you think a Carlist mountaineer travels about followed by a convoy of baggage? I carry nothing under my cloak but my old sabre and this American revolver, which Edward gave me."

It was, indeed, no troublesome matter to the mountaineer to arrange everything at home. He knew that his servants would never be unfaithful to their trust. In the afternoon he went to Sare to confer with another Carlist, taking care to let himself be seen on the way by the gendarmes at Ascani;

A

but at night he returned across the woods without being observed.

During supper he displayed a gaiety and heartiness I had never before seen in him. He described to me many of his old combats, and as his story kindled up the embers of ancient enmities, he recounted scenes of carnage that made me shudder. Perceiving this, he said, "Do you think the Escualdun is mild and merciful by nature? Undeceive yourself, then. I have been cruel more than once in my life. The Christinos called me El Matarife, an Andalusian word which means Butcher, and I gloried in the name, for it did me justice. If you but knew what I have suffered! One thing remains: I owe you an explanation, for you have seen me weep. You are the only stranger that ever saw Manuel Sorrondo shed a tear. It makes me blush to think of it. Listen. It is not my custom to speak of the incidents of my youth; but from a friend like you I do not care to keep any secrets, especially as we are on the eve of bidding adieu to one another for a long time.

I thanked Manuel for his confidence. Without knowing it, he was about to do the very thing I most eagerly desired. He ordered another bottle of the vintage of Tudela to be brought in, and began his story as follows:

PRIOR to 1823 the King of Burmah possessed the whole of the Eastern side of the bay of Bengal, but at the close of the war of that year (known as the first Burmese war) the provinces of Arakan and Tenasserim, with the seaports of Akyab and Moulmain, were annexed to the British dominions. In 1852 His golden-footed Majesty was again unfortunate enough to become embroiled with Lord Dalhousie's government, the consequence being that the Eden of his kingdom, the province of Pegu, with the port of Rangoon, was lost to him for ever. These three provinces, comprising an area of 98,881 English square miles, were amalgamated, in 1862, under one local government, and styled the Province of British Burmah, the administration being placed in the hands of that most distinguished officer, Sir Arthur Phayre. The King, however, was permitted to retain and misgovern a small strip of inland territory lying between our newly formed frontier and Western China. How to most conveniently penetrate this country by road or rail, and tap the pent-up wealth of Western China, is now one of the great questions" of the day, and fame, no doubt, awaits the man who shall practically answer it.

The Eastward traveller, on landing at Rangoon, is struck with the complete dissimilarity existing between the people of India and the Burmese. Everything is different, the appearance of the country, the dress of the men and of the women,

their language, ways, manners, customs, and amusements, There is much to interest one in India, but in Burmah what meets the eye in every direction, is not only interesting but pleasing as well. Instead of as in Calcutta, for instance, men only being met with, and those always appearing to be plunged in the depths of melancholy, and invariably in a hurry, a street in Rangoon is thronged with a gailydressed crowd, composed of both sexes, of all ages. Women abound carrying fruit upon their heads and babies upon their hips; carriages full of holiday makers, all bent on enjoying life, all smoking, and all laughing. A Burman will work for a week, and then enjoy himself with his wife and family until his earnings are finished. It is proverbial that he has no cares, and is looked upon by some as the Irishman of the East, though, for my own part, I could never see the similarity, as he is a sober, peaceful, contented, and loyal subject of Her Majesty.

In the evening the young ladies, attired in bright coloured silk petticoats and white jackets, promenade from house to house, all smoking, while the matrons are to be seen upon the steps of their verandas playing with the children, or providing them with such comforts as all babies, dark or fair, so much appreciate. The women are of light olive complexion, with flat noses and Chinese eyes, and are frequently, odd as it may appear, extremely pretty; in fact, I have known more