put him under arrest; in other words, he was deprived of his musket. Whispered audibly, “It was just what he wanted; now one of the mules could shoulder arms”—set half-a-dozen fellows laughing. Yet this man afterwards, when we were differently commanded, was as well-conducted as any soldier of the escort. We at length reached St Jean de Luz, after a long, and, to me, very anxious march—the more so as it was my first. Towards our journey’s end, the question was uppermost in my thoughts, “Is it thus we are to march, when the road is insecure?” Marching as we did now, far from being prepared to meet Marshal Soult, I should have felt it far from agreeable to meet another distinguished commander that shall be nameless. There certainly were periods, during the day, when a few resolute assailants might easily have driven off part of our convoy, money and all; nay, when one or other of our own muleteers, had they been so disposed, might have slipped down one of the cross-roads with his string of mules, and made his escape among the hills. These uneasy reflections brought to my mind the advice given me at Passages by Mr Q—; and I resolved to wait on the commandant immediately on my arrival, in the hope of effecting some more satisfactory arrangement for our subsequent progress. We reached a large house assigned to our department on the outskirts of St Jean de Luz, stowed the treasure in safety under a guard, and dismissed the rest of the men to their quarters; Jones only excepted, who remained in charge of the pony. Captain Rattler took his leave, with a polite “_Au revoir._” Having seen the moneyboxes all right, secured accommodation for the mules and muleteers, and ascertained that dinner would be ready in half-an-hour, I stepped on at once to the commandant’s, and found him in his office. “I have waited on you, sir, to announce my arrival from Oyarzun, with a convoy of treasure for headquarters.” “Oh yes; Mr Y—, I presume. Mr Y—, pray take a chair. Happy to see you, Mr Y—, especially on such an occasion. If you arrive safe, I trust we shall all get a little of it; for it’s what we’re all in want of. Can I render you any assistance, Mr Y—?” “Should feel much obliged, sir, if you could increase the strength of our escort. For eighty mules, twenty men will hardly be sufficient.” “Why, no; certainly not, Mr Y—, if you don’t happen to find the country quiet. Well, what sort of an addition would you like to have?” “At Passages, sir, we had a guard of Germans; so steady and well-conducted, I should be very glad to have some more like them. As to number, I would leave that to you, sir.” “Sorry to say we have no Germans going up at present, Mr Y—.” “Well, sir, we have with us a Scotch corporal, decidedly the steadiest man in our party. Perhaps you could give me some Scotsmen.”