"He said that Señor Priego was with the French who captured the Señorita, but no more." "And you did not capture him at the house? It was he I was fighting in the olive-grove." "Por Dios, Señor, if I had known that! When we found you lying on the ground we let a few minutes slip. We thought you were dead, Señor. Then we searched all around, but we could find no one. Was it the cursed afrancesado that wounded you, Señor?" "No. It was someone who came behind my back; his servant, I have no doubt. He has twice attempted my life." Antonio swore a hearty oath, and vowed a terrible vengeance should either Priego or his servant fall into his hands. Jack was much perturbed. He hoped that Juanita in escaping from the French had escaped also from Miguel, but the latter had much to gain by not letting her slip through his hands. "There is one thing, Señor, yet to be told," added Antonio. "In the morning, when we were bringing away the prisoners, one of my men found this at the back of the house, lying on the grass." He produced a leather pocket-book, which he handed to Jack. "I can’t have this," said Dugdale, entering at this moment. "You’re not well enough yet to be bothered with business." "You will do me more good by letting me get to the bottom of things. My hand’s all wobbles. Take the pocket-book, old fellow, and tell me what is in it." Dugdale opened the case, and, taking out a number of papers, unfolded them one by one. "All in foreign lingos," he said ruefully. "Can’t read one of them." "Let me see them," said Jack. Dugdale handed him one of the papers. It was a pass through the French lines, signed by Marshal Lannes. At the first glance Jack understood. The pocket-book must have been jerked from Miguel’s pocket when he fell on escaping from the house. Jack examined the papers eagerly. The second was a note from the marshal’s aide-de-camp Saint-Marc: "In consideration of Monsieur Priego’s services to the Government of His Majesty King Joseph, his excellency will use his influence with the commandant at Bayonne to facilitate the interview sought by Monsieur Priego". The third was a memorandum evidently relating to private business. The fourth was a long blue paper, on unfolding which Dugdale cried: "By George, Lumsden, this is curious! Hanged if there isn’t your name here!" Jack took the paper with still more eagerness. He saw at once that it was in the same handwriting as the letter he had received from Don Fernan Alvarez at Salamanca. It was in Spanish, addressed to Mr. Lumsden, and Jack had only to read a few words to be assured that this was the very letter entrusted to the charge of General Palafox—the letter whose disappearance had so much perplexed him. Before he had read more than two or three lines, however, Antonio broke in: