"Are my mother, sister, Don Ricardo, and the rest well?" I asked. "Yes, yes, I hab a good account to give ob dem," he replied; "but tell me, has el senor doctor escaped, and is de house safe?" "Yes," I replied. "Den come on with me, for I hab much to tell you, and we may be discovered if seen speaking here." I said that I had to go to the market and obtain some food, and that I wished to inquire about my uncle, Dr Cazalla, and the Monteverdes. "Buy de food, by all means, but do not venture to make furder inquiries; I can tell you all you want to know," he said. Seeing some one approaching, he drove on his mule, singing out, "Who wants to buy canes--sound straight canes?" though he did not stop for any one to answer him. I hastened to the market-place. Provisions were but scant, the soldiers having appropriated most of what was brought in. However, I got as much as I wanted, although I nearly betrayed myself by the ignorance I displayed in making my purchases. With a basket on my shoulder, which I had bought, I returned homewards. Several persons cast inquiring glances at me; and a Spanish sergeant eyed me very narrowly, I thought. But I went whistling along, as if free from care, and he did not stop to put questions to me. I was thankful when I got back to the courtyard, where I found Paul Lobo standing by his mule. Both he and Mr Laffan, and Lion too, were very glad to get some of the provisions I had brought. "And now, Paul," I said, "what information have you to give me?" "Berry sorry to say, not good. I hear as I come 'long dat all de gates are guarded, so dat no one can go out ob de city; dat de general gib orders to take up eberybody in de place who can read and write, no matter who dey are. They hab already got hold ob el senor Doctor Cazalla, Senor Monteverde, and his daughter. General Calzada, him pretty good man and not like to shoot people, so dey send dem all to General Murillo at Bogota; and he, dey say, kill for de pleasure ob killing. Depend 'pon it, dey come to look for senor doctor; so he mus' hide away, and not show his face till de Patriots come back--and dat dey do, I hope, 'fore long." "This is indeed bad news; I will go back to my father and tell him what you say, Paul," I answered. "But do you think it would be possible to rescue Doctor Cazalla and the Monteverdes?" Paul replied that they had already, from what he could learn, been sent out of the city, and were on their way to Bogota. I proposed to hasten immediately to the army and let Juan know, in the hope that, by a forced march, he might be able to intercept the escort and rescue the prisoners. But both Paul and Mr Laffan declared that it would be impossible: that I could not obtain a horse, as the Spaniards had taken possession of all those found in the city; and that if I could get one, I should not be able to pass through the gates of the city.