A Deserved Flogging.

167

"You may thank Providence and the Saints," Isaid the commandant, "that my guard has not brought you to me, for then I should have ordered you to be shot, you rebel worm, as I hope it may be my good fortune to exterminate that nest of scorpions that claim you as their property. But you must not go free altogether; and you may bless your good fortune that those men whom you stoned are not present here to-day, else I could not be responsible for your life.”

So saying, he took Anselmo out, and gave him in charge to the orderly, from whom he took his horse and mounted, ordering them to follow.

At the shop door, at which the affray had occurred, Anselmo was made to lie down, and the soldier, by order of his commandant, flogged him severely.

There are some persons who cannot learn wisdom even from Dame Experience's school. Anselmo was one of these malheureux. He was so much engrossed by ideas of his own importance, so overtaken and imbued with overweening self-conceit, and his over-indulgent owners kept

the reins of mastery so loosely, that Anselmo was really less a slave to Don Arnaldo and La Doña Felisa, than to his own vanity, which led him into continual mischief and trouble.

The last time I saw Anselmo was after the

govern

town was restored to its former quiet, the ment soldiery departed, and an amnesty granted to all who had taken arms who would return to their homes and submit to the government.

A tall negress, slave to the Monagos family, and a regular water-carrier from the Aqua'a, with whom I had frequently seen Anselmo in company, acting his impudent gallantry, fell out with him. After excited language, not improving in courtesy of expression or modulation of tone, came blows, and silence only broken to give emphasis to each aimless blow from the man, and each well-directed butt of the head on his chest and abdomen, inflicted by the woman. It must be confessed, though with some disparagement to his manhood, that the first blow came from Anselmo, for when was our hero's courage not great against women and children? But he met

The Reward of Virtue.

169

with a virago in the female slave, who was perhaps a descendant from the she-warriors of Africa, for she ultimately stripped him of his raiment, and sent him home howling, and holding up the tatters, amid the jeers and laughter of the crowd gathered to witness the fight.

It is said to be an ill wind that blows no good. Anselmo's troubles with the troopers and this woman brought him gain-the reward of virtue -Dame Fortune being blind and Doña Felisa gullible. He persuaded his old mistress to believe that he was suffering persecution from the partizans of the Monagos faction, solely because he was the faithful and unfortunate slave to a family of malcontents. Thus persuaded, the old lady thought for a time no indulgence too great for the weaknesses of her persecuted slave, who, as is well known, held the comfortable opinion that as he was fellow-chattel with all his master's goods, his value as a slave was enhanced by his appropriating to his own use whatever good things of the household came in his way.

He has been often heard to say, indeed it was

a favourite instance with him, out of hearing of his master's household, that his master's bag of rubbish was less valuable than his bag of gold; and that Anselmo hungry was worth fifty pesos less to his master than Anselmo full of good meat and vino-tinto from the larder and cellar.

CHAPTER XVIII.

MATURIN THE CAPITAL.

CUMANA was the head and front of the insurgent movement, and the chief cause, consequently, of all the late bloodshed throughout the republic. She was, therefore, said her opponents, punished and justly. Even nature had aroused itself to shake the city to the dust; and no doubt the superstition of the people saw in the earthquake the destroying angel sent to the camp of the Assyrians.

As the head of a state, Cumaná had been found to be a traitress to her sister states of the republic, -even now she was but a nest for traitors-her children by their frequent treachery had forfeited the good faith, and trust, and confidence of the nation, and therefore her privilege in the state was to be destroyed. Punished by God, and degraded through her own acts, by her incensed country,