"Man, sit down!" yelled the irate magistrate, and poor Marcos,
thoroughly crestfallen, sat down again. "Sir Lieutenant," continued
the fierce old man, "you are dismissed from further attendance here.
The republic you profess to serve would perhaps be just as well off
without your valuable aid. Go, sir, to attend to your private affairs,
and leave your men here to execute my commands."
The officer rose, and, having made a profound and sarcastic bow, turned
on his heel and left the room.
"Take these two prisoners to the stocks," continued the little despot.
"I will examine them to-morrow."
Marcos was first marched out of the room by two of the soldiers; for
it happened that an outhouse on the place was provided with the usual
wooden arrangement to make captives secure for the night. But when the
other men took me by the arms, I recovered from the astonishment the
magistrate's order had produced in me, and shook them roughly aside.
"Senor Juez," I said, addressing him, "let me beg you to consider what
you are doing. Surely my accent is enough to satisfy any reasonable
person that I am not a native of this country. I am willing to remain
in your custody, or to go wherever you like to send me; but your men
shall tear me to pieces before making me suffer the indignity of the
stocks. If you maltreat me in any way, I warn you that the government
you serve will only censure, and perhaps ruin you, for your imprudent
zeal.
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