soundly to sleep in my cabin. I saw that my servant, an old soldier, who
had heard the recital of the deeds and behaviour of this man, was
preparing to kill him. I jumped down from my camp bed, and, seizing my
servant by the throat,--"Are you mad?" said I to him; "are we to
discharge the duties of police in this country? Do you not see,
moreover, that this would expose us to the resentment of all those who
obey the orders of this redoubted chief? And we should thus render it
impossible for us to terminate our operations."

Next morning, when the sun rose, I had a conversation with my guest,
which I will try to reproduce faithfully.

"Your situation is perfectly known to me; I know that you are not a
custom-house guard; I have learnt from certain information that you are
the chief of the robbers of the country. Tell me whether I have any
thing to fear from your confederates?"

"The idea of robbing you did occur to us; but we concluded that all your
funds would be in the neighbouring towns; that you would carry no money
to the summit of mountains, where you would not know what to do with it,
and that our expedition against you could have no fruitful result.
Moreover, we cannot pretend to be as strong as the King of Spain. The
King's troops leave us quietly enough to exercise our industry; but on
the day that we molested an envoy from the Emperor of the French, they
would direct against us several regiments, and we should soon have to
succumb. Allow me to add, that the gratitude which I owe to you is your
surest guarantee."

"Very well, I will trust in your words; I shall regulate my conduct by
your answer. Tell me if I can travel at night? It is fatiguing to me to