expectation had replaced their usual listless apathy. I heard the
voice of Gaspar Ruiz shouting inside, but the words I could not make
out plainly. I suppose that to see him with his arms free augmented
the influence of his strength: I mean by this, the spiritual influence
that with ignorant people attaches to an exceptional degree of bodily
vigour. In fact, he was no more to be feared than before, on account
of the numbness of his arms and hands, which lasted for some time.

"The sergeant had recovered his power of speech. 'By all the saints!'
he cried, 'we shall have to get a cavalry man with a lasso to secure
him again, if he is to be led to the place of execution. Nothing less
than a good enlazador on a good horse can subdue him. Your worship was
pleased to perform a very mad thing.'

"I had nothing to say. I was surprised myself, and I felt a childish
curiosity to see what would happen. But the sergeant was thinking of
the difficulty of controlling Gaspar Ruiz when the time for making an
example would come.

"'Or perhaps,' the sergeant pursued vexedly, 'we shall be obliged to
shoot him down as he dashes out when the door is opened.' He was going
to give further vent to his anxieties as to the proper carrying out of
the sentence; but he interrupted himself with a sudden exclamation,
snatched a musket from a soldier, and stood watchful with his eyes
fixed on the window.'"




IV