instant death. In rather less than an hour one
of Falcon's aide-de-camps rode up, and brought
a sealed paper, which he delivered into Mr.
Sutherland's hands, after causing the other
prisoners to be brought out. They were brave
men; but it is not to be doubted that the
pulse of some of them beat fast in that awful
moment of suspense, remembering, as they
must have done, that even the small boon of a
soldier's death was not always granted in some
of the barbarous executions of the preceding
wars. What was their astonishment, then,
when Sutherland read aloud these words:
'General Falcon is unable to retaliate for one
barbarity by the perpetration of another. The
prisoners taken by him in the late action
are free on their parole not to bear arms
against him in the present war. And, further,
as many of them have great distances to travel
to reach their homes, they will each be
provided with a sum of money sufficient for the
journey!'

"You may be sure that there was a shout of
'Viva Falcons!' on this announcement. But
what is more, Sutherland—who had been a
steady opponent of Falcon till then—was so
touched by his magnanimity, that he hastened
to his native place, Maracaybo, and raised the
whole province in favour of his benefactor.
This mission had an important effect
in deciding the issue of the struggle, and
from that day to this Maracaybo has
continued faithful to Falcon under the guidance
of Sutherland, who was elected president of the
province."

By the time this anecdote and some others
were told, we had got well on our way to
Tocuyo, which is about twelve miles distant
from Valencia. We were fast approaching the
western range of mountains which stretches
from Valencia towards Apure, and as we
advanced the beauty of the scenery increased. At
the same time very threatening clouds were
gathering in front of us, and, not wishing to get
a soaking, I gave my horse the spur, and soon
left every one of my companions behind, and
reached the posada of Tocuyo at full gallop.
It was well I did so, for a few minutes after I
arrived the rain descended in a thunder-plump,
which would have drenched me to the skin in
an instant. In the midst of this deluge my
Valencian friends arrived, and a few minutes
afterwards a large body of horsemen made
their appearance from the opposite direction,
issuing from a gorge in the mountains. Hereupon
some fifty tatterdemalion soldiers, who
were ensconced in the sheds near the posada,
were hastily called out, and presented arms,
as a powerfully built man, with a great slouching
sombrero, rode up at the head of the
horsemen we had seen coming from the
mountains.

"So this is Falcon," I said to myself, as the
caballero with the slouched hat alighted. He
is a man of the Conrade type, not more than
five feet, nine inches in height; but his broad
shoulders, great swelling chest, and powerful
limbs show that he would be a formidable
antagonist to encounter. His face is not strictly
handsome, perhaps, but more than good-looking.
Black hair and moustache, a clear olive
complexion, and regular features, do not of
themselves imply anything specially attractive;
but the expression of Falcon's fine dark eyes
is singularly pleasing. Without aiming at a
pun, I might say that they are the eyes
of a dove rather than of a falcon. Their too
great softness is, however, corrected by the
firmness and decision of his mouth; and, to sum
up, one may say that Falcon's physiognomy
announces him to be manly, courageous, and.
most humane.

While the president was exchanging
recognitions with the crowd around him, my friend
Don Fernando V. whispered to me: "There's
the man who may truly say, 'Le gouvernement
c'est moi,' for he it is who keeps the present
party in power, or rather preserves Venezuela
from downright anarchy. You know, congress
has decreed to him the title of 'Grand Mariscal'
of the republic, just as Bolivar was styled the
'Liberator,' and Paez the 'Illustrious Citizen.'
Well! Bolivar perished in exile, and almost in
want of the necessaries of life. Paez has long
been a fugitive. It remains to be seen what
will be the fate of the Grand Mariscal."

After the president had greeted his friends,
and had been told who I was, he stepped up to
me very affably, and inquired if I spoke Spanish.
Some of those officious people who are always
to be found hovering about a great man like
Falcon anticipated my answer for me, and
exclaimed that I spoke a little; but added they,
"You, general, can speak to him in French."
"No," said Falcon, "I have been too long in
the mountains; I cannot speak French now."
Rather amused at this disclaimer, for the
Venezuelans had been boasting to me of their
president's knowledge of the language of diplomacy,
I said that I hoped to make myself intelligible
in Spanish. We then conversed for some time,
when, on some one mentioning the disturbances
which the president had come from Coro to
quell, and calling them a revolution, Falcon
turned to him and said, in a very loud and
decided tone, "There will be no revolution! The
interests at stake are too great to permit of
change. Were these troubles to continue now,
the coffee and cotton crops would be lost. I
have every reason to hope, on the contrary, that
the English commissioner will carry good news
to his country."

Just at this moment important despatches
were brought in, and the president retired with
some of the chief officers to another room to
discuss them. I remained, and the apartment
where I was grew more and more crowded, as
fresh people arrived from the estates in the
neighbourhood. Many came in uniforms, not
unbecoming, though rather bizarre. I was
introduced to a number of persons, and amongst
them to a Mr. A., who asked me what part of
England I came from. I said, "From London,"
whereupon he exclaimed, "Then I dare say you