But  it  seemed  to  be  ordained,  that
that  sex  which  an  eastern    monarch
asserted  to  be  the  direct  or  indirect
cause  of  all  the  mischief  and  bloodshed
occurring  in  the  world,  should  be  the
means  of  getting  Diez  into  scrapes  and
difficulties,  the  least  of  which  would
have  been  fatal  to  a  less  daring  and
fortunate  man.  Had  he  been  contented
to  remain  quiet  in  Ontorio  del  Pinar,
he  might  have  eluded  all  the  researches
of  his  enemies;  for  he  had  always  time-
ly information  through  the  peasantry
of  the  approach  of  any  party  of  French
troops.     It  chanced,  however^  that  in
the  Burgo  de  Osma  there  lived  a  canon
who  was  a  native  of  the  same  place  as
the  Empecinado,  and  this  caoon  bad  a
handsome  niece  with  whom  Diez  had
formerly  been  intimate.     As  111  lack
would  have  it,  one  fine  afternoon  the
Empecinado  took  a  fancy  to  visit  this
damsel  and  her  uncle.     The  Bur^go  de
Osma  at  that  time  had  no  reg'ular  gar-
rison, but  the  country  was  so  covered
with  French  troops,  that  scarctrly  a  day  i
went  by  without  some  detachment  or
piquet  passing  through  the  town.   Be-
sides this,  the  Corregidor  and  other
Spanish  authorities  at  the  above-named
place,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the
invaders  and  were  what  was   c^led
AfranceeadoBt   or   favourable   to   the
French,  had  received  repeated  orders
to  be  on  the  look-out  for  the  Empeci-
nado, and  to  take  him  dead   or  alive,
should  he  come  within  their  reach.
The  risk,  therefore,  was  great  ;   bat
nevertheless  jthe  Empeoinadoj  nothing
daunted,  almost  as  soon  as  the  idea
entered  his  head,  got  upon  his  horse,
and,  leaving  the  five  men  at  Ontorio,
set  off  on  this  hazardous  expedition.
