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General Forey's instructions, given in a note from Napoleon dated July 3, 1862, were to bring about, through General Almonte, the convocation of an assembly of notables to decide upon the "form of government and the destinies of Mexico." Should the Mexicans prefer a monarchy, "it was in the interest of France to support them, and to indicate the Archduke Maximilian as the candidate of France."*
At last Colonel Almonte gathered together nearly four hundred of the defeated and made a formal surrender, and to the everlasting honour of Texas be it said that these prisoners were not maltreated. The night that followed was one never to be forgotten. Santa Anna had escaped, and while some ran around crying, "Santa Anna!
Before noon Ned saw a dim, white cone rising on the eastern horizon. It was far away and misty, a thing of beauty which seemed to hang in the air above the clouds. "Orizaba, the great mountain!" said Almonte. Ned had seen Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, but this was a shade loftier and more beautiful than either, shooting up nearly four miles, and visible to sailors far out at sea.
He issued a decree confiscating the property of all Liberals who did not lay down their arms, and allowed the regency, which was composed of three clerical leaders, General Almonte, of whom Marshal Bazaine was wont to say that he meant well, but il se prend trop au serieux, General Salas, a conservative old fossil unearthed for the occasion, and Archbishop Labastida, to foreshadow an era of reaction and retrogression.
He knew that this was the army of Cos, and, just as the eastern light began to fade, they joined it. Cos was going into camp by the side of a small stream, and, after a little delay, Almonte took the prisoner to him. A large tent had been erected for General Cos, but he was sitting before it, eating his supper.
Almonte flushed, but he bowed and said nothing. Cos turned again to Ned. "You will bear no message to the Texans," he said. "I think that instead you will stay a long time in this hospitable Mexico of ours." Ned paled a little. The words were full of menace, and he knew that they came straight from the cruel heart of Cos. But his pride would not permit him to reply.
Almonte again looked at him curiously, and then leaning forward said confidentially: "Tell me, was it you who knocked our soldier down on the side of the pyramid and took his lantern? If it is true, it can't do you any harm to acknowledge it now." "Yes," replied Ned with some pride, "it was I. I came upon him suddenly and I was as much surprised as he.
Once or twice he joined in the air without knowing the words, and he would have been happy had it not been for his thoughts of the Texans. The courtesy and kindliness of Almonte must not blind him to the fact that he was the bearer of a message to his own people. That message could not be more important because its outcome was life and death, and he watched all the time for a chance to escape.
In two hours they were at the palace. The general looked searchingly at Almonte. "It is a strange charge that has been brought against you, count," said he, "that of stealing a woman in open day, taking her to your house and keeping her under lock and key." "The young woman has been well treated, general." "You arrested her?" "Yes." "In our uniform?" "It was the only way. I loved her."
The most usual account is that la Durlindana belonged to Hector. After the fall of Troy it came to AEneas; and from him, through various owners, to Almonte, a giant of a dreadful stature, who slew Orlando's father. An angel in a dream directed Orlando, when he was about eighteen, to proceed to a river on the bank of which he found Carlo Magno and Almonte fighting.
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