Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/267

 extent, more or lest abnormal enough to deceive women as to her masculinity of body, but one doubts that she was able to "explain herself", to her brother as being fully male. A war with one of the native tribes broke out, and Catalina enlisted. She fought with distinction, and captured a lost standard. She was made an ensign. Her brother was in the army with her, and their intimacy was still close; but he did not yet know of their kinship. For five years, Catalina remained in active service as an ensign. In every way she demeaned herself, in camp and mess, as a man of bold spirit. She was a fine swordswoman. After taking part in several duels, she fought one of peculiar savagery, with "seconds" on both sides taking their share. It, occurred in total darkness. She left her enemy dead. When her brother came to help her to recover from her wounds, she disclosed her secret; and that she was his sister, Catalina de Erauso. Such a success in male travesty surpasses many improbabilities of the stage. After this duel and consequent disclosure, Catalina—deserted. She went to Tucuman, in the Argentine territory. She suffered much hardship, and yet managed to keep well, and was attractive enough for the daughter of a wealthy native land-owner to fall in love with her. But, unfortunately, just then a high ecclesiastic in the country to which she had fled chose Catalina as a model husband for his niece. Catalina was not willing to be married, though certainly she could have played the husband well, and had duped many female friends before this date. There must have been something incorrigibly opposed to "settling down" in her temperament. So, on this occasion, Catalina affianced herself to both young ladies; received rich presents; and then as the weddings drew near, she—fled. This episode ended in the first confession of Catalina that she was a woman; except the admission made to her brother. In course of further adventures, of a new term of military-service, and associations with robbers and rascals of all grades (twice she