It Is A Merry Prison That Of Toro; We Allow As Much Wine To
Enter As The Prisoners Can Purchase And Pay Duty For.
This of
Valladolid is not half so gay:
There is no prison like Toro. I
learned there to play on the guitar. An Andalusian cavalier taught
me to touch the guitar and to sing a la Gitana. Poor fellow, he
was my first novio. Juanito, bring me the guitar, that I may play
this gentleman a tune of Andalusia.
The carcelera had a fine voice, and touched the favourite
instrument of the Spaniards in a truly masterly manner. I remained
listening to her performance for nearly an hour, when I retired to
my apartment and my repose. I believe that she continued playing
and singing during the greater part of the night, for as I
occasionally awoke I could still hear her; and, even in my
slumbers, the strings were ringing in my ears.
CHAPTER XXII
Duenas - Children of Egypt - Jockeyism - The Baggage Pony - The Fall -
Palencia - Carlist Priests - The Lookout - Priestly Sincerity - Leon -
Antonio alarmed - Heat and Dust.
After a sojourn of about ten days at Valladolid, we directed our
course towards Leon. We arrived about noon at Duenas, a town at
the distance of six short leagues from Valladolid. It is in every
respect a singular place: it stands on a rising ground, and
directly above it towers a steep conical mountain of calcareous
earth, crowned by a ruined castle. Around Duenas are seen a
multitude of caves scooped in the high banks and secured with
strong doors. These are cellars, in which is deposited the wine,
of which abundance is grown in the neighbourhood, and which is
chiefly sold to the Navarrese and the mountaineers of Santander,
who arrive in cars drawn by oxen, and convey it away in large
quantities. We put up at a mean posada in the suburb for the
purpose of refreshing our horses. Several cavalry soldiers were
quartered there, who instantly came forth, and began, with the eyes
of connoisseurs, to inspect my Andalusian entero. "A capital horse
that would be for our troop," said the corporal; "what a chest he
has. By what right do you travel with that horse, Senor, when so
many are wanted for the Queen's service? He belongs to the
requiso." "I travel with him by right of purchase, and being an
Englishman," I replied. "Oh, your worship is an Englishman,"
answered the corporal; "that, indeed, alters the matter; the
English in Spain are allowed to do what they please with their own,
which is more than the Spaniards are. Cavalier, I have seen your
countrymen in the Basque provinces; Vaya, what riders! what horses!
They do not fight badly either. But their chief skill is in
riding: I have seen them dash over barrancos to get at the
factious, who thought themselves quite secure, and then they would
fall upon them on a sudden and kill them to a man. In truth, your
worship, this is a fine horse, I must look at his teeth."
I looked at the corporal - his nose and eyes were in the horse's
mouth:
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