Suddenly the
jorobado pulled out his watch. Valgame Dios! such a watch! I will
tell you one thing, Senor, that I could purchase all the Asturias,
and Muros besides, with the brilliants which shone about the sides
of that same watch: the room wanted no lamp, I trow, so great was
the splendour which they cast. So the jorobado looked at his
watch, and then said to me, I shall go to rest. He then took the
lamp and went through the gallery to his room, followed by his big
servant. Well, Senor, I cleared away the things, and then waited
below for the servant, for whom I had prepared a comfortable bed,
close by my own. Senor, I waited patiently for an hour, till at
last my patience was exhausted, and I ascended to the supper
apartment, and passed through the gallery till I came to the door
of the strange guest. Senor, what do you think I saw at the door?"
"How should I know?" I replied. "His riding boots perhaps."
"No, Senor, I did not see his riding boots; but, stretched on the
floor with his head against the door, so that it was impossible to
open it without disturbing him, lay the big servant fast asleep,
his immense legs reaching nearly the whole length of the gallery.
I crossed myself, as well I might, for the wind was howling even as
it is now, and the rain was rushing down into the gallery in
torrents; yet there lay the big servant fast asleep, without any
covering, without any pillow, not even a log, stretched out before
his master's door.
"Senor, I got little rest that night, for I said to myself, I have
evil wizards in my house, folks who are not human. Once or twice I
went up and peeped into the gallery, but there still lay the big
servant fast asleep, so I crossed myself and returned to my bed
again."
"Well," said I, "and what occurred next day?"
"Nothing particular occurred next day: the jorobado came down and
said comical things to me in good Spanish, and the big servant came
down, but whatever he said, and he did not say much, I understood
not, for it was in that disastrous jabber. They stayed with me
throughout the day till after supper-time, and then the jorobado
gave me a gold ounce, and mounting their horses, they both departed
as strangely as they had come, in the dark night, I know not
whither."
"Is that all?" I demanded.
"No, Senor, it is not all; for I was right in supposing them evil
brujos: the very next day an express arrived and a great search
was made after them, and I was arrested for having harboured them.
This occurred just after the present wars had commenced.
