The Horse, As Savage As Himself, Reared On
His Hind Legs, And After The Fashion Of An English Pugilist, Repaid
The Other With A Pat On The Forehead, Which Nearly Felled Him.
A
combat instantly ensued, and I thought that the words of the sullen
woman would be verified by the house being torn to pieces.
It
ended by my seizing the mute by the halter, at the risk of my
limbs, and hanging upon him with all my weight, whilst Antonio,
with much difficulty, removed the horse. The man who had been
standing at the entrance now came forward, saying, "This would not
have happened if you had taken good advice." Upon my stating to
him the unreasonableness of expecting that I would risk horses in a
place where they would probably be stolen before the morning, he
replied, "True, true, you have perhaps done right." He then
refastened his macho, adding for additional security a piece of
whipcord, which he said rendered escape impossible.
After supper I roamed about the village. I addressed two or three
labourers whom I found standing at their doors; they appeared,
however, exceedingly reserved, and with a gruff "buenas noches"
turned into their houses without inviting me to enter. I at last
found my way to the church porch, where I continued some time in
meditation. At last I bethought myself of retiring to rest; before
departing, however, I took out and affixed to the porch of the
church an advertisement to the effect that the New Testament was to
be purchased at Salamanca.
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