The Sun Had Now Arisen;
And All His Fears Had Left Him - He Breathed Defiance Against All
The Robbers Of The Alemtejo.
When we had advanced about a league,
the boy who attended us said he saw heads of men amongst the
brushwood.
Our cavalier instantly seized his gun, and causing his
horse to make two or three lofty bounds, held it in one hand, the
muzzle pointed in the direction indicated, but the heads did not
again make their appearance, and it was probably but a false alarm.
We resumed our way, and the conversation turned, as might be
expected, upon robbers. My companion, who seemed to be acquainted
with every inch of ground over which we passed, had a legend to
tell of every dingle and every pine-clump. We reached a slight
eminence, on the top of which grew three stately pines: about half
a league farther on was another similar one: these two eminences
commanded a view of the road from Pegoens and Vendas Novas, so that
all people going and coming could be descried, whilst yet at a
distance. My friend told me that these heights were favourite
stations of robbers. Some two years since, a band of six mounted
banditti remained there three days, and plundered whomsoever
approached from either quarter: their horses, saddled and bridled,
stood picqueted at the foot of the trees, and two scouts, one for
each eminence, continually sat in the topmost branches and gave
notice of the approach of travellers: when at a proper distance
the robbers below sprang upon their horses, and putting them to
full gallop, made at their prey, shouting Rendete, Picaro! Rendete,
Picaro! (Surrender, scoundrel, surrender!) We, however, passed
unmolested, and, about a quarter of a mile before we reached
Pegoens, overtook the family of the Fidalgo.
Had they been conveying the wealth of Ind through the deserts of
Arabia, they could not have travelled with more precaution. The
nephew, with drawn sabre, rode in front; pistols at his holsters,
and the usual Spanish gun slung at his saddle. Behind him tramped
six men in a rank, with muskets shouldered, and each of them wore
at his girdle a hatchet, which was probably intended to cleave the
thieves to the brisket should they venture to come to close
quarters. There were six vehicles, two of them calashes, in which
latter rode the Fidalgo and his daughters; the others were covered
carts, and seemed to be filled with household furniture; each of
these vehicles had an armed rustic on either side; and the son, a
lad about sixteen, brought up the rear with a squad equal to that
of his cousin in the van. The soldiers, who by good fortune were
light horse, and admirably mounted, were galloping about in all
directions, for the purpose of driving the enemy from cover, should
they happen to be lurking in the neighbourhood.
I could not help thinking as I passed by, that this martial array
was very injudicious, for though it was calculated to awe
plunderers, it was likewise calculated to allure them, as it seemed
to hint that immense wealth was passing through their territories.
I do not know how the soldiers and rustics would have behaved in
case of an attack; but am inclined to believe that if three such
men as Richard Turpin had suddenly galloped forth from behind one
of the bush-covered knolls, neither the numbers nor resistance
opposed to them would have prevented them from bearing away the
contents of the strong box jingling in their saddlebags.
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