I was about to rise from my seat and attempt to escape from the
house, when I felt a hand laid upon my shoulder, and in a moment I
heard the voice of Antonio.
"Be not afraid, 'tis I, brother; we will have a light anon, and
then supper."
The supper was rude enough, consisting of bread, cheese, and
olives. Antonio, however, produced a leathern bottle of excellent
wine; we despatched these viands by the light of an earthen lamp
which was placed upon the floor.
"Now," said Antonio to the youngest female, "bring me the pajandi,
and I will sing a gachapla."
The girl brought the guitar, which, with some difficulty, the Gypsy
tuned, and then strumming it vigorously, he sang:
"I stole a plump and bonny fowl,
But ere I well had dined,
The master came with scowl and growl,
And me would captive bind.
"My hat and mantle off I threw,
And scour'd across the lea,
Then cried the beng {3} with loud halloo,
Where does the Gypsy flee?"
He continued playing and singing for a considerable time, the two
younger females dancing in the meanwhile with unwearied diligence,
whilst the aged mother occasionally snapped her fingers or beat
time on the ground with her stick. At last Antonio suddenly laid
down the instrument:-
"I see the London Caloro is weary; enough, enough, to-morrow more
thereof - we will now to the charipe (bed)."
"With all my heart," said I; "where are we to sleep?"
"In the stable," said he, "in the manger; however cold the stable
may be we shall be warm enough in the bufa."
CHAPTER X
The Gypsy's Granddaughter - Proposed Marriage - The Algnazil - The
Assault - Speedy Trot - Arrival at Trujillo - Night and Rain - The
Forest - The Bivouac - Mount and Away! - Jaraicejo - The National - The
Cavalier Balmerson - Among the Thicket - Serious Discourse - What is
Truth? - Unexpected Intelligence.
We remained three days at the Gypsies' house, Antonio departing
early every morning, on his mule, and returning late at night. The
house was large and ruinous, the only habitable part of it, with
the exception of the stable, being the hall, where we had supped,
and there the Gypsy females slept at night, on some mats and
mattresses in a corner.
"A strange house is this," said I to Antonio, one morning as he was
on the point of saddling his mule and departing, as I supposed, on
the affairs of Egypt; "a strange house and strange people; that
Gypsy grandmother has all the appearance of a sowanee (sorceress)."
"All the appearance of one!" said Antonio; "and is she not really
one? She knows more crabbed things and crabbed words than all the
Errate betwixt here and Catalonia. She has been amongst the wild
Moors, and can make more drows, poisons, and philtres than any one
alive.
