In About An Hour I Reached The
River At A Place Where Stood The Remains Of What Had Once Been A
Magnificent Bridge, Which Had, However, Been Blown Up In The
Peninsular War And Never Since Repaired.
I crossed the river in a ferry-boat; the passage was rather
difficult, the current very rapid and swollen, owing to the latter
rains.
"Am I in New Castile?" I demanded of the ferryman, on reaching the
further bank. "The raya is many leagues from hence," replied the
ferryman; "you seem a stranger. Whence do you come?" "From
England," I replied, and without waiting for an answer, I sprang on
the burra, and proceeded on my way. The burra plied her feet most
nimbly, and, shortly after nightfall, brought me to a village at
about two leagues' distance from the river's bank.
I sat down in the venta where I put up; there was a huge fire,
consisting of the greater part of the trunk of an olive tree; the
company was rather miscellaneous: a hunter with his escopeta; a
brace of shepherds with immense dogs, of that species for which
Estremadura is celebrated; a broken soldier, just returned from the
wars; and a beggar, who, after demanding charity for the seven
wounds of Maria Santissima, took a seat amidst us, and made himself
quite comfortable. The hostess was an active bustling woman, and
busied herself in cooking my supper, which consisted of the game
which I had purchased at Jaraicejo, and which, on my taking leave
of the Gypsy, he had counselled me to take with me. In the
meantime, I sat by the fire listening to the conversation of the
company.
"I would I were a wolf," said one of the shepherds; "or, indeed,
anything rather than what I am. A pretty life is this of ours, out
in the campo, among the carascales, suffering heat and cold for a
peseta a day. I would I were a wolf; he fares better and is more
respected than the wretch of a shepherd."
"But he frequently fares scurvily," said I; "the shepherd and dogs
fall upon him, and then he pays for his temerity with the loss of
his head."
"That is not often the case, senor traveller," said the shepherd;
"he watches his opportunity, and seldom runs into harm's way. And
as to attacking him, it is no very pleasant task; he has both teeth
and claws, and dog or man, who has once felt them, likes not to
venture a second time within his reach. These dogs of mine will
seize a bear singly with considerable alacrity, though he is a most
powerful animal, but I have seen them run howling away from a wolf,
even though there were two or three of us at hand to encourage
them."
"A dangerous person is the wolf," said the other shepherd, "and
cunning as dangerous; who knows more than he? He knows the
vulnerable point of every animal; see, for example, how he flies at
the neck of a bullock, tearing open the veins with his grim teeth
and claws.
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