The carcelera had a fine voice, and touched the favourite
instrument of the Spaniards in a truly masterly manner. I remained
listening to her performance for nearly an hour, when I retired to
my apartment and my repose. I believe that she continued playing
and singing during the greater part of the night, for as I
occasionally awoke I could still hear her; and, even in my
slumbers, the strings were ringing in my ears.
CHAPTER XXII
Duenas - Children of Egypt - Jockeyism - The Baggage Pony - The Fall -
Palencia - Carlist Priests - The Lookout - Priestly Sincerity - Leon -
Antonio alarmed - Heat and Dust.
After a sojourn of about ten days at Valladolid, we directed our
course towards Leon. We arrived about noon at Duenas, a town at
the distance of six short leagues from Valladolid. It is in every
respect a singular place: it stands on a rising ground, and
directly above it towers a steep conical mountain of calcareous
earth, crowned by a ruined castle. Around Duenas are seen a
multitude of caves scooped in the high banks and secured with
strong doors. These are cellars, in which is deposited the wine,
of which abundance is grown in the neighbourhood, and which is
chiefly sold to the Navarrese and the mountaineers of Santander,
who arrive in cars drawn by oxen, and convey it away in large
quantities. We put up at a mean posada in the suburb for the
purpose of refreshing our horses. Several cavalry soldiers were
quartered there, who instantly came forth, and began, with the eyes
of connoisseurs, to inspect my Andalusian entero. "A capital horse
that would be for our troop," said the corporal; "what a chest he
has. By what right do you travel with that horse, Senor, when so
many are wanted for the Queen's service? He belongs to the
requiso." "I travel with him by right of purchase, and being an
Englishman," I replied. "Oh, your worship is an Englishman,"
answered the corporal; "that, indeed, alters the matter; the
English in Spain are allowed to do what they please with their own,
which is more than the Spaniards are. Cavalier, I have seen your
countrymen in the Basque provinces; Vaya, what riders! what horses!
They do not fight badly either. But their chief skill is in
riding: I have seen them dash over barrancos to get at the
factious, who thought themselves quite secure, and then they would
fall upon them on a sudden and kill them to a man. In truth, your
worship, this is a fine horse, I must look at his teeth."
I looked at the corporal - his nose and eyes were in the horse's
mouth: the rest of the party, who might amount to six or seven,
were not less busily engaged. One was examining his forefeet,
another his hind; one fellow was pulling at his tail with all his
might, while another pinched the windpipe, for the purpose of
discovering whether the animal was at all touched there. At last
perceiving that the corporal was about to remove the saddle that he
might examine the back of the animal, I exclaimed:-
"Stay, ye chabes of Egypt, ye forget that ye are hundunares, and
are no longer paruguing grastes in the chardy."
The corporal at these words turned his face full upon me, and so
did all the rest. Yes, sure enough, there were the countenances of
Egypt, and the fixed filmy stare of eye. We continued looking at
each other for a minute at least, when the corporal, a villainous-
looking fellow, at last said, in the richest gypsy whine
imaginable, "the erray know us, the poor Calore! And he an
Englishman! Bullati! I should not have thought that there was
e'er a Busno would know us in these parts, where Gitanos are never
seen. Yes, your worship is right; we are all here of the blood of
the Calore; we are from Melegrana (Granada), your worship; they
took us from thence and sent us to the wars. Your worship is
right, the sight of that horse made us believe we were at home
again in the mercado of Granada; he is a countryman of ours, a real
Andalou. Por dios, your worship, sell us that horse; we are poor
Calore, but we can buy him."
"You forget that you are soldiers," said I. "How should you buy my
horse?"
"We are soldiers, your worship," said the corporal, "but we are
still Calore; we buy and sell bestis; the captain of our troop is
in league with us. We have been to the wars, but not to fight; we
left that to the Busne. We have kept together, and like true
Calore, have stood back to back. We have made money in the wars,
your worship. No tenga usted cuidao (be under no apprehension).
We can buy your horse."
Here he pulled out a purse, which contained at least ten ounces of
gold.
"If I were willing to sell," I replied, "what would you give me for
that horse?"
"Then your worship wishes to sell your horse - that alters the
matter. We will give ten dollars for your worship's horse. He is
good for nothing."
"How is this?" said I. "You this moment told me he was a fine
horse - an Andalusian, and a countryman of yours."
"No, Senor! we did not say that he was an Andalou. We said he was
an Estremou, and the worst of his kind. He is eighteen years old,
your worship, short-winded and galled."
"I do not wish to sell my horse," said I; "quite the contrary; I
had rather buy than sell."
"Your worship does not wish to sell your horse," said the Gypsy.
"Stay, your worship, we will give sixty dollars for your worship's
horse."
"I would not sell him for two hundred and sixty. Meclis! Meclis!
say no more.
