The Activity, Energy, And Courage Which
They Occasionally Display In The Pursuit Of Information Are Truly
Remarkable.
I saw them during the three days at Paris, mingled
with canaille and gamins behind the barriers, whilst the mitraille
was flying in all directions, and the desperate cuirassiers were
dashing their fierce horses against these seemingly feeble
bulwarks.
There stood they, dotting down their observations in
their pocket-books as unconcernedly as if reporting the proceedings
of a reform meeting in Covent Garden or Finsbury Square; whilst in
Spain, several of them accompanied the Carlist and Christino
guerillas in some of their most desperate raids and expeditions,
exposing themselves to the danger of hostile bullets, the
inclemency of winter, and the fierce heat of the summer sun.
We had scarcely been five minutes at the window, when we suddenly
heard the clattering of horses' feet hastening down the street
called the Calle de Carretas. The house in which we had stationed
ourselves was, as I have already observed, just opposite to the
post office, at the left of which this street debouches from the
north into the Puerta del Sol: as the sounds became louder and
louder, the cries of the crowd below diminished, and a species of
panic seemed to have fallen upon all: once or twice, however, I
could distinguish the words Quesada! Quesada! The foot soldiers
stood calm and motionless, but I observed that the cavalry, with
the young officer who commanded them, displayed both confusion and
fear, exchanging with each other some hurried words; all of a
sudden that part of the crowd which stood near the mouth of the
Calle de Carretas fell back in great disorder, leaving a
considerable space unoccupied, and the next moment Quesada, in
complete general's uniform, and mounted on a bright bay thorough
bred English horse, with a drawn sword in his hand, dashed at full
gallop into the area, in much the same manner as I have seen a
Manchegan bull rush into the amphitheatre when the gates of his pen
are suddenly flung open.
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