"Now, your worship," said the guide who had accompanied us from
Ferrol, "I have brought you as far as I bargained, and a hard
journey it has been; I therefore hope you will suffer Perico and
myself to remain here to-night at your expense, and to-morrow we
will go back; at present we are both sorely tired."
"I never mounted a better pony than Perico," said I, "and never met
with a worse guide than yourself. You appear to be perfectly
ignorant of the country, and have done nothing but bring us into
difficulties. You may, however, stay here for the night, as you
say you are tired, and to-morrow you may return to Ferrol, where I
counsel you to adopt some other trade." This was said at the door
of the posada of Rivadeo.
"Shall I lead the horses to a stable?" said the fellow.
"As you please," said I.
Antonio looked after him for a moment, as he was leading the
animals away, and then shaking his head followed slowly after. In
about a quarter of an hour he returned, laden with the furniture of
our own horse, and with a smile upon his countenance: "Mon
maitre," said he, "I have throughout the journey had a bad opinion
of this fellow, and now I have detected him: his motive in
requesting permission to stay, was a desire to purloin something
from us. He was very officious in the stable about our horse, and
I now miss the new leathern girth which secured the saddle, and
which I observed him looking at frequently on the road. He has by
this time doubtless hid it somewhere; we are quite secure of him,
however, for he has not yet received the hire for the pony, nor the
gratuity for himself."
The guide returned just as he had concluded speaking. Dishonesty
is always suspicious. The fellow cast a glance upon us, and
probably beholding in our countenances something which he did not
like, he suddenly said, "Give me the horse-hire and my own propina,
for Perico and I wish to be off instantly."
"How is this?" said I; "I thought you and Perico were both
fatigued, and wished to rest here for the night; you have soon
recovered from your weariness."
"I have thought over the matter," said the fellow, "and my master
will be angry if I loiter here: pay us, therefore, and let us go."
"Certainly," said I, "if you wish it. Is the horse furniture all
right?"
"Quite so," said he; "I delivered it all to your servant."
"It is all here," said Antonio, "with the exception of the leathern
girth."
"I have not got it," said the guide.
"Of course not," said I. "Let us proceed to the stable, we shall
perhaps find it there."
To the stable we went, which we searched through:
