I
Will Therefore Go With Him Through The Chim Del Manro (Estremadura)
As Far As The Frontiers Of Castumba, And
Upon the frontiers of
Castumba I will leave the London Caloro to find his own way to
Madrilati, for there
Is less danger in Castumba than in the Chim
del Manro, and I will then betake me to the affairs of Egypt which
call me from hence.
Myself. - This is a very hopeful plan of yours, my friend; and in
what manner do you propose that we shall travel?
Antonio. - I will tell you, brother; I have a gras in the stall,
even the one which I purchased at Olivencas, as I told you on a
former occasion; it is good and fleet, and cost me, who am a gypsy,
fifty chule (dollars); upon that gras you shall ride. As for
myself, I will journey upon the macho.
Myself. - Before I answer you, I shall wish you to inform me what
business it is which renders your presence necessary in Castumba;
your son-in-law, Paco, told me that it was no longer the custom of
the gypsies to wander.
Antonio. - It is an affair of Egypt, brother, and I shall not
acquaint you with it; peradventure it relates to a horse or an ass,
or peradventure it relates to a mule or a macho; it does not relate
to yourself, therefore I advise you not to inquire about it - Dosta
(enough). With respect to my offer, you are free to decline it;
there is a drungruje (royal road) between here and Madrilati, and
you can travel it in the birdoche (stage-coach) or with the dromale
(muleteers); but I tell you, as a brother, that there are chories
upon the drun, and some of them are of the Errate.
Certainly few people in my situation would have accepted the offer
of this singular gypsy. It was not, however, without its
allurements for me; I was fond of adventure, and what more ready
means of gratifying my love of it than by putting myself under the
hands of such a guide. There are many who would have been afraid
of treachery, but I had no fears on this point, as I did not
believe that the fellow harboured the slightest ill intention
towards me; I saw that he was fully convinced that I was one of the
Errate, and his affection for his own race, and his hatred for the
Busne, were his strongest characteristics. I wished, moreover, to
lay hold of every opportunity of making myself acquainted with the
ways of the Spanish gypsies, and an excellent one here presented
itself on my first entrance into Spain. In a word, I determined to
accompany the gypsy. "I will go with you," I exclaimed; "as for my
baggage, I will despatch it to Madrid by the birdoche." "Do so,
brother," he replied, "and the gras will go lighter. Baggage,
indeed! - what need of baggage have you? How the Busne on the road
would laugh if they saw two Cales with baggage behind them."
During my stay at Badajoz, I had but little intercourse with the
Spaniards, my time being chiefly devoted to the gypsies, with whom,
from long intercourse with various sections of their race in
different parts of the world, I felt myself much more at home than
with the silent, reserved men of Spain, with whom a foreigner might
mingle for half a century without having half a dozen words
addressed to him, unless he himself made the first advances to
intimacy, which, after all, might be rejected with a shrug and a no
intendo; for, among the many deeply rooted prejudices of these
people, is the strange idea that no foreigner can speak their
language; an idea to which they will still cling though they hear
him conversing with perfect ease; for in that case the utmost that
they will concede to his attainments is, Habla quatro palabras y
nada mas (he can speak four words, and no more).
Early one morning, before sunrise, I found myself at the house of
Antonio; it was a small mean building, situated in a dirty street.
The morning was quite dark; the street, however, was partially
illumined by a heap of lighted straw, round which two or three men
were busily engaged, apparently holding an object over the flames.
Presently the gypsy's door opened, and Antonio made his appearance;
and, casting his eye in the direction of the light, exclaimed, "The
swine have killed their brother; would that every Busno was served
as yonder hog is. Come in, brother, and we will eat the heart of
that hog." I scarcely understood his words, but, following him, he
led me into a low room in which was a brasero, or small pan full of
lighted charcoal; beside it was a rude table, spread with a coarse
linen cloth, upon which was bread and a large pipkin full of a mess
which emitted no disagreeable savour. "The heart of the balichow
is in that puchera," said Antonio; "eat, brother." We both sat
down and ate, Antonio voraciously. When we had concluded he
arose:- "Have you got your li?" he demanded. "Here it is," said I,
showing him my passport. "Good," said he, "you may want it; I want
none, my passport is the bar lachi. Now for a glass of repani, and
then for the road."
We left the room, the door of which he locked, hiding the key
beneath a loose brick in a corner of the passage. "Go into the
street, brother, whilst I fetch the caballerias from the stable."
I obeyed him. The sun had not yet risen, and the air was
piercingly cold; the grey light, however, of dawn enabled me to
distinguish objects with tolerable accuracy; I soon heard the
clattering of the animals' feet, and Antonio presently stepped
forth leading the horse by the bridle; the macho followed behind.
I looked at the horse and shrugged my shoulders:
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