No Sound Interrupted The Stillness
Of The Night, Except The Slow Tramp Of The Horses' Hoofs, And
Occasionally The Croaking Of Frogs From Some Pool Or Morass.
I now
bethought me that I was in Spain, the chosen land of the two
fiends, assassination and plunder, and how easily two tired and
unarmed wanderers might become their victims.
We at last cleared the woodlands, and after proceeding a short
distance, the horse gave a joyous neigh, and broke into a smart
trot. A barking of dogs speedily reached my ears, and we seemed to
be approaching some town or village. In effect we were close to
Cacabelos, a town about five miles distant from Villafranca.
It was near eleven at night, and I reflected that it would be far
more expedient to tarry in this place till the morning than to
attempt at present to reach Villafranca, exposing ourselves to all
the horrors of darkness in a lonely and unknown road. My mind was
soon made up on this point; but I reckoned without my host, for at
the first posada which I attempted to enter, I was told that we
could not be accommodated, and still less our horses, as the stable
was full of water. At the second, and there were but two, I was
answered from the window by a gruff voice, nearly in the words of
the Scripture: "Trouble me not; the door is now shut, and my
children are with me in bed; I cannot arise to let you in."
Indeed, we had no particular desire to enter, as it appeared a
wretched hovel, though the poor horses pawed piteously against the
door, and seemed to crave admittance.
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