I
likewise saw a horse and two donkeys tethered to the neighbouring
trees. It was in fact a Gypsy bivouac. . . . "Come forward,
brother, and show yourself," said Antonio to me; "you are amongst
friends; these are of the Errate, the very people whom I expected
to find at Trujillo, and in whose house we should have slept."
"And what," said I, "could have induced them to leave their house
in Trujillo and come into this dark forest in the midst of wind and
rain, to pass the night?"
"They come on business of Egypt, brother, doubtless," replied
Antonio; "and that business is none of ours, Calla boca! It is
lucky we have found them here, else we should have had no supper,
and our horses no corn."
"My ro is prisoner at the village yonder," said the woman, pointing
with her hand in a particular direction; "he is prisoner yonder for
choring a mailla (stealing a donkey); we are come to see what we
can do in his behalf; and where can we lodge better than in this
forest, where there is nothing to pay? It is not the first time, I
trow, that Calore have slept at the root of a tree."
One of the striplings now gave us barley for our animals in a large
bag, into which we successively introduced their heads, allowing
the famished creatures to regale themselves till we conceived that
they had satisfied their hunger. There was a puchero simmering at
the fire, half full of bacon, garbanzos, and other provisions; this
was emptied into a large wooden platter, and out of this Antonio
and myself supped; the other Gypsies refused to join us, giving us
to understand that they had eaten before our arrival; they all,
however, did justice to the leathern bottle of Antonio, which,
before his departure from Merida, he had the precaution to fill.
I was by this time completely overcome with fatigue and sleep.
Antonio flung me an immense horse-cloth, of which he bore more than
one beneath the huge cushion on which he rode; in this I wrapped
myself, and placing my head upon a bundle, and my feet as near as
possible to the fire, I lay down.
Antonio and the other Gypsies remained seated by the fire
conversing. I listened for a moment to what they said, but I did
not perfectly understand it, and what I did understand by no means
interested me: the rain still drizzled, but I heeded it not, and
was soon asleep.
The sun was just appearing as I awoke. I made several efforts
before I could rise from the ground; my limbs were quite stiff, and
my hair was covered with rime; for the rain had ceased and a rather
severe frost set in. I looked around me, but could see neither
Antonio nor the Gypsies; the animals of the latter had likewise
disappeared, so had the horse which I had hitherto rode; the mule,
however, of Antonio still remained fastened to the tree! this
latter circumstance quieted some apprehensions which were beginning
to arise in my mind. "They are gone on some business of Egypt," I
said to myself, "and will return anon." I gathered together the
embers of the fire, and heaping upon them sticks and branches, soon
succeeded in calling forth a blaze, beside which I placed the
puchero, with what remained of the provision of last night. I
waited for a considerable time in expectation of the return of my
companions, but as they did not appear, I sat down and breakfasted.
Before I had well finished I heard the noise of a horse approaching
rapidly, and presently Antonio made his appearance amongst the
trees, with some agitation in his countenance. He sprang from the
horse, and instantly proceeded to untie the mule. "Mount, brother,
mount!" said he, pointing to the horse; "I went with the Callee and
her chabes to the village where the ro is in trouble; the
chinobaro, however, seized them at once with their cattle, and
would have laid hands also on me, but I set spurs to the grasti,
gave him the bridle, and was soon far away. Mount, brother, mount,
or we shall have the whole rustic canaille upon us in a twinkling."
I did as he commanded: we were presently in the road which we had
left the night before. Along this we hurried at a great rate, the
horse displaying his best speedy trot; whilst the mule, with its
ears pricked up, galloped gallantly at his side. "What place is
that on the hill yonder?" said I to Antonio, at the expiration of
an hour, as we prepared to descend a deep valley.
"That is Jaraicejo," said Antonio; "a bad place it is and a bad
place it has ever been for the Calo people."
"If it is such a bad place," said I, "I hope we shall not have to
pass through it."
"We must pass through it," said Antonio, "for more reasons than
one: first, forasmuch is the road lies through Jaraicejo; and
second, forasmuch as it will be necessary to purchase provisions
there, both for ourselves and horses. On the other side of
Jaraicejo there is a wild desert, a despoblado, where we shall find
nothing."
We crossed the valley, and ascended the hill, and as we drew near
to the town the Gypsy said, "Brother, we had best pass through that
town singly. I will go in advance; follow slowly, and when there
purchase bread and barley; you have nothing to fear. I will await
you on the despoblado."
Without waiting for my answer he hastened forward, and was speedily
out of sight.
I followed slowly behind, and entered the gate of the town; an old
dilapidated place, consisting of little more than one street.
Along this street I was advancing, when a man with a dirty foraging
cap on his head, and holding a gun in his hand, came running up to
me:
