He is here
surrounded by his countrymen, who, if we were to seize him, might
perhaps take his part.
As I said before, he is in our power, as we
have not paid him."
The fellow now began to talk in Gallegan to the by-standers
(several persons having collected), wishing the Denho to take him
if he knew anything of the missing property. Nobody, however,
seemed inclined to take his part; and those who listened, only
shrugged their shoulders. We returned to the portal of the posada,
the fellow following us, clamouring for the horse-hire and propina.
We made him no answer, and at length he went away, threatening to
apply to the justicia; in about ten minutes, however, he came
running back with the girth in his hand: "I have just found it,"
said he, "in the street: your servant dropped it."
I took the leather and proceeded very deliberately to count out the
sum to which the horse-hire amounted, and having delivered it to
him in the presence of witnesses, I said, "During the whole journey
you have been of no service to us whatever; nevertheless, you have
fared like ourselves, and have had all you could desire to eat and
drink. I intended, on your leaving us, to present you, moreover,
with a propina of two dollars; but since, notwithstanding our kind
treatment, you endeavoured to pillage us, I will not give you a
cuarto: go, therefore, about your business."
All the audience expressed their satisfaction at this sentence, and
told him that he had been rightly served, and that he was a
disgrace to Galicia.
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