Its neck, then
fastening a cord to a post on the bank, he left the animal standing
in the pool. I thought I could do no better than follow his
example, and accordingly procuring a rope from the mill, I led my
own horse into the water. "It will refresh their blood, Don
Jorge," said the herrador; "let us leave them there for an hour,
whilst we go and divert ourselves."
Near the bridge, on the side of the river on which we were, was a
kind of guard-house, where were three carbineers of the revenue,
who collected the tolls of the bridge; we entered into conversation
with them: "Is not this a dangerous position of yours," said I to
one of them, who was a Catalan; "close beside the factious country?
Surely it would not be difficult for a body of the Carlinos or
bandits to dash across the bridge and make prisoners of you all."
"It would be easy enough at any moment, Cavalier," replied the
Catalan; "we are, however, all in the hands of God, and he has
preserved us hitherto, and perhaps still will. True it is that one
of our number, for there were four of us originally, fell the other
day into the hands of the canaille:
