"I Had As Good Be Hanged (Said He) For Murder, As Be
Ruined By The Loss Of My Cattle." This Adventure Made Such An
Impression Upon Him, That He Recounted It To Every Person We Met;
Nor Would He Ever Touch The Blunderbuss From That Day.
I was
often diverted with the conversation of this fellow, who was very
arch and very communicative.
Every afternoon, he used to stand
upon the foot-board, at the side of the coach, and discourse with
us an hour together. Passing by the gibbet of Valencia, which
stands very near the high-road, we saw one body hanging quite
naked, and another lying broken on the wheel. I recollected, that
Mandrin had suffered in this place, and calling to Joseph to
mount the foot-board, asked if he had ever seen that famous
adventurer. At mention of the name of Mandrin, the tear started
in Joseph's eye, he discharged a deep sigh, or rather groan, and
told me he was his dear friend. I was a little startled at this
declaration; however, I concealed my thoughts, and began to ask
questions about the character and exploits of a man who had made
such noise in the world.
He told me, Mandrin was a native of Valencia, of mean extraction:
that he had served as a soldier in the army, and afterwards acted
as maltotier, or tax-gatherer: that at length he turned
contrebandier, or smuggler, and by his superior qualities, raised
himself to the command of a formidable gang, consisting of five
hundred persons well armed with carbines and pistols.
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