Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-03-30

visions OF murder and slaughter came before
me. crept close to Barradas, who, as !
have said, was very old and very frail but
his presence seemed protection to me for a
time et- fHs sioa sti s0. se
When the hour for bed arrived, we, who
were the only guests, were somewhat impera-
lively requested to. retire to our rooms by the
wife of Martin Secco. rara .T .-.rn efrna
Barradas saw, perhaps, his danger, and
said that | should sleep in the same room with
him.
But Inez Secco told him roughly that he
must be content to sleep alone. Then the
poor old man was half-led and half-dragged
away. As for me, was but a boy so they
thrust me into dark closet, where some straw
lay on the floor, and desiring me to sleep there
and be thankful, left me-
lay down on the straw, and finding it wet,
arose in horror, fearing it was blood !; and SO
remained in the dark, praying to our Lady OF
the Seven Sorrows, and trembling and listen
ing to the bowling of the storm for more than
an hour, when all the other sounds in that
terrible Posada died away. ....-
was just beginning to doze, when a ray OF
light streamed through the keyhole of my
door; | heard it opened, and 10 !! Martin IS
wife, Inez Secco, appeared, with long and
sharp cuchillo in her hand. A man accom-
panied her. He was Juan Roa de Antequera
Terror paralysed me and she believed me TO
be asleep, for she felt all over my clothes
that is, my poor shirt and breeches pockets,
from which she took two quarter-duros-all
possessed in this world and then, passing
the light thrice across my face, to assure her
self that | slept, the hag went away mutter-
ing i.
g Caramba only halfduro this little
wretch is neither worth lodging or killing
Immediately after this, | heard them whis-
pering with Martin Secco and they knocked
at the door of old Pedro Barradas, who, like a
cautious man, had fastened it on the inside.
GO Get up said they, "Senor Barradas-
get up, you are wanted
But old Barradas either slept like top, or
he was too wary TO open for he needed them
not.
Then ] heard Juan and Martin muttering
curses as they deliberately forced open the
door; next there came terrible cry Of
Help, Pedrillo, help! Ayuda por amor
de neustra, Sonora Santissama - eai fn.
This was followed by sounds like those
made by sheep when the knife of the carcine-
70 is in its throat and in the meantime, Mar
tins two daughters were singing loud as
they could, and dancing bolero in the pas
sage, to conceal those terrible sounds, which
froze the blood within me-
Here Pedrillo paused. s.-st -at -fr
Go on, said Jack Hall, impatiently; 'and
how did you escape Y, ar a s7=
IF the noble senors would help me to re-
fresh my memory
All, comprehend said I, tossing pese-
ia TO him 4; now fire away, Pedrillo.
You should not encourage the young plea
70, Senor Cabarello, said the Spaniard, whose
face was now darkened by terrible frown
for it is my belief that he was the mere de-
coy, who led poor old Pedro Barradas to that
villainous Posada. rH
Instead of being angry, Pedrillo only lifted
up his hands, and prayed that Heaven and our
Lady of the Seven Sorrows would forgive the
speaker for his vile suspicious. i
Il never closed my eyes that night. In the
morning I was told by lnez the Patrona, that
old Barradas had departed across the hills Of
Antequera without me. Martin Secco asked
me how had slept said. like dormouse
and as soon as [ was free ran like hare
back to Malaga; and TO make up for the loss
Of my last nights rest, slept like torpedo,
under the trees of the Alameda 1.f.l
you acquainted the magstrate-the algu-
zile, of course, said Hall, knocking the ashes
from his third cigar. "'.
was only a poor, ragged little picaro,
replied Pedrillo ina whining voice 'and who
would believe me! besides old Barradas was
a stranger from Cordova or Jaen; and man,
more or less, is nothing in Granada but since
that time, Martins two daughters have been
sent to the galleys at Barcelona. by the cap
tain general of the kingdom, for intriguing in
many ways with the contrabandistas of Jean.
Now, senors, the noon is past; and if it please
you, it's time we were moving, if you wish to
reach the Sierra
While we were placing fresh caps on our
rifles and preparing to start, the 'Spaniard
with the black patch, who had listened to Pc
drillo's story with great impatience, now
seized that young gdnan by the arm, and
grasping it like a vice, gave him savage
scowl and said something in Spanish but SO
rapidly, that could only make out that he
was reprehendng him severely for telling us
succession of falsehoods. f.u,-1
So thought at that time; afterwards was
enabled to put different construction upon
his Indignation, at which Pedrllo seemed 10
be considerably alarmed. ,y
Bidding adieu TO him and the contrabandis-
tas, we departed under Pedrillo's guidance,
and (sans leave) shot all along the sides Of
the mountain range, on the slope Of which
stands the small but ancient city Of Antequera,
50 noted for the revolt Of the Moors in the six
teenIh century and had some narrow escapes
from falling into those remarkable pits, where
the water settles in the low places. and is