The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-06-28


after which we turned into bed, warn
ing the waiter TO summon us early, and
have guide to lead us towards the neigh.
boring hills, where we intended to make
some havoc among the game next day.
Punctually at five o'clock in The morn,
ing, the mozo-de.cafe reused us, and, af
ter coffee, we shouldered our double bar.
relied rifles, and accompanied by a young
ganain, named PedriIlo, for whose fidelity
the waiter pied his honor" we departed
| on our ramble.
lfever my readers saw the Spanish
beggar boys, as depicted by Murillo, in
his famous picture, which is now in Dull.
wich College, they will know perfec .ly the
aspect Of Pedrillo. our little guide.
lie was about twelve years old: but,
hardened by indigence and sharpened by
privation, his perceptive faculties were
keener than those Of many a man. His
sallow little visage was stamped with
more of the animal than the intellectual
being; his eyes were black, glossy, and
glittered alternately with cunning and in
telligepce. His sole attire consisted of a
dilapidated shirt, n pair Of knee breeches
and n eowl, which confined his luxuriant
black hair :; he had ziuc rings in his ears,
and bore alt' gether the aspect of little
Lazzarone.
He was intelligent withal, and he told
us vast number Of anecdotes, which in
creased in wonder and ferocity az we paid
him one peseta after another; but he
dwelt particularly on the achievements of
a certain Juan Roa, otherwise styled de
Antequera, who was then prowling in
that savage range Of mountains, from
whence he descended sometimes alone,
sometimes with many followers, especial.
ly when the Solan, blew from Africa, 70
commit outrages among the quiet quintas
and villages of the fertile Vega, where he
was said 10 be in league with every posa
da'keepcr for forty miles around Malaga.
About midday, we rested under the
cool shadow Of cork wood, about ten
miles from the city; il was beautiful
place, where the sward WAS soft as velvet,
and where thick border of blushing
rosc troeo "nd ~ild hydransias annriss,sa
near us. Here we shared our provisions
with paisano and two armed contra
bandistas whom we met, and who shared
with us their wine in return. The two
smugglers had strong and active horses,
and carried bluuderbusses aud pistols to
guard their bales Of chocolate, soap, to
b:,cco and cigars; they were fine. merry
fellows, gaudily dressed, and full Of fun
and anecdote; for in Spain the contraban-
dista is q species Of travelling newspaper.
Now all their news were Of the last feat
or outrage Of Juan Roa.
81 would give guinea to meet this in
teresting vagabond; the interview would
tell famously in some Of the monthlies,"
said Hall, with needless laugh.
Il think should know him." said |;
"for we saw At least twenty colored prints
Of him in the shops on the Alameda, last
night. He is a ferocious- looking dog!
The contrabandistas looked round with
alarm and then laughed immoderately.
"Ferocious Indeed, senor," said the
paisano, &" beg to differ from you, hav-
ing myself seen Juan OF Antequera face to
face and so think him quite like other
men,"
gazed at the speaker, whom, by his
green velvet jacket, adorned by four dog
en- Of brass buttons, his somberero, with
its broad yellow ribbon, his black plush
breeches, rcd scarf and shoe buckles, sup
posed to be the substantial farmer of one
Of the adjacent quints- lie had fine
dark face, a powerful figure, and two black
eyes that seemed to be always looking
through me. Over one ey ebrow, he had
large black patch. He carried riding
switch, had q knife in his girdle and al
together, as he lolled on the sward, smok-
ing q paper cigar and slipping red wine, l
thought he would make fine and strik-
ing sketch, and equal to any by Pr
nelli.
"Jusn Roa," said he, has committed
great outrages in the Vega Of Granada.
The Duke u Wellington han there an es-
tate, having on it about three hundred
tenants, who yield some fifteen thousand
dollars Of rental; but Juan has thrice
drawn every duro OF Il from the old aba
gado, who acts as steward TO the duke"
The contrabandistas again laughed st
this impoderately.
"Yoa have seen this Juan Of Antique
ra, have you not J. said l..
"Face to face--often, senor."
"And so have !" said little Pedrillo.
"You and when was this, my little
fellow r. said Jack Hall.
"ou the night old Barradas, the mule
teeF, was murdered"
The Spaniard with the patch, knit his
brows.
"CarajoI" said he "ah l remember
that"
"Tell us about this murder" said
Hall.
@You must know, senors" said Pedril.
10 that at the foot Of the sierra de Mi.
ia, about Ave miles from this, there stands
q waysids inn, called La Posada del Cav.
allo, for the keeper, Martin Secco, had q
great horse painted on his signbcari.- -
This man is the uncle Of Juan Roa, or ol
Ansequera. lie has wife. aud had two
daaghteFs. The palace is lonely and Il
ofte1 happens, that those who put up
there for the night forget the right path
ior they are lost among tho mountains,
| faIl into the sand pits--at least they are