The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-30


she did Of my friend Alston's insinuating
efforts to attract her attention. As she
was the only female to be seen about the
place, however, | concluded that she was
well paid for her services and would only
remain while treated with consideration
and respect. also decided in my own
mind that she probably belonged to some
gypsy tribe, and had gentle blood in her
veins-which would account for her long
fair hair, combined as it was with an ORR
entail richness of complexion, and eyes
that had the darkness and softness Of the
gazelle.
She seemed TO have some unexplained
purpose in delaying as long as possible her
arrangements for supper, which called forth
more than one inpatient "Caramba" from
the rufian who called himself our host
There were three men besides himself in
the posado, every one ofwhom, was ready
to swear, had been guilty Of deeds of blood
| watched them as | sat with half closed
eyes beside the fire, and made up my mind
that if ever weary travellers were in danger
of their lives, we were that night Then
l racked my brain to try to recall the
last sign of human habitatiOn that | had
seen that day; and after satisfying myself
that it was too far off to be of any use to
us, began to calculate our chances of
resistance in case of an attack. We were
well armed, and three to four, supposing
our guide would help us; but glance into
distant corner of the stable department,
where he lay sleeping or least feigning
sleep, convinced me that no assistance
could be counted upon from that quarter
Well, the situation was not cheerful
one, certainly; but Charlie and had youth
and strength and British pluck; and |
Rugged up the belief, that had been in
stilled into me from my childhood, that
those qualities were more than a match for
foreign perfdy and cunning.
So, after few words to Charlie, (whosc
whole soul seemed to be absorbed in the
movements of the gypsy girl, cautioning
him against any drink that might be offer
ed to us as liable to be drugged, possess
ed my soul with patience, aud again turned
toward the fire. | suppose | fell into a
doze so weary was | with nearly eighteen
hours in the saddle; and when l opened
my eyes it was to see the Andalusian
standing with me and the table at which
the rest of the company were seated. and
to hear "Supper is ready, Senor!" pro-
nounced aloud in Spanish, and ''Sleep not
an instant under this roof" from the same
lips in fairly good English, but in low,
Kissing tone, inaudible to all but myself.
Between sleeping and waking as | was, |
shall never forget how like heavenly Wis
liant she looked, as she stood in that low
den, with the light from behind illumina-
ting her golden tresses, and her finger on
her scarlet lips enjoining silence. 1t was
but for second, but | understood the
danger and warning as well as if it had
been written in letters of fire on the wall ;
and curbing, by mighty effort, my de-
sire to hear more, or even to give glance
of responsive gratitude to the girl, | rose
and seated myself at the filthy, uninviting
board. There was little to eat besides the
usual provision at Spanish inn, "olio,"
which verify believe to have been made
after the nursery recipe for the manufac-
ture of naughty boys of "sticks and snails
and puppy dogs tails so indescribably
revolving was it to our English palates (;
and as both Charlie and myself were firm
in our refusal of the sour wine which was
repeatedly pressed upon us, our host soon
rose from the table, and with movement
of his thumb, indicated the ladder which
would conduct us to our sleeping room
above.
We were to start again an hour before
daybreak, and Charlie would, | think,
have much preferred passing the night in
the kitchen, with chance of getting an
occasional glimpse of the fair Andalusian,
but knowing the danger in which we
stood, was quite firm in my determine
ton to see what could be done in the way
of fortifying and barricading the apart
ment appropriated to us above. &c. to
prevent all chances of escape on his part,
placed Charlie before me on our upward
march, and after nearly breaking my neck
and his own in his frantic efforts to catch a
last look at his inamorata, / finally sue
ceeded in getting him to the top of the
ladder, and sent him bounding, like shot
out of shell, into the middle of the room.
Then closing the door, and perceiying,
as quite expected, that it had neither
lock nor bolt, | proceeded to scrutinize our
position. The room was large and not
very low, with the naked rafters above and
the roof sloping down on either side; one
window directly opposite the door, in front
of which stood two low beds, and very
large and heavy piece of furniture half
secretary and half bureau, on the right
hand side.
What the deuce has come over YOU,
Sidney 2" We're the first words that Aston
uttered after he had recovered from his
surprise at being so unceremoniously pro-
PEELED into the ROOM "Are you going to
elope with the Zingara, or to dare all those
devils down stairs to single combat !?
There's the fire of defamation in your
eye, as We used to say at Ballot. What's
the matter, old fellow2"
Nothing but that we are going to be
murdered tonight, and those devils down
stairs are preparing at this minute to do it. {"
"Whetting their knives, en- Sidney +?
and sharpening their axes to chop us with?
Well, you'll make pretty good kindling-
wood, old fellow-your bones must be dry
enough by this time; they won't find me
SO useful
A brandy flask aimed at his head put
an end to further chatting, and we sat
down gravely on one side of the bed to
speculate upon the meaning of the Zinga-
ra's warning, and to form our plans for
night. After some discussion we decided,
as we We're both quite worn out with ia
tigue, to watch by turns an hour at time
each, one waking the other at the expira-
tion of the sixty minutes As Charlie was
younger than myself, and less used to
roughing it, | insisted upon giving him
the first chance, and looking at my watch
as he threw himself on the bed, perceived
that it wanted few minutes to ten clock
Previously to this, however, we had, by
i A IL