The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-10
My Mysterious Muleteer.

We were a party Of three Englishmen.
travelling by rail from Madrid to the east
coast. bound to Puerta Muer,a, to buy
transport mules for 3 certain little war then
in progress IN the remOtest east.
II was At Almanac, the junction for Va
lencia and Barcelona, that ! first saw my
mysterious muleteer.
No muleteer was he then TO all outward
seeming bat dressed like a Spanish gen
lleman Of the old school, wrapped in a wide
capa OF cloak. which, when he chose, COM
pleiely enshrouded his face This was not
invariably ; more than once | saw his iea-
lures plainly enough. lie was not alone.
4 strikingly handsome girl, 50 like him
that she was evidently his daughter, clung
10 him in \ manner that BETRAYED evident
anxiety and nervousness on his account.
Her eyes, full Of loving solicitude, were
continually turned TO his now and again
she motioned 70 him as ii she wished him
10 cover up his mouth with his cloak. Was
this for concealment, OF was he an invalid 2
They were rather remarkable pair.
Possibly il was the splendid Spanish beauty
OF the girl that attracted me, but / found
myself thinking OF them for the remainder
Of the Journey. ] looked out tor them on
the platform at Puerta Muerta, but they
were nowhere in sight. Then the pressure
OF my own affairs drove them quite out of
my head, and for some time | was 80 busily
occupied that | had no leisure for vague
dreams.
Puerta Muerta, when we reached it.
might, in truth, have been dead thousand
wears. The houses were like crumaling
mummies set up in rows along the deserted,
dust encumbered streets only a stray ia
lucha or two, with ragged sails, lay in the
harbor. The warehouses were all boarded
up, the mole oyergrown with grass. The
great caravanserai or fonda by the sea
shore could have done no business for
wears; we had The greatest difficulty in
persuading its landlord that business had
come at last.
But in an hour or two all was changed
A Spaniard has keen scent for gain, when
money can be made without great expendi.
ture Of force. The town awoke with start,
galvanized, as it were, into life by the action
OF English gold. The shopkeepers took
down their shutters; merchants hitherto
idle came to proffer their services dealers
without mules came in crowds TO propose
contracts for their supply.
My duties brought me into close connec-
tion.with the people OF the place; good,
easy going country folk speaking provin-
cial patois, clinging " LEGAL costume
black, fat sombrero as wide as a cart
wheel, white shirt, black sash, white pet
ticoat or kilt, footless stockings, and rope
soled sandals on their horny feet-very tem-
perate, not over-industrious, but patient
and willing TO work for very moderate
wages The times were hard recent po-
litical troubles and a bad harvest had
brought many to the verge of want, and
men came in great numbers to be "apun
tado "-"put down." or noted for employ
ment by us. | was perplexed at times to
choose, but | relied chiefly on my own iudg-
ment of physiognomy and physique, pro-
vided all could produce, as proof of respect
ability, their cedulas de vecinidad," or
passports, signed by their local authorities.
We were seated in the patio smoking one
evening, when a waiter came to say a man
had called to be "put down" 1t was after
business hours, but he was shown in. He
was q tall, well grown man, in the prime of
life, dressed ia the country fashion, holding
himself very straight, and with voice and
manner seemingly above his station. He