Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-10-16

worry proudly, S1r, we arS sOlOlels, uo
robbers" " I said I was very glad Il
know it and demanded to be informed
if I was prisoner or not and was tolt
I was not, but with the same breath M
said he would be obliged to detain Vi
for few days There was fonda, o.
inn, close by, and leaving my wife
there I finally managed by liberal us'
of money to secure an OK cart, and by
virtue Of great generalship on the pa
Of myself and servant got all our bag
gage out of the wrecked train and safe
ly up to the inn.
Spaniards arc provokiugly slow, bu
by riding muleback five miles away
succeeded in seeing the local command
ar of the Carlist forces, and he promised
to send me the next day pass through
the lines going either south or north.
got him also to include in the pass my
fellow passengers. I did this because
there was Portuguese family who hat
tickets for South America. They Were
then On their way to embark at Lisbon
and the old gentleman, the head OF tht
family, was very weak and i'll.
My safe plan would have been to re
turn to France, make my way to Bres
and embark from there to New York
and that would have been my couls'
had any conception of the slowncss O
the Spanish officials and of the fierce
storms and SHOWS that dominate liz
passes of the Pyrcnees in winter.
We were informed by many officials
railway guards, custom house officers
Carlists, etc., that by crossing 80 mile
south we would pass the lines and &c
to little town on the railway wher'
trains left frequently for Madrid. TIN
Spaniards about the place would ncrcl
have let US start out on that perilou
trip had it not been for the money there
was in it. had secured at round price
three century old bullock carts, and II
the afternoon of the second day we 60
off. had all the women and the s!cl
Portuguese in one cart, with the two 9th
or carts ahead heaped with luggage
Thus there were eight bullocks, fou
mules and (anlucky number) 13 Incl
engaged.
l had very misty notions as to our des
tination, but took it for granted Tit
bakers dozen of natives I had with INT
knew what they were about. Snow Wi"
everywhere, and we were mounting up
up, up, on wheels, but I supposed tn
highest altitude was only four or fiv'
miles away, and that the down grad
would be easy until we reached sonl'
snug inn where we would find shclte;
for man and beast. Then an early star
by daylight and our novel jaunt woul'
como to an end in civilization and ;
railway. But I did not know Spaniard$
their country, the Pyrenees, or wha
b,izzards caIl blow in sunny Spain. =,
Myself and my servant Num- trutgc,
Oh alongside the cart with the wonel
1t took al hour to get out of sight OF TIT
fonda, and then we struck fine, wit.(
military road that wound in and aroCL'
the mountains, but always up and dec!
in snow. Three, four o'clock came, ait
still 10 sign Of the summit, but with thu
road winding in and out for milc'
ahead. The sky began to darkcn' ant
without warming down came tho SNOW
Then frequent halts Of the caravan were
taken to rest the cattle.
Deeper grew the snow, and as tht
darkness began to settle down l realized
the responsibility I had unwittinglJ
taken on my shoulders. I had four deli
cate women and q very sick man under
my charge, and we stuck fast i'll thu
midst of u snowstorln. 1 recognized one
blessing, however, and was. profoundly
grateful-the air was calm-and thougl
the SHOW fell thick and fast it was moi
driven by storm.
Num- proved to be thoroughly relia
BILE, helpful and full of cheer. Betweel
us we kept up the spirits Of the party
But all hands began to grow hungry
Fortunately I had i'll my baggage a large
pate de foie gras-that is, q fat goose
liver pie-alid it was fat, happily so, al
it went further. Then I got rugs ant
wraps out of my trunks for the womel
and couple of bottles of brandy ant
administered liberal doses all round.
soon had them happy and full of cour
age. 1t was certainly better to have then
full of Dutch courage in FOOLS para
disc than to have them awake to thell
position, for I quite expected it would
end in anight camp out i'll the snow ant
sending all empty cart for supplies
Two hours after dark we came to q deat
halt, and my guides-they were beauties
said they could 60 no farther; tht
oxen could not pull the carts. There
was Il fonda, they said, two miles away
but did not show any disposition to hell
to get there, and for that matter did no
seem to care whether we did or not.
ordered them to leave the middle car
behind and divide the teams, one team
to be added to the front cart and one tt
be hitched in front of the mules. Ou
interpreter was one of the Portuguese
women, but we did not get OH yer.
well, the Spaniards objccting to any
thing being done, all of them apparent
ly waiting for the Virgin or some of th'
saints to come to our aid.
Num- and I were exasperated ant
finally took the matter in our owl
hands. By my orders, despite the ener
getic protests of the driver, he unhitchet
the oxen from the middle team, and be
tween us we got them to the mule cart
hitched them in front of the mules ant
pulled out and past the other carts
Here the Spaniards halted us, and afte
an angry alteration III tho dark, and i
was dark, they agreed to 60 on. So
taking yoke of oxen from our cart
they were put in front of the four of th'