The Florence tribune., 1897-07-10

l'e would not hear of it, and 1t was in plin that the landlord told him dfY al stories cf the doings of Fl each4lo. and that pointed out the duty which he owed the army and to the country. He vould not even argue but called loudly for a cup of wine, I craftily asked him to dismount and to drinl. wsth nc, but he must have seen something in my face, for he shook his head, and then as I approached him with some thought of seizing him by the leg he jerked his heels into his horses Hanks and was off in cloud of dust.
 My faith, it was enough to make a man mad to see this fellow riding away so gayly to join his beef barrels and his brandy casks. and then to think of my five hundred beautiful hussars without their leader. 1 was gazing after him with bitter thoughts in my mind when who should touch me on the elbow but the little priest whom I have mentioned.
 1t is who can help you, said he, T am myself travelling south"
 put my arms about him and as my ankle gave way at the same moment we nearly rolled upon the ground to- gether.
 ''Gct me to Pastores," cried, ''and you shall have a rosary of golden beads" 1 had taken one from the con vent of Spiritu Sancto. It shows how necessary it is to take what you can when you are upon a campaign, and how the most unlikely things may be- come useful.
 T will take you,n said he, in very ex- cellent French, mot because I hope for any reward, but because it is my way always to do what I can to serve my countrynlan, and that is why I am so beloved wherever I go.n With that he led me down to the villare to au old cowhouse in which we found a tumble down sort of diligence such as they used tQ rln early in this century be- 1ages. There were three old mules, too, hone of which were strong enough to carry man, but together they might draw the coach The sight of their gannt ribs and GpaYined legs gave me more delight than the whole two hundred and twenty hunters of the emperor which 1 have seen in their stalls at Fontainebleau. In ten minutes the owner was harnessing them into the coach. with no very good will, however, for he was in mortal dread of this terrible Cuehillo. It was only by promising him riches in this world, while the priest threatened him with damnation in the next, that we at last got him safely upon the box with the rcins between his fingers. Then he was in such hurry to get off out of fear lest we should find ourselves in the dark in the passes, that he hardly gave me time to renew my vows to the innlzeepers daughter. l cannot at this moment recall her name, but we wept together as we parted, and l can re member that she was a very beautiful woman. You will understand, my friends, that wben man like me, who has fought the men and kissed the women in fourteen separate kingdoms, gives a word of praise to the one or the other it has a little meaning of its own.
 The little priest had seemed tritle grave when we kissed goodbye, bnt he soon proved himself the best of com panions in the diligence. All the way he amused me with tales of his little parish up in the mountains and in my turn told him stories about the camp, but my faith I had 10 pick my steps, for when I said a word too much he would fdget in his seat and his face would show the pain that l had giver him. And of conrse it is not thi act of a gentleman to talk iu anything but a proper manner to a religious man, though with all the care in ths world ones words may get out of hand sometimes, He had come from ths north of Spain, as he told me, and wa: going to see his mother in a village o. Estremadura, and as he spoke about her little peasant home, and her joy II seeing him, it brought my mother se wildly to my thoughts that the tear: started to my eyes. In his simplicity he showed me the little gifts which hs was taking to her, and so kindly wa: his manner that could readily believe him when he said that he was loved wherever he went. He examined my own uniform with as much curiosity al a child. admiring the plume of my busby and passing his fingers through the sable with which my dolman wa' trimmed. He drew my sword, too and then when I told him how many men had cut down with it, and sci l my fingers on the notch made by tht , shoulder bone of the Russian emperori aide-de-camp, he shuddered and placed the weapon under the leathern cushion declaring that it made him sick to lool at it.
 We'll, we had been rolling and creak ing on our way whilst this talk hat been going forward, and as we reached the base of the mountains we coult hear the rumbling of cannon far ava, upon the right. This came iron Nessena who was, as 1 knew, hesiegint Cindad Rodrigo There was nothing
 should have wished better than to hay