The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-05-09
Just Like a Woman

BY II. r. eETHEN.

then laid, but the drive by diligence
was sufficiently enjoyable. My aunt
Lady Jauej and | reached st. Jean
Pied de Port late one evening, and
thar little town seemed wrapped IN
s'umber On the following morning
j am going to take you over the Ply
ranees into Spain, asserted my aunt
Really and truly | remember eX-
claiming
Yes ] know all about it; we've
only to get to Bourgette, and then it's
quite easy, she said confidently.
A cgriate was secured, the morn
ug was lovely. and the French from
iar was soon passed. for w& had
,ary little luggage, and nothing on
which to pay duty A few miles fur
| ther at a lonely kind of an inn, the
| Clachman insisted on our descending
! from the carriage and paying his fee.
Having no choice, we consented, and
then entered into the lonely little inn
i'm search of breakfast After eating
with good appetites some well-cooked
food we discovered that the carriage
had been replaced by couple OF
rough ponies. with even rougher at
PENDANTS of the boy tribe. The road
beyond was considered too steep for
vehicles, so we mounted in silence.
Please, our bags" pleaded |, feel
ing disturbed by our landlords smil-
ing detention of our light luggage.
He says they must be sent on by
the mule train, exclaimed Lady
Jane.
The straps of her pony's saddle
broke before we had gone a mile and
had to be mended with a fragment OF
string, and a good deal of language"
which we fortunately could not com
prehend, was leveled at the four.
legged members of the party. Then
our little cavalcade proceeded onward
and upward, passing by many wayside
crosses, and encountering Withholding
harmless peasants with trains of
mules, and then again we noticed
more of the rough crosses.
What in the world makes the PEG.
pie put up so many wooden crosses?"
asked Lady Jane at last, looking rath-
er nervous. You must know that. al
though she was our own aunt, we gen.
orally called her Lady Jane. She was
very kind, but rather odd.
The boy managed to make us under
stand that the crosses were erected
to mark spots where murders had
been committed, but of course, we
didn't know if this was true.
Higher and higher we wound, zig.
tagging through the glorious forest,
and sleeper and sleeper grew the
road. The boys walked on silent and
sullen, and the sun began to quite
scorch our skins. Suddenly the ponies
stopped at the summit of the noun
tain, and the boys pointed to some far
distant buildings. Without a word
they lifted US from our saddles, de-
manded the promised fees, which
Lady Jane at once gave, and set forth
on their return journey before we had
gathered courage to protest. The
houses were there certainly, across
wide plain, and it was a weary
walk
At last we arrived at the village.
which appeared to possess but one
street, We were courteously vel
coined by the innkeeper, A Spanish
dinner was shortly served, and we
We're glad to retire to rest soon after.
wards.
Il wish we were safe at home"
calculated Lady Jane. There is no
bolt to the door, she cried, when we
found ourselves in a bedroom con.
tanning two beds. So she insisted on
piling'the somewhat scanty furniture
against the door, I'm case anyone
should try to rob us, she said, fearful,
ly The heavy bedsteads We're immov.
able, but the other things made a
formidable barricade Wearied and
feverish from the unusual heat, we
soon got into our beds.
I've put the water jug ready to
throw at any intruder" said Lady
Jane, who appeared brave now she
was under the bedclothes, land I've
hidden my purse in the toe of my
shoe"
At last we both slept, and the last
sound we heard was the wind wailing
round the thick stone walls.
A knock at the door disturbed but
failed to arouse us. Then, to the ac.
compartment of muttered exclama.
ton, the latch was lifted softly and
the door pushed gently. With an
awful clatter the barricade gave way
and out of the darkness calculations
loud and deep reached our ears.
I've got the Jug" said my aunt,
and feeling no doubt that her courage
equaled that of Nelson at least, she
sprang up and, in the dark, cast her
pitcher in the direction of the voice
oh, what crash there was! Then
hurried footsteps came along the pas.
sage, and a lantern showed the inn.
keeper fully dressed and his wife in
wondrous deshabille. The worthy
couple, scolding and questioning in
turn, soon rescued from amidst scat.
tered chair legs and fragments of pot.
terry, poor half-drowned wholly
frightened young man.