Year: 1873

him against any drink that might be


offered to us as liable to be drugged,


possessed my soul with patience, and


again turned towards the fire / suppose


/ fell into a dose, 50 weary was | witt


nearly eighteen hours in the saddle; anC


when | opened my eyes it was to see the


Andalusian standing with NE and The


table at which the rest of the company


were seated, and to hear, supper is


ready, Senor" pronounced aloud in
Spanish, and sleep not an instant undcl


this roof" from the same lips i'll fairly


good English, but in a low, kissing tone
| inaudible to all but myself Between


sleeping and waking as | was, | shall


never forget how like a heavenly visitant


she looked, as She stood in that low den


with the light from behind illuminating


her golden tresses, and her finger on hel


scarlet lip enioining 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 desire to


hear more, OF even to give glance of re-


sponsive gratitude to the girl, | rose and


seated myself at the filthy, uninvitin9


board There was little to eat besides the


usual provision at Spanish inn, '.olio,
which | verify believe to have been made
| ture of naughty boys of ''sticks and snails


and puppy dogs tails 50 indescribably
revolving was it to our English palates


and as both Charlie and myself We're firm
in our refusal Of the sour Wine which was


repeatedly pressed upon us, our host soon


rose from the table, and with a movement
l = L., At. Al Il IL
would conduct us to our sleeping room
| above.


We We're to start again an hour before
| daybreak, and Charlie would, | think,


have much preferred passing the night in
| the kitchen, with a chance Of getting an
| occasional glimpse of the fair Andalusian,
| but, knowing the danger in which we
| stood, / was quite firm in my determina-
| ton to see what could be done in the way
oftortifying and barricadiHg the apartment
| appropriated to us above So, 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 succeeded
| in getting him to the top of the ladder
| and sent him bounding, like a shot out Of
shell, into the middle of the room.
Then closing the door, and perceiving
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 root sloping down on either side ;


one window directly opposite the door, in
front of which stood two low beds, and Il
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 ?n We're the first words that Aston
uttered after he had recovered from his
surprise at being 50 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 determination in your
eye, as we used to say at Baliul What's


the matter old fellow ~


Nothing but that we are going to be
murdered tonight, and those devils down


stairs are preparing at this moment to do
it."


"Whetting their knives, eh, Sidney?


and sharpening their axes to chop u with !?
Well. you'll make pretty good kindling
wood, old fellow-your bones must he dry
enough by this time; they won't find me
SO useful"


A brandy flask aimed al his head put an


end to further chatting, and we sat down


gravey, on one side Of the bed, to specu-


late upon the meaning of the Zingara's


warning, and to form our plans for the
night After some discussion we decided,


as We were both quite worn out With Ia
tigue, to watch by turns an hour at a time


each, one waking the other at the eNpira-


ton Of sixty minutes. As Charlie was


younger than myself, and less used to


roughing it, | insisted upon giving him


the first chance, and looked at my watch


as he threw himself on the bed, perceived


that it wanted few minutes to ten o'clock.


Previously to this, however, we had, by
the exertion Of our united strength, sue


ceeded in moving the ponderous bureau in


front of the door, where, by entirely block
ing up the entrance, it seemed to me to


form an etfectual barrcade in that quarter


A very few seconds suffced to throw
Charlie into an audible slumber, and then
silence the most profound settled down
over the house.


For the first fifteen minutes | lay wide
awake, watching Charlie as he looked


carefully to his pistols, and placed them
fully cooked by his side. Then my eyes
closed, and for half an hour | slept. A
touch on my arm awoke me, and at a
gesture from Charlie, who was still sitting
where | had last seen him on the side of
the bed | checked the exclamation that
was rising to my lips, and turned my eyes
upon the antique secretary, which formed
our only fortress and defence against our
enemies.


Look sharp" said my friend, in q
breathless whisper, land you will see it
move"


At first thought it was an hallucmation
of Charles always vivid imagination, but
a steadier gaze convinced me that he was
right The moon was now well down
towards the hills, and its almost horizon
tai beams fell straight across the room
Yes, there could be no doubt of it Z; the
huge thing was moving towards us-al-
| most erceptibly-without The slightest
| noise, but steadily and surely it was adj
vancing into the room glanced towards
| the top, and could distinctly see that,
| whereas we had placed it with its back


close against the door, so that not sheet


Of paper could have been introduced be
1
| Of more than an inch in width | looked
| at Charlie, and his honest blue eyes re
| turned the gaze; both felt that an hour of


mortal peril was at hand and as we
grasped our pistols, and stood side by side


ready for the first shot, think prayer


for mercy and forgiveness went up from
our hearts.


Our movements up to this point had


been as stealthly as those of our assailants,


and there was probably very little doubt
| in their minds that we We're wrapped in


the deep and motionless slumber which
| excessive fatigue engenders. On the CON


trary, with eyes almost starting from our


heads, we were watching the regular ad-


vance of the huge secretary, and prepar-
| ing for an attack at any moment, when a


low note which might have been uttered
| by a bird or insect, struck the ear of both
at the same time


Motioning to Charlie not to relax his
| vigilance, turned toward the window.


and glancing out perceived ladder rest
ing against the sill, the other end of which


was firmly held by the hands of the gipsy
| girl below. Without an instants delay |