Year: 1873

besides sveral others residing in thC


town. In what part of the globe car


an Englshman go where he will moi


find some of his countrymen2


Captain Turner very soon made
the acquaintance of two young


men staying in the same hotel; who


having been there for some time


volunteered to lionize him all Ovel
the place.


They did it to perfection; show
ing him all the principle rooms in
the Alhambra, and, with the aid o.


an old map they had purchased, de-
scribed what that beautiful palace
must have been before King Fredi
nand thought fit to demolish part OF
it, and build stables for his horses.


After walk through the curious
old gardens, and a good look at the
tree under which the last of the
Moorish kings was slain, the party
descended into the town, and after
duly inspecting all that was to be
seen there, returned to the hotel.


Here again our friend wos advised
not to undertake his rash journey
for at the table-dhotel, happening
to be seated next to an English lady,
the conversation turned on the state
of the country, and when she heard
.of Captain Turner'S intended trip to
Madrid, she did all in her power to
.pursuade him not to go farther.
Having spent three very pleasant
days in Grenada, where for the first
time since he left Gibraltar he had
heard his nstive language spoken,
Captain Turner started for the
mountainous but picturesque road
that leads you to Ciudad Real, over
the bridge called the Sierra Morena.
1t was on the seventeenth day of
ourfriend's departure from Gibraltar
that, late in the afternoon, We find
him trotting up the above mountain,
hoping to reach a small roadside i'm
ere the sun had disappeared behind
some of the enormous rocks that
surrounded him, when he was over
taken by a Spaniard on horseback.


At first Captain Turner thought
it was the same person he had met
before reaching Grenada; but on a
second look he soon discovered that
it was far a higher stamp of a man
thsn the one before described.


In dress both were much alike;
but the appearance of the latter was
SO sristocratic, and the way he man
aged his beautiful black horse,
which seemed to understand every
word his master said, so delighted
Captain Turner, that for a time he
was at q loss which to admire most,
the man or the horse. Like most
Spaniards, who delight in admira-
tion, our newcomer rode on for a
few minutes without attening to any
thing but his horse; and after show
ing the noble animal off to the great
est advantage, he inquired Of our
friend where he was going, and find
ing Spanish was not familiar TO him,
Immediately began the cenyerss-
ton in French.


81 suppose" said the Spaniard,
''that you intend to spending the
night at the little inn yonder, for
you would have very long ride be-
fore you get to the next one; be-
sides, there so many roads branch
ing off this, that you would not
know which to take if you have not
travelled this way before"


On arriving at the inn Captain
Turner remarked how attentive
everybody was to his fellOW-compa
ion. 1t was evident that he was no
stranger to them all.


81 will see that your horse is well
cared for, senior; and if you have no
we will dine together"


This being agreed upon, they both
sat down to avery good meal, which,
considering the wild part of the
country they were in, appeared very
much as if some one of importance
had been expected. After dinner
the conversation turned on Madrid,
and after inquiring where he was
going, in g joking way, remarked
that he had better look out for Jose
Maria and his band, who were in
great force in these parts.


Captain Turner, either from feel
ings. Of great confidence and liking
for his new acquaintance, or from
L feeling of disgust at every one
him against the bandit chief,
began singing his praises as if he
we're his best friend; and after re-
peating the same words he had
made nse of in the mess-room on the
evening when the bets
we're made, cofiding to his compan
ion all that had taken place in Glib
raltar. and what had induced him to
take this trip to Madrid.


The SpanIard seemed greatly
amused by all this; and after a
couple hours chat, during which
time a great many of Captain Tur-
ner's cigars had been smoked, they
rose to retire to rest.


81 shall be off very early in the
said our friend 'and as
you seem to like my cigars, pray al
low me to offer you s. bundle Of thsm.


"Thank you," answered the Span
lard; "they are certainly very good.
And now let me offer you something
in exchange;" and drawing his
Iarge Spanish knife from his belt, he
cut one of the silver buttons off his
Jacket. "There," said he sis pass
for you all through Spain. To-mor-
row, before you have gone many
miles you will be stopped; but the
moment you see the men approach
inc, show them this button, and not
one of them will interfere with you,
for am Jose Maria" /"


He then shook hands warmly With
Captain Turner, and then retired.


The latter could not sleep for sew
eral hours, thinking over his strange
adventure, and regretting he had
not sooner discovered who the stran-
ger was.


The following morning, ere he
Capt. Turner looked every
where, hoping to see the great
man again, but was forced to take
his departure without doing SO. A
few miles from the inn he found
himself oVertaken by four men on
horseback, who began talking to