440 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



wicker basket, out of which peered the head 

 uf a young wolf from the neighbourhood of 

 Quadres-ayes in Portugal ; four still youoger 

 whelps, its companions, keeping a continued 

 whine as some variation to the external me- 

 lody ; the mother, an old pointer bitch, listen- 

 ing and contemplating with much anxiety 

 from time to time the proceedings in the 

 basket. Attached to a ring at the high peak 

 of the pack-saddle were a greyhound and a 

 setter, Pat Rooney bringing up the rear with 

 a wire-haired terrier. 



It was a hot sultry day ; between Badajos 

 and Puebla there is nothing like a tree or 

 shrub to interrupt the rays of the sun ; as far 

 as the eye can stretch, the whole country ap- 

 pears to be a continued succession of corn 

 fields. At starting the bourra crouched and 

 slunk till his very belly touched " our mother 

 earth ;'' however, by dint of perseverance, the 

 batmen contrived to place him fairly on the 

 road. Notwithstanding the poor beast ap- 

 peared but i« a very sorry mood, ce Ji'est que 

 la premiere pas qui coute : so pricking up his 

 ears and shaking his head, he paced forward 

 with the other animals : his attendant struck 

 a few sparks to some fungus in the pan of his 

 musket, lit his pipe, and put aside the twitch- 

 ing stick with which the hind-quarters of 

 Vos-me-say were usually belaboured, and for 

 some leagues they thus slowly, but happily 

 jogged on. 



Our own feelings required little to assure 

 us it was a distressing marcn to the division 

 in front : numerous stragglers lined the way, 

 weary and weakened by sickness or indifferent 

 fare ; some still struggled on after their corps, 

 others sunk exhausted by the road-side ; 

 many of the best of the baggage-animals fell 

 irom the oppressive heat or want of water ; 



but amidst the confusion, to the astonishment 

 of all, Vos-me-say kept his pace. 



A few hours after raid-day we arrived at 

 Puebla ; there were many anxious lookers- 

 out for the baggages. On entering the little 

 town from the Badajos side to the left of the 

 church there was, and perhaps is now, a 

 small posada or inn ; opposite its door-way 

 Vos-me-say drew up, and came to a dead 

 stand-still. The batmen pulled before and 

 pushed behind ; Pat Rooney arreed, thrashed, 

 and pounded with his twitching stick ; it was 

 to no purpose ; Vos-me-say had planted his 

 feet firmly on the ground, and every efi"ort to 

 move him proved ineffectual. At length not 

 relishing probably the treatment he had un- 

 dergone, he set up a loud roar that made the 

 tympanum of every ear crack, and presently 

 appeared at the portal one well acquainted 

 with the voice — " Carracco ! cienio mille 

 demonios ! Viego ! que quieres tu? por amor 

 de Dios .'" (For the love of God, thou old 

 devil, what dost thou want? art thou again 

 at thy old home ?) ; and in a few mrnutes he 

 was surrounded by mine hostess and her 

 tribe, crossing themselves amidst Paternosters 

 and ejaculations at his unlooked-for appear- 

 ance. 



Vos-me-say in name was Portuguese, by 

 birth a Spaniard, and Puebla his native place ; 

 he had recognized the road between the two 

 towns, his ancient avocation having been the 

 conveyance of tomatos, cibolis, and pumpkins 

 to Badajos. The French had extended the 

 conscription laws to animals in Spain, and 

 Vos-me-say had fallen under their ordeal. 

 On the retreat from Portugal he became a 

 follower of the red coats. It is hardly neces- 

 sary to state that Vos-me-say was re.^itored lo 

 his old master. 



