Something Like What Follows 



cloaks into a heap, and lying on my stomach, presented the 

 muzzle of my pistol over the battery. ' Now then, you 

 impudent rascal,' I said, 'lay down your gun and go away, 

 or I'll shoot you, before you can coax your rusty old piece 

 to go off; and I should advise you never again to try your 

 hand on Englishmen with English pistols ! ' 



" He hesitated, and turned pale, and was stepping back, 

 when I said, 'If you move without leaving your gun, I fire. 

 Here, I have the advantage — at a distance, you might.' 



" ' No English dog shall make a jest of the Andaluz,' he 

 said, a sudden fury flushing his face. He presented his 

 gun as quickly as he could, and we both fired at the same 

 moment ; but my pistol had been on his heart during the 

 discussion, and through his heart it went. But I had a 

 nearish escape : look at the rim of my hat." 



Sure enough, there was a round hole in the broad 

 upturned brim of the Calanies. 



" Thank God you are no worse, but what are we to do ? " 



" We had better leave him as he is ; he has fallen with 

 the gun clutched in his hand. If we don't disturb him, and 

 they find him after a day or two, with money in his pocket, 

 and all those silver buttons on his clothes, they will think 

 he has destroyed himself ; I have unsaddled his horse, and 

 turned him loose. He will probably stray away, and not 

 attract immediate attention ; we must throw the saddle and 

 bridle into another bush. There now — we had better put 

 earth between us, as they say." 



I could easily perceive that he was deeply shocked, 

 though the excitement gave a sort of painful levity to his 

 manner. 



Before mounting, I went to look at the corpse, the first I 

 had ever seen of one who had died a violent death. He 

 had staggered backwards and fallen flat on his back, his 



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