The Demonio in the Stable 



successful lover with a most theatrical and coxcombical 

 swagger, pointing also his discourse with many appropriate 

 expletives, of whose meaning he is wholly unaware, but 

 which he has learnt on the road to introduce with great 

 effect in the genteel, school-room Spanish which he brought 

 out with him. From Granada we are on our way to 

 Seville ; to-day we left Ronda. You are now in posses- 

 sion of our history, and we have a fair right to your 

 adventures." 



When we had lit our cigars, and Lady Jane had conde- 

 scended to accept a very thin little cigarUlo^ which Harry 

 made up for her, I proceeded to narrate our adventure of 

 the dehesa^ and was in the most palpitating part of it, when 

 the mozo came up in a flurry from the stable, and said that 

 my pony had broken his halter, and was fighting furiously. 

 I left Harry to finish off the story, and went down in among 

 a great crowd of horses, and mules, and asses. My little 

 demonio had broken away, and gone to his principal enemy, 

 a large black entero^ who was luckily tied up rather tighter, 

 or else he would probably have killed the little ninny before 

 I got there. The traha was fortunately fast on the latter's 

 fore-legs. There they were, snorting, and whinnying, and 

 biting, and trying to strike one another with their fore- 

 feet. 



The Moor, at last, got his manacled hands into a high 

 manger, to which his enemy's head was tied, and had some 

 difficulty in getting them out again. At this conjuncture I 

 rushed in among the fray, and getting hold of the remains 

 of the broken halter round his neck, pulled him down, and 

 drew him struggling, and kicking, and rearing with great 

 vehemence, back to his own barley, and tied him up very 

 tight between a pacific mule and the Cid. 



Soon after I went up-stairs again the party broke up. 



149 



