what Might Have Happened 



resisted his attempts at mediation, and called him an old 

 donkey, which, as a man in authority, seemed quite to take 

 him aback. 



During the temporary lull, I may go into a slight diver- 

 sion, describing what you have a right to expect would be 

 the result of such an unwarranted and rash appeal to arms. 

 The corporal, finding two refractory strangers who will not 

 pay the reckoning of his friend and neighbour, and who, to 

 make the matter worse, address himself as an old donkey, 

 of course calls out the guard. 



Nine men, in seedy uniform, appear with carabines, and 

 take us into custody. We are put in a basket and hoisted 

 up into the entrance hole of the tower, high above the 

 ground. The guard return to their breakfast, of which, 

 with customary Spanish politeness, they beg us to partake : 

 we civilly decline ; but finding them not bad fellows, enter 

 into conversational relations, and finally win the corporal's 

 heart with a long cigar. 



Meanwhile we put in a fair statement of our case to a 

 now willing audience. They agree that, to be sure, it was 

 a villainous imposition ; and, moreover, the ventero always 

 cheats them in their aguardiente. We do a portrait of the 

 corporal and a caricature of the ventero^ and, moreover, 

 doctor a sick carabineer, who has a fever, and lies in a 

 dark corner of the donjon. Finally, we sally forth by the 

 basket, the corporal (having been told he is the most 

 valiant corporal in Spain, or the known world, which is the 

 same thing) blusters for us, and threatens the ventero^ who 

 takes the twelve reals^ and we find we have gained six reals 

 and an adventure at the expense of half a day's journey, and 

 a good many cigars. 



However, this little history, which, if expanded with much 

 interesting discourse, might look very well in print, would 



203 



