Venta de Cegri 



we left it, and performing a slow steeple-chase across the 

 country, reached the Venta de Cegri. 



Before the gateway a number of women and children and 

 soldiers were scattered in picturesque groups ; the women 

 sewing, peeling potatoes, or picking lettuces for salad. 

 The carabineros (who have a station here) were loitering 

 about, talking to the women, or playing with the children. 

 They were all gathered there to take the last out of the 

 warmth and light of the sun, which was fast sloping to the 

 western hills. We unsaddled our beasts. Vigil gave a 

 favourable professional opinion of the Moor's shoulder, 

 which he said was quite well and healed up, without likeli- 

 hood of relapse. Coming out to take our share of the 

 sunset, innumerable mules and arrieros kept arriving, and 

 there was a great bustle. A man brought a donkey, whose 

 ample panniers were piled with lettuces, and I purchased 

 three at a cuarto each (three cuartos are about a penny), 

 and gave them to a daughter of the house, to pick for 

 salad. 



The ventero now came up, and asked us, " Would we be 

 pleased to sup ? There were some partridges and rabbits 

 in the ollaT This was a great windfall : but we were now 

 travelling on a great road, where the ventas are on a larger 

 scale, and can make preparations for the chance comers of 

 the evening, with more probability of customers turning up 

 to pay for the stew. We had some rice fried in oil to eat 

 with the olby which, with our salad, made an excellent 

 supper. We invited Vigil. He was off his feed, however, 

 and could only be persuaded to eat some bread and salad, 

 and drink a little wine. 



It was now a question where to sleep. All the dwelling- 

 rooms in the upper story of the venta were occupied by the 

 company of carabineros. We therefore disposed ourselves 



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