Guardia Civil 



Both of us having bathed in the cold clear pool, Harry 

 began to sketch the mill, and I to try to set it in motion. 

 It was very old and rickety. The half-rotten wheel had 

 lost some of its paddles, and was so soddened and heavy 

 that I could not for a long while, by stamping and kicking, 

 get it round a foot or so, to let the gush of water come 

 upon anything it could take hold of ; and it was so slippery, 

 I was afraid that if I set it off it might knock me down, 

 and dash me to pieces in the sluice. At last I got it to 

 go, and round went the splashing wheel. Bang — bang — 

 bang clumped the ponderous mallets alternately in the 

 sloppy trough. After about twenty strokes, however, one 

 of them fell out of the frame with a crash, and the wheel 

 was locked ; so I gave it up, and began to sketch. For 

 this I had not patience, it being a complicated job to give 

 an idea of the machinery ; but while Harry drew, I wrote 

 in my journal. 



As I wrote, two men, who had come up unperceived, 

 stood before me in sheepskin breeches with broad belts, and 

 a musket apiece. 



" Adios sefioresy whence are you ? " 



" From Seville," we replied. 



" Are you not foreigners ? " 



" Retratistas (portrait-painters), at your service. Would 

 you like your portrait taken at three reals ? " 



*' Not thus," said he, pointing to his sheepskin inex- 

 pressibles ; " but I have a wife lives not half a league 

 further up the valley ; I should like to have her portrait 

 taken." 



" I am sorry we have not time to go further, we must be 

 back at Argamasilla by five ; with whom may we have the 

 honour to speak ? " 



" The Guardia Mayor." 



269 



