IN SEARCH OF THE LAMMERGEYER. 305 



lis to a fine view at moderately sliort distance. The general 

 contour and flight was far more vulturine and less falcon- 

 like than we had expected. The wings seemed fully as heavy, 

 broad, and square at the points as those of a griffon, but 

 there was rather more curve at the elbow. A lightish 

 spot near the tips of the quills, the rich tawny breast 

 and white head, keenly turning from side to side, were 

 very conspicuous from below ; but the distinguishing 

 characteristic of the bird is its tail. This is very long, 

 and continues broadening out for half its length, thence 

 narrowing down acutely to the sharp wedge-shaped tip. 



Presently the bird appeared to enter some great crags — 

 already hidden from view by an intervening bluff — and 

 the hopes of a shot revived. Benitez was protesting 

 against the idea of spending another night here, with no 

 food for man or beast, when the Lammergeyer solved the 

 question by re-appearing, and after a few fine aerial evolu- 

 tions, winged his wa}- direct towards the distant sierras 

 beyond Grazalema. 



That night we reached the little reiita of the Parada del 

 Yalle : the landlord could hardly get over the curiosity of 

 our wishing to wash before dinner, and for some minutes 

 revolved like a swivel-mitrailleuse, expectorating all over 

 the floor while pondering this thing in his mind. " Ahora "?" 

 at last he inquired. "Si! ahora mismo!" we replied, 

 when he went and brought a thing that looked like a tin 

 plate, containing about a breakfast-cupful of water. 



El Yalle is a straggling little village situate in the mouth 

 of one of the defiles leading into the mountains, and con- 

 sists of a few low cottages and a single country-house — a 

 rare thing in Spain — embowered amidst orange and olive- 

 groves. The orange harvest was in full swing, and the 

 villagers one and all busy gathering the golden fruit into 

 heaps, and packing it upon mules for market ; some 

 also in the long wooden cases one sees about Covent 

 Garden. The only sign-board in the little one-sided 

 street displayed the words " Dentista y Sangrador "— the 

 Spaniards, by the way, are strong believers in bleeding : 

 it seems the one known remedy, efficacious for all the ills 



X 



