314 JOURNEY. 



road; and with him he had endeavoured 

 to make off. I told the peon that, until my 

 dog was forthcoming, I should detain two 

 of the best mules in my stable; which I 

 instantly ordered to be done, as they were 

 standing in the court-yard. The peon went 

 to the Caporal, who was concealed in the 

 town; and, on telling him what I had 

 done, he immediately posted off to the 

 Alcalde, and complained of the detention 

 of his mules. The Alcalde enquiring the 

 reason, the fellow said, that it was on ac- 

 count of a dog which had been left with 

 him, but which had run away into the 

 woods, foaming at the mouth very terribly. 

 The magistrate, divining the truth from the 

 well-known roguery of these men, told 

 him, that unless he produced the dog, I 

 was justified in detaining his mules. This 

 had the desired effect ; and the following 

 morning, the Caporal appeared at my 

 house with the dog. In consequence of 



