"
By this time they were enabled to view him more narrowly. He had a
black patch across his forehead, which, with a grizzled beard, added
to a certain dare-devil cast of countenance, while a slight squint
threw into the whole an occasional gleam of roguish good humor.
Having answered the questions of the patrol, the soldier seemed to
consider himself entitled to make others in return. "May I ask,"
said he, "what city is that which I see at the foot of the hill?"
"What city!" cried the trumpeter; "come, that's too bad. Here's a
fellow lurking about the mountain of the sun, and demands the name
of the great city of Granada!"
"Granada! Madre de Dios! can it be possible?"
"Perhaps not!" rejoined the trumpeter; "and perhaps you have no idea
that yonder are the towers of the Alhambra."
"Son of a trumpet," replied the stranger, "do not trifle with me; if
this be indeed the Alhambra, I have some strange matters to reveal
to the governor."
"You will have an opportunity," said the corporal, "for we mean to
take you before him." By this time the trumpeter had seized the bridle
of the steed, the two privates had each secured an arm of the soldier,
the corporal put himself in front, gave the word, "Forward- march!"
and away they marched for the Alhambra.
The sight of a ragged foot-soldier and a fine Arabian horse, brought
in captive by the patrol, attracted the attention of all the idlers of
the fortress, and of those gossip groups that generally assemble about
wells and fountains at early dawn.
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