I saw that I should have
to make my bed on the naked plain, with my knapsack for a pillow;
but your excellency is an old soldier, and knows that to one who has
been in the wars, such a night's lodging is no great hardship."
The governor nodded assent, as he drew his pocket handkerchief out
of the basket-hilt, to drive away a fly that buzzed about his nose.
"Well, to make a long story short," continued the soldier, "I
trudged forward for several miles until I came to a bridge over a deep
ravine, through which ran a little thread of water, almost dried up by
the summer heat. At one end of the bridge was a Moorish tower, the
upper end all in ruins, but a vault in the foundation quite entire.
Here, thinks I, is a good place to make a halt; so I went down to
the stream, took a hearty drink, for the water was pure and sweet, and
I was parched with thirst; then, opening my wallet, I took out an
onion and a few crusts, which were all my provisions, and seating
myself on a stone on the margin of the stream, began to make my
supper, intending afterwards to quarter myself for the night in the
vault of the tower; and capital quarters they would have been for a
campaigner just from the wars, as your excellency, who is an old
soldier, may suppose."
"I have put up gladly with worse in my time," said the governor,
returning his pocket handkerchief into the hilt of his sword.
"While I was quietly crunching my crust," pursued the soldier, "I
heard something stir within the vault; I listened- it was the tramp of
a horse.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372