Grey morning was spreading along the east, and the red flush of the coming sun was brightening behind the dark towers of Gibral-Faro, and sparkling on the lattices of Malaga. The aromatic plants were putting forth their sweetest perfume, and the light foliage of the sugar-cane, the cotton plant, and the citron tree, were shaking off the heavy dews of night. The air was clear and cool; after the toils of the past day, the sleepless night and its terrors, the fresh dewy atmosphere revived me, and, dashing down the lonely mountain-side, I reached a little puebla, and reported the whole affair to the officer who there commanded a party of the carabineros of Antequera.
A sergeant and twenty troopers galloped away to the posada, which they found completely deserted by all its living tenants; but they hung the body of the patron upon a tree, burned the house to the ground, and conveyed the mangled remains of poor Jack Hall to Malaga, where they were interred next day, with all the honours of war, in that corner of the Campo Santo which is appropriated for the burial of strangers; and there the marines of the Blonde fired three volleys over the grave, where as noble a heart as Her Majesty's service possessed was committed to the earth of Spain.
An hour's examination before a magistrate, who swore me across my sword as to the particulars, was all the judicial inquiry ever made; we sailed next day, and reached Portsmouth, after a fine run, and without any other mishaps; but I shall never forget that terrible night among the mountains of Antequera, Martin Secco, his wife's tail, and the horrors of La Posada del Cavallo.
Jack's adventure elicited a burst of applause, and was voted the story of the evening, notwithstanding the great spice of the miraculous and holy, which had seasoned the narrative of the Major Don Joaquim.
CHAPTER VII
THE HALT IN A CORK WOOD
Next morning betimes we left the venta of Castellar where, overnight, we had spent so many pleasant hours. The Major Don Joaquim was very curious to know the object of our mission to Seville, of which he announced himself a well-known citizen; but we declined to state the reason of our visit in uniform to that far-famed city; neither did we mention that our business lay with no less a personage than the captain-general of Los Cuatros Reinos.
In a country like Spain, where the people are so jealous of their national honour and so revengeful, we did not conceive that it would be conducive to our safety to state that we were the identical officers whose affair with the guarda costa had caused so much heartburning for some weeks past, and so much correspondence between our governor and the minister Espartero; so, somewhat piqued by our reserve, the major gave us a formal bow, and clambered into the vehicle which was to convey him to Medina. We separated, the convoy of calessos got into motion after much noise and vociferation on the part of the drivers, the stable-boys, the hostalero, and the passengers, who were all gabbling at once in full-toned Spanish as they rolled away under the escort of a party of very ill-appointed dragoons in the service of Donna Isabella la Catolica, while we rode off in the opposite direction towards Alcala de los Gazules, a small town, which lies on the Seville road, and through which we passed soon after.
"Let us push on," said I, to interrupt Jack, who had been rallying me pretty smartly about Donna Paulina, and vowing that all this affair of a trip to Seville had been foreseen and preconcerted by me for the purpose of meeting her again and continuing a flirtation which was a source of great merriment to the regiment. "Let us push on, Jack, for I feel very anxious——"
"To reach Seville, of course; but it won't run away; we shall find it in its proper place on the left bank of the Guadalquiver."