[Page 51.]—1.[{51-1}] For the life and works of Blasco Ibáñez, see [page xvi] of the Introduction. La barca abandonada is the germ of one of the author's earlier novels, Flor de mayo. The text is taken from a volume of short stories entitled La condenada, por Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia y Madrid, 1895.
2.[{51-2}] ocurriera has here the force of a preterite; cf. H. F. Gr., § 99, 2.
[Page 52.]—1.[{52-1}] caballos; only old and worn-out horses are selected for the bull-fights.
2.[{52-2}] Socarrao (= "Socarrado", "Scorched"), "Terror".
[Page 53.]—1.[{53-1}] lleva hechos; one may also say tiene hechos, or simply ha hecho; but these expressions differ somewhat in meaning.
2.[{53-2}] se le ... pillo = se le ocurrió á un pillo ... decir.
[Page 54.]—1.[{54-1}] que, so that.
[Page 55.]—1.[{55-1}] Mejor hubiéramos visto, we should have preferred to see.
2.[{55-2}] noche is subject of habría cerrado, and cañonero (understood) of alcanzara.
3.[{55-3}] cualquiera, no one at all. This may possibly be a negative use of cualquiera, before the verb, similar to that of jamás, en mi vida, etc.; or it may be merely ironical.