Part 33 (2/2)
CHAPTER FIFTY ONE
A GRUMBLING GUARD
Part of the dialogue between Santander and the hunchback was overheard by Jose--enough of it to give hi to himself, or his connivance at the escape of the prisoners For all, he could see that he was now in asThe Colonel of Hussars had gone on to the city, perhaps to co hier force And as his words told, he would return again; and no doubthiht of the faithful _cochero_ was not about hiht, as they were now likely to do The lives ofthe nuet ho mistress and the Condesa; then hasten up the ood luck would have it, he knew the place they were in Son of a _carbonero_, when a boy he had helped his father in the charcoal-burning business; was familiar with the mountain forests, and their paths, and had more than once been at the abandoned monastery He could easily find the way to it But the difficulty was to get back to his master's house--even stir fro their orders the two Hussars had dismounted, and tied up their horses, one on each side of the rocky ee, occupying the space between It was not possible to pass without being seen by the as he kept his place he ht feel comparatively safe The cove was of a three-cornered shape, with luckily a deep dark cleft at its inner angle, into which he had already squeezed himself While the moon remained low, and the cliffhiht but pleasant, and ere long became irksome in the extreme; the conversation to which he was co it so
The two _Husares_ did not seem, to be in the best of tens of dissatisfaction Groping about for a stone to seat hiru to stay here till they get back
Heaven knohen that will be Like enough not before ht in San Augustin, and had hopes of a chat with that _muchachita_ at the house where the colonel visits”
”Pepita, you mean--lady's maid to the Dona Luisa Valverde?”
”Of course I mean her, the pretty dear; and have reason to think she is a bit sweet uponIt ith difficulty he restrained hi hi his place, if not his temper; for it would have been sheer madness to show himself there and then What came after quite tranquillised him
”Well, _cabo_” returned he of the rank and file, see plain to the non-commissioned officer, ”I should be sorry to dash your hopes; but as a friend I can't help saying I don't think you have her, that same Pepita; holds her head far above any of us common soldiers--”
”Coet that, _hombre_ But why do you think my chances are so poor?”
”Because I've heard say there's a iven what heart she roo of the sort”
Jose breathed easier noays provoked at having been spoken of as a ”fellow”
”Bah!” contemptuously exclaimed the corporal ”What care I for that horse-cleaner and carriage-washer for a rival! I've cut out scores of such before now, and will do the same with hiely upon the dwarf, and venting his spleen by giving the creature a kick ”Down, or I'll break every bone in your body”
”Mercy, master!” expostulated the hunchback ”Don't be so cruel to a fellow-creature”
”Fellow-creature! That's good, ha, ha, ha!” And the brute broke out into a hoarse laugh, till the rocks echoed his fiendish cachinnation
”Well, your worshi+p,” rejoined he thus inhumanly mocked, with an air of assumed meekness; ”whatever I a you here But why should you stay,to run away? If I ith you as a prisoner-- but I aht an intervieith your Colonel of h, he did,” interposed the soldier
”And what if he did?” growled the corporal
”Only, Senor, to show that I have no intention to part company with you, nor wish neither _Por Dios_! don't letthat chat with the _muchachita_ It's but a step back to the _pueblo_, and like as not she'll be on the lookout for you, spite of what your comrade says Maybe he has an eye to the pretty dear hie you”
As this rigmarole was delivered in the most comicalout into laughter
Of course the corporal had no thought of availing himself of the permission so accorded Their orders were strict to stay in that spot, and stay they must The question was, hoere they to spend the tiarritos, with flint, steel, and tinder
Soon as the red coal appeared beneath their noses, said the _cabo_ to his comrade--
”By the way, Perico, have you your cards with you?”