whereupon he stopped, reared, and refused to proceed.  “Hold the bridle loose and touch him with your whip,” shouted Antonio from before.  I obeyed, and forthwith the animal set off at a trot, which gradually increased in swiftness till it became a downright furious speedy trot; his limbs were now thoroughly lithy, and he brandished his fore legs in a manner perfectly wondrous; the mule of Antonio, which was a spirited animal of excellent paces, would fain have competed with him, but was passed in a twinkling.  This tremendous trot endured for about a mile, when the animal, becoming yet more heated, broke suddenly into a gallop.  Hurrah! no hare ever ran so wildly or blindly; it was, literally, ventre a terre; and I had considerable difficulty in keeping him clear of rocks, against which he would have rushed in his savage fury, and dashed himself and rider to atoms.

This race brought me to the foot of the hill, where I waited till the Gypsy rejoined me:  we left the hill, which seemed quite inaccessible, on our right, passing through a small and wretched village.  The sun went down, and dark night presently came upon us; we proceeded on, however, for nearly three hours, until we heard the barking of dogs, and perceived a light or two in the distance.  “That is Trujillo,” said Antonio, who had not spoken for a long time.  “I am glad of it,” I replied; “I am thoroughly tired; I shall sleep soundly in Trujillo.”  “That is as it may be,” said the Gypsy, and spurred his mule to a brisker pace.  We soon entered the town, which appeared dark and gloomy enough; I followed close behind the Gypsy, who led the way I knew not whither, through dismal streets and dark places, where cats were squalling.  “Here is the house,” said he at last, dismounting before a low mean hut; he knocked, no answer was returned;—­he knocked again, but still there was no reply; he shook the door and essayed to open it, but it appeared firmly locked and bolted.  “Caramba!” said he, “they are out—­I feared it might be so.  Now what are we to do?”

“There can be no difficulty,” said I, “with respect to what we have to do; if your friends are gone out, it is easy enough to go to a posada.”

“You know not what you say,” replied the Gypsy, “I dare not go to the mesuna, nor enter any house in Trujillo save this, and this is shut; well, there is no remedy, we must move on, and, between ourselves, the sooner we leave this place the better; my own planoro (brother) was garroted at Trujillo.”

He lighted a cigar, by means of a steel and yesca, sprang on his mule, and proceeded through streets and lanes equally dismal as those which we had already traversed till we again found ourselves out of the, town.