manoeuvring, and marched skilfully upon the point he had in view. He
drew such a pathetic picture of the hardships they had endured on the
voyage--their probable detention here for most of their short
leave--their friendless condition, and their desire to see something
of the country--that the little Governor was in a manner impelled
(fancying all the time that the impulse sprung altogether from his own
native benevolence) to desire that the two forlorn Englishmen would
travel to Cadiz under his escort. So it being settled entirely to
Garry's satisfaction that they were to start next morning at break
of day on horseback--an arrangement which my grandfather's total
ignorance of Spanish prevented him from knowing anything about--they
retired to the principal fonda, where the Major speedily forgot, over
a tolerable dinner, the toils and perils of the voyage.

CHAPTER II.

Daybreak the next morning found them issuing forth from the ancient
city of Tarifa on a couple of respectable-looking hacks, hired from
the innkeeper. Frank had, with his accustomed generalship, managed to
secure a position at the off-rein of the Senorita Juana, who was
mounted on a beautiful little white barb. Under her side-saddle, of
green velvet studded with gilt nails, was a Moorish saddle-cloth,
striped with vivid red and white, and fringed deeply. From the
throat-lash of the bridle hung a long tassel, as an artificial
auxiliary to the barb's tail in the task of keeping the flies off,
further assisted by a tuft of white horse-hair attached to the butt of
her whip. She wore a looped hat and white plume, a riding-skirt, and
an embroidered jacket of blue cloth, fastened, as was the wrought
bosom of her chemise, with small gold buttons. Frank could not keep
his eyes off her, now riding off to the further side of the road to
take in at once the whole of the beauteous vision, now coming close
up to study it in its delightful details.

In front of the pair rode the little Governor, side by side with a
Spaniard of about thirty, the long-betrothed lover of Juana--so long,
in fact, that he did not trouble himself to secure his authority in a
territory so undeniably his own, but smoked his cigar as coolly as if
there were no good-looking Englishman within fifty miles of his
mistress. He wore garments of the Spanish cut, made of nankeen--the
jacket frogged with silver cords, tagged with little silver XXXX
fishes--the latter appended, perhaps, as suitable