e path appeared to lead direct towards it. We
had not gone far before we met two Galicians on their way to cut the
harvests of Castile. One of them shouted, 'Cavalier, turn back: in a
moment you will be amongst precipices where your horses will break their
necks, for we ourselves could scarcely climb them on foot.' The other
cried, 'Cavalier, proceed, but be careful, and your horses, if
sure-footed, will run no great danger; my comrade is a fool.' A violent
dispute instantly ensued between the two mountaineers, each supporting
his opinion with loud oaths and curses; but without stopping to see the
result I passed on. But the path was now filled with stones and huge
slaty rocks, on which my horse slid, frequently on his haunches. I
likewise heard the sound of water in a deep gorge, which I had hitherto
not perceived, and I soon saw that it would be worse than madness to
proceed. I turned my horse and was hastening to regain the path which I
had left, when Antonio, my faithful Greek, pointed out to me a meadow, by
which he said we might regain the high road much lower down than if we
returned on our steps. The meadow was brilliant with short green grass,
and in the middle there was a small rivulet of water. I spurred my horse
on, expecting to be in the high road in a moment; the horse, however,
snorted and stared wildly, and was evidently unwilling to cross the
seemingly inviting spot. I thought that the scent of a wolf or some
other wild animal might have disturbed him, but was soon undeceived by
his sinking up to the knees in a bog. The animal uttered a shrill sharp
neigh, and exhibited every sign of the greatest terror, making at the
same time great efforts to extricate himself, and plunging forward, but
every moment sinking deeper. At last he arrived where a small vein of
rock showed itself, on this he placed his fore feet, and with one
tremendous exertion freed himself from the deceitful soil, springing over
the rivulet and alighting on comparatively firm ground, where he stood
panting, his heaving sides covered with a foamy sweat. Antonio, who had
been a terrified observer of the whole scene, afraid to venture forward,
returned by the path by which we came and shortly afterwards rejoined me.
This adventure brought to my recollection the meadow with its foot-path,
which tempted Christian from the straight road to heaven, and finally
conducted him to the dominions of the Giant Despair.

_No hay atajo_