r champaign of Alcala. This
letter, written by Vitoriano, gave me to understand, that he had been
already eight days imprisoned, and that unless I could find some means to
extricate him there was every probability of his remaining in durance
until he should perish with hunger, which he had no doubt would occur as
soon as his money was exhausted and he was unable to purchase the
necessaries of life at a great price. From what I afterwards learned it
appeared that after passing the town of Alcala he had commenced
distributing, and with considerable success. His entire stock consisted
of sixty-one Testaments, twenty-five of which he sold without the least
difficulty or interruption in the single village of Arganza, the poor
labourers showering blessings on his head for providing them with such
good books at an easy price. Not more than eighteen remained when he
turned off the high road towards Fuente La Higuera. This place was
already tolerably well known to him, he having visited it of old when he
travelled the country in the capacity of a vendor of _cacharros_ or
earthen pans. He subsequently stated that he felt some misgiving whilst
on the way, as the village had invariably enjoyed a bad reputation. On
his arrival, after having put up his _caballejo_, or little pony, at a
_posada_, he proceeded to the _Alcalde_ for the purpose of demanding
permission to sell books, which that dignitary immediately granted. He
now entered a house and sold a copy, and likewise in a second.
Emboldened by success he entered a third, which it appeared belonged to
the barber-surgeon of the village. This personage, having just completed
his dinner, was seated in an arm-chair within his doorway when Vitoriano
made his appearance. He was a man of about thirty-five, of a savage,
truculent countenance. On Vitoriano's offering him a Testament he took
it into his hand to examine it; but no sooner did his eyes glance over
the title-page than he burst into a loud laugh, exclaiming: 'Ha, ha, Don
Jorge Borrow, the English heretic, we have encountered you at last.
Glory to the Virgin and the Saints! We have long been expecting you
here, and at length you have arrived.' He then enquired the price of the
book, and on being told three _reals_, he flung down two, and rushed out
of the house with the Testament in his hand. Vitoriano now became
alarmed, and determined upon leaving the place as soon as possible. He
therefore hurried back to the _po