The Firebrand

re, Pedro! Take down the iron spit to him, José! Heaven's curses on his long arm! A fo

st spring into the air, came these and other similar cries. It was a long and narrowish apartment-t

various machos or he-mules scattered among them. These gladly retaliated, that being their form of relaxation, and through the resulting chaos of whinnying, stamping, neighing, and striking of sparks from pavement stones, skirmished a score of brown imps, more than half naked, eac

hasted to the fray incontinently stumbled. And in the majority of instances their stumble had been converted into a fall by a blow on the sconce, or across the shoulders, from the flat of a long sword wielded by th

om one of their own race. Next came a young butcher or two from the killing-yards, each already a toreador in his own estimation. The rest were chiefly arrieros or car

villa and the mule-clippers of Aragon rather than in more reputable quarters, his speech to the critical ear was flavoured with a certain rich allusive

certain other words in a foreign tongue, which, being strong-sounding and guttural,

ng o' the Grassmarket doon your throats! A set o' gabbling geese-tak' that! With your virgins and saints! Ah, wo

kept his enemies very successfully at bay, meeting their blades six at a time, and treading and turning so lightly that as he lunged this w

shall all perish," wailed an old woman, shrinking back

youth apostrop

r was forged! What do you think o' that for Leith Links? And t

he shot would indubitably have brought down the young hero of the unequal combat, had not a stout ruddy-faced youth

s bad enough, specially when that one is a fool. But pistols

rk snatched from the chimney-corner, he set himself shoulde

ing grateful for this interference on his b

ed man's sake?" he cried, crabbedly. "Couldna ye hae lette

other, while the broad sweeps of his companion's sword and the energe

the ollas and pucheros of the entire company bubbled and steamed, he caught the largest of the pot

ey do not cease their racket, I will warrant that they shall not have an onion or a sprig of garlic to

and consulted, while the Scot who had caused all the disturbance, dropped his point to the floor, and contented himself with wrapping his cloak more tightly about his defensive arm. He had evidently been some time in the country, for

any language, or any field of honour, from the carpet of a prime minister to one of your infernal dusty campos, with any

it to you, caballeros?" cried one of the de

What needs this son of the burden-bearing animal to speak of Caballeros? Is there any old Castilian here, of the right ancient stock? If so, let h

th the cape drawn close about his head, rose a man of a little past the middle years of life, his blac

I will hear your cause of quarrel, and, if you so desire, advise my compat

er among them, whispering in the ear of each belligerent; and his communication, having presumably to do with the stranger's quality and condition, had a remarkable effect in casting oil upon the waters. Indeed, the Migueletes had withdrawn as soon as the Ca

nd my custom is not to make a promise at night