A Thousand Francs Reward (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...away. I was indignant and did not speak to her all the night. The next morning, we made up our bundles and were ready to start en route, when we perceived that a dozen cavaliers were at our heels. The cowardly Andalusians, who always talked fight, at once made a piteous face. It was the deuce take the hindmost. Dancaire, Garcia, a boy of Ecija, who was called Remendado, and Carmen, kept their presence of mind. The rest had abandoned the mules, and threw themselves into the ravines where the horses could not follow them. We were unable to take our beasts, and we hastened to unfasten the most valuable of our booty and load it upon our shoulders. Then we tried to escape over the rocks, down the steepest declivities. We cast our bundles before us, and followed them as well as we could by sliding down on our feet and hands. All this time the enemy kept firing at us, and for the first time I heard the balls whistle by my head. However, that affected me but little, for one is always brave in the view of the woman he loves. We all escaped except poor Remendado, who received a ball in his thigh. I threw away my bundle and tried to take him. "Fool " yelled Garcia, "what will we do with a carcass? Finish him, and don't lose the cotton." "Throw him down " Carmen cried to me. Fatigue obliged me to lay him down for an instant in the shelter of a large rock. Garcia turned back, placed the muzzle of his gtm in his face, and pulled the trigger. "Very expert would he be who would recognize him now," said he, looking at the face that a dozen bullets had plowed. That, senor, is the kind of life I have led. That evening found us in a thicket, exhausted with fatigue, with nothing to eat, and ruined by the loss of our mules and goods. What ...