A SHOOTING PARTY TO THE MOUNTAINS--OUR ITALIAN PIQUEUR, DAMIEN
BERRIO--SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS PREVIOUS LIFE--LOS BARRIOS--THE
BEAUTIFUL MAID, AND THE MAIDEN'S LEVELLING SIRE--ROAD TO
SANONA--PREPARATIONS AGAINST BANDITS--ARRIVAL AT THE
CASERIA--DESCRIPTION OF ITS OWNER AND ACCOMMODATIONS--FINE
SCENERY--A BATIDA.
In the wildest part of the mountainous belt that, stretching in a wide
semicircle round Gibraltar, cuts the rocky peninsula off, as it were,
from the rest of Spain, is situated the _Casería de Sanona_; a lone
house, now dwindled down to a mere farm; but, as both its name implies,
and its appearance bespeaks, formerly a place of some consequence.
It was brought to its present lowly state during the last war, when its
inhabitants were so reduced in number, as well as circumstances, that
hands and means are still equally wanting for the proper looking after,
and attending to, the vast herds and extensive _dehesas_[95] and
forest-lands belonging to it. The consequence is, that the wolves and
wild boars, from having been so long permitted to roam about in
undisputed possession of the woods, have in their turn, from being the
persecuted, become the aggressors, and are now in the habit of making
nightly predatory visits to the cattle folds and plantations of the
_Casería_, carrying off the farmer's sheep and heifers, and destroying
his winter stock of vegetables, whenever, by any neglect or remissness
of the watch, an opportunity is afforded them.
Besides the animals above mentioned, deer, and, in the winter,
woodcocks, find the unfrequented ravines in the vicinity of the
_Casería_ equally well suited to their secluded habits; and, tempted by
the promising account of the sport the place afforded, a party was
formed, consisting of three of my most intimate friends, myself, and a
piqueur, to proceed thither for a few days' shooting.
Sending forward a messenger to the Casería, as well to go through the
form of asking its proprietor to "put us up," during our proposed visit,
as to request him to have a sufficient number of beaters collected--on
which the quality of the sport mainly depends--we provided ourselves
with a week's consumption of provisions and ammunition, and, leaving
Gibraltar late in the afternoon, proceeded to Los Barrios; whence, we
could take an earlier departure on the following morning than from the
locked-up fortress.
The _Piqueur_ who usually accompanied us on these shooting excursions
was a personage of some celebrity in the Gibraltar _sporting world_, and
his name--Damien Berrio--will doubtless be familiar to such of my
readers as may have resided any time on "the rock." By birth a
Piedmontese, a baker by profession, Damien's bread--like that of many
persons in a more elevated walk of life--was not to his taste. At the
very mention of a _Batida_, he would leave oven, home, wife, and
children; shoulder his gun, fill his _alforjas_--for he was a provident
soul, and, though a baker, ever maintained that man could not live on
bread alone--borrow a horse, and, in half an hour, "be ready for a
start."
Possessing a perfect knowledge of the country, a quick eye, an unerring
aim, and a nose that could wind an _olla_ if within the circuit of a
Spanish league, Damien was, in many respects, a valuable acquisition on
a shooting party. And to the aforesaid qualifications, befitting him for
the _staff_, he added that of being an excellent _raconteur_. In this he
received much assistance from his personal appearance, which, like that
of the inimitable Liston, passed off for humour that which, in reality,
was pure nature.
His person was much above the common stature, erect, and well-built, but
his hands and feet were "prodigious." His face--when the sun fell
directly upon it, so as to free it from the shadow of his enormous
nose--was intelligent, and bespoke infinite good nature, though marked,
nevertheless, with the lines of care and sorrow. His costume was that of
a French sportsman, except that he wore a high-crowned, weather-beaten
old hat, placed somewhat knowingly on one side of his head, and which,
of itself alone, marked him as "_a character_."
To those who have not had the pleasure of his acquaintance, a _precis_
of his early history may not be unacceptable; those who already know it
will, I trust, pardon the short digression.
Born on the sunny side of the Alps, some fifteen years before the
breaking out of the French revolution, Damien, at a very early age, was
called upon to defend his country against the aggression of its Gallic
neighbours. He was draughted accordingly to a regiment of grenadiers of
the Piedmontese army commanded by General Colli; and, in the short and
disgraceful campaign of 1796, was made prisoner with the brave but
unfortunate Provèra, at the Castle of Cosséria.
On the formation of the Cisalpine republic soon afterwards, our
grenadier, released, as he fondly imagined, from the necessity of any
further military service, purposed returning to his family and regretted
agricultural pursuits; but, on applying for his discharge, he found that
he had quite misunderstood the meaning of the word _freedom_. "What!"
said the regenerator of his oppressed country; "what! return home like a
lazy drone, when so much still remains to be done! No, no, we cannot
part with you yet; we are about to give liberty to the rest of Italy;
you must march; can mankind be more beneficially or philanthropically
employed? _Allons! en avant! vive la liberté!_"--"And so," said Damien,
"off we were marched, under the tail of the French eagle, to give
freedom to the _Facchini of Venice_, and _Lazzaroni_ of Naples; and to
spoil and pillage all that lay in our way."
This marauding life was ill-suited either to our hero's taste or habits,
and accordingly he embraced the first favourable opportunity of quitting
the service of the "Regenerator of Italy." How he managed to effect his
liberation I never could find out, it being one of the very few subjects
on which Damien was close; but I suspect--much as he liked
shooting--that the love of the smell of gunpowder was not a _natural_
taste of his. Be that as it may, he made his way to Spain--took to
himself a Spanish wife--and settled at Gibraltar.
His language, like the dress of a harlequin, was made up of
scraps,--French, Spanish, English, and Italian, joined in angularly and
without method or regularity; and all so badly spoken, as to render it
impossible to say which amongst them was the mother-tongue.
Nevertheless, Damien got on well with every body, and his _bonhommie_
and good nature rendered him a universal favourite. In other respects,
however, he was not so favoured a child of fortune; for, though no idle
seeker of adventures, in fact, he was wont to go a great way to avoid
them, yet, as ill luck would have it, adventures very frequently came
across him. And it generally happened, as with the famed Manchegan
knight, that Damien, in his various encounters, came off "second best."
That is to say, they usually ended in his finding himself _minus_ his
gun, or his horse, or both, and, perhaps, his _alforjas_ to boot.
By his own account, these untoward events invariably happened through
some want of proper precaution--either whilst he was indulging in a
_Siesta_, or taking a snack by the side of some cool stream, his trusty
gun being out of his immediate reach, or when committing some other
imprudent act. So it was, however, and these "_petits malheurs_," as he
was in the habit of calling them, had generated a more than ordinary
dread of robbers, which, in its turn, had produced in him a disposition
to be gregarious whenever he passed the bounds of the English garrison.
In travelling through the mountains, we always knew when we were
approaching what Damien considered a likely spot for an ambuscade, by
his striking up a martial air that he told us had been the favourite
march of the regiment of grenadiers in which he had served; giving us
from time to time a hint that it would be well to be upon the look-out
by observing to the person next him, "_Hay muchos ladrones par ici, mon
Capitaine--el año pasado (maledetti sian' ces gueux d'Espagnols!) on m'a
volé une bonne escopète en este maldito callejon_[96]--_Il faut être
preparé, Messieurs!_" and then the Piedmontese march was resumed with
increased energy, growing _piu marcato e risoluto_, as the banks of the
gorge became higher and the underwood thicker.
On regaining the open country, the air was changed by a playful
_Cadenza_ to one of a more lively character, and, after a _Da Capo_,
generally ended with "_n'ayez pas peur, Messieurs--questi birbánti
Spagniuoli_"[97] (he seldom abused them in their native language, lest
he should be over-heard) "_n'osent pas nous attaquer à forces égales_."
Poor _Damien!_ many is the good laugh your fears have unconsciously
occasioned us--many the joking bet the tuning up of the Piedmontese
grenadiers' march has given rise to--and every note of which is at this
moment as perfect in my recollection as when we traversed together the
wild _puertas de Sanona_.
The town of Los Barrios, where we took up our quarters for the night, is
twelve miles from Gibraltar. It is a small, open town, containing some
2000 souls, and, though founded only since the capture of Gibraltar,
already shows sad symptoms of decay.
Being within a ride of the British garrison, it is frequently visited by
its inmates, and two rival _posadas_ dispute the honour of possessing
the _golden fleece_. One of them, for a time, carried all before it, in
consequence of the beauty of the _Donzella de la Casa_:[98] but beauty
_will_ fade, however unwillingly--as in this case--its possessor admits
that it does; and the "fair maid of Los Barrios," who, when I first saw
her, was really a very beautiful girl, had, at the period of my last
visit, become a coarse, fat, middle-aged, _young woman_; and, as the
charges for looking at her remained the same as ever, I proved a
recreant knight, and went to the rival posada.
Nothing could well be more ludicrous than the contrast, in dress and
appearance, between the beauty's mother and the beauty herself--unless,
indeed, the visiter arrived very unexpectedly,--the one being dirty,
slatternly, and clothed in old rags; the other, _muy bien peynado_,[99]
and pomatumed, and decked in all the finery and ornaments presented by
her numerous admirers. The old lady was excessively proud of her
daughter's beauty and wardrobe; and in showing her off always reminded
me of the _sin-par_[100] Panza's mode of speaking of his _Sanchita, una
muchacha a quien crio para condesa_.[101]
The father of "the beauty" was a notorious _liberal_; and, having
outraged the laws of his country on various occasions, was executed at
Seville some years since. He was, I think, the most thorough-going
leveller I ever met with--one who would not have sheathed the knife as
long as any individual better off than himself remained in the country.
Boasting to me on one occasion of the great deeds he had done during the
war, he said that in one night he had despatched eleven French soldiers,
who were quartered in his house. He effected his purpose by making them
drunk, having previously drugged their wine to produce sleep. He put
them to death with his knife as they lay senseless on the floor, carried
them out into the yard, and threw them into a pit. The monster who could
boast of such a crime would commit it if he had the opportunity; and
though I suspect the number of his victims was exaggerated, yet I have
no doubt whatever that he did not make himself out to be a murderer
without some good grounds; and, I confess, it gave me very little regret
to hear, a year or two afterwards, that he had perished on the scaffold.
The road to Sanona enters the mountains soon after leaving Los Barrios,
ascending, for the first few miles, along the bank of the river
Palmones. The scenery is very fine; huge masses of scarped and jagged
sierras are tossed about in the most fantastic irregularity, whilst the
valleys between are clad with a luxuriance of foliage that can be met
with only in this prolific climate.
Looking back, the silvery Palmones may be traced winding between its
wooded banks towards the bay of Gibraltar, which, viewed in this
direction, has the appearance of a vast lake; the African shore, from
Ape's Hill to the promontory of Ceuta, seeming to complete its enclosure
to the south.
After proceeding some miles further, the road becomes a mere
mule-track, and the country very wild and barren. The Piedmontese march
had been gradually _crescendo_ ever since leaving the cultivated valley
of the Palmones, and Damien, as he rode on before us, had already given
sundry yet more palpable intimations of impending danger,--firstly, by
examining the priming of his old flint gun,--secondly, by trying whether
the balls were rammed home,--and, lastly, by producing a brandy bottle
from his capacious pocket; when, arrived at the foot of a peculiarly
dreary and rocky pass, pulling up and dismounting from his horse, under
pretence of tightening the girths of his saddle, he exclaimed, "_à
present, Messieurs, es preciso cargar--ces lâches d'Espagnols viennent
toujours a l'improviste, et se non siamo apparecchiati sarémo tutti
inretati come tanti uccellini.--Somos todos muy bien armados con
escopetas à dos cañones; y con juicio, no tendremos que temer--ma ...
bisogna giudizio!_"[102] and in accordance with his wishes thus clearly
expressed, we all loaded with ball, and, pushing on an advanced guard,
boldly entered the rugged defile, joining our voices in grand chorus in
the inspiriting grenadier's march.
On emerging from this rocky gorge, we entered a peculiarly wild and
secluded valley, which, so completely is it shut out from all view, one
might imagine, but for the narrow path under our feet, had never been
trodden by man. The road winds round the heads of numerous dark ravines,
crosses numberless torrents, that rush foaming from the impending sierra
on the left, and is screened effectually from the sun by an impenetrable
covering of oak and other forest-trees, festooned with woodbine,
eglantine, and wild vines; whilst the valley below is clothed, from end
to end, with cistus, broom, wild lavender, thyme, and other indigenous
aromatic shrubs.
At the end of about three leagues, we reached the head of the valley,
where one of the principal sources of the Palmones takes its rise. The
neck of land that divides this stream from the affluents to the Celemin,
is the pass of Sanona. From hence the _Casería_ is visible, and a rapid
descent of about a mile brought us to the door of the lone mansion.
Our arrival was announced to the inmates by a general salute from the
countless dogs that invariably form part of a Spanish farmer's
establishment. The horrid din soon brought forth the equally
shaggy-coated bipeds, headed by a venerable-looking old man, who, with a
slight recognition of Damien, stepped to the front, and, in a very
dignified manner, announcing himself as the owner of the _Casería_,
begged we would alight, and consider his house our own.
"My habitation is but a poor one, _Caballeros_; the accommodation it
affords yet poorer. I wish for your sakes I had better to offer; but of
this you may rest assured, that every thing _Luis de Castro_ possesses,
will ever be at the service of the brave nation who generously aided,
and by whose side I have fought, to maintain the independence of my
country."--"_Bravo, Don Luis!_" ejaculated Damien, which saved us the
trouble of making a suitable speech in return.
We were much pleased with our host's appearance: indeed the shape of his
cranium was itself sufficient to secure him the good opinion of all
disciples of Spurzheim; but this feeling of gratification was by no
means called forth by his _Casería_, from the outward inspection of
which we judged the organ of accommodation to be wofully deficient.
The house and out-buildings formerly occupied a considerable extent of
ground, but at the present day they are reduced to three sides of a
small square, of which the centre building contains the dwelling
apartments of the family, and the wings afford cover to the retainers,
cattle, and farming implements. A stout wall completes the enclosure on
the fourth side, wherein a wide folding gate affords the only means of
external communication.
The _Casería_ has long been possessed by the family of its present
occupant, but, losing something of its importance at each succeeding
generation, has dwindled down to its present insignificant condition.
Don Luis strives hard, nevertheless, to keep up the family dignity of
the De Castros, though joining with patriarchal simplicity in all the
services, occupations, and pastimes, of his dependents.
The portion of the house reserved for himself and family consists but of
two rooms on the ground-floor. The outer and larger of these serves the
double purpose of a kitchen and refectory; the other is appropriated to
the multifarious offices of a chapel, dormitory, henroost, and granary.
In this inner room we were duly installed,--the lady de Castro, and
other members of the family, removing into a neighbouring _choza_ during
our stay: and a sheet having been drawn over the Virgin and child, the
cocks and hens driven from the rafters, and the Indian corn swept up
into a corner, we found ourselves more _snugly_ lodged than outward
appearances had led us to expect.
Leaving our friend Damien to make what arrangements he pleased as to
dinner--a discretional power that always afforded him infinite
gratification--we proceeded to examine the "location," with a view of
obtaining some notion of the country which was to be the scene of our
next day's sporting operations.
The situation of the _Casería_ is singularly romantic; to the north it
is backed by a richly wooded slope, above which, at the distance of
about half a mile, a rocky ledge of sierra rises perpendicularly several
hundred feet, its dark outline serving as a fine relief to the rich and
varied green tints of the forest. In the opposite direction, the house
commands a view over a wide and partially wooded valley, along the bed
of which the eye occasionally catches a glimpse of a sparkling stream,
that is collected from the various dark ravines which break the lofty
mountain-ridges on either side. A wooded range, steep, but of somewhat
less elevation than the other mountains that the eye embraces, appears
to close the mouth of this valley; but, winding round its foot to the
right, the stream gains a narrow outlet to the extensive plain of Vejer,
and empties itself into the _Laguna de la Janda_--a portion of which may
be seen; and over this intermediate range rise, in the distance, the
peaked summits of the _Sierra de la Plata_, whose southern base is
washed by the Atlantic.
The beauty of the scenery, heightened by the broad shadows cast upon the
mountains, and the varied tints that ever attend upon a setting sun in
this Elysian atmosphere, had tempted us to continue roaming about,
selecting the most favourable points of view, without once thinking of
our evening meal; and when, at length, the sun disappeared behind the
mountains, we found we had, unconsciously, wandered some considerable
distance from the _Casería_. We forthwith bent our steps homewards, and,
on drawing near the house, were not a little amused at hearing Damien's
stentorian halloos to draw our attention, which were sent back to him in
echoes from all parts of the _Serranía_. He was right glad to see us,
though vexed at our extreme imprudence in wandering about the woods
without an _escopeta_, or defensive weapon of any sort amongst us.
"_Messieurs, quand vous connoitrez ces gens çi aussi bien que moi----!_"
We referred to Don Luis (who had come out with the intention of
proceeding in search of us), whether there were any _mala gente_ in the
neighbourhood. A faint smile played about the old man's mouth as he
looked towards Damien, as if guessing the source from which our
interrogation had sprung, and, then waving his right hand to and fro,
with the forefinger extended upwards, he replied, "_Por aqui Caballeros
no hay mala gente alguna; esa Canalla conoce demasiado quien es Luis de
Castro!_"[103]
On entering the house, we found a large party assembled round the
charcoal fire, preparing to take their evening _gazpacho_[104]
_caliente_; and, hot as had been the day, we gladly joined the circle,
until our own more substantial supper should be announced. The group
consisted of the wife, son, and daughter-in-law of our host, and several
of his friends, who, living at a distance, had come overnight, to be
ready to take part in the _batida_ on the following morning.
A _batida_ bears so strong a resemblance to the same sort of thing
common in Germany, and indeed in some parts of Scotland, that a very
detailed account of one would be uninteresting to most of my readers. We
turned out at daybreak, and, recruited by the neighbouring peasantry,
found that we mustered twenty-three guns, and dogs innumerable, mostly
of a kind called by the Spaniards _podencos_, for which the most
appropriate term in our language is lurcher; though that does not
altogether express the strong-made, wiry-haired dog used by the
Spaniards on these occasions.
As the _camas_[105] about Sanona are very wide, and require a number of
guns to line them, only eleven of the men could be spared for beaters.
These were placed under the direction of Alonzo, our host's son, whilst
Don Luis himself took command of the sportsmen in the quality of
_capitan_; and his first order was to prohibit all squibbing off of
guns, by which the game might be disturbed.
The two parties, on leaving the house, took different directions. Our's,
after proceeding about a mile, was halted, and enjoined to form in rank
entire, and keep perfectly silent. We then ascended a steep, thickly
coppiced hill, and were placed in position along its crest, at intervals
of about a hundred yards, with directions to watch the openings through
the underwood in our front--to screen ourselves from observation as well
as we could--not to stir from the spot until the signal was made to
retire--and to observe carefully the position of our fellow sportsmen on
either side, to prevent accidents.
We were much amused at the manner in which Don Luis--to whom we were all
perfect strangers--selected us to occupy the different approaches to the
position. Scanning us over from right to left, and from head to foot, he
seemed to pick and choose his men as if perfectly aware of the peculiar
qualities each possessed, befitting him for the situation in which he
purposed placing him; and, beckoning the one selected out of the rank,
without uttering a word he led him to the assigned post, pointed out the
various openings in the underwood, and gave his final instructions in a
low whisper.
On leaving me he pointed to a narrow passage between two huge blocks of
rock, and in a low voice said "_Lobo_;"[106] which, I must confess, made
me look about for a tree, as a secure position to fall back upon, in the
event of my fire failing to bring the expected visiter to the ground.
The position we occupied had a deep ravine in front, a wide valley on
one flank, and a precipitous wall of rock on the other; but, as the
event proved, it was far too extended. Thus posted, we remained for a
considerable time, and I began to think very meanly of the sport,
especially as I did not much like to withdraw my eyes from the rocky
pass where the wolf was to be looked for; but at length the distant
shouts of the beaters resounded through the mountains, and a few minutes
after, the faint but true-toned yelp of one of the hounds put me quite
on the _qui vive_; and when, in a few seconds, other dogs gave tongue,
and several shots were fired by the beaters (who are furnished with
blank cartridge), giving the assurance that game had been sprung, a
feeling of excitement was produced, that can, I think, hardly be
equalled by any other description of sport.
The first gun from our own party almost induced me to rush forward and
break the line; but, just at the moment, a rustling in the underwood
drew my attention, and, looking up, I saw a fine buck "at gaze," as the
heralds say, about thirty yards off, and exactly in the direction of the
spot where I had seen my friend G---- posted.
The animal, with ears erect, was listening, in evident alarm, to the
barking of the dogs; yet, from the shot just fired in his front,
scarcely knowing on which side danger was most imminent. I was so
screened by the underwood that he did not perceive me, and I could have
shot him with the greatest ease--that is to say, had my nervous system
been in proper trim,--but that the fear of killing my neighbour withheld
me; so there I stood, with my gun at the first motion of the present,
and there stood the deer, in just as great a _quandary_.
At length, losing all patience, I hallooed to my neighbour by name,
hoping by his reply to learn whereabouts he was (for that he had moved
from his post was evident), and, if possible, get a shot at the deer as
he turned back, which I doubted not he would do. But, alas! my call
produced no response, and the fine animal bounded forward, breaking
through our line, and rendering it too hazardous for me to salute him
with both barrels, as I had murderously projected.
Soon after the horn sounded for our reassembly. The _cama_[107] had
been very unsuccessful. One deer only, besides that which visited me,
had been driven through our line; the rest of the herd, and several wild
boars, turned our position by its right, which was too extensive for the
small number of guns. One of the Spaniards had shot a fox, which was all
we had to show; and his companions shook their heads, considering it a
bad omen, and that it was, indeed, likely to turn out "_una dia de
zorras_."[108]
On my relating the tantalizing dilemma in which I had been placed, old
_Luis_, who felt somewhat sore at the signal failure of his generalship,
declared we should have no sport if I stood upon such ceremony; adding,
with much energy of manner, and addressing himself to the assembled
party, "As soon as ever you see your game, _carajo! candela!_"[109]--a
speech that reminded us forcibly of Suwarrow's reply to his Austrian
coadjutor, when urging the prudence of a _reconnoissance_ before
undertaking some delicate operation, viz.--"_Poussez en avant--chargez à
la bayonette--voilà mes reconnoissances._"
The beaters were now directed to make a "wide cast," and, if possible,
head the game that had escaped us, whilst we moved off to a fresh
position, about half a mile in rear, and perpendicular to the former.
This plan was pretty successful: we killed a wolf and two deer, but Don
Luis was by no means satisfied.
It was now noon-day, and, ascending a rocky ledge that projects into the
wide valley, already described as lying in front of the house, we
obtained a splendid panoramic view of the whole wooded district of
Sanona. We found, on gaining the summit, that the provident Damien had
directed a _muchacho_ to meet us there, with a mule-load of provender,
which he was pleased to call "_un petit peu de rafraichissement_." We
were quite prepared to acknowledge our sense of his foresight and
discretion in the most unequivocal manner; for the exertion of climbing
the successive mountain-ridges, and forcing our way through the
underwood, as well as the excitement of the sport, had given a keen edge
to our appetites.
Whilst seated in a convivial circle, smoking our cigars at the
conclusion of our repast, we observed that poor Alonzo--who, though a
stoutly built, was a very sickly-looking man--appeared to be quite
exhausted from the heat and fatigue of the day, and that poor old Luis
looked from time to time on his son, as he lay full-length upon the
ground, with a heart-rending expression of grief.
One of our party remarked to him, that Alonzo did not appear to be well,
and suggested that he had better not exert himself further. Don Luis
shook his head. "Alas! señor!" he replied, "my poor Alonzo is as well as
ever he again will be. But do not suppose that he is a degenerate scion
of the De Castros; nor even that I regret seeing him in his present
state. No: much as I once wished to see the family name handed down to
another generation--of which there is now no chance--I would rather,
much rather, that he should have sacrificed his health--his life
indeed--for his country, than that any vain wish of mine should be
gratified."
Our curiosity excited by the words, and yet more by the manner of the
old man, we ventured, after some little preamble, to ask what had
occasioned the change in his son that his speech implied.
"It is a long story, _caballeros_," he answered; "but, as the sun is now
too powerful to allow us to resume our sport, I will, if you feel
disposed to listen to a garrulous old man, relate the circumstances that
led to my son's being reduced to the lamentable state in which you see
him." We contracted the circle round Don Luis, the Spaniards,
apparently, quite as intent on hearing the thrice-told tale as
ourselves; and Damien, though still busily occupied at his
"_rafraichissement_," also lending an attentive ear.
The fine old man was seated on a rock, elevated somewhat above the rest
of the party, holding in his right hand his uncouth-looking
fowling-piece, whilst the other rested on the head of a favourite dog,
that came, seemingly, to beg his master to remonstrate with Damien for
using his teeth to tear off the little flesh that remained on a
ham-bone.
Don Luis, after patting the impatient favourite on the head and bidding
him lie down, thus began his story.