"Who goes there?" "A friend."

"Who and what are you?"

"A poor soldier just from the wars, with a cracked crown and an empty purse for a reward."

By this time they were enabled to view him more narrowly. He had a black patch across his forehead, and a grizzled beard, while a slight squint threw into his countenance an occasional gleam of roguish good humor.

5

Having answered the questions of the patrol, the soldier 10 seemed to consider himself entitled to make others in return." May I ask," said he, "what that city is which. I see at the foot of the hill?"

"What city?" cried the trumpeter. "Come, that's too bad. Here's a fellow lurking about the mountain of the 15 sun, and demands the name of the great city of Granada!" "Granada! Can it be possible?"

"And perhaps," rejoined the trumpeter, "you have no idea that yonder are the towers of the Alhambra."

"If this indeed be the Alhambra," replied the stranger, 20 "I have some strange matters to reveal to the governor." "You will have an opportunity," replied the corporal, "for we mean to take you before him." By this time the trumpeter had seized the bridle of the steed and the two privates had each secured an arm of the soldier; the 25 corporal putting himself in front, gave the word, " Forward -march!" and away they marched for the Alhambra.

The sight of a ragged soldier and a fine Arabian horse, brought in captive by the patrol, attracted the attention of all the idlers of the fortress, and of those gossip groups that generally assemble about wells and fountains at early 5 dawn. The wheel of the cistern paused in its rotations, and the slipshod servant maid stood gaping, with pitcher in hand, as the corporal passed by with his prize. A motley train gradually gathered in the rear of the escort.

Governor Manco was seated in one of the inner halls of 10 the Alhambra, taking his morning's cup of chocolate in company with his confessor from the neighboring convent. A demure, dark-eyed damsel of Malaga, the daughter of his housekeeper, was attending upon him.

When word was brought that a suspicious stranger had 15 been taken lurking about the fortress, and was actually in the outer court waiting the pleasure of his Excellency, the pride and stateliness of office swelled the bosom of the governor. Giving back his chocolate cup into the hands of the damsel, he called for his basket-hilted sword, girded 20 it to his side, twirled up his mustaches, took his seat in a large high-backed chair, assumed a bitter and forbidding aspect, and ordered the prisoner into his presence. The soldier was brought in, still closely pinioned by his captors and guarded by the corporal. He maintained, how25 ever, a resolute, self-confident air, and returned the sharp, scrutinizing look of the governor with an easy squint, which by no means pleased the punctilious old potentate.

"Well, culprit," said the governor, after he had regarded him for a moment in silence, "what have you to say for yourself? Who are you ?"

"A soldier from the wars, who has brought away nothing but scars and bruises."

"A soldier! Humph! A foot soldier by your garb. I understand you have a fine Arabian horse. I presume you brought him, too, from the wars, besides your scars and bruises."

5

"May it please your Excellency, I have something 10 strange to tell about that horse: something, too, that concerns the security of this fortress, indeed, of all Granada. But it is a matter to be imparted only to your private ear, or in the presence of such only as are in your confidence."

15

The governor considered for a moment and then directed the corporal and his men to withdraw, but to post themselves outside the door and be ready at a call. When this had been done, the soldier commenced his story. He was a fluent, smooth-tongued varlet, and had a command 20 of language above his apparent rank. "May it please your Excellency," said he, "I am, as I before observed, a soldier, and have seen some hard service; but my term of enlistment being expired, I was discharged not long since, and set out on foot for my native village in Andalusia. 25 Yesterday evening the sun went down as I was traversing a great dry plain of Old Castile."

"Hold!" cried the governor. "What is this you say ? Old Castile is some two or three hundred miles from this." "Even so," replied the soldier, coolly. "I told your Excellency I had some strange things to relate; but not 5 more strange than true, as your Excellency will find, if you will deign me a patient hearing."

"Proceed, culprit," said the governor, twirling up his mustaches.

"As the sun went down," continued the soldier, "I cast 10 my eyes about in search of quarters for the night, but as

far as my sight could reach, there were no signs of habitation. I saw that I should have to make my bed on the naked plain, with my knapsack for a pillow; but your Excellency is an old soldier, and knows that to one who 15 has been in the wars such a night's lodging is no great hardship."

20

The governor nodded assent, as he drew his pocket handkerchief out of the basket hilt to drive away a fly that buzzed about his nose.

"Well, to make a long story short," continued the soldier, "I trudged forward for several miles until I came to a bridge over a deep ravine, through which ran a little thread of water almost dried up by the summer heat. At one end of the bridge was a Moorish tower, with the upper 25 end all in ruins, but with a vault in the foundation quite entire. Here, thought I, is a good place to make a halt; so I went down to the stream and took a hearty drink,