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I sat down in the venta where I put up; there was a huge fire, consisting of the greater part of the trunk of an olive tree; the company was rather miscellaneous: a hunter with his escopeta; a brace of shepherds with immense dogs, of that species for which Estremadura is celebrated; a broken soldier, just returned from the wars; and a beggar, who, after demanding charity for the seven wounds of Maria Santissima, took a seat amidst us, and made himself quite comfortable.
CORRAL, an enclosure for cattle. COSTAL, a bag, or sack. CUARTA, a leather horse-whip; see p. 264. CUARTEL, a barrack. CUCARACHA, a cockroach. CUCHILLO, a knife. CURA, a parish-priest. DESAGUE, a draining-cut. DESAYUNO, breakfast. ESCOPETA, a musket. ESCRIBANO, a scribe or secretary. FANDANGO, a dance. FIESTA, a church-festival. FRIJOLES, beans. FUERO, a legal privilege; see pp. 19, 249.
This last exclamation was intended to point out to Pepe that his suggestion, even though a wise one, could not have been carried out, as the horseman was not going to pass within range of either rifle or escopeta.
A shot from a hunter's rifle would not have reached him, and the bullet of an escopeta would have been an uncertain messenger. Neither thought of firing, but lay in perfect silence, firmly holding their dogs down in the crevice of the rocks, and by gestures enjoining them to be still. The horseman advanced, guiding his horse at a slow pace, and evidently observing caution as he went.
The bottom was sandy, and the water made the load slip along readily. The lads had just crossed the burn with their drag when a gunshot rang out, coming from the direction of the ranch home. "Listen!" ejaculated Dan. "A shot from the house! What can that mean?" He dropped his hold on the branch and leaped forward, unslinging the escopeta as he did so.
At one side of the living-room was a wide, open fireplace, and here, above the mantel-shelf, hung the old Mexican escopeta, or cavalry musket, which Dan intended to take along on his expedition to the spot where Ralph had brought down the deer. Taking the gun down, the youth saw to it that the weapon was loaded and ready for use, and rejoined his brother.
These arms he had brought with him from the Mississippi valley, where he had learnt how to use them. The zambo carried an escopeta strapped in a slanting direction along the flap of his saddle, a machete upon his thigh, and a bow with a quiver of arrows hung over his back.
The wise man, especially in these parts, loads up before his gun-barrel has a chance to cool. Put in your load at once, and I'll bring along that Mexican escopeta father traded in for a mustang last week. I don't believe the old gun is of much account, but it will be better than nothing." "Father wouldn't take it from the greaser if it wasn't all right. But why must we both be armed?
A brace of long spears rested in one corner, alongside a rifle and a Spanish escopeta; and above hung a machete or sword-knife, with powder-horns, pouches, and other equipments necessary to a hunter of the Rocky Mountains. There were nets and other implements for fishing and taking small game, and these constituted the chief furniture of the hovel.
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