burlesques-第52部分

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Emmett　Fitzgerald　Sheeny；　by　name；　a　law　student；　and　member　of

Gray's　Inn；　and　what　be　called　Bay　Ah　of　Trinity　College；　Dublin。

Mr。　Sheeny　was　with　the　Queen's　people；　not　in　a　military　capacity；

but　as　representative　of　an　English　journal；　to　which；　for　a

trifling　weekly　remuneration；　he　was　in　the　habit　of　transmitting

accounts　of　the　movements　of　the　belligerents；　and　his　own　opinion

of　the　politics　of　Spain。　　Receiving；　for　the　discharge　of　his

duty；　a　couple　of　guineas　a　week　from　the　proprietors　of　the

journal　in　question；　he　was　enabled；　as　I　need　scarcely　say；　to

make　such　a　show　in　Oraa's　camp　as　only　a　Christino　general

officer；　or　at　the　very　least　a　colonel　of　a　regiment；　can　afford

to　keep　up。



In　the　famous　sortie　which　we　made　upon　the　twenty…third；　I　was　of

course　among　the　foremost　in　the　melee；　and　found　myself；　after　a

good　deal　of　slaughtering　（which　it　would　be　as　disagreeable　as

useless　to　describe　here）；　in　the　court　of　a　small　inn　or　podesta；

which　had　been　made　the　head…quarters　of　several　Queenite　officers

during　the　siege。　　The　pesatero　or　landlord　of　the　inn　had　been

despatched　by　my　brave　chapel…churies；　with　his　fine　family　of

childrenthe　officers　quartered　in　the　podesta　had　of　course

bolted；　but　one　man　remained；　and　my　fellows　were　on　the　point　of

cutting　him　into　ten　thousand　pieces　with　their　borachios；　when　I

arrived　in　the　room　time　enough　to　prevent　the　catastrophe。　　Seeing

before　me　an　individual　in　the　costume　of　a　civiliana　white　hat；

a　light　blue　satin　cravat；　embroidered　with　butterflies　and　other

quadrupeds；　a　green　coat　and　brass　buttons；　and　a　pair　of　blue

plaid　trousers；　I　recognized　at　once　a　countryman；　and　interposed

to　save　his　life。



In　an　agonized　brogue　the　unhappy　young　man　was　saying　all　that　he

could　to　induce　the　chapel…churies　to　give　up　their　intention　of

slaughtering　him；　but　it　is　very　little　likely　that　his

protestations　would　have　had　any　effect　upon　them；　had　not　I

appeared　in　the　room；　and　shouted　to　the　ruffians　to　hold　their

hand。



Seeing　a　general　officer　before　them　（I　have　the　honor　to　hold　that

rank　in　the　service　of　his　Catholic　Majesty）；　and　moreover　one　six

feet　four　in　height；　and　armed　with　that　terrible　cabecilla　（a

sword　so　called；　because　it　is　five　feet　long）　which　is　so　well

known　among　the　Spanish　armiesseeing；　I　say；　this　figure；　the

fellows　retired；　exclaiming；　〃Adios；　corpo　di　bacco；　nosotros；〃　and

so　on；　clearly　proving　（by　their　words）　that　they　would；　if　they

dared；　have　immolated　the　victim　whom　I　had　thus　rescued　from　their

fury。　　〃Villains！〃　shouted　I；　hearing　them　grumble；　〃away！　quit　the

apartment！〃　　Each　man；　sulkily　sheathing　his　sombrero；　obeyed；　and

quitted　the　camarilla。



It　was　then　that　Mr。　Sheeny　detailed　to　me　the　particulars　to　which

I　have　briefly　adverted；　and；　informing　me　at　the　same　time　that　he

had　a　family　in　England　who　would　feel　obliged　to　me　for　his

release；　and　that　his　most　intimate　friend　the　English　ambassador

would　move　heaven　and　earth　to　revenge　his　fall；　he　directed　my

attention　to　a　portmanteau　passably　well　filled；　which　he　hoped

would　satisfy　the　cupidity　of　my　troops。　　I　said；　though　with　much

regret；　that　I　must　subject　his　person　to　a　search；　and　hence　arose

the　circumstance　which　has　called　for　what　I　fear　you　will　consider

a　somewhat　tedious　explanation。　　I　found　upon　Mr。　Sheeny's　person

three　sovereigns　in　English　money　（which　I　have　to　this　day）；　and

singularly　enough　a　copy　of　The　New　Monthly　Magazine；　containing　a

portion　of　my　adventures。　　It　was　a　toss…up　whether　I　should　let

the　poor　young　man　be　shot　or　no；　but　this　little　circumstance

saved　his　life。　　The　gratified　vanity　of　authorship　induced　me　to

accept　his　portmanteau　and　valuables；　and　to　allow　the　poor　wretch

to　go　free。　　I　put　the　Magazine　in　my　coat…pocket；　and　left　him　and

the　podesta。



The　men；　to　my　surprise；　had　quitted　the　building；　and　it　was　full

time　for　me　to　follow；　for　I　found　our　sallying　party；　after

committing　dreadful　ravages　in　Oraa's　lines；　were　in　full　retreat

upon　the　fort；　hotly　pressed　by　a　superior　force　of　the　enemy。　　I

am　pretty　well　known　and　respected　by　the　men　of　both　parties　in

Spain　（indeed　I　served　for　some　months　on　the　Queen's　side　before　I

came　over　to　Don　Carlos）；　and；　as　it　is　my　maxim　never　to　give

quarter；　I　never　expect　to　receive　it　when　taken　myself。　　On

issuing　from　the　podesta　with　Sheeny's　portmanteau　and　my　sword　in

my　hand；　I　was　a　little　disgusted　and　annoyed　to　see　our　own　men　in

a　pretty　good　column　retreating　at　double…quick；　and　about　four

hundred　yards　beyond　me；　up　the　hill　leading　to　the　fort；　while　on

my　left　hand；　and　at　only　a　hundred　yards；　a　troop　of　the　Queenite

lancers　were　clattering　along　the　road。



I　had　got　into　the　very　middle　of　the　road　before　I　made　this

discovery；　so　that　the　fellows　had　a　full　sight　of　me；　and　whiz！

came　a　bullet　by　my　left　whisker　before　I　could　say　Jack　Robinson。

I　looked　roundthere　were　seventy　of　the　accursed　malvados　at　the

least；　and　within；　as　I　said；　a　hundred　yards。　　Were　I　to　say　that

I　stopped　to　fight　seventy　men；　you　would　write　me　down　a　fool　or　a

liar：　no；　sir；　I　did　not　fight；　I　ran　away。



I　am　six　feet　fourmy　figure　is　as　well　known　in　the　Spanish　army

as　that　of　the　Count　de　Luchana；　or　my　fierce　little　friend　Cabrera

himself。　　〃GAHAGAN！〃　shouted　out　half　a　dozen　scoundrelly　voices；

and　fifty　more　shots　came　rattling　after　me。　　I　was　running

running　as　the　brave　stag　before　the　houndsrunning　as　I　have　done

a　great　number　of　times　before　in　my　life；　when　there　was　no　help

for　it　but　a　race。



After　I　had　run　about　five　hundred　yards；　I　saw　that　I　had　gained

nearly　three　upon　our　column　in　front；　and　that　likewise　the

Christino　horsemen　were　left　behind　some　hundred　yards　more；　with

the　exception　of　three；　who　were　fearfully　near　me。　　The　first　was

an　officer　without　a　lance；　he　had　fired　both　his　pistols　at　me；

and　was　twenty　yards　in　advance　of　his　comrades；　there　was　a

similar　distance　between　the　two　lancers　who　rode　behind　him。　　I

determined　then　to　wait　for　No。　1；　and　as　he　came　up　delivered　cut

3　at　his　horse's　near　legoff　it　flew；　and　down；　as　I　expected；

went　horse　and　man。　　I　had　hardly　time　to　pass　my　sword　through　my

prostrate　enemy；　when　No。　2　was　upon　me。　　If　I　could　but　get　that

fellow's　horse；　thought　I；　I　am　safe；　and　I　executed　at　once　the

plan　which　I　hoped　was　to　effect　my　rescue。



I　had；　as　I　said；　left　the　podesta　with　Sheeny's　portmanteau；　and；

unwilling　to　part　with　some　of　the　articles　it　containedsome

shirts；　a　bottle　of　whiskey；　a　few　cakes　of　Windsor　soap；　&c。　&c。；

I　had　carried　it　thus　far　on　my　shoulders；　but　now　was　compelled

to　sacrifice　it　malgre　moi。　　As　the　lancer　came　up；　I　dropped　my

sword　from　my　right　hand；　and　hurled　the　portmanteau　at　his　head；

with　aim　so　true；　that　he　fell　back　on　his　saddle　like　a　sack；　and

thus　when　the　horse　gallope