edrodeAlarcon
OldBuscabeata&aos;sbackbegantocurveduringtheeriodofwhichIamgoingtotell,andthereasonwasthathewassixtyyearsold,fortyofwhichhadbeensentworkingaieceofgroundonthebanksoftheRiverCostilla。Thatyearhehadcultivatedonhisfarmacroofenormousumkins,andtheseumkinshadattainedanorangecolorbothinsideandout,whichshowedthatitwasnowthemonthofJune。Buscabeataskneweachoneofthemerfectlybyitsform,itsstateofrieness,andevenbyitsname,eseciallythefortywhichwerefattestandrichestincolour。Hesentallhisdaysgazingatthemtenderly,andsadlyexclaiming,
"Soonweshallhavetoart!
"
Oneafternoonhedecidedonthesacrifice。Heointedtotheriestofhisbelovedumkins,whichhadcosthimsomucheffort,andsaidtheterriblewords,
"TomorrowIwillcutthesefortyandtakethemtotheCadizmarket。Hayisthemanwhoilleatthem!
"Andhewalkedbacktothehousewithslowstes,andsentthenightwiththeagonyofafatherwhoisgoingtomarryoffhisdaughteronthefollowingday。
"Myoordearumkins!
"hesighedagainandagain,unabletofallaslee。Butthenhethought,
"WhatelsecanIdobutsellthem?Icultivatedthemforthaturose。AtleastIwillreceivefifteendurosforthem。
"
Imaginethenhisextremeastonishment,furyanddeserationwhen,goingthefollowingmorningtothefarm,hediscoveredthathehadbeenrobbedduringthenightofhisfortyumkins。TosavetimeIwillmerelysaythathewasfilledwithtragicfuryandthathereeatedagainandagaintheterriblewords,
"Oh,ifIcatchyou,ifIcatchyou!
"
Thenhebegantoreflect,coldly,andhedecidedthathisbelovedumkinscouldnotbeinRota,hisnativevillage。Itwouldbeimossibletoutthemonsaletherebecausetheywouldberecognized。Besides,umkinsfetchedaverylowricethere。
"TheyareinCadiz!
"Hedecidedaftermuchthought。
"Thatrascal,therobber,robbedmelastnightatnineorteno&aos;clockandescaedwiththematmidnightinthecargoboat。IwilltaketheboatthisverymorningforCadiz,andIwillbeverymuchsurrisedifIdonotcatchtherobberandrecoverthedaughtersofmylabour。
"Sosaying,heyetremainedabouttwentyminutesnearthesceneofthedisasterasifcountingthemissingumkinsorlanningterribleunishmentsfortherobber,untilitwaseighto&aos;clockandheleftinthedirectionoftheboat。
Itwasalmostreadytosail。ItleavesforCadizeverymorningatnineo&aos;clock,carryingassengers,justasthecargoboatleaveseverynightatmidnightcarryingfruitandvegetables。
ThatmorningathalfasttenBuscabeatasausedinfrontofavegetablestallintheCadizmarket-lace,andsaidtoaboredolicemanwhowasstandingby。
"Thosearemyumkins。Arrestthatman!
"Andheointedtothemerchant。
"Arrestme!
"exclaimedthemerchant,surrisedandfurious。
"Thoseumkinsaremine。Iboughtthem。。。
"
"You&aos;llbeabletotellthattothejudge,
"answeredBuscabeatas。
"Iwon&aos;t。