Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

232 THE FRASEES OF PHILOETH, LORDS SALTOUN.
" The man who left ice at my quarters told me if I would go into the
mountains I could get excellent shooting, and he would speak to the Capitano
(a name which applied as well to the head shepherd as to the robber).
Accordingly, a brother officer and myself proceeded up the mountains, and
found everything prepared for us — good beds of dry fern, and a supper of kid
and milk and fruit, etc. etc. In the morning we proceeded to shoot ; several
men had been sent off to find where the birds were, by their calling, and then
drive them into the ravines. We were stationed on the top of the banks, and
the rest of the men beat up the ravines, and the sport was very good, consist-
ing of partridge, hare, and a sort of pigeon. Before beating up any ravine
the Capitano hailed the scout with, ' Juan ' (or whatever his name might be),
' cantaro V and on being answered, ' Si cantaro aqui,' the ravine was beat up ;
if not, we proceeded to another station. We stayed two clays, and I made an
arrangement with the Captain to furnish a goat with milk every week, for a
Mrs. Villiers, wife of a commissary who lived near where we were quartered,
and found it almost impossible at that time of the year to get any milk for
her children. We made several of these trips, taking care not to have more
money with us than we meant to leave amongst them. On one of these
occasions, as we were taking our luncheon " before going down, the Capitano
told me that I should be back there that night, and on my saying it was
impossible, he replied, ' si, si, voi mismo,' and told me that our troops were to
surround the mountain on our side that night, and that a body were to do
the same on the Milazo side, which body had already marched for that pur-
pose, and we were to meet at the top for the purpose of making them
prisoners, and that in consequence they were to shift their quarters imme-
diately, but that the goat would be sent to the Signora Inglese just as usual,
and we should find them there again, when an olive branch was left with the
ice.
" We came down, told our story at mess, and were well laughed at for
believing it ; but a little before dark, an order came to fall in, and under the
direction of certain guides we marched up the mountain, and got to the top
about daylight, found no Ladrones, but met our friends from Milazo, and
after some cigars, etc. etc., returned home again.
" I thought it my duty to report this to Sir John Moore, the Commander-