s big and black as himself; and guided by a red-sashed boy in
scarf and shawl they advanced towards us slowly but so surely that I
suspected something more than a coincidence. The great lumbering animals
were like blobs of ink against the snow, and the lithe figure of the boy
made a fine spot of colour as he walked before his beasts, his stick to
their noses as if it were a magnet which they, anchored head to head with
a beam of wood, were compelled to follow.

It flashed into my mind that this youth and his oxen were not wandering
through mountain snow-drifts for nothing. The wolves which howl in these
same wild fastnesses on a winter night scent prey; and so I thought did
the boy, with the trifling substitute of petrol for blood. This youth had
made a good haul (in every sense of the word) by accident yesterday; was
out searching for other hauls to-day, and would be while the snow lasted.

We hailed him. He feigned surprise, and hesitated, as if to enhance his
value. Then, casting down long lashes as he listened to our proposal,
pretended to consider pros and cons. It would be a terrible strain for his
animals to drag such a great weight, but--oh, certainly they would be
_able_ to do it. They were docile and strong. Every day nearly they drew
heavy loads of cut logs over the mountains. For twenty pesetas he would
risk injuring his oxen, but not a _real_ less; and they would drag the
grey car to the top of the pass, that he could promise.

"What extortion!" protested Carmona, who is not famed for generosity,
except when something can be made out of it.

"Oh, he's too handsome to beat down!" pleaded Monica.

That settled it. To please her he would have given twice twenty pesetas
for half the distance. The boy was engaged without further haggling; the
animals were harnessed to the big Lecomte with rope which the youth
"happened" to have; and with a thrilling cry of "A-r-r-r-i! O-lah!" he
struck the two black backs with his goad.

"I can't bear to see it!" Monica cried, covering her eyes, as the great
heads were lowered to adjust the strain, and every muscle in the powerful,
docile bodies writhed and bunched with the tremendous effort. Big as they
were, it seemed impossible that two oxen could do for the car, with
passengers and luggage, what its own engine refused to do; nevertheless
the huge thing moved, at first with a shuddering jerk, then with a steady,
if lumbering crawl.

"O-lah!" shouted the boy; "thump" on