; and after dusk, no matter
who you be or what your errand, you stand every chance of a bullet
should you fail to give prompt satisfaction on being challenged with the
usual _quien vive?_

And so it was on the occasion to which I have alluded. Everybody's
nerves were strung up to a painful pitch, and any unusual noise--any
sound, almost, above a half-smothered cough--would bring fifty or sixty
reckless gendarmes, with fixed bayonets, to the spot in a very brief
interval. It was generally looked upon as certain that an assault upon
the town--in which one half the inhabitants were willing, nay, even
anxious to join--would commence before morning; and an ominous silence
prevailed.

Then it was that my "little joke" or scheme was hatched. I was indulging
in a quiet game of "cannons" on a small French billiard-table in my
hotel, and during the game had been several times annoyed by the
proprietor's favourite pig, which insisted every now and then on
strolling beneath the table, to emerge on the other side quite
unexpectedly and bump heavily against my legs just as I was squaring for
some difficult shot. The brute had done this at least four times, with
the result that my opponent was many points to the good. I had often
licked him at the same game before, so the reader must not imagine that
I am merely excusing my own play--it was the pig's fault, without a
doubt, and I was beginning to lose my temper.

"I'll teach that pig a lesson when the game is over," I remarked to my
opponent; and, in effect, I had soon put away my cue, and, cornering the
porker, fastened a piece of cord to his hind trotter. A large empty
biscuit-tin and a bunch of Chinese crackers did the rest--the tin being
secured to the other end of the line and the crackers nestling snugly
inside the tin.

The natives who stood around watching these preparations evidently
foresaw certain results which my boyish vision failed to reach, for
they whispered and laughed to one another, and at intervals, rubbing
their hands together with glee, would exclaim, "A good joke." "Eh! a
good joke, you see!"

The whole town was startled a few minutes later by the uproar, and the
shouts and laughter of those who witnessed the porker's departure from
the hotel.

Lighting the tiny fuse attached to the crackers, I put them back again
into the tin, and a kick at the latter was sufficient to startle the hog
off at a gallop down the street.

The slight pull on his hind leg c