ts to the verdure--sometimes it was
all emerald and gold, and at others it was like dark green velvet.

But the clouds in the direction of Seville were very black, and coming
nearer I saw that it rained upon the hills. The water fell on the earth
like a transparent sheet of grey. Soon I felt an occasional drop, and I
put on my _poncho_.

The rain began in earnest, no northern drizzle, but a streaming downpour
that soaked me to the skin. The path became marsh-like, and Aguador
splashed along at a walk; it was impossible to go faster. The rain
pelted down, blinding me. Then, oddly enough, for the occasion hardly
warranted such high-flown thoughts, I felt suddenly the utter
helplessness of man: I had never before realised with such completeness
his insignificance beside the might of Nature; alone, with not a soul in
sight, I felt strangely powerless. The plain flaunted itself insolently
in face of my distress, and the hills raised their heads with a scornful
pride; they met the rain as equals, but me it crushed; I felt as though
it would beat me down into the mire. I fell into a passion with the
elements, and was seized with a desire to strike out. But the white
sheet of water was senseless and impalpable, and I relieved myself by
raging inwardly at the fools who complain of civilisation and of
railway-trains; they have never walked for hours foot-deep in mud,
terrified lest their horse should slip, with the rain falling as though
it would never cease.

The path led me to a river; there was a ford, but the water was very
high, and rushed and foamed like a torrent. Ignorant of the depth and
mistrustful, I trotted up-stream a little, seeking shallower parts; but
none could be seen, and it was no use to look for a bridge. I was bound
to cross, and I had to risk it; my only consolation was that even if
Aguador could not stand, I was already so wet that I could hardly get
wetter. The good horse required some persuasion before he would enter;
the water rushed and bubbled and rapidly became deeper; he stopped and
tried to turn back, but I urged him on. My feet went under water, and
soon it was up to my knees; then, absurdly, it struck me as rather
funny, and I began to laugh; I could not help thinking how foolish I
should look and feel on arriving at the other side, if I had to swim for
it. But immediately it grew shallower; all my adventures tailed off thus
unheroically just when they began to grow exciting, and in a minute I