1876 Facts About Sherry by Henry Vizetelly

Other Jerez Vineyards.

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there. "Because," he replied,"I might incur the risk of being sequestrated." On asking for an explanation he informed me that a person of any means could scarcely live even that short distance from Jerez -without the chance of himself or some member of his family being carried off to the mountains,only to be released on payment of an exorbitant ransom. "True," said he,"during vintage-time certain families still occupy their country-houses among the vines, as wasthe general custom some years ago, when the vintage furnished the occasion for a round of -visits and festivities; but they only do so," continued he, " -with arms constantly within reach,or at considerable risk." Calling his manager,heasked him to give the particulars of some sequestrations of recent date. From bim we learned that a couple of months ago the son of a farmer near Arcos, distant five leagues from Jerez, was carried off and kept for more than a fortnight in the mountains,and only eventually released on his father s paying a certain ransom. So recently, too, as last month the nephew of an old lady, kno-wn in her neighbourhood as"Aunt Matias," was carried off from a place called Patema, also five leagues from Jerez. The young fellow lived with his aunt on a small farm,and, as she was unable to scrape together the thousand dollars or so demanded as ransom, his captors set him at liberty on receiving one-third of that sum and being promised the remainder in two equal portions at stated intervals. The first instalment was paid promptly enough, but not the final one, whereupon a couple of brigands made their appear ance; and not succeeding in meeting -with the man they were in quest of, rather than return and report the utter failure of their mission to their comrades,they decided upon carrying off a cousin of their former prisoner as a sort of hostage. Just, however, as they were about pouncing upon their prey a black smith's assistant inconveniently appeared upon the scene, and one of the brigands had ingeniously to draw him aside, while his comrade, by the menace of a loaded gun, obliged Armt Matias's second nephew to accompany him. As soon as they reached a retired spot the brigand commanded his prisoner to