The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-05-26
one boy only one yes, it was he; it

Even in this hour Of incxpressib0 cmH
ton arose the cry, 'Whcrei, thy brother
William told, with many t.ars and sighO
= story of great length and great intercs
They had escaped to Madeira thence Id
started for home. Had been taken again
their will to Lisbon. Had been nhospitab
put ashore, as their money was gone. Ha
retrcated into tho interior joined party
robbers, or been taken up by them; an
Philip, having offended the chief had bee
murdered, or at least was dragged insensiX
bic from his brothers sight aud Wiiliani@
tied and wounded, was carried in anothe
direction by the robbcr-tr0op.
Escaping ut last, he reached the sea
found = ship bound for the West-Indies' |
The captain, more hosptAbls than the las, I
took him on board, and restored him to his
father.
old Father Pedro was an attentive listen
or to this story. lie had never liked Will
lam and he thought there were some discre-
pancies in this story.
'fou say, my son, that the robbers took
you past the convent Of Santa Maria, about
three leagues from Lisbon 2 said Father Pc
dro.
william turned very pale, but that might
be caused by painful recollectons.
''Yes, good father said he. %
Il know that country well, and was born
not far from that convent said the old man,
musingly.
The events in the history Of this family
had been so shocking, that Vickars sunk into
q state Of incapaci,y, Although man in
the vigor oi life two years before, he was
now sunken and apparently aged. He
seemed to see his lost son he forgot the
name Of the one who lived and only now
and then reused himself to reason and mem
ory.
His estate, which was large, came very
much into tho hands Of William, who,
though young, proved himself an excellent
man Of business. His slaves worked more
hours than any gang on the island, and his
sugar and coffee brought high prices. lie
led life Of unparalleled license and dissipa.
ton, and seemed to fear neither GoD nor
man. Yes, there was one man who made
him trcmble, and that was Father Pedro.
Al length it occurred that this check
should be removed. Father Pedro had long
since determined TO go to Spain, and to
make search for the unfortunate Philip, but
many things detained him. The Catholic
priests are, as elsewhere. very dominant
men on these islands, and very important,
particularly in the Spanish Islands, to the
government; so he must wait till some sue
cessor arrived to take his place. At length.
ali difficulties being .moothed away, Father
Pedro departed silently, not communicating
the purpose of his journey TO any save one,
nd 10 oil
slave.
An Africdn sifre means one brought from
Africa Immediately, having still the original
brand on the forehead given by the SLAYER
Of these the islands of Cuba and Porte. Rico
are fall and a wild, fierce race they are.
The gives have not yet entered their souls,
and they Seem to have supernatural power
about them, burning ever in their untamed
eyes.
odd Lanta was the commanding spirit Of
the plantation. She had been very insubsr-
dirate at first, and Father Pedro had interfe.
red to save her many cruel punishment
She was now old, subducd, and attached TO
the inrnily, and especially to Father Pedro
The family estates were three in number.
One lying Oh the sca.coast was called The
Bay Another, more to the inland, was
called The sapphire from It's commanding
view of the blue ocean. The third, and by
far the finest, was called the Man in Ar.
NOR, from a ianciful decoration to the IA.
cade Of the house-an eiligy Of man in
full armor lying beneath each window-the
proprietor having paid this tribute to his
love Of 'merrie England in her feudal days
'Nickars grew nigh to death, and prepared
to resign all these possessions. As the body
gave way, the mind came back, and sum
monins his lawyer, he dictated as follows
~ have three estates, and pray to God
that may still have three children. Ny
fine estate, called the Man in Armor, give
tony son Philip, ifhc be living and give
it in trust to my son William, to keep for
him, twenty years. II, at the expiration OF
that time, he is not heard from, il becomes
the property of William, My estate Of The
Bay | give to my son William. Ny estate
of The sapphire give to my daughter
Annunciata'
And other provisions followed, which do
not aliect this story.
This will was signed by Vickars, in the
presence Of his son William, his lawyer. and
one Mr.. Agayo, a Spanish gentleman, who
owned an adjoining estate, and, unnotccd
by all of them, old Lanta, who was busy in
the room.
Poor Annunciata, whose youth had been
withcrcd by these events, after paying the
last sad Offices Of respect to the remains OF
her father, departed for England, to the re.
latives whom she had never seen, hoping to
receive some alienation to the grief which
consumed her.
Meanwhile her brother employed himself
in altering and rcftt z his houses, partcu-
larly the Man in Armor' lie sent away all
the slaves pertaining to it to his other plan
tations, and employed some Spaniards, who
had newly arrived on the island.
'One day, as he was surveying the facade
he muttcrcd to himself, almost large
enough for mans body lie started as he
heard a step behind hitH, but felt reassured
as he saw only old Lunta.
After giving her sound robuke for loun
gng about, he sent her away; but her curl
Osity was aroused, aud she determined t
watch him.
About this time the island was very much
agitated by the report that Mr.. Agayo was
found dead in his bed. In these islands, the
events arc SO few that one such thing as this
which does not attract much notice in a lar.
ger place, fills the minds of the whole popu
lation. lie had been at a dinner the nigh,
before, had drunk freely, but had gone
home perfectly well, and that was all lha,
was known.
Before this event had ceased to be topic
Of conversation, the dinner-partics of the is
land were enlivened by very different ru
NOR, which was, that the lost heir Of tn,
Man in Armor' was alive, and coming tt
claim his own again. II at first was rumor
but soon became more by the arrival Of ,
letter from Father Pedro to William, which
read thus:
''GoD be with you, my son, and gve yol
satisfaction in the tidings bring. Youl
brother, whom you believed dead, is alive
| found him in the holy convent of Santa Ma
ria, injured in mind and body, but still,
hope, capable Of improvement. The holy
brothers Of the convent found him btuisct
and bleeding at the foot of predpice
They took him up and tenderly cared 70
him. His memory is affected much, and h
may never quite recover it. lie can recal
nothing of the robber-troop, of whom yor
have so vivid a recollection, but remember