Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-01-05

dow and walked towards the fire that
burned so brightly in the deep,
oven-iike hearth. A pile of copy-books
the work Of the Preside school, lay on
| the table. Ashe turned over the leaves
with paternal interest, and surveyed
the fair round scripture-text-the first
pious potbooks of the pupils of San
Carlos-an audible commentary fell
from his lips: ssAbimeleck took her
from Abraham. All! little one, excel
lent Jacob sent to see his brother.
Body of Christ that upstroke of thine,
Faquita, is marvellous The governor
shall see it." A film of honest pride
dimmed the commanders left eye-the
right, alasl twenty years before had
been sealed by the Indian arrow. He
rubbed it softly with the sleeve of his
leather jacket, and continued: "The
Ishmaelite having arrived"
He stopped, for there was a step in
the court yard, step on the threshold,
and a stranger entered. With the in
stinct of an old soldier the commander,
after one glance at the intruder, turned
quickly toward the wall where his
trusty Toledo hung, or should have
been hanging. But it was not there /;
and, as he recalled that the last time
that he had seen that weapon it was
being ridden up and down the gallery
by Pepito, the infant son of Baptista,
the tortilio maker, he blushed, and
then contented himself with frowning
on the intruder.
But the strangers air. though irrev-
erent, was decidedly peaceful. He was
unarmed, and wore the ordinary caps
or tarpaulin and seaboots of mariner.
Except villainous smell of Goldfish,
there was but little about him that was
peculiar. /.
His name-as he informed the COM
mander, in Spanish that was more fluent
than elegant or precise-his name was
Peleg Scudder. He was master of the
schooner General Court, of the port of
Salem, in Massachusetts, on o trading
voyage to the South Sea, but now
driven by stress of weather into the
bay of San Carlos. He begged per-
mission to ride out the gale under the
headlands of the blessed Trinity, and 40
more. WAGER he did not need, having
taken in supply at Bouega. He
knew the strict surveillance of the
Spanish port regulations in regard to
foreign vessels, and would do nothing
against the severe discipline and good
order of the settlement. There was
slight tiuge of sarcasm in his tone as he
glanced toward the desolate parade
grounds of the Preside, and the open
unguarded gate. The fact was that the
sentry, Gelipe Gomez, had discreetly
retired to shelter at the beginning of
the storm, and was then sound asleep
In the corridor,
The commander hesitated. The port
regulations were severe. But he was
accustomed to exercise Individual au-
thority; and beyond an old order issued
ten years before regarding the Amer
lean ship Columbia, there was no pre-
cedent to guide him. The storm was
severe, and q sentiment of humanity
urged him to grant the strangers re-
quest. It is but just to the commander
to say that his inability to enforce re-
fusal did not, weigh with his decision.
He would have denied with equal dis
regard of consequence, that right to
seventy-four gun ship which he now
yielded SO gracefully to this Yankee
trading schooner. He stipulated only
that there should be no communication
between the ship and shore.
For yourself, senior captain" he
said, "accept my hospitality. This fort
is yours as long as you will grace it with
your distinguished presence"
And with old-fashionod courtesy he
made the semblence of Withdrawing
from the guardroom.
Master Peleg Scudder smiled as he
thought of the half dismantled fort, the
two mouldy brass cannon, cast in Man
lila centuary previous, and the
shiftless garrison, A thought of &C
cepting the commanders offer literally,
conceived in the reckless spirit of
man who never let slip an offer for
trade, for moment filed his brain;
but timely reflection of the commercial
unimportance of the transaction checked
him. He only took capacious guild of
tobhcco, and the commander gravely
drew settle before the fire, and. in
honor of his guest, united the black
silk handkerchief that bound his griz-
Ely brows.
WHAT passed between Salvatierra and
his guest that night becomes me not, as
grave chronicler Of the silent points
of history, to relate. I have said that