Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-09-09

confidential, rather than the narrative strain
"but this Dolores was a wonderful beauty
though there was 80 little of her.
"She was bit frightened and shy at first
especially when she discovered, by catching
hold of my whiskers, that was not Martin
who shaved clean in those days. But yer,
soon I got her on the mule and explained mat
ters in my best Spanish, and we were creeping
stealthily down the hill the best of friends
and Dolores, who was not more than seven
teen, apparently in childish high spirits at th'
success of our enterprise"
"But though she had done her part 81
easily, didn't feel at all sure that our ad
venture was ended. There were lights NOV
ing to and fro at the UPPER windows of the
convent, and at any moment her presence
might be missed, whilst the open window
with its piled stools and boxes on the
inside, would declare which road she had
taken.
Just at this juncture, the confounded mule
that up to this had behaved himself pretty
decently, began to o'back about in manner
simply fendish. He was all over the road
at once, and you never knew whether his
head or his heels would be uppermost.
suppose it was the girls clothes that excited
him, unless the beast was in league with the
priests, and was doing his very best to stop
the affair-those Spanish mules are artful
enough for anything Added to this, Miss
Dolores got frightened, and I could hardly
keep her from screaming out: and my leg
which had not done so much work tor a long
while, began to ache and throb so that l could
scarcely keep up the mules vagaries.
ave hadn't made more than quarter OF
our journey, when I saw very plainly, by
the sudden appearance of lights and. torch
es in front of the convent above US, that the
little sisters escape was discovered, and that
the holy ladies were in hot pursuit. wasn' 7
so frightened of the ladies themselves, for |
fatter myself have rather knack Of man.
aging them but I had an unpleasant idea
that they might have called in the assistance
of hardy peasants armed with pitchforks, the
thought Of whom I did not relish at all.
"In vain dug my dirk into the hind
quarters of the mule. We could not keep
the pace, and soon cries and noise behind
US in the darkness told US that our pursu-
ers were close upon US. At the top of the
steep vineyard path I seized the end Of the
nuns black cloak, and wrapping it round
her head to prevent her cries being heard
for she was by this time quite beside her.
self with fear-I jumped off the mule and
dashed with her into the vineyard, which
edged the road with stumpy, thick bushes.
"The mule, released from restraint and
maddened by last prod from my dirk,
galloped with astonishing clatter down the
narrow road, followed almost instantaneous
ly by shouting mob of people, all in pur,
suit of what they believed to be the hereto
and his captive. I could not hel lp chuckling
as they tore by, the old jackass leading at a
speed to which L had been vainly urging him
all the evening.
"But there was no time to be lost, for the
road that the pursuers had taken was the
one that led straight to the entrance of the
Jews quarter, and it was clearly impossi
BILE to try to make that port. I had not
moment to reflect, or probably should not
have dared to do what / did. Raising and
disentangling Dolores from her heavy cloak
1 half dragged, half carried her across the
vineyards, down to the seaboard, and thence
by the quickest and quietest road, to the
steps where l had told the men to meet me
with the boat. 1t was lying in waiting, fol-
the big clock of the cathedral had just gone
ten, and without ceremony I tumbled my
living bundle into it, and jumping in after
her, gave the word to be off.
"Not minute too soon-for the quay was
all at once alight and alive with people and
lanterns. The news of the escaped nun had
Just reached the town, and I saw my old
enemy, the mule, being dragged into the
plaza, and surrounded by a crowd of gap
ing Spaniards, who seemed to expect he
would open his mouth and tell them what
had become of the runaway. Our boat did
not altogether escape notice, for some one ran
along the quay with lantern, and cast a
long, bright fash across our course but We
had pulled through it before any one could
have recognized that the dark mass in the
stern of the boat was the lady for whom they
were searching.
"My men pulled on in steady, stony Brit
ish silence, just as if their officers were in
the habit of making dash for it every two
or three evenings week, with some young
lady or other. But was beginning to feel
horribly uncomfortable as to the reception
Captain Cripps would give me and our fair
visitor, and | recolected with relief, that for
this night at all events, he was safely dis.
posed Of thought it best to give the men
my version of the story; so, before we reach
ed the ship, l told them in the most business
like manner possible, that the young lady was
detained against her will in a convent, and
had appealed for protection to British man.
o'-war, where she'll find it, lads, of course 7
I ended, with confidence which I'm bound
to say, was very far from feeling.
"Wasn't glad just to find myself safe
aboard the vessel again, handing over Dolo-
res, who by this time was quite frighten'
ed and cowed into silence, to my superior
officer, as in duty bound, and retiring bit
aft myself until their first greetings should
be over. Then I came forward and ex-
planned briefly how it was that the plan Of
boarding Mother Zachary in the Jews quar-.
ter had fallen through, and exonrated my
self for taking the dangerous step of bringing
the girl on board the ship, which would in all
probability be searched the first thing next
morning by the local officials, with warrant
from the English Consul.
NATURALLY, the presence of the lady could
not be concealed from the other officers and
the ships company, most of whom were al
ready agog to know who was this mysterious
female who had suddenly appeared on the
quarterback. Martin, calling the men to-
gether, gave them much such an explanation
Of the affair as I had made in the boat, keep
ing his own and my special part in the busi
ness cleverly out of sight, and leaving each
of his auditors with pleasing impression that
it was in consequence Of his own remarkable