San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-02-18
M -. = - : :
A TALE OF 4 CARAVAN.
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.

got it," he explained. This time last
year l was in Ireland"
an Ireland, master:'
yes, on the west coast; do you know
it,"
William Jones shook his head.
There be plenty wreck there, amt
. there?" said he, suddenly.
Wreck" repeated Brinkley
yes, I've heard tell o. wonderful
storms and big ships breaking up. Look
We now, they do tell wonderful tales;
and wonder sometimes if all they says
be true"
Brinkley looked at his host for min
ute or so in silent wonder, for the little
man was transformed. Instead of gaz-
ing about him with the stupid express
sion which up till now his face had
worn, his face expressed all the keen
hess of a fOX-hOund well on the scent.
There was also another curious thing
which the young man noticed; that the
word wreck" seemed to act like magic
on the other member of the Jones house
hold. At the first mention of it the old
man started from his sleep; and he now
sat staring wildly before him. evidently
imagining he was standing on head
land. gazing out to sea.
Wreck" he murmured. "Ay, there
ii be. driftin' in wi the wind ana the
tide. William-driftin' in wi the tide"
Shut up. old man." said William.
giving his father a nudge: then turning
again to Brinklry, he said. BE them
tales true MASTER
,"Eh?-oh, YES: perfectly true" said
Brinkley, being IN IL lively humOr, and
determined to give his host a treat.
The expression in the eyes of William
Jones became even more greedy.
"P'raps," he said. you've seen some
of them wrecks"
"Dear me. YES" answered Brinkley,
determined to give the reinS to his i'm
agination. 1--WE seen any number of
them. Huge ships broken up like
match-bOXes. and every soul on board
them drowned; then aiterwaTd-"
"Ah. yes. mister" said William Jones
eagerly as the other paused; "artur-"
We'll. afterward. my friend, I've
have made you and me. and dozen
others such. rich for life"
Dear. dear! and what become of it,
mister-tell me that?"
What become of ~" repeated Brink
ley, whose mag nation was beginning
to give way: why. it was appropriated,
of course. by the population"
81 IT, tnlv Oh
mister"
~" repeated Brinkley, who was get
ting muddled; well, -nO:-firstly, be-
cause / didn't wish to- have super
stitious horror of wearing dead men's
things; and secondly, because | could
not have done so had | wished. The
people are clannish: they wanted it all
for themselves, and would have killed
any interfering stranger"
Il suppose, mister, there be no coast
guard chaps there" said William Jones.
"Oh dear, no! No cOast-guards."
All" sighed the old man, coming out
of his trance. 1T warn't so long ago
when there warn't no cOast-guard chaps
here neither. Then times was better for
honest men. On a dark night twas
easy to put light on the headland, and
sometimes we got prize or two that
way, didn't we. William, dear? But
now"
"You shut up" roared William, Civ
ing his parent a very forcible dig in the
ribs. you don't know what you're
talkin' about, You don't. The old 'un
is bit queer in the head. master" he
explained; land he's allusa dreamin' he
is. There amt no prizes here. the Lodd
knows; it's most as much as We can
do to git a bit o bread. Matt knows
that; don't ee', Matt"
But whatever Matt knew she evident
ly meant TO keep to herself, for shegave
no reply. Presently, after little more
general conversation, Brinkley rose to
go. He offered a twO-shilling piece to
William Jones: and, somewhat to his
amazement. that worthy accepted it
gratefully.
Goodbye, Matt" said Brinkley. But
in a trice Matt was beside him.
"I'm going to show you the way" she
explained as she went out with him in
to the air.
"Whew." said Brinkley when they
were fairly clear of the cabin; the open
air is better than that den; but then
William Jones is very poor, isn't he,
Matt?
"He sdus he is.n