The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-19


as though he was cold-.'is-dead.'
''Then you knew himi' 1 eagerly asked.
Again Old Miggles was dumb But the
fire leaped up into fantastic flashes not un.
like the "rose-hued" heat lightning of the
tropics, and perhaps in the glowing depths
the old sailor saw pictured what he sud
denly put into words.
'tHis name was Miguel Despard," he said
without removing his gaze from the flick
ering fame" and it was in eighteen twenty
one-cOSDeis! how flies time-he was Cap
tain of the CGtaliaG-a cruiser on the Span
ish main.
"a privateer, suppose" remarked, as
a gentle hint for Old Miggles, who had sud
denly lapsed into silence, to go on.
An eertGigHen4-a privateer with the let
ters of marque and al" returned Old Mig
giles with a singular smile, land such
another TO walk the wave you shall moi
now days see. One hundred and ten ton,
built for a SLAYER, with bows like wedge
the clean run Of yacht, only beam enough
TO work the guns easy, and spars. -UGdrs
de Diosi but to see the Catalina with all sal
packed on her, was the sight of a life"
"How many men did she carry" l asked
Eighty all told, from each Of the ma
tions under the sun-brave men as ever &c
|
old Miggles, with something like animation
The enemyl The British, suppose you
mean" l said-Gor my ideas OF privateerin2
in early days were rather vague.
"St-yes, the British-and Others" said
Miggles, with shrug of his shoulders,
that / could not then interpret.
"But the song-what of thatr" l sug-
gesicd.
If you Will have the yarn l must spin il
on my own winch, my lad,'' was the rather
sharp response, and l was silent
| Captain Despa-d cruised over the Carib-
bean one long eight month"; he went on,
wrinkling his parchment-like forehead,
"but without sighting the sail for which he
watched. So finally he sail toT the coast OF
| South America"
SIT was off Natal Captain Despard make
the great prize of the cruise" said old Mig
| giles, in whose eyes was singular yellow
ish CLEAN, perhaps reflection Of the fire
| glow, which was changing from orange
to gold, 1.-The greatest prize that one single
vessel ever has known to capture. a
| Spanish ship"
But we were not at war with Spain,"
foolishly interrupted.
''DjaUaIo! ,ciH you be quiet!" angrily ex-
claimed Old Miggles. l subsided.
1t was the Spanish ship Hjda,gO." he
went on, (which for three years had made
trade from Guiana to the Riode-la Beata.
| And such lading was not ever taken from
| a ships hold. 1t was not the spices and
gems the barks for medicines, the skins,
the barrels of honey, the cocoa and rub
ber," said OLD Miggles, swapping his
fingers contemptuously. "These were well
in their way, but what think you of three
| hundred cases of silver; of chests of plates,
Of diamonds from the Brazils, and of gold in
value of your money more than one hun
dred thousands of dollars"
If l had spoken MY thoughts it would
have been 20 the effect that Old Miggles
was lying. But l was polite enough to
shake my head, as in amazement too deep
| for words.
The rain came driven in gus's against
the window by the fierce wind which
sobbed and shrieked in the chimney like
the wall of lost SOUL TO use a highly orig
inal simile. As the fire suddenly died
down the yellowish light faded from Old
Miggles' eyes. 1 threw on another bit of
| the teallwood.
81 suppose you made prisoners Of the
ships crew." said, presently; but Old
Miggles evidently did not hear me. Shading
his eyes from the upstarting blaze with a
| tremulous hand, he sat motiouless for a
moment. Was it the play of the dancing
| flames, or were his time-worn features con-
vulsed by some inward emotion!
| There was "a passenger" he at length
said: and almost started, his voice was so
| strangely changed; ''a young girl-au
| orphan-who was returning from the con-
vent at Lima, where she had been edu-
Gated, to her home with an uncle in BARGE
Iona"
"Pretty!' I hazarded, after the manner
of lippant youth. Though, after all, how
could Old Mlggles know excepting by hear
saya
"Prettyr' echoed Old Miggles with a
groan, which attributed to his rheumat les
''dy de mi, lad; she was moro beautiful
than any star in the lost brooch OF the
Blessed Virgin''-here he crossed himself
devoutly. '.EntieAder'
Yes, understood his meaning. 1t is the
sailors beautiful fancy that when in the
day dawn the Virgin Mary ascended to
Heaven, she lost from her bosom a starry
brooch given her by the Lord Christ
himself, and that now the jewel shines in
| the sky as the Southern Cross But as ]
had never dreamed that such a poetic
simile could emanate from the source it did
| Ouly SIdreu anu nO1U0u
''Carita-this she Was called-fainted and
knew not of any thing after the ship was
boarded by Despard's men till she came to
herself in the cabin of the Catalina" said
Old Miggles again, land saw for the first
time the young Captain Despard face to
| face"
"Was he good looking!" was my very
| natural query.
O.d Mlggles smiled in a very peculiar
way, and smoothed down his bristling
| white beard. When in those days knew
Miguel Despard," he replied slowly, ''he
had the handsome face Of his Spanish
father, with the ease and grace of his
mother, who was of French creole birth
| Gently he SOC. he'd the fears of the terrified
girl and her quadroon nurse, setting aside
his own stateroom for their use, and COM
mandiDg every respect to be shown them"
| "And then l suppose she-Carita-fe in
love with the dashing privateersman," l
said lightly.
Again Old Miggles' face worked con-
vulsiyely and his lean, claw-like fingers
twisted themselves together.
You are in pain-the rheumatics are
worse tonight, Mr.. Miggles," observed,
sympathizingly.
1T was Despard who would worship the
deck-plank pressed by her small feet" said
Old Miggles without replying, ''but Carita
would not listen. He plead in vain She
| only implored to return 10 her home And
at last Despard gave bribes to the quadroon
nurse to plead his cause-to show Carita
that her good name would be imperilled
unless shielded by the sacred tie Of mar
riage-for Despard, whatever his sins or
crimes, was honorable in the love he bore
the beautiful Spanish girl"
| "Ay baeno," continued Old Miggles draw