The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-01-14

song" was my thoughtful remark, as Old
Miggles, with hoarse chuckle, relapsed
| into silence Gnd cload Of tobacco smoke.
My singular host made no immediate re-
| ply, but smoked on in silence for some lit
tie time, while the gale without increased
| in violence, and the boom of the breakers
grew louder and more threatening. Finally
| he laid his pipe on the table behlnd him,
| and then bent his eyes on the fire which
had just replenished with another ''chunk"
! of East Indiaman.
"The man who did write that" suddenly
| observed Old Miggles with slight SILVER,
| as though he was cold-'is-dead."
"Then you knew himm l eagerly asked.
Again Old Miggles was dumb. But the
fire leaped up into fantastic flashes not I'M
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.
His name was Miguel Despard," he said,
without removing his gaze from the flick
ering fame" and it was in eighteen twenty
! one-cospeltS' how flies time-he was Cap
| tain of the Catalina-a cruiser on the Span
ish main.
"a privateer, suppose" remarked as
,, gentle hint for Old Miggles, who had sud
denly lapsed into silence, to go on.
Al certaiRment-a pavateer with the let
ters OF marque and ALL" returned Old Mig
giles with singular smile, "and such
another to walk the wave you shall not
now days see. One hundred and ten ton,
built for SLAYER, with bows like wedge.
the clean run of yacht, only beam enough
to work the guns easy, and spars. Madre
dc Diosl but to see the Catalina with all sail
packed on her, was the sight of life.''
''How many men did she carry" asked.
Eighty all told, from each of the ma
tons under the sun-brave men as ever 90
over the side of a-of the enemy" returned
old Miggles, with something like animation
THE enemyi The British, suppose you
mean," l said-for my ideas of privateering
in early days were rather vague.
'Si-yes, the British-and Others" said
Miggles, with a shrug of his shoulders,
that could not then interpret
"But the song-what of that!" l sug-
ges,ed
IF you will have the yarn must spin it
on my own winch, my lad" was the rather
sharp response, and was silent.
Captain Despard 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 for the coast of
South America"
at 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 a 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.
"Diayalo! mil you be quiet3" angrily ex-
| claimed Old Miggles. | subsidized.
at was the Spanish ship Hidalgo." he
went on, (which for three years had made
trade from Guiana to the Rio-de-la Beata.
And such IA lading was not ever taken from
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 ire the Brazils and of gold in
value Of your money more than one hun
dred thousands of dollars!"
If | had spoken my thoughts it would
have been to the effect that Old Miggles
was lying. But I was polite enough to
shake my head, as in amazement too deep
for words.
The rain came driven in gusts 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 smile. AS the fire suddenly died
down the yellowish light faded from Old
Miggles' eyes. / threw on another bit of
| the lockwood.
81 suppose you made prisoners of the
ships crew." | said, presently; but Old
! Miggles evidently did not hear me. Shading
his eyes from the upstartng blaze with
| tremulous hand, he sat motionless for
moment. Was it the pay 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; ga young girl--an
| 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?' l hazarded, after the manner
of fippant youth Though, after all, how
could Old Nllggles know excepting by hear
say!
"Prettyr' echoed Old Miggles with
| groan, which attributed to his rheumatcss
"dy de mi, lad; she was more beautiful
than any star in the lost brooch of the
Blessed Virgin''-here he crossed himself
devoutly. "EntiendeY'
Yes, understood his meaning. 1t is the
sailors beautiful fancy that when in the
day dawn the Virgin Mary assembled to
Heaven, she lost from her bosom starry
brooch given her by the Lord Christ
himself, and that now the jewel shines in
the sky as the Southern Cross. But as l
had never dreamed that such a poetic
smile could emanate from the source it did
l only stared and nodded.
"Carita-tbis 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.
Old Miggles smiledNin very peculiar
way, and slnoothed down his bristllng
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 soothed the fears of the terrified