New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-16
THE OTHER ENGLISHMAN.
70 ENGLISH. I take 10. sir ?n

T. was clear to me that at any rate the speaker
was. was travelling alone, 1 had an not VALE, Iaaen
And / turned to inspect the newcomer with a
cordiaIty his smudgcd and smutty face could not
wholly suppress am, amSwvroa anu ''
Won are n stranger bere?' He did not take
his ewes from me, but indicated by a, gesture
of his thumb the busy wharf oeoW Sro dS craes f
M oranges From the upper deck OF inc oa9
Miguel we looked directly down upon u, anu
could see all that Was vas Snn or sIs Steamer Of
the Segovia Quadra and Company's line. pound
for several places on the coast southwark, WE
Valencia, and / was waiting rather impatIentlyy
10 clear out with her. You are stranger here'
he repeated. .o, ~, e,,.
days. but otherwise l am stranger" answered.
You are not in the trader he continued.
He meant the orange trade.
mo. am not; am travelling 1or pleasusae a,
I answered readily. "You will be able TO under
stand that, though it is more than any frchc ,1+
man or Spaniard can" l smiled as SPOKE ou'
he was not very responsive.
1T is queer place to visit for pleasure he
said dryly, looking away from me 10 the busy
throng about, the orange crates. r,.o,r. four,
and quaint besides and it is warm and sunny
! cannot say as much as that OF MaGrio' iroin
which / came two or three weeks PACK.
Come straight here p he asked laconcaly.
was growing trihe tired of his curiosity,
but answered, No; stayed short time at
Toledo ana AranJueZ-oh' anu aV Se'0i"' ''AN-
You speak Spanish? '
Not much Muy POGO de Castellano,' /
laughed calling to mind that naddcnng grlmacce
bv which the Spanish peasant indicates that he
does not understand, and is not gong 10 uhuer-
stand you He is good fellow enough, IS Sancho
Panza but having made up his mind that you
do not speak Spanish, the purest Castian is after
that not Spanish for him.
You are going some way with us-perhaps to
Carthagena ?" persisted the lnqulstor.
He a
with it shot At me sly glance-a glance so un,
expected and so unpleasantly suggestive that
at him more closely. He was wiry young fellow,
rather below than above the middle height to
all appearance the chief engineer Everything
about him, not excluding the atmosphere Mas
greasy and oily, as if he had come straight from
the encine-room. The whites of his eyes showed
With unOyey Seeng nm nus
STAY stay at Carthagcna. Why should you suppose
So may ask Unless indeed, adaea; ~
me, lyon think | want to see bit OF nghtlng
No my friend the fun might grow too furious
To explain this | should add that three days
before there had been a mutiny among the troops
at Carthagena 1t was mentioned at the time III
the English papers. An outlying fort, was cap
tured, and the governor of the city killed before
the attempt suppressed OF course this
was in everyone's mouth, and l fancied that his
question referred to it,
My manner or my words, however, dlscon,
certed him. Without saying more he turned
away, not going below at once, but standing on
the main deck near the Office in the aiterpart
There was good deal of hustle IN that qua Ir
giving and taking receipts and what not. ne
did not speak to them but leaned against the
rail close at hand. l had an uncomfortable feel
ing that he was watching me- and this l suppose
gave rise to "A strange shrinking from the man,
which did not stay with me always, but returned
from time TO time.
Presently the dinner-bell rang, and stimuli
taneously the San Miguel moved out to sea. We
were to spend the next day at Alicante, and the
following one at Carthagena.
Dinner was not a cheerful meal The
officers of the ship did not speak Eng
lish or French, and were not communII,
caiivc in any language Besides myself
there were only three frst-cass passengers. They
were ladies-relatives of the newly-appolnted
Governor Of Carthagena, and about to JON him
there have no doubt that they were CHARM
ing and fashionable people. but their part;ality
for the knife in eating calculated 10 prelu-
dice them unfairly in English eyes Consequent
]y, when ! came on deck again, and the engineer
sleigh, he told me his name was-sidlcd up to
me, ] received him graciously enough He prof,
him in return with something 10 drink lie
urged me to go down with him and sec tho
engine-room and after some hesitation did SO.
You see, il was after dinner.
- have pretty much my OWL way" he said,
boastngly. They cannot do without English
engineers. They tried once, and lost three boats
in six months. In harbor: my time is my own.
have seven stOllers under me, all Spaniards.
They tried it on with me when l first came
aboard they did. But the first that out with
his knife TO me, | knocked on the head with
shovel / have had none of their sauce since!7
Was he much hurt?" | asked scanning my
companion. He was not big, ] have said and
he slouched and shambled. But with all this
there was an air of staggering dare-devilry
about him that gave color to his story.
Il don't know" he answered. They took.
him TO the hospital he never came aboard again
that is all | know"
Il suppose your pay is good? ' l suggested,
timidly. To confess the truth, | felt myself at
disadvantage with him down there. The far
ing lights and deep shadows, the cranks and
pstons whirling at our elbows the clank and
din. and the valves that Kissed at unexpected
moments were matters Of every hour TO hlm-me
As nv after-dinner easiness abated, / regretted
that IL had induced me to come down.
He laughed-a short, harsh laugh Pretty
fair he said, with my opportunities Do you
that jacket p
"Yes"
THAT is my shore-gong Jacket, that is,' with
a wink. " Here, look at it,
l complied. 1t appeared on first sight TO be
on ordinary sailors pea-coat but looking more
closely l found that inside were dozens OF tiny
pockets At the mouth of each pocket small
hook was fixed 10 the lining
They for Watches" he explained when
he saw that did not comprehend get five
francs over the price for every one carry ashore
nodded to show that i did understand 1i And
which is your port for that? ' / said, desiring
10 say something as turned to ascend
He touched me on the shoulder, and / found
his face close 10 mine His eyes were glittering
in the light of the lamp that hung by the steam
guage, with the same expression in them that
had 80 perplexed me before dinner. At Cartha-
ecnal I" he whispered bringing his face closer to
mine; " at Carthagena Wait q minute mate,
] have told you something he went on, hoarse-
~ | am not too particular, and. what is
more am not afraid Amt you going to tell
something?'
/ have nothing to tell your stammered,
staring at him
Amt you going 10 tell me something, mate Pr
he repeated monotonously. His voice was low
but it seemed 10 me that there menace in it,
have not an idea what you mean, my good
fellow | said, and turning away with abrupt
ness--Wy eye lit upon a shovel lying ready at
hand-I ran nimby / could up the steep
ladder, and gained the deck. Once there paused
end looked down. lie was still standing by the