Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-28
The Other Engg|iShnan
"You are English, I take it, sir?'

"You are English. I take it, sir?"
 It was clear to me that at any rate the speaker was. I was travelling alone. had not fallen in with three Englishmen ill as many weeks. And turned to in spect the newcomer with a cordiality his smudged and smutty face could not wholly suppress. Fl am" answered, ''and am very glad to meet a fellow countryElan."
 "You are stranger here?' He did not take his eyes from me, but indicated by a gesture of his thumb the busy wharf below us, piled high with hundreds and thousands of frail crates full of oranges. From the upper deck of the San Miguel we looked directly down upon it, and could see all that was coming or going i'll the trim basin about us. The San Miguel, a steamer of the Segovia Quadra 6 Co. s line, bound for several places on the coast southward, was waiting to clear out of Fl Grao, the harbor of Va lencia, and l was waiting rather impa- tlently to clear out with her. "You are Q stranger hcre?" he repeated. "Yes; I have been in the town four or five days, but otherwise am stranger" /" 1 answered.
 "You are not i'll the trader" he con- tinued. He meant the orange trade. No, 1 am not; I am travelling for pleasure" Ianswered readily. You will be able to understand that, though it is more than any Frenchman or Spaniard can." smiled as I spoke, but he was not very responsive.
 ''It is a queer place to visit for pleas ure," he said dryly, looking away from me to the busy throng about the orange crates.
 "Not at all," I retorted; ''it is a lively town and quaint besides, and it is warm and sunny. I cannot say as much as that of Madrid, from which I came two or threo weeks back"
 Come straight here?" he asked lacon- icany.
 I was growing a tri0e tired of his curiosity, but I answered, No; stayed short time at Toledo and Aranjuez-oh, and at several other places.'' ''You speak Spanish?" ''Not much. Muy poco de Castellano,' g laughed, calling to mind that madden ing grimace by which the Spanish peas ant indicates that he does not understand, eAAAu Ao INV S7SAAiSo lo ullSASA Ot1uo Sou 11C Is a good fellow enough. is Sancho Panza, but having made up his mind that you do not speak Spanish the purest Castilian is after that not Spanish for him.
 You are going some way with us perhaps to Carthagena?" persisted the in quisitor.
 He laid queer stress upon the last word, and with it shot at mo sly glance "a glance so unexpected and so unpleas- antly suggestive that I did not answer him at once. Instead looked at him more closely. He was wiry young fel- low, rather below than above the middle height, to all appearance the chief engi- neer. Everything about him, not ex- cluding the atmosphere, vas greasy and oily, as If he had come straight from the engine room. The whites of his eyes showed with unlovely prominence. Sec ing him thus, I took dislike for him. "To Carthagena!' answered brusquely ''No, l am not going to stay at Car thagena. Why should you suppose so, may ask? Unless, indeed" I added, as another construction of his words oc- cured to me, you think want to see a bit of fighting? 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 Carthasena. It was mentioned at the time in the English papers. An outlying fort was captured, and tho governor of tho city killed be- fore the attempt was suppressed. Of course, this was in every ones mouth. and fancied that his question referred to it.
 My manner or my words, however disconnected him. Without saying more he turned away, not going below at once, but standing on tho main deck near the office in the afterpart. There was good deal of hustle in that quarter. The cap- tain, second officer and clerk were there, giving and taking receipts and what not He did not speak to them, but leaned against the rail close at hand. had an uncomfortable feeling that he was watch ing me, and this suppose gave rise to a strange shrinking from the man, which did not stay with me always, but re- turned from time to time
 /aI g tsI|g.