Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20

Stewart ran nftar us-n childish thing to
do--for moro than a mile: and / could not
help laughing MS | looked back at last aud
saw him on a hill, holding his hands to his
side and nearly burst with running
But all the same | could not help saying
to my companion, ~ would let no man run
after me for any such proper purpose and not
give him his desire. 1t was good jest, but
it smells trihe cowardly"
He bent his brows at me. II do pretty
we'll" says he, "when l saddle myself with
the most unpopular man in Scotland, and let
that suffice for courage
"Oh, bedad," says l, 81 could show you a
more unpopular with the naked eye. And
II you like not my company you can saddle
yourself on some one else"
"Col. Burke,n says he, 'do not let us quar-
rel; and to that effect let me assure you AIN
Tho least patient man in the world"
81 am as little patient as yourself" said L
II care not who knows that"
AT this rate" said hes refining In, 1--WE
shall not go very far. Ala propose we do
one Of two things upon the instanti either
quarrel and DO done, or make a sure bar
gain TO bear everything at each others
hands,
"Lilre pair Of brothersF said l.
ct said no such foolishness," he replied. ~
have brother Of my own, and think no
more Of him than of a colewort But If we
are to have our noses rubbed together in this
course Of fight, let as each dare to be our
selves Ike savages and each swear that he
will neither resent nor deprecate the other.
] am q pretty bad fellow at bottom, and I
end the pretense Of virtues very irksome."
"Oh am as bad as yourself" said I.
"There Is no skim milk In Francis Burke.
But which is it to bel Fight or make
fTiends7n
why says be, 81 think it will be the
best manner to spin coin for it,"
This proposition was too highly chivalrous
not to take my fancy; and, strange as 1t may
seem Of two well born gentlemen Of today,
we spun a half crown dixie pair of ancient
paladins) whether we were to cut each others
! throats or be sworn friends. A more roman
tic circumstance can rarely have occurred;
and it is one of those points in my memoirs
| by which we may see the old tales of Homer
and tho poets are equally true today, at least
| Of the noble and genteel The coin fell for
peace, and we shook hands upon our bargain.
! And then it was that my companion ex-
planned to me his thought in running away
| from Mr.. Stewart, which was certainly
worthy of his political intellect. The report
OF his death, he said, was a great guard to
! had become a danger, and he had taken the
! briefest road to that gentleman's silence.
| For says he, Allan Black is too vain
man to narrate any such story Of HIMSELF
Toward afternoon we came down to the
shores of that Loeb for which we were head
ing; and there was the ship but newly come
to anchor She was the Sainte-Marie-des-
Anges, of the port Of Havre de Grace. The
master after we had sisnaled for boat,
asked me if | knew the captain. | told him
! ne was a countryman of mine, of the most
unblemshed integrity, but, was afraid, a
| rather timorous man.
mo NATTER says he "For that, he
should certainly hear the truth"
asked him if he meant about the battle;
for, If the captain once knew the standard was
down, he would certainly put to sea again at
once
"And even them" said he; 1.-The arms are
now of no sort of utility"
my dear man." said |, "who thinks of the
armsl But to be sure we must remember our
friends. They will be close upon our heels,
perhaps the prince himself, and if the ship be
gone. a great number CT valuable lives may
| be Imperfect
The captain and the crew have lives also,
if you come to that" says Ballantrae.
I would not hear of the captain being told !;
and then it was that Ballantrae made me a
witty answer, for the sake Of which land also
because l have been blamed myself in this
| business of the Sainte- Marie-des-Ange
have related the whole conversation as it
passed.
Frank" says he, remember our bargain.
/ must not object to your holding your
tongue, which | hereby even encourage you
to do; but by the same terms you are not to
resent my telling"
could not help laughing at this; though
still forewarned him what would come of it.
"The devil may come of it for what | care"
says the reckless fellow. Il have Away sione
exactly as felt inclined"
AS is well known, my prediction came true
The captain had no sooner heard the news
than ne cut his cable and to sea again and
before morning broke we were in the Great
Minch
The ship was very old; and the skipper,
although the most honest of men (and Irish
too, was one of the least capable The wind
blew very boisterous, and the sea ragged ex-
tremely. All that day We had little heart
whether to eat or drink; went early to rest
in some concern Of mind; and las if to give
us lesson) in the night the wind chopped
ricane. We were awaked by the dreadful
thunder of the tempest and the stamping of
tho marines on deck; so that | supposed our
last hour was certainly come; and the terror
OF my mind was increased out of all measure
by Ballantrae, who Knocked at my devotions.
1t is In hours like these that man of any
piety appears in his true light, aud We find
what we are taught as babes the small trust
that can be set in worldly friends | would
be unworthy of my religion if | let this pass
without particular remark. For three days
we lay in the dark in the cabin, and had but
biscuit to nibble. On the fourth the wind
fell, leaving the ship dismasted and heaving
on vast pillows. The captain had not a guess
of whittier we were blown he was stark ig-
norant of his trade, and could do naucht but
bless the Holy Virgin; avery good thing too
but scarce the whole of seamanship. Ii
seemed our one hope was to DO picked up by
another vessel; and if that should prove to
be an English ship, it might be no great
blessing to the master and myself.
The fifth and sixth days we tossed there
helpless. The seventh some sail was got on
| her, but she was an unWieldy vessel AT tho