The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-10-31


sailor had won the maiden!
But while tho Lily rocked hither md
thither on the pond, with its blend leaves
aud petals of blue, and its plant stem in
danger at every tide, did the fond mothers
watch it from the bank? That they did,
thinking Of the time when they were lilies
of the pond themselves. with no. fears of
danger near! Butts last it came, and, like
blooming flowers they swung to aud fro
in the rain, dropping n tear or two from
their own rosy leaves-more i'll dewy sor-
row than in fear-and waiting for sunshine.
Bending their beautiful heads of roses the
while. one toward another, peeping out
with their dark violet eyes snd listening rs
the wind shook them, with u tremble of mp
prehension, and clinging hopefully to the
stmiyht support on which they reclined.
BY day and night, i'll burning sun, with
notn drop to drink, and in the sultry night
with no morsel of food to eat-through the
soaring sands i'll the atreets and lanes, down
by the quays--to every vessel in the crowd
eli harbor-in every hotel and lodging
house in Kingston-up and down Spanish,
town-away off to Port Royal-occasionally
going on board the figate for gold, then on
shore again-in ribald wassai and drunken
dance, gaming houses especially, and low
crimping houses. maroon and negro huts,
and wretched haunts of vice-scattering
gold like cards, dice, rum, and watcr-no
end to tin large yellow drops, too-an.i
still sriding on. questioning. cleaning with
those revengeful eyes-never resting brain
or body, without drink or meat-went Paul
Darcantel.
Oh. Paul! that cowardly villain saw you
from the very moment YOU took that pinch
Of snuff out Of his blue enamelled box!
Ay! even before, when You walked your
mule slowly up the broken road, while u
goaled barb was curbed back in tho gloomy
forest till you had passed, with his riders
fingers in his waistcoat pocket. And in all
Your ceaseless wanderings by day and night,
that now timid, terror stricken villain was
following you; Dodging behind corners
under the well-worn cloths of monte banks
in the back room Of pulperias-hiding in
nests of infnmy! Everywhere and in all
places steering clear of you
Oh, Paul! what deceived man you are!
And while you are doingall this just turn
your eyes out to the calm spot off MoEtego
Bay, where that leaky old brigantipc is
bobbing about. The dirty, surly captano
kicking and beating the hands from tntfr,il
I" bowsprit-patticularl one great tall fell
low, w.thouta hat and with but few dry
thin hars 10 shield his skull from the
searching sun; abusing him, as he putfs a
ciga.rito, for being the most idle skulk on
board! But he-the scoundrel,-laughing
with hollow laugh up the sleeve of his
filthy shirt. with never II dollar in his belt,
oran extra pair of trousers in the forecastle,
with bare feet, and still, cold eyes. now
turned to green-eating nasty jerked beef
and drinking putrid water-never sleeping
for vermin-kicked and cuffed about the
decks!
But yet he smiled with fientlish salts
faction, Paul, for he had escaped YOU. and
was bound for st. Jugo de Cuba! From
there he would charter-steal, perhaps-a
small boat, aed run over TO tie Doce Leguas
Keys. where there was ten thousand pounds
i'll widowed gold! If nobody has discov-
eredit-whic was not probable.-and he
the scoundrel-would gather it up in bags,
and stink away into some other part of the
world!
Youmust be very quick, Captain Brand,
for the leaky brigentine does not sail so fast
as did the pirate schooner; and your ancient
compadre. Don Ignacio, is Just out of pris-
on. His old, fat, banana wife is very sorry
for it, but that's none of your business.
Andyou, Doctor Paul! Don't you pity
that flying, dirty wretch, with his mutilated
hank, and soul-beseeching gaze out Of
those greenish. frozen eyes, where ray of
mercy never entered. but whose icy lids
fairly crack as your shadow stamps across
them?
No! nota my of pity or mercy for the in
famous villain; not even (which of the lit
tie finger of his bloody. mutilated white
hand! No! not the faintest hope of pity!
He shall die in such torments rs even IL
pirate never inflicted on victim:
But you are worn out, Darcantel; your
prey has escaped you. The people think
You mad, rs you are, for revenge; and
though yonr stride is the same, and your
frame still MS nervous us a galvanized
corpse. yet flesh and blood cannot stand it,
Coz on board tho Monongahela and talk to
that true friend whose counsel You have
ever listened to since you We're rocking in
your cmdel, or take that noble. gallant
he needs consolation-and think of the
mouse who gnawed the net years and years
ago,
Well. you will, Paul Darcantel: but before
you do, YOU will step into that little Jewell
ler's shop and buy tritle for old Clinker
there out mt Escondido. You want ring,
the finest gem that can be found on the
island of jamaica. There it is-its equal
not to be bought i'll the whole West India
Islands, or the East Indies either.
Il gave Il military man an ounce for the
setting alone, but the sapphire lopking
stone may be glass. He was going to sail
the next morning in Spanish Lrlgantinc
for St. Jago de Cuba, and wanted the
money to pay his bill at the lodging house
adjoining The senior might take it for any
price he chose to put upon it,"
What made that old dealer in precious
stones aud trinkets turn paler than his old
topaz face MS he yelled frantically for his
old Creole wife? The senior had seized the
ring as he broke his elbows through the
glass case which contained the time honor
ed jewelrv. and dashed yellow shower of
gold ounces over the floor of the little shop,
smashing the glass door of that, too, in his
exit
Paul Darcantel whirled and spun around
the corners and along the sandy streets till
he reached the landing, moving like t. va
ter-spout clearing everything from his
track. There he sprung into the first boat
he saw, seized the sculls, despite the shrieks
and gesticulation of the old niger whose
property it was, and who jumped overheard
with howl Us if lobster had caught him
by the toe, and who padded into u neigh
boring boat, where. with the assistance OF
another ancient crony, they both left of
volley upon volley of shrieks which alarm
ed the harber, while the boat went shoot.
ing like javelin toward the men-of war
However, those old stump-tail African
balloons found a gold ounce in their boa,
after it had been set adrist from the Amer
lean frigte. What jolly swapping Of
teeth over tough old goose stuffed Will
onions that night. with two respectable
colored ladies and case bottle of rum be-
side them! You tAn almost sniff the frag
rant odor as it rises. even ut this distance
do, and shall, mayhap, many time again
in lands where stuffed goose and comel,
colored ladies abound.
CHAPTER XL.
PARTING.
There had been small party on boart
the Monongahela the night before to Iii,
the commodore good-bye-all old friend
of both parties. The Pirons, Burns, Stew
art, Stingo, and Jacob Blunt. Cinker wa
not there, for he never went where it WI.
damp. aud if he got musty it must be iron
! 4 II.