The Press., 1894-01-11

many minutes before, with all power at my command. could turn it, but suc- ceeded at last and pushed the heavy iron door back.
 Wait few moments. said the don, until fresh air be admitted. Re- member, half century has passed since foot has crossed this threshold. |"
 The air that we encountered at the door was flat and dead. pushed again at the door till had it wide open. Then we sat for 10 minutes on bench in the great hall, after which we en- tered the room. At the don s request 1 closed the door
 ''The pirates arlnory,' said he.
 Hanging from the wall on either side from end to end were weapons of all descriptions old fashioned broad sword of Great Britain, the rapier of France, the cutlass of Morocco and In dia, the saber of America.
 All nations," said the don, ''con- tributed to this armory.''
 Stacked against the wall were mus kets, rifles, shotguns and bikes innu- merable. A long oaken table extended 
 at each side for seats.
 ''The festive board and council ta ble, said the don.
 l gazed in wonder at the contents of this room Midway of the room on one side was an immense sideboard, on which stood decanters without number, also goblets and glasses. At the lower end table and rack were filled with short arms, pistols, dirks and knlves. All were moldy and showed evidence of great age, and in places the straps that had held muskets and sabers in their positions had given way, and they had fallen to the floor. Even as we walked along heavy cutlass and an enormous breastplate fell from their po- sition of perhaps a century and struck the stone floor with clang that star tied me. 1 glanced at them. The re- verberation of our footfall had caused the ,noldy straps to part. At the end of this large room door stood open. We stepped to it and glanced in.
 ''The culinary department, said the don.
 Huge freplaces were on either side, and large kettles still hung on the old fashioned cranes. Bake ovens and pots all ranged on either side, while piled on shelves and tables were tin plates and china plates, immense platters and knives and forks, but when picked up huge carver the wooden handle crum- bled into dust.
 "Why, said l, your ancestors must have had many followers.
 "Ignace, my father, l believe," re- piled the don, had 90 pirate crafts afoat and manned by many hundred men, though rarely more. than two or three crews would be here at one time. But come'' And we retraced our steps to the council room.
 Arrived near the center of the room, noticed two large black flags hanging from either side of the door we had en- tered, while above them one large flag was suspended by two corners and hung straight down. The flag was black. 1 could just discern in its center the let ters 1. D. F. "The pirates fags-I. D.. Floremo," said Don lgnace..
 I placed my hand on the folds of one of them. It fell to dust.
 "Now for the vaults, said the don, and at the sideboard he halted, reached one hand behind it, seized a lever and pulled, but without any result.
 Pull with your younger arms, Claud. Here; stand here. "
 seized the lever and pulled and pulled again, and right in front of the sideboard an iron plate of some by 8 feet sank gradually down until it hung