The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-12-14
II dare not" was the answer, .'come
4 IA 4

! II dare not" was the answer, come
! aboard and fetch me-"
| ''Does the senior Still wish us to
! stay2" asked the boatswnin calmly
''Listen, you eur" shouted the senior,
'the ship is sinking and will take us
with it. At the word three, give way,
men. Now, will you come or not?
One, two
81 come,'"'. said the Mexican, and
! driven to.it by despair he cast himself
! into the sea.
With difficulty the senior. assisted by
: an Indian with boathoolz, succeeded
in getting hold Of him as he was
washed past, on the swell. There,
however, the matter rested for the pres
ent, for just then the deck Of the Santa
Maria burst with rending sound, and
she began to go down bodily.
Row for your lives!!' shouted the
boatswain, and they rowed, dragging
Don Jose. in the wake of the boat.
Down went the Santa Maria, bow
first, making hollow in the sea that
sucked us back toward her.
So soon as this great danger had
gone by the sailors fitted Don Jose into
the boat, where he lay gasping bat
unframed. Then arose the question
OF what we could do to save our lives.
Asst WAS, we must have been sWamped
many times over but for the stanch-
ness of the boat, which, fortunately,
was d new one, and the seamanship
and ceaseless vigilance Of the Indian
boatswain who commanded her. For
hour after hour he crouched in the bow
of the cutter, staring through the
sheets Of rain and the darkness with
his hawks eyes and shouting directions
fo fbc ornzy, n 1,a hna ,1 x,,.
of white-crested billow rolling down
upon us, when we would be flung up
toward the sky to sink deep into the
trough on the further size. sometimes
half full ct water, which mus be bulcd
out before the Iext wave came.
was very thankful when, az length
overcome by cold and exhaustion,
sank into Inconsistencies OF swoon.
How long remained in this 1nercifu,
state of oblivion I do net know, but
WAS reused from it by NJ oias. who shook
me and called into nay car with d voice
that ttrembled with cold or joy, or both:
Awake, awake, we are saved!'
''Saved?" | said, confasedly. What
fron?"
''From death in the sea. Look lord"
"Whcre are we?" asked.
''In the Usun1acinto river, thanks
be to God!' answered Molas. ::'We
have been driven across the bay in the
Just outside the break ers. Somehow
we passed them safely end there be-
fore us is the blessed lind
As for the Indians, the men to whom
we owed our lives. they were utterly
worn out. Two OF them appeared tn
have swooned where they sat, three
others lay gasping beneath the seats,
but Molas held the tiller by nay side,
amt the hoatswain still sat upright in
the bow, where he had faced death for
50 many dreadful hours.
Say. lord" he asked, turning his
face that was hollow with suspense and
suffering to speak to ne, 'ican you
row? It SO, you take the car and pull
us to the bank. while dolas Steers, Cor
orr arms win work NO u1ore?'
Then struggled from my seat, and
with great efforts. for every move
1ncnt caused ne pain, pulled the cut
ter to the bank
Some Indians appeared belonging to
q rancho, Or village, half a league away,
and, on learning our misfortunes and
who we were. these men hurried home
to bring lis food, having first pointed
ont to us d pool OF sweet rain water,
of which we stood IN great need, for
our threats were dry. When they had
been gone nearly an hour women ar
rived from the rancho, bearing with
them baskets laden with torti1ias OR
meal cakes, frijo]e beans. roast kid,
and a bottle Of good aqua ardiente, the
brandy Of this country. On these pro
visions we fell to thankfully, aud be-
fore we had finished our meal the
alcalde, or head man Of the village, pre-
sented himself to pay his respects and
to invite us to HIS house.
Now ( whispered to Molas, who had
some acquaintance with this man, to
take him apart and discover my rank to
him. and to learn Il perchance he had
came TO visit, DR.. Zibalbay He nodded
and obeyed. and after awhile rose
and followed him behind some trees,
where the alcalde, who was of our
brotherhood, greeted me with rever-
ence.
81 have news, my lord" said Molas.
'This man says that he has heard OF
the old Indian and his daughter, and
that but this morning one who has
travelled down the river told him that
some five or six days ago they were
both of them seized by Don Pedro Mo-
reno, the father of Don Jose yondef,
and imprisoned at the hacienda OF
Santa Cruz, where, dead or alive. they
remain.'' ,f..
Now thought awhile, then sending
for Senior James l told him what VIE
had learned.
"But what can this villain want to
do with an old Indian and his daugh.
ter?" he asked. a
'The senior forgets," said Molas,
"that Don Pedro robbed me of the gold
which the doctor gave me, and that in 4
my folly | told him who it was that
gave it me. Doubtless he thinks to win
tho secret Of the mine whence it was
dug, and of the mint where it was
stamped with the sign Of the heart.
Also, there is the daughter, whom some
men might value above all the gold in (
Mexico. Now, lord, fear that your i
journey is fruitless, since those who be-
come Con Pedro's guests are apt to stay
with him forever 49,
"That, think, we must take the risk Y
of, said the senior.
sYes," answered.; "having come 50 A
far to find this stranger we cannot turn
back now. At least we have lived Z
through worse dangers than those /
which await us at Santa Cruz Il
CHAPTER VII H,sai.5 h
.'rHH HACIENDA" HI 81
Returning to the place where we h1d S
eaten, we found the alcalde talking
with the sailors as to their plans. "a
The senior unbucked the belt of money
which he wore about his waist, and .ss