Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-07-05

OIOWu ClOlACS, u fWlQG, udpDlQR
hat and Flemish boots pushed out of
the press, and recognized the person
who had held the trumpet.
| eff you please, Senior Captain" said
l. stepping to the front and touching
my hat, 1--WE three are escaped from
the English ship Industry, which was
scuttled and sunk" From here l went
on and gave him the other chief out
| lines of our story. He listened without
comment, and when | had finished
made sign to one of his officers and
ordered the ship put upon her course.
| He then turned back to US, and from
his cold and rather stern expression
was not expecting very agreeable or
| hospitable answer, when there was
some stir in the crowd, and those in
/ front stepping aside tall and stately
| looking gentleman came deliberately
| forward. He was, as one would guess.
about five-and-fifty years of age, and
was comedy in the face, but thin,
though sturdy and upright in figure.
His dress was uncommonly rich, and
was the most snowy and striking had
seen up to that time.
/ bowed low, somewhat impressed by
his elegance, and waited with an air of
Difference for him to speak. l doubted
not he was some rich grandee. and very
likely the owner of the ship and cargo.
He looked at me coldly, yet with some
curiosity, and after brief glance at
my companion. said in choice Spanish:
who are you, senior, and how did
you come upon the raft"
l repeated what / had told the cap
tain, though with some enlargement.
AS proceeded saw his brow darken,
especially at the mention that we were
English.
Il grieve. sepor. to find that you and
your friends belong to that nation Of
heretics and robbers" he said in a
severe voice. pray, upon what bust
ness was your ship, and what was she
doing in these waters?"
perceived the dangerous thing thar
was in his mind, and suffered no delay
in answering.
why. your lordship," / replied Q
clapped this title to him at a venture),
"our ship was a peaceful merchant
man. and her business was to convey
cargo of English cloths and small
wares to Havana, and fetch sugar.
spices and the like thither. Our cap
tain can give you more of this mat
ter"
And where, think you, went your
escaping mutineers?' he inquired,
without pause.
This disconnected me bit, but felt
it best to out with the truth.
ITO join that scoundrel Morgan, if
our guess is not greatly at fault" ]
let go boldly.
He smiled in grim fashion.
AYE, senior, such was my thought of
the matter. They have gone to join
that child of perdition. doubtless, and
some good Spanish blood may be shed
in consequence. What think you," he
went on, looking at me fixedly. shall
l not be doing my sovereign and the
church a service if I endeavor to dis
charge a small measure of this debt %
i began to think that we had fallen
out of the frying pan into the fire, for
/ was at no loss to guess what he
meant. Nevertheless l was resolved
not to quail, and, indeed, it was pos
sible he might be only trying me. !
collected myself, therefore, and an
swered him.
"A debt, your lordship, should be
paid by the debtor. and not by him who
has no part in it. The Spanish blood
you speak of was not shed by me or by
my comrades. We abhor piracy and
every such lawless doing"
The hidalgo nodded. but could not
see that | had produced any measur-
able impression on him. 1t was an
anxious moment. and discerned that
my companions had detected some
thing amiss and come closer, though
could not then give heed to them.
We'll, senor." he replied, at last,
there is reason in what you say, and
| am not disposed to deal with you
harshly. Nevertheless''-here his look
hardened again. and my spirits sank
II cannot forget that you are English
men. If you yourselves have done my
countrymen no harm, neither had the
Spaniards of Puerto Rico and Mara
caibo done the English harm. Your
lives are safe, but you have forfeited
your liberty. and on your arrival at
Panama will be sold as slaves. You
may go forward for the present and
serve with the crew."
He nodded to signify that he had con-
cluded. and, with the same stately pre-
cision as at first, passed in among the
crowd and made his way out of sight.
! was in measure dumfounded, and
stood where he had left me. trying to
grasp the full purport of what had be-
fallen. Cast into slavery, and by the
people of Christian nation! What
! worse would it have been had we fallen
among the heather Algerines? I was
aroused from this overwhelmed state
by the voice of Mr.. lynn, and, turning
about, acquainted both him and the
captain with what had passed.
Slaves to the dons, is it ?" said Sell
linger, when I had finished. "a mid
ding hard port to steer into, after all
that has befallen ust The greasy lob
scourers! I hope we shall manage to
put trick or two upon them before we
are done. To think of such tallow-heads
making slaves of free-born English
ment"
We had time for only few words
further, for soon one of the officers
the boatswain, as l presently discov-
ered-eame along and ordered us to
, pick up our things and follow him to