El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-16
TContinued from last Saturday.
CHAPTER XIX.
The Cubano Unmasked.

ne CuDanO UnmaSked.
AS We kept the coast of South Afric;
well aboard, few days after we saw
Cape San Rogue, or, as it is sometime
called, Point Pelinga, the northeast
ern extremity of Brazil, rising from
the blue water like a purple cloud
But it diminished to a low black streal
On our weather quarter when the sur
set, and we found ourselves pIoughine
the waves of the South Atlantic.
There fell a calm for a whole day
after this, and while the Eugene
rolled lazily On the long CLASSY swells
with her topsails Tapping, and hel
courses hauled up, the sole amusement
of the crew consisted in catching al,
batrosses, or in killing them, unde-
TERED by the old superstition that il
was bird of good omen," or by the
story of the Ancient Mariner" OF
which they were probably ignorant
A flock of these gigantic sea-birds
congregated under our stern, where
they gobbled up everything that was
thrown over to them; so Hislop and ]
proceeded methodical1y to fish them
on board.
We procured strong lines, baited the
hooks with pieces of pork, flashing
cork, and lowered four Of them over
the stern.
They had scarcely touched the
water, when amid a furious Tapping
of heavy pinions, they were eagerly
swallowed; the hooks and lines began
to bear taughtly, and we soon had four
gigantic albatrosses splashing the
water into froth in their Intellectual
efforts to escape.
We towed them in, hand over hand,
and after measurement found the
smallest to be eleven feet from the tip
of one wing to the tip of the other
Though rank and fishy in flavor, the
flesh of these birds was made into
sea-pies, on which the crew were re-
called for two days after, and they par
took of it with great apparent relish
But Jack is not very particular, es--
pecially when at sea-
Though none of the crew shared the
superstition connected with the de-
struction of an albatross, and probably
none, save Hislop and myself, knew
the splendid ballad written by Coler-
idge, it would seem as if our misfor-
tunes commenced with that days wan
ton sport!
The huge sea birds became shy and
left us. The sun set amid saffron-col-
ored waves, and the western sky was
all afame, when the sails began to
fill and collapse as the wind came in
heavy puffs, causing the masts to sway
from side to side, and the bellying
courses to crack and flap with a sound
like thunder.
At last there came a steady breeze;
the courses were left fall, and with
both sheets aft, for the wind was fair,
the Eugene once more walked through
the shining waters.
Full, round, and silvery the moon
arose, and tipped with liquid light
every wave, that seemed to dance on
ward with the brig, which in half an
hour had the snow-white foam flying
in sheets over her catheads.
1t was about the hour of 1 in the
morning that the horrible events
which 1 am about to relate occurred
I was in the middle watch, relieving
who, as the tropical dews
were heavy, always ordered Billy the
cabin boy to give me a glass of bran
dy-and-water before going on deck, for
fear of ague, and then he turned in.
The sullen Spaniard Antonio was at
The wheel. Tom Lambourne, Ned Carl
ION and 1 were walking to and fro,
at times, and looking at the
compass to see how she headed-now
loft to observe how the sails drew
mon over the side, where the water
,ubbled merrily past, or ahead at the
patch of blue and star-studded sky
which was visible under the leach of
he fore-course, as the briggs bow filled
very now and then, and she rolled |
heavily from side to side, as all YES
els do when running before the wind. |
All was very still, for, save the bub- |
lie of the water in the wake astern, |
IT gurgle as it surged up in the rud-
Ter case, the creaking Of a block, or
he iron sings of the lower yards, not
sound stole upon the first hour of |
he silent morning.
Two of the albatrosses we had
aught were hanging by the legs from
he ga1lows-top abaft the foremost,
vhere their great extended wings
wung somewhat mournfully to and
70 in the wind and by the motion Of
he ship.
"Hallo" said Tom Lombourne, sud
emily looking a1oft, as the topsails
apped and shivered; "she's yawning
r steering wild; what is that Span
Lrd about?"
But where is he?" added Carlton,
5 We now missed Antonio from the
heel; Antonio, where are you?"
Gone overheard, hope" exclaimed
lie second mate, with something more
lat need not be repeated, as he rushed
} the wheel, and, after making it re-
Dive a few times rapidly, he filled
lie sails and steadied the brig. This
as done inet in time for tho Er,eAniA