Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-12-06
ooh. no. hor, chuckIed the old man.

| "Oh, ho, how chuckIed the old man.
| The Spaniard turned to him. You
are to come too, old crook bones. Are
| you too lame to walk to La GuayraT
"Oh, no, ho! But are we going to La
| Guayra, most willy senor:'
Certainly. Do you think a Spanish
| caballero would trouble to lie to a
| hound like you"
"Why, if it's to La Guayra I'll make
a shift to hobble so far. but I'd rather
| ride O. muleback."
"Ridew said the soldier, with n rude
| laugh. Il warrant you could hobble
| twice the distance so that it lay away
| from your prison
"Ah, ha ha. You've a pretty wit,
senor, a pretty wit. But it's the sweet
salt air wish to sniff. The sea breeze
| is meat aud drink to old mariners such
| as l."
He scrambled to his MANNED, dis
torted legs. One of them was shorter
| than the other and that other knotted
and gnarled like some old willow tree.
But you'll let me bid farewell to
| my pot bellied little racker, senores?
| He'll be half beside himself with grief
| at losing such an old boon companion
| as l.
| Had | my own way, sirrah," said
| the soldier contemptuously, I'D break
| your WHY old neck for useless incum-
| brance. Sense and strength are both
| gone from you. But my orders are to
| set you to an oar along with these two
| lustier kuaves. So come along" And
| he kicked him into the courtyard and
| bade US follow.
The galleys" said Alec, with
| shrug. "Respited for the present. And
| he did as be was hidden.
followed. and presently we were
| linked to great chain gang with
| lot of other prisoners, among whom
| were several of the Bristol Merchants
| crew. who greeted us kindly. Job
| Trehaliou was in front of me, scar and
| grin complete as of yore.
| Brave news. Master Topp." he whis-
| pered
| "What il it?" said |.
Haven't you heard? There's It'd
| ings of an English ship that's harrying
| the coasts. an an Indian spy has
| brought word that her beak's turned
| torst here. There were an armada ly
| ing in the roads week agone, but it's
sailed west. an there's only a carrack
| an brace of galleys now. An as one
| Of them last bain't got a man aboard
/ bo, tA nrly hnr
| news. bain't It. Master Topp? Once at
sea. who knows what me may do?'
He rubbed his hands and grinned till
| feared for the integrity of his fea-
| lures
Attempt nothing rashly" said l, for
| had not overmuch faith in Jobs judg
ment and feared he might start an out
| break which would end in death to us
all Attempt nothing whatever till
| Captain Ireland gives the word. He
| has a headpiece worth ten of yours and
| mine. job"
AYE, aye, SIR" said Job warmly,
that he has. An when he gives the
| sign he'll have the lot of us at his back,
| no fear"
Then the cavalcade was put into mo-
ton, and further conversation became
impossible. We passed through the
still streets, by churches and houses
| and gloomy converts and great public
| buildings and so on to the batteries and
| Notifications, where there was strict
| parley with the sentries before we
were let out. The old man, who had
| been dragging himself painfully along
behind me. sank down on the muddy
road to snatch a moments rest, and
through some pity for his condition /
bade him climb on to my back. With
out further ado up he scrambled, chuc-
king and crying out to the soldiers
that he'd got mule to ride or at any
! rate an ass, after all. This thought
was somewhat ungracious.
The double gates were opened, and
out we trooped on to a narrow, well
kept road that the frowning culverins
could have swept with iron hail for q
score of perches. We passed through
other gates and other drawbridges
thrown across natural cliffs and saw
other heavily gunned batteries beside
them, making the position one of such
enormous strength that 20 good men
could have held it against an army.
During the two hours tramp the sun
sprang up from behind the eastern
hills, and by the time we entered La
Guayra 1t was broad daylight
The old man, whom | had set down
from my shoulders, cried loudly for a
breakfast He wasn't going to row on
an empty belly. Oh, no, hol Not he.
indeed! They might thumbscrew his
hands to the oar, but he wouldn't put
an ounce of weight on it, no, not even
IL they twisted a knotted cord round
his temples and hove him backward
and forward with that.
Little notice, however, was taken OF
his vaporings save to bestow a curse or
a blow when his opportunities grew
too noisy. We were hustled roughly in
to boats and ferried across to the gal
ley which lay straining at her anchor
In the road.
shes pierced for 80 sweeps aside"
said Alec, who had been counting the
row holes. "A hundred and fifty or $50
rowers that means unless we are to be
singularly undermined"
There be three more boat loads COM
ing off," observed job Trehalion.
1.-Two for us and one for the smaller
galley ahead there" said /. and
look, there are host of slaves and sol
diers on the shore ready to embark.
But where's the carrack, wonder"
Hull down to nor'ard, MASTER" said
one Of the other Englishmen.
"Way enough" sang out the officer in
charge of the boat. "In oars, and mind
you slaves don't topple overheard.
don't want TO lose you till you've done
some work.
aye" cried the old man, Spanish
lubbers that you are. Let the English
seamen go first and show you the
way! And he got a scabbard blow
across the face to quiet him.
She was n galley OF the first class,
and from her keen steel beak to her
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