The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-17

GlhcAg tANNoNt
our men.
"You could have knocked 1t over
with an oar" said Hislop; but ala
your dog wear this?" he added, fish
ing up with the boat-hook cap that
lay in the bilge water under the stern
sheets of the skiff.
'That cap is mine" said the Span
lard, in a husky voice, while closing
his eyes, as If wearied or appalled,.
Have you two heads?" asked His
lop, sternly.
mo, senior; but-but-
"What, them"
"a man may have two caps, for all
that"
Perceiving that he was on the point
of sinking again, Tom Lambourne
poured some more of the rum into his
mouth, and we dragged him into our
boat, setting the slsiff, which was quite
useless to us, adrift once more.
what was your ship?" asked His
lop, who spoke Spanish fluently.
"The Marshal Serrano-a Spanish
brig from Cadiz."
From the Canaries last?" inquired
hastily.
Yes; bound to Costa Rica."
Tom Lambourne gave me rapid
glance, as he spat on his hands and
pushed his oar through the rowlock.
"She foundered and went down with
all hands on board" continued the
famished Spaniard, in a broken voice
and with quivering lips.
"All?" reiterated Hislop, sternly and
obviously.
"All save myself, senor," replied the
other, hesitatingly, and lowering his
hollow eyes. 81 escaped in the skiff."
with your dog?"
Isl, senior"
"In what latitude did this take
placer"
Without moments hesitation, the
Spaniard gave us the latitude and
longitude.
II can't make out this fellows story
in any way" said Hislop in English.
"By the theory and law of storms, we
should have had touch of the same
gale which foundered his brig-if such
gale existed. He has deserted. or
been marooned. don't believe word
he says. What is your manner" he
asked in Spanish.
Antonio"
I started on hearing it, for my sus-
picions were becoming more and more
confirmed.
Antonio? What more?"
lei Cubano, or the Cuban; for SO
my shipmates termed me, and I have
no other name"
"Quick, my lads!" said HisIop. LAY
out on your oars"
We were soon alongside the Eugenie
and had our castaway hoisted on
board, when, for time, an end was
put to our queries but not to orr
surmises, by his becoming insensible
We had questioned him already ner-
haps too much, considering the weak
ess of his condition.
He adhered to his original story in
every particular when examined bv
Weston and Hislop a day or two aft
er-that he belonged to the snanisb
merchant brig Marshal serrano tbo
same craft which had worked with nc
out of the roadstead of Santa Cr,z.
that she had foundered in storm be,
ing overmasted and overladen and
that he alone escaped of all the crow.
that when his dog became mad he had
slain the animal and cast the car
cass into the sea, and that he had
been floating about in an omen hoot
without food and without arpht ~
cool his parched tongue, save tho
heavy tropical dew of heaven whore
we found him; and to the truth Of All
this he was ready to swear over two
crossed knives, in the fashion of his
country. Dis
In short, we were Obliged to oon
tent ourselves with his narrative n,b ~
Hislop duly engrossed in the sbir,a
log, while expressing great disbelief 80
to its authenticity. 80 %
In the first place, our mate don,s
that any such storm as that in VIII.
the Cuban alleged his brig had nor
lshed had ever existed; and he de-
duced from his favorite theory that
we were, and had been, in the direct
track OF such storm, and must have
felt Its influence long ere this
Hence we thought it more probabla
That the man had deserted in the pioht
perhaps in consequence of conmittin@
some crime, or for the same. reason he
had been marooned and set adrift
The crew were divided in on,n,or
and Tom Lambourne openly expressad
MS disbelief that the blood which co.,
cred the clothes of the Cuban and a.
lnwart OF the boat ever came from tho
veins OF dog, and others asserted +bat
ne must nave quarreled with an nm
fortunate shipmate and killed him ~
nad' perhaps, assassinated him in ~
steep for the horrible purpose Of nr ,,9
longing his own assistance
Amid these unpleasant sprr,soa
70 MS character and position in : so a.
Jays the Spaniard Joined tha crom Nv y,
the ship, and proved hinnsa ~
70 pe steady, industrious and ahla
and as three Of our hands ra o.e
on the sick list, his services ' wan. were
more valuable. "eie the
Nm