The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-03-17

VI SlHhluS again, IOIH L|dHuDOuIu
poured some more of the rum into his
mouth, and we dragged him into our
boat, setting the skiff, which was quite
useless to us, adrift nee more.
''What was your ship" asked His
lop, who spoke Spanish luently.
THE Marshal Serrano-a Spanish
brig from Cadiz."
From the Canaries 1ast?" I inquired
hastily.
Yes; bound to Costa Rica."
Tom Lambourne gave me a 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 quiyering lips.
"All?" reiterated Hislop, sternly and
obviously.
"All save myself, senor," replied the
other, hesitatingly, n lowering his
hollow eyes. 81 escaped in the skiff."
with your dog?"
Isl, senior"
an what latitude did this take
placer"
Without a moments hesitation, the
Spaniard gave us the latitude and
longitude.
81 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 a touch of the same
gale which f%oundered his brig-if such
a gale existed. He has deserted, or
been marooned. l don't believe a word
he say What is your name?" he
asked in Spanish.
Antonio"
l started on hearing it, for my sus-
picions were becoming more and more
confirmed.
Antonio? What more?"
"El Cubano, or the Cuban; for so
my shipmates termed me, and I nave
no other name"
"Quick, my lads!" said Hislop. Lay
out on your oars"
We were soon alongside the Eugene,
and had our castaway hoisted on
board, when, for a time, an end was
put to our queries but not to our
surmises, by his becoming insensible.
We had questioned him already per-
haps too much. considering the weak
ess of his condition.
He adhered to his original story in
every particular when examined by
Weston and Hislop a day or two aft
er-that he belonged to the Spanish
merchant brig Marshal Serrano, the
same craft which had worked with US
out Of the roadstead of Santa Cruz;
that she had foundered in a storm, be-
ing overmasted and overladen, and
that he alone escaped of all the crew;
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 open boat,
without food and without aught to
cool his parched tongue, save the
heavy tropical dew of heaven. where
VIC found him; and to the truth OF all
this he was ready to swear over two
crossed knives, in the fashion of his
country.
In short, we were obliged to con-
tent ourselves with his narrative, which
Hislop duly engrOssed in the ships
| OK, NuiIS SApIGSNiiS 6ICdI ulSUGlltL aS
to its authenticity.
In the first place, our mate denied
that any such storm as that In which
the Cuban alleged his brig had per-
ished had ever existed; and he de-
duced from his favorite theory that
we were, and had been, in the direct
track Of such a storm, and must have
felt its influence long ere this.
Hence we thought it more probable
that the man had deserted in the night,
perhaps in consequence of committing
some crime, or for the same reason he
had been marooned and set adrift.
The crew were divided in opinion,
and Tom Lambourne openly expressed
his disbelief that the blood which Gov
cred the clothes Of the Cuban and the
thwart of the boat ever came from the
veins of a dog, and others asserted that
he must have quarreled with an un-
fortunate shipmate and killed him, OF
had, perhaps, assassinated him in his
sleep for the horrible purpose of pro.
longing his WI assistance.
Amid these unpleasant surmises as
to his character and position, in a few
days the Spaniard Joined the crew in
working the ship, and proved himself
to be a steady, Industrious and able
seaman, and as three of our hands were
on the sick list, his services were the
more valuable.
On remarking this to Tom Lam.
bourne:
at is all very true, sir" he replied
but | don't like a seaman who can.
not look his shipmate right in the
face"
You are a physiognomist," 1 sug
gested.
Don't know what kind of a mis-
that may be, Master Rodney; but thi!
| know-there is always something
cunning and dangerous in a fellow VIII
looks over your shoulder, as that Span
lard does, when he should look at YOU
eyes"
Antonio had an excessive dislike fol
deck duty by night. He exhibited {
strange dread of being left alone, ant
could scarcely be prevailed upon t.
lock over the vessels side, alwayi
shrinking back as if he expected to SCI
something hideous rise out of the sea
Weston suggested that perhaps his re
; cent suffering had unnamed and rem
dered him nervous, but the crew
? thought otherwise.
In his sleep Antonio frequently dis
T. N-t