Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-01-13

+ The Sea Hing.{
n GA ROMANCE OF THE WAR OF ISlz.->@ Il
II BY CAPTAIN MARRuAT. ~
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"a ROMANCE OF THE WAR OF lSlz.->


the business am on Is Of a nature that
will not admit Of the least delay"
II am ut your service, Senior Captain"
"Your excellency," resumed Suther.
land, us no doubt aware Of the numer.
Gus depredations that have been commit.
ted upon the commerce Of all nations by
the piratical cruisers which for years
have infested these seas"
II am, indeed" returned the Governor;
"and, Senior Captain. have for a long
time used every exertion In my power
| to free the ocean of these scourges. but,
alas! without avail"
"Your excellcncy states that which has
been proved a melancholy TRUTH" re-
turned Sutherland. II fear that nothing
but a general crusade Of the powers Of
Spain, France, England and America will
effect the object you have SO much at
heart. They have all interests at stake
In this quarter, and should at once COM
binc to preserve them from violation"
They should. indeed, Senior Captain"
"The object Of this visit Is to inform
your excellency that there Is now within
the harbor Of Havana vessel Of suspi-
cious character. myself have been on
board Of her. and can say with certainty
that she Is no fair trader upon the waters.
They call her the Santa Maria.
A close observer might have noticed q
slight change In the countcnance Of the
Governor, but like fash 1t passed all
away.
"And has the picaroon had the impu.
dcnce to pull inside Of the Moro?'
"Your excellency might have seen her
before sunset with the banner Of old
Spain waving from her spanker-gaff; she
had unbent sails before left the Spar
row Hawk. and by this time has no doubt
mo0red ship; for by her movements I
should suppose that she was preparing to
make long stay In port"
| "Now, by San Pedro. he shall make a
longer stay than he himself had antici.
patcd: II you will excuse me one moment,
the immediate arrest Of her commander
and crew."
Sutherland bowed, and the Governor
scrubbed few sentences. then folded,
sealed and delivered the document to an
officer on guard, with instructions to send
It at once to the person indicated by the
superscription.
After this his excellcncy became ex.
tremely communicative. Various sub.
jccts were In turn discussed. and the hour
hand Of the clock pointed past ten when
Sutherland rose to depart. The night
was unusually dark. and light. drixxling
rain rendered the light OF the street
lamps dim almost to obscurity. Suther.
land passed hastily to the mole; a crowd
Of boats surrounded It on every side, and
the night was SO obscure that II was
some time before he could ascertain the
precise place that he had appointed for
his gig. At length. singing her out, he
descended the stairs.
sparrow Hawk"
Here you are, SIR" responded q gruif
| voice; and Sutherland, stepping lightly
In the boat, threw his sword upon the
stern sheets and took his seat.
''Shove orr exclaimed he. The oars
fell with a common plash, and the gig
commenced dashing through the water.
Ten minutes rowing brought them along.
side. "Way enough" exclaimed the cox.
swain: the oars were tossed and the boat
checked beside the accommodation ladder.
Sutherland seized the man ropes and as.
ccnded to the gangway; but his astonish.
mcnt may well be imagined when, upon
gaining the deck, he found himself on
board the Sea King.
"Drop the boat and hook her on" ex.
claimed voice from the quarter deck.
"Stop!" said Sutherland. "here Is some
mistake"
"No mistake whatever, SIR" said the
commander Of the bark. coming forward,
and passing to Sutherland the salutation
Of the deck.
"What mean you, sir?-this Is not my
ship"
mo. sir; but you must for little time
content yourself on board Of her."
The eyes Of Sutherland flashed fire at
this remark. "NO-never-not for one
moment!' exclaimed he; and stepping
back a pace, he felt for his sword hilt,
but found that II had been abstracte
from the scabbard. "Haw muttered he
"and have my own gigs crew aided In
betraying meY
captain Sutherland" said the com.
mander Of the bark, 1T h useless to agi.
tate yourself further; my own safety and
the preservation Of my ship and crew
obliged me to practice this deception upon
you. But harm Is not intended you; and
you are as safe on board here as II you
stood upon the quarter deck Of the Spar.
row Hawk. was well assured you
would follow me II attempted to 20 to
sea; and though have every confidence
In the superiority Of the Santa Maria q
/ .
no hazard; and, therefore. have adopted
the only expedient that can prevent your
ship from getting under way ut the same
time"
The manner of the commander of the
bark was respectful and suasive, and a
little reflection restored the calmness that
Sutherland but seldom forgot. "Y0u per-
haps are justidable In the step you have
| takaU n eaoura vnup Oyvn sofatv nj
though at this moment ! am ignorant OF
what 1t may be; you prevailed upon my
boats crew to deliver me into your hands
but for what purpose know not"
captain Sutherland, You deceive your
self" replied the stranger; ut was one
Of my boats that brought you alongside
and your own gig has been at the stern
davits Of the Sparrow Hawk longer thar
an hour"
This added yet more to Sutherlaud'i
surprise; and now for the first time, HI
J cOmprehended the full extent Of the STRAIT
agem. The Governors pretended order
J for the arrest Of the commander Of the
! Sea King was, he supposed, an intimatioI
of what had passed between them In con
J versati0n, and desire that the SAINTS
Maria should be put to sea Immediately
; This Sutherland implicitly believed, FOL
he remembered the Governors eagernes,
to detain him until late, and he attribut
J ed this show of extreme courtesy to ,
wish ON the part of his excellency to gair
: time, In order that her commander shOult
have space and opportunity to mature hi
plans.
"And my object in effecting this meas
ure." resumed the commander Of thu