Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-01-25

OF sinking again, Tom Lambourne
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, adritt once more.
What was your ship" asked His
lop, who spoke Spanish fiuently.
THE Marshal Serrano-a Spanish
brig from Cadiz.'
From the Canaries last?" 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 quivering lips.
"All?" reiterated Hislop, sternly and
obviously.
"All save myself. senor," replied the
other, hesitatingly, and lowering his
hollow eyes. Il escaped in the skiff"
with your dog?"
Isl, senor"
"In what latitude did this take
place"
Without a moments hesitation, the
Spaniard gave us the latitude and
longitude.
Il can't make out this fellows story
in any way" said Hislop in English
by the theory and law of storms we
gale which foundered his brig--if such
a gale existed. He has deserted, or
been marooned. ! don't believe a word
he says. What is your name?" he
asked in Spanish.
Antonio"
l started on hearing 1t, 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 | have
no other name"
Quick, my ladsr said Hislop. Lay
out on your oars"
We were soon alongside the Eugene,
and had our castaway hoisted on
board, when, for 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 day or two aft
er-that he belonged to the Spanish
merchant brig Marshal Serrano, the
craft which haI
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
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.
In short, we were obliged to con-
tent ourselves with his narrative, which
Hislop duly engrossed in the ships
log, while expressing great disbelief 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-
lshed had ever existed; and he de-
iuced from his favorite theory that
we were, and had been, in the direct |
rack OF such storm, and must have
'elt its influence long ere this.
Hence we thought it more probable |
hat the man had deserted in the night, |
perhaps in consequence of committing |
some crime. or for the same reason he
md been marooned and set adrift
The crew were divided in opinion.
md Tom Lambourne openly expressed
lis disbelief that the blood which COW
red the clothes of the Cuban and the
hwart of the boat ever came from the
ems of dog, and others asserted that
e must have quarreled with an I'M
ortunate shipmate and killed him, or
ad, perhaps, assassinated him in his
leep for the horrible purpose of pro-
onging his own assistance.
Amid these unpleasant surmises as
, his character and position, in few
avs the Spaniard joined the crew in
'orking the ship, and proved himself
} be a steady, industrious and able
and as three of our hands were
n the sick list. his services were the
lore valuable.
On remarking this to Tom Lam
ourne:
1T is all very true. sir" he replied; {
out l don't like seaman who cam |
OF look his shipmate right in the |
.ce." :
You are a physiognomist," l sug- {
,sted ,
Don't know what kind OF a mist
at may be- Master Rodney; but this |
know-there is always something !
inning and dangerous in fellow who !
oks over your shoulder as that Span
I'd does, when he should look at your
'es."
Antonio had an excessive dislike for ,,
Eek duty by night. He exhibited a
range dread OF being left alone, and
uld scarcely be prevailed upon to
ok over the vessels side, always l
back as If he expected to see I
hideous rise out of the sea. a
eston suggested that perhaps his re- t
mt suffering had unnamed and rem b
red him nervous, but the crew b
ought otherwise. h
In his sleep Antonio frequently dis II
rbed the men in the forecastle hunks
his muttprInps HE villa draar,. Il