Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-12-20

when both trees an ropes is handy, but
drouning byinches needs n rising tide,
an that wouldn't be till nightfalL An
so, thinking as them who 'peewhitted
might be in small force an might like
darkness to help them, l just bully
ragged the Spaniard into letting me
wait"
at was q smart trick, Willie" said
admiringly, though at the time ad-
NIT thought it madness"
Mems wits do smarter, Master
Topp, when a clever dodge may mean
the difference between staying in this
world an going to the next before the
proper time. Mind you, | wasn't to
know that 'peewhit came from an
English throat, but it was worth chanc-
ing it anyway. | knew there wasn't
no ployer on the island, so ii must be a
signal O. some sort, an as the dons
didn't seem TO notice it | reckoned it
was meant for me. Do you know how
far we be from the mainF'
He pumped out this question with
such a jerk that fairly started.
Il heard some one say 200 leagues, y
said l. But vhyT'
THAT was said to fool the Spaniards.
as it's every English mariners bound
en- duty TO do whenever he sees a
chance. But we bain't 200 leagues
away nor 20"
Again he shut his mouth like a trap,
evidently with the intention of impress
ing this piece of information upon me.
| nodded and waited for him to go on.
These here islands. Master Topp, is
ON the highroad between Europe an
the main Every ship as sails from
an to one or the other passes through
this channel inside o 'em. Now, see
here this is the point I'm shaping q
course for There's tall hill at this
end O the big island where the Span
iards' cave is. an when | was up
above Just now searching for food |
seed a man within 20 fathom O. the top
O it,
Likely enough, said |. You can't
expect the Spaniards to stick like moles
| in their cave all the time"
Master Topp, that man had fagot
on his shoulders"
"Well, Wille|
"Wenr' echoed Willie contemptuous-
ly. Cant you guess what it means!
Why, they've seed ship in the dis
tance. an hoping to see another they're
making ready to signal her whenever
she heaves in sight"
"Why." said |, glad that there was
| a chance of getting rid so easily of our
troublesome neighbors, but for the
present keeping that gladness to my
self. "if they want to go we can't stop
em."
1--WE must stop 'em, Master Topp
| They know we're here. I've seed 'em
watching us. An if they gets hold O a
ship we shall have the whole brood
| down about our ears in the twinkline
o. a handspike. Don Miguel bain't
the build to forget men as has got tC
wind'ard o. him in squall. Don't you
| believe it?
The boatswain was right. We could
not afford to leave the Spaniards in
| peace.
an come with you and look at this
hill for myself" said I.
"But your wounded leg| suggested
| Willie douDtfuily.
"Pooh! A mere gnat bite. The stir
| ness is wearing off already"
And off we trudged, though truth t
| tell found it no easy matter to linn
along, and laid ourselves down in th'
scrub grass above in full view of The
larger island.
The northern coast was high, green
/ steep and without foreshore and pu
me in mind of the piece between Scar
borough and Whitby. The harbol
showed tide left yellow beaches on Ell
| ther hand, with clear open water in thu
middle, while right before us, almos
within stones throw it seemed, lay thu
| great hill.
The like of it | have never seen be
| fore or since.
1t was a forbidding pile of ston'
| standing out boldly in it's barren black
ness against the rich greenery of th'
| palms beyond and towering nigh oI
1000 feet above the fallen wave worI
rocks that fringed its base. Nowher,
| could the eye discover n trace of vege
tation on its steep and frowning cliffs
and from the seaside at any rate 1t wa
citadel that would battle the nimbles
scaler. Its black heights were too des
| olate for even the ocean fowls perch
| it's hateful crest could well have shat
| tered n ghoul or vampire.
The very clouds seemed to shuddc
and draw in their gauZy bodies as the.
scurried past its hungry TANKS.
But after mere glance at the noun
tain's sullen precipices the eye fixed 1t
self immovably upon the summit, TO
| there lay n wonder of the world.
That the thing had been built b.
| hands was plain, for even at our dis
| tance we could see the joints and su
lures between the stones. But by wha
| manner of hands? Surely of giants o
| of devils, for the size of the blocks wa
such that no human hand could hav'
| laid them. Each course was as higl
| again as a tall man, yet there wer'
eight courses. Each stones length wa
| twice its height, yet there were 20 o
| them in the side that faced us. \ fig
| ured coping overhung the wall by al
arm span, and at the corners wer'
! uubc CdENeu uOhOllNhS lNDi itoCh'ih'
rampant serpents. whose outstretchet
necks and gaping jaws pointed to tn
four cardinal points.
| Gnome's temple, giants pleasur
house or magician's eyrie 1T had stoo'
there jesting the winds through TIL
| dim ages of the past, an everlasting
J monument to its forgotten founders.
And now, as Willie Trehalion ha,
said. the Spaniards were laying WOO
for a signal fire upon the uppermos
pinnacle | could see two lusty fellow
doing the work and n third, littl
bowlegged man with bright steel bas
sinet on his head, giving directions.
recognized that our lives hung on th
chance Of our being able TO drive then
away, but | saw no means of doing
and said as much to Willie.
Eight the devil WI birthstone, Mas
ter Topp, an you'll choke him. Th
dons practices witches craft, say you
Then witches craft shall be the wort
| See that round stone before zee, sir
Well, hear 1t speak It's got messag
for you"
And to my horror and amazement tn
stone began in high cracked voice I
bid me send the boatswaln across I
the rnountain so soon as ever 1t 20
| dark and then to trust him to settl
with the Spaniards. Hes my YER
good friend, is Willie Trehalion," sal
the stone. land as such the knave don
will tumble over one another In thci