Evening star., 1901-07-13


In more reputable quarters, his speech to
the critical ear was favored with a certain
rich allusiveness of personality and virility
of adjective which made ample amends Qn
the company in which he found himself
for any want of grammatical correctness
A knife in his left hand. and in his right
the long waving sword, bitter and some
times unknown and mysterious words in
his mouth, this youth kept his enemies
very successfully at bay, meeting their
blades six at a time. and treading and
turning so lightly that as he lunged this
way and that, there was a constant disor-
ganization of the opposing ranks, as one
and the other sprang back to elude his far
reaching point.
He is of the devil-a devil of devils!"
they cried I'VE shall all perish, walled
an old woman, shrinking back further into
the chimney corner, and wringing her
hands
Meanwhile the youth apostrophised his
blade
My bonny Robin Fleemn'-as guild as
ony Toledan steel that ever was forged
WHAT do you think O that for Leith Links ?
And they wad hae made me either a min
ister or cooper's apprenticer'
AS he spoke he dsarmed one of his chief
opPohents, VINO, IN furious anger, snatched
a pistol and fired point blank The shot
would 1ndubitably have brought down the
young hero of the unequal combat had not
a stout. ruddy faced youth, who had hith-
erto been leaning idly against the wall.
shocked up the owners arm at the moment
the pistol went off.
"Ha done!" cried the newcomer, in Eng
llsh twenty to one is bad enough, spe-
cially when that one is a fool; but pistols
IN m a housepiace are disgrace! Stand back
there, will ye?'
And with no better weapon than long
pronged laborer's fork, sratched from the
chimney corner, he set himself shoulder to
snouioer with the young Scot, and laid
Justify about him.
Ihat son of an unkindly soil, instead of
belng grateful for this interference on his
behalf. seemed at first inclined to resent it,
what call had ye to put your neck In
danger for an unkenned mans sakc?' he
cried 'Couldna We hae letten me fill thae
carles skins as flu O. holes as riddle?''
am not the man to stand and see a
countryman in danger!" said the other,
while the broad sweeps of his companion 8
sword and the energetic lunges of his own
trident Kept the enemy at respectful dis
tance.
Suddenly a thought struck the English
man. Without dropping the fork, he
rushed to the hearth, where the ollas and
pucheros of the entire company dubbed
and steamed, he caught the largest of the
pots in one hand and threatened to over
turn the entire contents among the ashes
and debris on the floor.
Il speak their lingo but ill., he cried to
his companion: but tell them from John
Mortimer, that if they do not cease their
racket, viii warrant that they shall not
nave an onion or sprig of garlic to stink
their breaths with this night And if that
does not fear them nothing will-not pur-
gatOry itSelf!''
own way, and though every man among his
assallants was to the full as brave as HIM
self, the threat of the Englishman did not
1all IN Its effect. The arrieros and Arrange
neSe morse clippers drew off and consulted
While the Scot, who had caused all the dis
turbance, dropped his point to the floor
and contented himself with wrapping his
CLOAK more tightly about his defensive arm
f1x- hao
country, for he wore the dark capa and red
boina of Navarro, and answered the depu-
tatlon which now came forward with readi-
ness and composure. Whoever gave in it
would certainly not be he. That, at least
was the impression given by his attitude
certainly; most certainly" he said, ''I
Will be glad to meet any one of YOU any,
Where. VIII stand to my words spoken
IN any language or any field of honor
from the carpet of prime minister to one
OF your internal dusty campoS with any
weapon from pistol and sword to a tooth
PICK, with any Spaniard, Frenchman or
mongrel tyke that ever lifted winepot-"
is TINS way to speak to gentlemen--I
put 1t to you, caballeros?" cried one of the
deputation, huge, raw-boned Gallician.
angriy.
The SCOT instantly detected the accent of
the speaker, and dismissing him with the
gesture one uses to a menial called out
Caballeros, indeed! What needs this son
of the burden-bearing animal to speak of
caoalleros; ca Is there any old Castillian here.
OF the right ancient stock? If so, let him
arbitrate between US. I, for one, will abide
by his decision. The sons of gentlemen and
soldiers will not do wrong to a soldier and
a stranger!'
Then, from the darkest and most distant
corner, where he had sat wrapped in his
great striped mantle, with the cape drawn
close about his head, rose man of a little
past the middle years of life. his black
beard showing only few threads of gray.
where the tel-tale wisdom tuft springs
from the under lip.
Young sir he said courteouslv. "I am
an old Castillian from Valladolid and 7
will hear your cause of quarrel"