The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-02-05

At the head came Don Miguel.
cord, I'll venture to send him hail of
| invitation-he will pass me and go up
the stair. Then l shall step out and
deal with all who try to follow, and as
| two men cannot advance abreast it will
be an easy enough task. AS for the
senior commandant, we have him be-
tween two swords and ought to be able
to take him alive
"Master Topp, said the boatswain,
saluting with hook and forehead, "your
brains sharpening right wonderful.
The first jacket O. honest ale that vets
my lips shall be drained to your health.
But" he added eagerly "let me fill the
cell an hold the lower alley
.sNo. 1t is my plan and so my choice.
You have the post of honor, for it will
be yours to tackle Don Miguel, and
tough customer you'll find him. But do
not kill him, Willie, if you can avoid
it,
| a'm! I'm thinking l shall thrust
guard plate deep, Master Topp. You
would yourself if you'd suffered one
half o. what have
Still, spare him. He's of more worth
to us alive than dead at present. Aft
erward"- stopped. Great heavens,
it was of Inez's father that l was
speaking thus!
cave, afterward.' growled Willie.
I "Afterward, Master Topp! Therell be
bitter reckoning when Captain Ire
land comes. You may lay your last
tester on that. But in the meanwhile
Ill thrust as daintily as the don will
let me-"
picked my way down the windings
of the passage in the serpent's body
with the intention of finding out what
the Spaniards We're doing up above and
if possible of enticing them to come
. down from the wall and attack me in
5 the entrance heard the voices of Don
I. Sancho and a couple of others just
t above me, so I crept into the cell to lis
ten.
E He first of all suggested to the sol
r diers that they should go first, but they
hung back and seemed inclined to
t argue the question. Now, the chasm
: was far too uncanny for the handy leg
s ged don to enter himself, so he settled
4 matters by sending off one of the men
j for the superior officer, while he him
0 self pluckily remained on guard with
the other.
d Presently Don Miguel came and
: swapping out few caustic words
o about poltroonery, cowardice and the
e like, dropped, sword in hand, through
/ the opening and strobe along the alley
e 1t would have been easy to run him
l. through as he passed had l been sc
o minded; but, hoping that Willie Treha
lion would take him at his leisure an6
l. with a reasonably whole skin, lay
u quiet and let him pass.
His followers trailed on leisurely
d enough, and their leader must have
G climbed the greater way up the stat
h beforeI stabbed the first of them. Th,
second played me a couple Of passes
S and by the time he rolled over Dol
e Sancho, who came next, was in full
fight down the passage. sped afte
d him, but he was too quick for me ant
sprang up among his fellows. TIL
IL whole crowd then made threatenin;
Is demonstrations against me, but not
lie hero Of them would accept civil invi
in tation to come down and have it OH
n man to man.
~ 1t was just like a bear pit. was til
he bear at the bottom, who could not ge
N at the yapping hounds above withou
descend and bait me. And so, seein
~ that one of them had unslung his al
ne quebus and was fixing it's crutch an
blowing his match for shot, lei
1y them to amuse one another and weI
w to see how Willie Trehalion had fare
re- with Don Miguel.
sh Their struggle must have been
sr- short one, for when l came up to tt
as chamber in the snakes head l foun
the Spaniard lying on the floor wit
OIL the squat figure of the boatswai
IT. perched on his stomach. The victor ha
ut bare brown foot on each Of his en-
mys arms, while in his only hand /
elk held, with significant intention, Dc
ed MiguePs own jewel hilted misericord
us 1t was most refreshing sight.
on "You be back soon, Master Topp
ne. said Willie without turning his hea
"NVe have just this very minute deci
ed who should sit uppermost."
ed At this the Spaniard drew back b
Ill lips in an evil smile, showing two row
sh of yellow teeth that protruded outwal
like calfs, and thought his face Il
Ike most devilish and fearsome my ey
had ever fallen upon. Then, as if su
gh denly recollecting himself, he closed Il
les mouth, smiled and lay before us.a pa
EN- perfect Apollo. The suddenness of t
ay change sent cold shudder throus
W. met smacked so much of magic. II
get boatswain, too, was plainly not lit
disconnected. for he set to wo
we scratching his bare, shining poll wi
OFT the hook, a sure sign that he was pl
lot zled, and presently, still without ia
ng- ing his eye from the prisoner. he ra
10 ped out:
see BEST kill him at once. Master TOT
,eli for fear of accidents"
lid | ae nrric nv