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

comrades to whom they would tell the
tale into leaving the hill alone for the
future.
But there is a saying, Never put
value on a ship until you have broken
into her treasure ROOM" We had reck-
oned without Don Miguel, for scarcely
had another two hours passed when a
band of 20 armed men emerged from
the bush below. The serpent had rout-
ed two. Would it rout 20. with the al
chemist captain to lead them?
AT the head came Don Miguel, and
with him the handy legged little chap
with the bright steel bassinet whom
we had seen the day before from Shell
ter island. and a couple of PAGES behind
these two We're the rest of the band,
among whom we recognized the two
doughty champions whose flying backs
had given us little while before SO
much satisfaction.
AS the party drew up in the open
Willie Trehalion saluted them with
shrill hooking laugh, which had the
effect of making the rank and file turn
round as if preparing to bolt. But the
two officers dealt such hearty buffets
right and left with the fiat Of their
swords that the fellows had evidently
thought that the danger of being run
through by the fiery Don Miguel was
a more pressing one than that of being
devoured by a mere stone serpent.
They stood their ground, therefore; the
, five arquebusiers unslung their crutch-
nd a fol-
bowmen fitted an arrow apiece, and
the rest crammed their bonnets well
down over their foreheads and waited
| for they knew not what.
| "Come up, good senores ALL croaked
the serpent's grating voice, when Don
Miguel gave the word for advance.
"Come up and defile this holy court
end commit any indignity that pleases
you. Come and build your signal fires
on my wall and make my stones ring
with your impious cursing. Ha, ha, ha!
Pluck up your faint hearts, caballeros.
l will not hinder While you work your
wicked wills. Batter down these stones
and hurl them into the sea if you wish.
i | will not harass you in the work, but
afterward-then ha, hap
1 The serpent said no more, but the
pause and the wild yell of laughter
were sufficiently suggestive.
The Spaniards stood for moment
aghast. He of the bassinet was appar-
emily the most scared of the lot, for his
handy legs shook visibly under him
Il and his sword clattered to the ground
as he clasped his hands and began to
call upon the saints to shield him. Had
he been in command every man would
have used his heels as soon as his quiv-
ering muscles gave him strength to dc
so. But Don Miguel was different. He
J stormed, he cursed. he ground his vel
low teeth, he all but foamed at the
mouth in his frenzy of rage, and yield
ing to the greater terror of the two
each man stood his ground.
miserable cowardv' yelled Don Mi
. guel at his lieutenant. "What do yor
fear?
"The Gevil,' said the handy legged
man, taking off his bassinet and wipins
the perspiration from his brow will
the sleeve of his doublet.
1.-THE devil, you poor fool! Where:
I. your wit? Is not the devil clever be
yond all human learning?"
!. ''Aye, surely. We believe So" replied
the other, crossing himself devoutly.
Good! Then how do you account TO
: his speaking such villainous Spanish a
: came from up yonder? Full half of tn
words were not understandable, and il
those which did bear some faint resem
blance to Castilian there was, or m.
ears deceive me, strong flavor of tn
barbarous English tongue Bah! Do
Sancho, you're little short of pol
= troon."
lizard words, Don Miguel, and ma
call upon you to prove Them" said tn
!. other sullenly.
: do it then. My sword is ever read
u to back up my tongue. But first follo'
me up this steep, and if see you bt
have as a man against the Englis
devil whom will unearth for you pc
o haps will take back part of what ha
t. been said. Forward"
a And up they came with all their TO
= lowing. The serpent sent down a pc
- feet rain of warnings and curses, b,
1. they were not to be stopped again.
!, "Well," said l, when from sheer lac
of breath Willie Trehalion had cease
his cutlery, they've got the better of !
"a now, 1 fancy. Don Miguel will soc
a find the entrance to our snail's HON
- What are we to do, Willie?"
y There's two ways O. getting at
W snail's body, Master Topp," reptile
- Willie sententiously. Gone is by DO
- ing the shell, an the other is by crus
II ing it.. Don Miguel can do neither"
IL "a pinch of salt or a Whit of smol
i, will make him show his horns"
~ Don Miguel bain't able to get mis-
us to plant the salt-leastways pitt
10 the man as tries to come up the
NJ stairs, an as for the reek they m;
o. build as big a fire as they like belo'
III but we shall always be able to G
y. fresh wind at the chimney top here. y
IL "And with our store of bananas y
IN can stand considerable siege on she
in rations? Exactly SO. But / was n
q ---v-s