Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-01-10
CHAPTER XIII.

blood. The throbbing pain in the old
mans joints will be easier tonight"
CHAPTER XIII
AS we had abundance of victuals and
water and were in nowise pressed for
| time, as soon as the Scourge was ready
for sea we took her for a weeks cruise
through the desert sea to the north
ward of our island. This was the more
necessary as, except our captain, none
of us had more than the vaguest no.
tions of fore and aft seamanship, and
it would have been FOOLS counsel to
think of fighting till we had got all
hands used to the feel of their new
ship.
We were returning from this cruise,
well satisfied with what we had seen
and learned, and were within sight Of
the Temple of the Serpent on Cave is
land when Alec called a general coun-
Gil.
The question was put to US what to
do next.
There was no lack of suggestions.
One proposed that we should cruise
along the main straight away; another
thought that we had better run into
harbor again and, lying snug there,
plant n lookout on the mountain who
should give us word when q suitable
quarry hove in sight. One man added
this bit of advice and another that.
But when each man who had anything
to say said it, and there were almost
as many plans afoat as there were
men, Willie Trehalion, who had been
standing straddle legged by the bitta-
Gle and rubbing his skin cap fore and
aft across his bald pate, as he always
did when his thinking machinery was
at work, took a step forward and put
in his word.
"There's an island hereabouts," he
said, lying some 10 leagues s'uth'ard
an west'ard that should yield some
good pickings to them as goes adven-
turin on it."
"An island with pickings~ said Job
Trehalion. 'Then there's Spaniards on
it, too, uncle"
Willie took no notice of him. Mar
gherita's the name O. It," he went on.
''Some O. you may have heard O. it, but
ell O. you may not know that the Span
lards has got three towns planted there
to look after the pearl fisheries. Now,
pearls ban't gould. But pearls is what
the queens own majesty wears sewed
about her gown, al so 1t bain't for the
like O. us to turn up our noses at EN-.
Besides, there's Spaniards there to col
lect 'em from the pagans as brings up
the pearl oysters from the sea floor, an
where there's Spaniards you can lay
your teeth ont there's powder as WELL
"And you suggest, Willie?'
THAT we harry town on Margher-
ita."
Job chuckled "a whole town would
make a big mouthful," said he. Hap
pen it might squirm about when we
was trying to swallow it an choke us"
always a fool, job" replied his un-
Gle sourly. IAN but one peg removed
from a natural But l never thought
10 call nephew of mine lily livered."
The big, dark scar which scanned
Jobs face flashed out and grew purple,
and he stepped forward with hands
clinched and lips trembling. And no
wonder, for, as every one knew, there
was not bTaver man on board.
Willie did not move muscle.
"Stopw cried Alec sharply. 81 allow
no quarreling on board the Scourge.
Jobs objection is a reasonable one and
deserves a reasonable answer. There's
nothing of the coward about him, and,
Willie Trehalion, every man on the
Scourge will tell you so. He has faced
death at your side and at mine many n
time, as | ought not to have to remind
you. But enough of this. What is the
size of these Spanish towns you speak
of and how do they lie?"
"There's Pampatas at the east-sou'-
east" replied Willie Trehalion grutfiy,
"an there's FL Pueblo de la Mar n
league to leeward O. that, an there's Ell
Pueblo del Norte on the north side"
"And their strength
81 don't know, nor their size either.
But they're not as big as London nor
Bristol nor Whitby itself, mebbe."
(Which of them would suit our pur-
pose best?'
"Pueblo del Norte."
Because"
Because it's highest, Captain Ire
land"
Gould you pilot us thereW
Eyes, captain, with a couple o careful
hands at the lead. l seed the place
marked on one O. them rubbishly Span
iard's charts, but the lubbers hadn't
fn
harbor. The island is steep, too, an
rocky on the sea face, though, so there
should be water enough"
Wen try" said Alec. $50 well
bout ship now. boatSwain, and shape a
course for the island of Margherita."
And then, in a lower tone: Mind, VIII
lie, don't want you to sail the Scourge
into any harbor which masked bat
terics and unknown currents may turn
into n deathtrap for her. Bring her Il
short sea mile off the town and then
lay to. We can do the rest in the boats.
If this wind holds, we should, with
luck. be within hail of El Pueblo del
Norte when its doughty townsfolk
have their shoes off and their night
caps on"
And, bidding all except the watch
turn in, so as to come up fresh when
work was on hand, Alec and | went
below.
"You are doing this against your own
Judgment, Alec" said l.
s'Yes; not because fear to fail, but
because street lighting may cost us n