The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-01


stools: but. anyway, it's our best
chance"
If we can do it," said Alec, but
Trust ne to manage it, Captain Ire
land. interrupted Willie. 1--WE weap-
on in mouth that would brighten the
very soul out of a Spaniard, if the devil
bred Spaniards with souls. Ask Master
Iopp. He knows what can do. Look
/ at them now! Fearsome O. the darkness.
they've lit score O. lanterns an are
clustered together like flock O. sheep,
a-wringing their yaller hands with
fright Now's our time; now or never.
An, markee, my lads, out-Spaniard the
i most Spanish O. them in trembling. If
/ it's laughter that makes your limbs
slake. never mind. The dirty hounds
are too scared to know the difference"
And, whispering further directions to
Alec, he led him away, and the rest of
us dropped down the ladders and min
: gled with the trembling group in the
4 waist.
Again the melancholy "Ma-a-o-o-w'
floats to us out of the darkness. and
Alec, stepping forward into the lantern
/ light, clapped a cupped hand to his ear
/ and cried: Listen! There's some one
hailing from the masthead"
Give ear to my lord O. the seal"
cried a high cracked voice from aloft.
and another from the mainyard arm
shrieked, He comes alongsidew
Then, as though from the waters close
to, came third voice, deep and reso-
nant, which asked what ship that was
who halls, and by what right does
he question: cried Don Miguel
II am Neptune, lord O. the sea-" re-
turned the voice. What ship is that?"
A look of. perpleXity came into Don
Migueps face, and the rest of the Span
iards shook with fear
| Neptune was impatient
"What ship is that? Answer me-,
miserable mortal! Know you not that
have power to pull your puny bark
timber from timber an to carry your
carcasses away to batten my sea
/ wolves in their caverns among the
weed jungle below"
81 fear neither sea god nor sea dew
ill., began the commandant boldly, but
the priest interrupted him, saying in
whisper that it was best to temporize
with the powers of darkness some
times.
And then. with a muttered anathe-
ma after every sentence, he answered
Neptune's questions himself
what cargo?n queried the lord Of
the sea.
The priest told him.
What passengers?'
"Thirty, of whom seven are women
and three infants"
''And what crew?'
"a hundred and sixty, most potent"
mo more? AIethinks there's some
few yet untold. Old ocean hath a
queer flavor hereabout.''
There are 1laprisoners, English sail
ors, who are working a passage to
Spain"
"What"' beloved Neptune Her
etics on one Of his majesty's ships.
Heretics at large an unshackled!
Thunder\ an tempests! I'll destroy
the whole lot O you!."
And so the farce went on. until at
length the trembling Spaniards, find
ing that their crossings and pater nos
tiers We're useless, began to look upon
us as SO many Jonahs. Their saints
We're forgotten, and they We're for
heaving us overheard at once.
But Neptune would not allow it.
"Pollute not my sweet brine with
the foul bodies O. Englishmen." he
warned them. set them adrift in
boat, an then my sisters chickens.
which feed on carrion. will have the
wherewithal to flesh their hungry
beaks.'
Don Miguel would have prevented
this, for he alone out of his ships com
pany doubted Neptune's genuineness.
but the others would not listen to him.
Tackles We're rugged with lightning
speed. boat was heaved out from
the booms and lowered. and we We're
showed down to it willy nilly. protest
ing vigorously in obedience to Willie's
whispered command. They would give
us neither food nor water, neither COM
pass nor sail, nothing in fact but
curses, and, bidding us shove off.
threatened to quicken us with a saker
shot if we did not hurry out of reach.
We pulled on till the babel of voices
on the carrack had died away, and
then, judging we We're out of earshot
of the dons Willie Irehalion gave a
peculiar whistle, low and tremulous.
A slight breeze had sprung up and
after a moments pause a faint Sc
pulchral "Wa-a-o-w" was waited to
us over the stern
Around spun the boat, .and willing
backs, straining at the oas@, sent her
darting in the direction of the sound
| Presently the rigging and hull of a
brig doomed through the fog and a
voice hailed to bid us keep our dis
| lance.
Bristol Merchant, ahoy. We're your
own mates"
"Sheer off or I'll sink YOU .Ye're
pirates, that's what y'are. Our mates
is. all swalley'd up by the wilderness
or took by Spaniards. Sheer off, tell
YEP
"Nou'ye n black cat aboard tharn :"