Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14

| lowing him made convulsive effort, and
leaped out of sight on to the deck of the
| ship. 1 dropped the discharged weapon. and
| fired the first barrel Of the other at the
| upper of the two men clhgiug half way up
I the ships side. To -thatzpne$shot they both
vanished as If by enchahtnent, the fellow
I had hit knocking on4 hik friend below Flo Z
| The crash of their fall wac followed py
sr these se'1 had been all hearty point-blank
shots, and, anyhow. / had had good deal
| Of pistol practice Macaonaid had ,a a l,ose
huddled together in the hpat, were only ape i,s
to moan with terror. Trey made soft, pitt
| full complaining noises. Twp or three took
headers overheard. like So many fros s;, ana 9
| then one began to SQUEAK exactly ike
| BY that time Castro, With his fixed blade
| had cut their grapnel rope close TO the
ring. AS the ship kept forging ahead an
the time. the boat of the pirate bumped i
| away lightly from between the vessef anu
| our dngey, and we remained ALONGSIDE,
! holding to the end of the severed me.
In exchange scream and a howl OF Mer-
| cyl mercy! we surrender" she sWuhs
clear of the quarter, all hushed, ana Iaoea !,
into the mist and moonlight with the neau :.
| and arms of motionless man hahshs
grotesquely over the bows.
| Leaving Seraphina with Castro, ana suck
| ing the remaining pair Of pistols IN my pe ao
| swarmed up the rope. The moon, .,e
|
| the open doors, mingled violently IN the
| steamy fog between the high buiWarks VI
the ship. But the character OF the con.e .;
| was changing, even as paused on the ran
| to get my bearings. The fellow VINO nao
| leaped on board to escape my shot nao
bolted across the deck to his friends on the
! other side. yelling:
| ely fyi The heretics are coming, snoo -,
| ing from the sea- All is lost. Fly, on, ny!
He had jumped straight overheard, put
| the infection of his panic was already Wis
| ible. The cries of Muerte, muerte! Dea.h'
| deathr' had ceased and the Engllshmen
| were cheering ferociously. In a moment
| under my eyes, the seamen, who had peen
holding their own with difficulty in SHOW
| er of defensive blows, began to Dart Ior-
| ward striking out with their fists, catching
| with their hands l jumped upon the main
| hatch and found myself in the sKlrt Oh
| the final rush. -
A tall Lugareno had possessed himself
| of one of the ships capstan bars, and, less
| craven than the others, was fiourishing it
| on high, aiming at the head of a sailor
engaged in throttling negro whom he
held at the full length of his immense arms.
1 fired, and the Lugareno tumbled down
with all the appearance of having knocked
himself over with the bar he had that
moment uplifted. 1t rested across his neck
as he lay stretched at my feet.
/ needn't relate how l had my arms
shaken off in the character of savior
But 1 got any amount of praise at last,
though / was terribly out of breath-at the
very last gasp, as you might Sdy. ~ Iltii,
SMOOTH faced well-knit, very elated and
buoyant began talking to me endlesSly. He
was mighty happy, and anyhow he could
talk to me, because L was past dong any
thing but taking a moments rest. He said
1 had come in the nick of time, and was
quite the best of fellows.
IF you had fancy to be called the Arch
bishop Ct Canterbury, we'd your grace you.
! am The mate, Sebright. You don't think
they'd come back for another taste? The
blessed old decks aioat. That's my little
dodge, boiling water for these Dagos If
they come. So l got the cook to fire up,
and we rut the suction hose of the fire pump
into the boiler and we filled the coppers and
the kettles. No bad notion, Ell? But ten
times as much wouldpa have been enough,
and the hose burst at the third stroke, so
that only one boat got any hing to speak of.
But Lord she dropped ont of the ruck as if
she'd been swept with Eingridge. Squealed
like litter of pigs. did4t lthey?"
And then managed to tell him something
of Seraphna that he would listen to-
What, what?'' he said.sf sOh heavens and
earth. there's your girl.EOft course. .
Hey, 20 sun, rig whip. and chair on the
yardarm to take a LADY On board Bear
lose your wits, man. Look Cover the star
board rail, and you will seeia lady alongside
with a Dago in Il small boat Let the Dago
come On board, too; the gentleman here
says he's good sort. Now, do you under
Stand?" f.
He talked to me good deal more; told
me that they had made Ia prisoner-"a tall.
comical chap; wears his hair like an old
aunt of mine, buncll Of curls Mapping on
each side of his face"--and then said that
he must go and report to Captain Williams.
The name struck me. l said:
rs this ship the Lion?
Aye aye. That's her. She is, several
seamen answered together, casting curious
glances from their work.
Tell your captain my name is Kemp, L
shouted after Sebrght with what strength
OF lung l had.
What luck. Williams was the jolly little
ships captain / was to have dined with on
the day of execution on Kingston Point
the day l had been kidnapped. 1t seemed
ages ago. / wanted to get to the side to look
after Seraphina, but L simply couldn't re-
r2ember how to stand L sat on the hatch
looking at the seamen.
They were clearing the ropes, collecting
the lamps, picking up knives, handspikes,
crowbars, swabbing the decks with squashy
flaps bare-footed, bare-armed feiloW,
holding bundle of brass-hilted cutlasses
under his arm, had lost himself in the con-
temptation of my person.
Where are you bound tor 1 inquired at
large and everybody showed friendly
alacrity in answer.
Havana" Havana, sir 'Havana's
our next port. Aye, Havana"
1 heard a loud Alas sighed out behind
me- A distracted, stricken voice repeated
my greatness" Then, shiveringly, in
tone of profound self-communion, L have
greatly parched throat, it said. Harshly
jovial voices answered:
STOW your lingo and come before the
captain. Step along"
A prisoner, conducted aft, stalked reluc-
family into the light between two short,
busting sailors. Disheyeled black hair like
a damaged peruke, mournful yellow face,
enormous stays eyes straining down on me.
l recognized Manuel-del-Popolo At the
same moment he sprang back, chrieking,
This is a miracle of the devil-of the
devil
The sailors fell to Juggling at his arms
savagely asking What's come to you'll"
and after short struggle that shook his
tatters and his raven locks tempestuously
like a gust of wind, he submitted to be
walked up; repeating:
us 1t you, senior? Is 1t you? Is 1t you?"
One of his shoulders was bare from neck
to elbow; at every step one of his knees and
part of lean thigh protruded their naked
ness through large rent; strip of grimy,
blood-stained linen, torn right down to the
waist dangled solemnly in front of his legs.
There was a horrible raw patch amongst
the roots of his hair just above his temple;
there was blood in his nostrils, the stamp
of excessive anguish on his features, sort
of guarded despair in his eye. His voice
| sank while he said again, twice:
as 1t you? Is it your And then, for
the last time, us 1t your he repeated in