The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-15
PART FOURTH.
Blade and Guitar.
CHAPTER I.

Escape where? Into the. open sea
With that silent, sorrowing girl by my
side! In this miserable cookie shell,
and without any refuge open to us? 1t
was not really hesitation; she could
not, De left at the mercy of O'Brien.
Perhaps, if l had known what was
before US, my heart would have failed
me utterly out of sheer pity Sud-
denly my eyes caught sight of the moon
making like the glow of a bush fire
on the black slope of the mountain In
moment it would flood the bay with
light, and the schooner anchored off
the beach before Casa Riego was not
elghty yards away. l dipped my oar
without splash. Castro pulled with
his one hand.
The mists rising on the lowlands
never filled the bay, and I could see
them lying In. moonlight across the
outlet like a silvery white ghost of a
wall. We penetrated it, and instantly
became lost to view from the shore.
On this very night Manuel del-PO-
polo was outside with a good many
rowboats, waiting on an Indiaman.
The ship had been seen nearing the
shore since noon. She was becalmed
now. Perhaps they were looting her
already
Domingos partisans were watching
the Casa Riego, while Manuel (who
was more of a seaman) had taken most
larger boats that would float to do
bit of outside work." as they called
1t, upon the becalmed West Indiaman.
This had facilitated Castro's PLAN
and 1t also accounted for the smallness
of the boat, which was the only one of
the refuse lot left on the beach that did
not cape at every seam. She was not
tight by any means, though. 1 could
hear the water washing above the bot
tom boards, and [ remember how con-
cerned about keeping Seraphina's feet
dry mingled with the grave apprehen-
S1onS of our enterprise
The vague shadows and dim outlines
that had hung around us began, at last
10 vanish utterly in an impenetrable
and luminous Whiteness. And through
the jumble of my thoughts darted the
sudden knowledge that there was sea
fog OUtside-a thing quite different
from the nightly mists of the bay It
was rolling into the passage mex
plicably, for no stir of air reached us.
1t answered our immediate need for
concealment, and this was enough for
me, when. all our future hung upon
every .pasSing minute.
1 heard Seraphina's voice saying
softly: you are true friend, Tomas
Castro ITO you shall come a friends
reward
ALAS, senorita!" he sighed. 'What
remains for me in this world-for me
who have given for two masses for the
souls of that illustrious man, and of
your cousin Don Carlos, my last piece
Of silver?"
I'VE shall make you very rich, Tomas
Castro" she said with decision as if
there had been bags of gold In the boat
He returned high-f1o phrase of
thanks in a bitter, absent whisper. l
knew well enough that the help he had
given me was not for money, not for
1Ove-not even for loyalty to the
Riegos. 1t was obedience to the last
recommendation of Carlos. He ran
risks for my safety, but gave me none
of his allegiance.
He was still the same tubby muir
derouS little man, with a steel blade
screwed to the wooden stump of his
forearm, as when. swelling his breast,
he had stepped on his toes before me
like a bloodthirsty pigeon, in the
eteerage of the ship that had brought
us from home. 1 heard him humble,
with almost incredible, sardonic con-
tempt, that, indeed, the senior would
soon have none but dead friends if he
Iefrained from striking at his enemies.
Had the senior taken the very excellent
opportunity afforded by Providence.
and that any sane Christian man would
have taken-to let him stab the Juez
O'Brien-we should not then be wan
dering in a little boat. What fOllvi
What folly! One little thrust of a
knife, and we should all have been now
safe in our beds.
His tone was one of weary superior
ity. and l remained appalled, by that
truth, stripped of all chivalrous pre-
tense. 1t was clear, in sparing that
defenseless life, l had been guilty of
cruelty for the sake of my conscience.
There was Seraphina by my side; it
was she who had to suffer had let
her enemy go free, because he had
happened to be near me- disarmed
Had l acted like an Englishman and
a gentleman, or only like a fool satis-
flying his sentiment at other peoples
expense?
She gave no sign Of having heard
CastrOs words But suddenly l felt.
without her clOaked figure having
stirred, her small hand slip into mine
"Ah, you are generous" I whispered
close to the edge of the cloak over
shadowing her face.
You must now think Of yourself
Juan" she said.
"Of myself" 1 echoed sadly. 'T have
only you to think of, and you are so
far awaX-out of my reach. There are
your dead-all your loss, between you
and me-"
She touched my arm.
"It is 1 who must think of my
dead" she whispered. But you, you
must think of yourself, because have
nothing of mine in this world now."
I said no more. If l could have taken
O'Brien with me into the other world,
I would have died to save her the pain
of so much as pinprick. But because
could not she must even go with me: :
must suffer because l clung to her as
men cling to their shope of highest good
with an exalted and selfish devotion.
CHAPTER II.
The noise of oars rowing fast, to the
precipitated jingling of a guitar,
swooped down upon US with a gallant
ferocity
"Caramba," Castro muttered, at is
the fool Manuel himselfi"
said then:
we have eight shots between US
two, Tomas"
He thrust his brace of pistols upon
my knees.
Dispose of them as your worship
pleases," he muttered.
You mustn't give up yet" I whis-
pered.
What is it that give up?" he num-
bled, wearily. Besides. there grows
from my forearm a blade. If 1 shall
find myself indisposed to quit this
world alone Listen to the
singing of that imbecile."
A caroling falsetto seemed to hans
muff1ed in upper space. above the fog
that settled low in the water, like a
dense and milky sediment in the air
The moonlight fell into it strangely.
We seemed to breathe at the bottom
s1F c-1.n lon IL 20