The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-05-17

then. in 1869, preparing to make his last fight
for the long-coveted crown of Spain. His chief
agent had bought all of the arms and ammuni-
ton he could pay for from Kynoch & Co.. OF
Birmingham and had contracted with Nickel
& Son for their delivery on the northern coast
of Spain. They had lost one cargo through the
watchfulness of a Spanish warship, and had
nearly come to grief with another.
The Pretender's agent then proposed that
Don Carlos pay for the arms when they were
delivered, instead of at the factory, as before
Old man Nickel was considering this PROPOSE
tion when met him, and he told me ABOUT
II after we had come to know and understand
each other bit, and it was agreed that NlcKeh
should buy the arms while would furnish the
ship and deliver them.
Il was stipulated that the first consignment
should be delivered to Don Carlos hmsen AT
his headquarters near Bilbao
Only small and lightdraft ship could get up
the river, and did not care to try it with the
Leckwith. so chartered smaller steamer
which greatly resembled the Santa Marta,
Spanish coastwise ship. To avoid susriclon'
the rifles and cartridges were shipped 10 ANT
werp and picked them up there.
AS soon as we were out OF sight OF lana
repainted my ship and made some snent
changes until she looked almost exactly like
the Santa Marta.
We got over the bar at Bilbao with very IT.
tie to spare under our keel and went ON up the
river to the appointed place. band OF Gyp-
sies-Gitanos-were camped close by, and IN
ten minutes they were all over the ship
Among them was a singularly beautiful girl to
whom 1 was strangely drawn. She followed
me around the ship, which did not annoy me
at all, and insisted on telling my fortune. When
I consented she told me, among lot of other
things that / would be paid large sum OF
money in the mountains and assassnated.
The Carlist camp was located we'll up In the
mountains, nearly twelve miles away. After
short wait was tremendously ushered into
the august presence of the Pretender. He
greeted me with frigid formality In contradic-
ton to the warm welcome had expected, as
due savior Of the Carlist cause, and his first
words, spoken in fair English, we're a curt
statement that he had no money but would pay
for my cargo through his London agent within
two months.
1 pointed out to him, as discreetly as posi-
BILE, what the result Of such course would be.
Failure to keep the agreement made by your
agent would destroy your excellent credit with
all dealers in revolutionary supplies and that,
Of course, Is not to be thought of. On the
other hand by paying for this cargo you will
establish your credit more firmly than ever.
est. but very WISE"
This argument appeared to convince him
and, with smile as though he had really been
only joking, he summoned q venerable Jew,
evidently his treasurer, who looked like the
original of all pictures of Shylock, and ordered
him to pay me s2s,o0o, the amount called for
by the manifest. The Jew. returned in few
minutes with the exact amount With the
transaction completed, Don Carlos dramatically
waved me out
The omcer who had piloted us to the camp
suggested that we could dnd our way back to
the ship without any trouble. as the trail was
clearly defined, and we started back alone
Before we had gone twenty steps Brown my
sailing master, asked whether hsd been paid
in cash pointed to my bullying pockets and
told him I undoubtedly had. He then con.
fessed that he thought we were I'm for It," Six
cavalrymen, he said, had started down the
trail not long before I left Don Carlos tent
and he believed they had been sent out to
waylay, rob and probably murder us in the
deep canyon into which the ravine from the
camp turned.
In fash I recalled the prediction of the
Gypsy GIRL I laughed at myself for the spasm
OF something like fear that came into my mind
yet was undeniably nervous for Brown was
not man to form foolish fancies or become
unduly alarmed about anything And none of
us was armed
We had turned a corner that put US ont of
sight OF the camp, when I saw dark face
peering at US through the underbrush that mat
ted the trail on both sides. At the first glance
the face looked like nothing but one Of the
troopers we had been talking about but in an
instant I recognized the Gitano Kirl who had
told my fortune and begged me not to 20 into
the mountains. She beckoned to us and. with.
out saying word, plunged of into deep woods,
in which we, unguided, would have been hope
lessly lost In ten minutes -
She led us over a hill and across wide de.
preston and then over another much higher
mountain. There was not 80 much az a sne-
gestion of path and 1t was hard going. Vet
none of us complained: She brought us ont to
the trail at the point where we had made our
first turn into the foothills From there II was
straight road to the ship with no fear Of am.
buscade or attack. $'2. @:5ss ~ r
The rest Of the cargo was jerked out with
all speed and as soon as the last boz was on
the bank we got under way. Greatly to nv
surprise we were not even hailed BY the fort
at the mouth Of the river, where t had looked
for some serious business, and we continued
happily on our way To- London 4. 5sz 81 II &.