The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-07-16
Porto Be11O Gold

been my DEATH"
She looked at me, too surprised to
answer at once and before she had
recovered herself, my great-uncle and
Peter joined us, Peter still placidly
carrying Colonel O'Donnell like a flour
sack.
Murray cast a swift glance of APP
praisal around his ship.
"We have come through very credit
ably" he remarked. Martin, let me
know as soon as the prizes treasure
Is all aboard"
He turned to us.
'The curtain is ready to fall upon
our comedy. VIII you accept my arm,
Mistress O'Donnell? A glass of wine
and a bite of sailors fare will taste
better than Roberts ear, which your
hunger prompted YOU to nibble. Fie,
fie, my lass!"
She stared at him with utter horror.
yet suffered him to place her hand
upon his arm. The spirit was gone
out of her, exhausted by the strain
she had been subjected to. She was
like butterfly spiked on a thorn.
Something of the same sensation
must have affected my relative, for
he patted the limp hand on his arm
with truly paternal kindness.
Come, come, did 1 not say the COM
edy was ended?' he chided her. you
are as safe here as in your Spanish
, convent But the deck Is too public
for our revelations. We will seek
the seclusion of the cabin. and there
the complete tale shall be unfolded
for your reinsurance, with your
father a witness to support it."
She shook her head.
"I-I-know not what you mean"
ITO be sure" he agreed. But you
soon shall. Peter, good friend, prithee
take three steps within the companion
way and there deposit Colonel ODon-
mel with decent propriety upon the
two limbs Nature intended for his To-
comOtion. Ahi Excellent Allow me,
mistress!''
Ben Gum and the two negro lack
eys ushered the party to their seats
Mistress ODonnell sank into hers with
WEAKNESS that was pathetic. She
was quite regardless of her surround
ings. Peter took his accustomed place
at the opposite end, and l sat beside
her.
Let me give you a glass Of this
aqua vitae, my lass" said by great
uncle. "'Tis efficacious for fatigue
and the migraine. See, taste it my
self. IT'S quite all right. You, too
cheyalier? Excellent! Perhaps you
will pass the flask to Master Corlaer
yonder. And Master Ormerod yonder
my nephew. But believe you and
your daughter have had previous ac-
quaintance with him."
ODonnell muttered something none
too civil, but the maid bestirred her.
self, and her eyes examined me again
with the mingling Of horror and stu
pefaction which governed her mood.
How come you here?" she asked.
"You-you-are you also a pirate?"
81 am a captive as surely as your
SELF" I returned. AYE, more So"
"a captive!" she exclaimed, her In
terest famed alight "But surely
you"
My great-uncle interrupted her.
please, Mistress O'Donnelll Our
tale is sufficiently complicated. Let
us not make 1t more difficult to COM
prehend by confusing it at the begin
ming with side-issues. First, that there
may be no misunderstanding, it's true
that am he who Is known as Captain
Rip-Rap."
She shrank away from him In
renewed access Of terror.
81 have already told yeu that you
have no cause to fear me-" he went
on gently, land to prove that to you
/ will add that am an outlaw-what
is called a pirate, although l detest
the word myself-because I am ia
cobite. l believe, too. / may claim
your father as my friend"
He looked inauiringly at O'Donnell.
The Irishman drained his glass.
Ills true" he assented. "This gen.
tleman is one Andrew Murray, who
was out In the Is and was afterward
in trouble in New York province on
the score of intrigues with our friends
! and the French, MORA. He hath been
good servant to King James"
"But for why will you have been
the death of all the poor folk on the
Santissima Trinidad% she cried"
"'Tis regrettable that Spaniards
had to die, lass" answered my great
uncle, lowering his voice to proper
depth of emotion. "But call to your
mind that Spain has not helped the
Good Cause as she might when there
was bonny chance of fetching the
Stuarts home"
THAT Ia Gods truth" she admitted
with quick passion, "but am think
ing it's not overhonest."
"You talk nonsense, Moira,. blus-
tered her father us 1t not better that
this treasure should be employed to
recover England and all the lands per-
tanning to the English crown for their
rightful rulers-wno will assist in the
restoration of the True Faith-than
1t should be poured into the pockets
of the kings favorites at Madrid?
Why, lass, there are great lords, aye,
prince of the Church, no less, that
set the seal Of their approval to what
we do. The people Of Spain will be
thanking us for the use to which we
turned their treasure and then we'll
pay it back" he added with happy
inspiration.
odds, that we Will" indorsed my
great-uncle. whats million and
half pounds to royal Spain7 Aye,