The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-05-07
Porto BellO Gold

"But you are never Spanish |" 1 said.
Il ask not In idle curiosity, though"
Her laughter was like a chime of
bells.
Sure, they say I am Irish as the
pigs In the Wicklow hills where / was
born"
And all of sudden she was grave
again.
I'm not knowing your politics, sir,
but there's maybe no harm In just tell
ing you my father was of those who
opposed the Hanoverian and fought
Tor King James and Bonnie Charlie.
And because his own king cannot en-
ploy him. he serves Spain"
1T Is not pleasant for an English
man to think of all the brave gentle
men who must serve foreign mon
archs," l acknowledged. "But l hope
you will be happy In the Indies. mis-
tress."
"Oh, We shall not be staying there
long," she answered blithely. "My ia
Their Is an engineer officer, and he
must inspect the Notifications on the
Main and elsewhere. We shall return
to Spain within the year. But look,
sir! Is not that sign intended to be
whales head?'
Yes" said. "Thls is the tavern"
One look at its f1aring windows and
the cutthroat gentry who staggered
in and out of the low door convinced
my companion that l had not misrep-
resented the character Of the place.
She drew back to the curb, and the
corners of her mouth dropped sadly.
GLORY, what an LII hole!" she muir
INJURED. Now for why would the
padre come hither? Business, says
he; but"
And she shook her head with a
vague and doubling emphasis.
Il would not seem to be thrusting
myself upon you, Mistress" I said,
yet am fearful your Spaniards can
not make themselves understood. Will
1T please you that I inquire within
for your father?"
She considered, catching a corner
of her lip betwixt white teeth.
"Troth, sir" she answered finally,
II see not how I can avoid going the
deeper in debt to you"
There was moments pause
And how shall L"
SAY de mil" she exclaimed with
bubble of laughter "How stupid of
me to be forgetting 1 am just maid
off the sea to you. Ask for Colonel
O'Donnell, sir, and tell him his daugh-
ter waits without"
shouldered a drunken sailor from
my path, lowered my head to pass
under the Intel of the tavern's en-
trance and so gained the hazy blue at
mosphere Of the taproom, cluttered
with tables, foul with smoke and stale
ale lees, abuzz with rough voices bawl-
ing oaths and sea songs.
1t was the chorus of one of these
songs which first distracted my
thoughts from the Irish girl outside
wild, roaring lit of blood and
ribaldry:
NiheNSh hiSh oh Iiio DCdo NAH
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the
rest
Yo-ho-ho. and bottle of rumm
I looked to the corner whence It
came, and discovered the one-legged
sailor, John Silver, humping the time
with a pewter mug on the tabletop
as he led the group around him, fore
most among whom, after himself, was
Darby McGraw, flaming red mop
standing out like a buccaneer ensign,
shrill voice carrying above the thun-
dering BASES Of his companions
villainous a crew, to outward seeming
as I had ever looked upon. / noted
especially pasty, tallowy-faced man,
whose shifty eyes were masked by a
skrim Of greasy black hair, and a big,
lusty, mahogany-brown fellow with a
tarry pigtail, who evidently found as
much satisfaction in the song as poor,
fuddled Darby.
Silver saw me almost as soon as I
spotted him, and with a quick word
to the others, got TO his feet and
stumped across the room, dragging
Darby after him by the arm.
$50 you come after him, Master
Ormerod, did you?" he shouted to
make himself heard in the confusion.
"And ashamed o. myself l oughter be,
says you, and with reason, too. But
I'm not one to lead likely lad astray,
and all Darby's had was good, ripe ale
and two earsful o. sea-gossip ash
give him things to dream o. for nights
to come"
81 did not come after him." I an
swered; "but as am here he had best
return home with me. Where did you
get my name, Silver?"
He pulled his forelock knowingly.
"Why, from Darby, o. course, sir
not that anybody on the waterfront