April 3. 1904.
Till ILLTTf?TKATKI) KKP,
11
cretions, or quarreled nnd nil theso people
quarrel, wliy. IS oil knowsthat Irish devil
could hang many persons, even mysi'lf, or
take vengeance on your worship."
Carlos was silent as If in a reverie. At
last liQ paid:
"But if affairs arc like (his. it would ho
Well to have ono more with us. Tin- cubal
lcro, ray cousin, is very strong and of srrut
courage."
Castro grunted, "Oil. of a courage! Hut
as the proverb Hays, 'If you set an Kng
lislimun by a hornet's nest they shull not
remain long within.' "
After that I avoided any allusion to C.iba.
because the thing, think as 1 would aliout
It, would not prow dear. It was plain that
something illegal was going on there, or
liow could "that Irish devil," whoever he
was, liave power to hang Tomas and be
revenged on Carlos? It did not afftct my
love for Carlos, though.
I had noticed a.i intimacy spring up be
tween the ship's second mate and Tomas,
who was. it seemed to me. forever engaged
In Isng confabulations in th man's cab'n,
and, as much to make talk as for any
other reason, I asked Carlos If he had
noticed Ills dependent's familiarity. It was
noticeable, because Castro held aloof from
every other soul on board. Carlos answered
me with one of his nervous and angry
em lira.
"At, Juan mine, do not auk too many
questions! 1 wish you could come with me
all the way, but I cannot tell you all I
know. I do not even myself know all. It
seems that the man Is going- to leave the
chin In Jamaica, and has letter for that
Senor Ramon, the merchant, even as I
have, Vaya; more I cannot tell you."
This struck me as curious, and a little
of the whole mystery seemed frcn that
time to attach to the second mate, who be
fore had been no more to me than a lung,
sallow Nova Scotian, with a disagreeable
Intonation and rather offensive manner.
I began to watrh him, desultorily, and was
rather startled by something more than a
suspicion that he himself was watching me.
On one occasion in particular I seemed to
observe this. The second mate was lankily
stalking the deck, his hands in his pockets.
As he paused In his walk to spit into the
sea beside me, Carlos said:
"And you, my Juan, what will you do
In this Jamaica?"
1 said that I was Rnlng to the llorti n
estates, Rookshy's, to learn planting under
a Mr. Macdotinld, the agent. Cartas
shrugged his shoulder.
"Ah," be said, with his air of gieat
Wisdom and varied experience, of disil
lusionment, "It will le much the Fame as
It has been at your home after the tirst
days. Hard work and a great sameness."
lie began to cough violently.
1 said bitter enough, "Yes. It will bo
always the t-amo with me. 1 shall never
eee life. You've seen ull that there la to
Eee, so I suppose you do not mind settling
down with an old uncle in a palace."
lie unswered suddenly, with a cert tin
darkness of manner, "That is as Oud wills.
Who knows? Perhaps life, even in my
'uncle's palace, will not be so safe."
The second mute was bearing di,wn in us
again.
1 said jocularly, "Why, when I get very
tired of life ut Ilorton Pen, I shall come,
to see you In your uncle's town."
Carlos looked at me with an expres:-lon
of affection that a little Khamed my light
ness of tone.
"I love you much more than a kinsman,
Juan," he said. "I wish you could come
with me. I try to arrange it. Ialer, jier
haps, 1 may be dead. 1 am very 111."
He was undoubtedly III. Campaigning in
Spain, exposure in England In a rainy
time, and then the ducking when we came
on board, had done him no good. He
looked moodily at the a.
"I wish yo:i could come. I will try "
The mate hud paused, and was listening
Quite unaffectedly, behind Carlos' hack.
A moment after Curios half turned and
regarded him with a haughty stare.
He whistled and walked away.
Carlos muttered something that I did
not eaten about "spies of that p; si lien t
Irishnrrui." Then:
"I will not selfishly take you Into any
more dangers," he said. "Hut life on a
sugar plantation is not fit for you."
I felt glad and flattered that a jiers-in-age
so romantic should deem me a fit
companion for himself. He went forward
as if with tome purpose.
Some days afterward th second mate
Rent for me to bis onhin. Hi- had been on
the sick list, and he was lying in his bunk,
tripled to the waist, one arm and one
leg touching the floor. He raised himself
slowly when I came In, and spat.
"Hallo:" I cried. "See beeyur, young
Kemp, does your neck just Itch to be
Btretched V
I looked at him with eyes and mouth
agape.
He spat again, and waved a claw toward
the forward bulkhead.
"They'll do It for yen," he said. "You're
such a green goose, it makes me sick a
bit. You hevn't reckoned out the chain ,
not quite. Ifg a kind of dead reckoning
yeh hevn't had call to make. Kh?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, bewil
dered. He looked at me, grinning, half uaked.
With amused contempt, for quite a long
time, and at lost off vied sardonically u
open rny ryes for me.
I said i.olhing.
"l'o you know what will happen to you."
he asked "ef jeh don't get quit of that
Carlos of yours?"
I was surprised into muttering that I
didn't know.
"I can tell yeh," he continued. "Yeh will
get banged."
Ry that time I wns too nin:iid to get
angry. I simply suspected the Mine Nose
of Ising drunk. Hut he g arcd at mo
no soberly that next moment I felt fright
ened. "Hanged by the nif k." he repeated; nnd
then added: "Young fellow, you si not.
Take a fool's advic e, and scoot. Tlwit Cas
tro is a blame fool, anyhow. Yeh want
men for that Job. Men, I tell you." He
slapped his bony breast.
1 had no Idea that he could look ho fero
cious. His eyes fascinated me, nnd he
opened his cave rnous mouth us if to swal
low me. Ills lantern Jaws snapped without
a sound. He seemed to chnnge his mind.
"1 am done with yeh," he said, wl.h a
Bort ef KinUiter restraint. He tone to his
feet, and, turning his hark to me, big in
to shave, squinting Into a broken loo Ing
glass.
I had not the slightest Inkling of his
meaning. I only knew that going out of It's
berth was like escaping from the dark lair
of a beast Into a sunlit world.
We were entering harbor. A grout ship,
floating high on the water, black, and girt
with the two broad yellow streaks of her
double tier of guns, glided OJt s'owly from
beyond a cluster of chipping In the biy.
She pasaed without a hall, going out under
her topsails with a flag at the fore. Her
lotty spars overtopped our musts Im
mensely, and I saw the men in hi r rlggln
looking down on our decks. The only
sounds that cume out of her were th?
piping of boatswains' calls and the tramp
ing of feet. Imagining her to h" going
home, 1 felt a great desire to be on board,
t'ltimately. as It turned out, I went homo
In that very ship, but then It was too lite
I was a man by that time, with much q: ee
knowledge and other desires. Whilst I was
looking nnd longing I heard Carlos' vol-e
behind me asking one of our srtilors what
ship it was
"Hon't you know a flagship whi n you sen
It?" a voice grumbled surlily. "Admiral
Rowley's," It continued. Then It rumbled
out some remarks about "pirates, vermin,
coast of Cuba."
Carlos came to the side, and looked after
the man-of-war in the distance.
"You could help us," 1 heard him mutter.
CM A PT1CR V.
A grint bustle of shore-go'ng. of lenve
tuking had sprung up all over the i h p.
Carlos and Castro entered our c;ibln wlih a
tall, immobile, gold-spectacled Spaniard,
dressed all in white, and with a c: rtaln air
of noticing and attentive deference. It was
Senor Ramon.
With a certain courtesy, touched wilh
indifference, Carlos made him acquainted
with me. Ramon turned his searching,
quietly analytic gaze upon me.
"I'.ut is the cubullero going over, too?"
he asked.
Carlos said, "No; I think not, now."
And at that moment the second mate,
shouldering his way through a white
clothed crowd of shore people, made up
behind Senor Kamon. lie held a letter In
his hand.
"I am going over." he said. In hi hlg'.i
nasal voice, and with a certain ferocity.
Ramon looked around apprehensively.
Carlos said, "The senor, my cousin,
wishes for a Mr. Macdonald. You know
blm, sener?"
Ramon made a dry gesture of perfect
acquaintance. "I think 1 have seen biin
Just now," ho said. "1 will make In
quiries." All three of them had followed blm, and
lieraino lost in the crowd.
A couple of men began t talk loudly,
every word coming tliinly to my ears.
One of them, new from home, was asking
questions. Another answered:
"Oh, I lost half a scroou the last voy
age tin; oil thing."
"Haven't they routed out the scoundrels
yet?" the other asked.
The first man lowered his vo'c . 1 caught
only that "the admiral was mi old foul
no good for this job. He's found out
the name of the place the pirates come
from Rio Medio. That's the place, only
he. can't get in at It with his three-deckers.
Y'ou saw his flagship?"
Rio Medio was the name of t lie town to
which Carlos was going -which bis uncle
owned. They moved uway from ab.ive.
What was I to lelieve? What could
this mean? Hut the second mate's "Scoot,
young man," seemed to cume to my ears
like the blast of a trumpet. 1 be. nine sud
denly Intensely anxious to lind Macdonald
to see no more of Carlos.
From a oove came suddenly a gruff
voice In Spanish. "Senor, It would be a
great folly."
Toman Castro was descending the ladder
gingerly. He was coming to fetch his bun
dle. "I waut him very much," Carlos said.
"I like him. He would be of hc.p to us."
"It s as your worship wills." Castro said
gruttly. They wre both t the ttoUum uf
tits Udder, "Aim aa. kUjgl,ii man titer
would Wotk great mischief. And this
youth"
"1 will tike blm, Tomas," Callus said,
lu.ving a bind on his nr:n.
"Those elhiia will think Ic Is a spy. I
know then," C;i:ir.i mutter, d. "They will
luiiig l.lrn. or vn. k s'lni" devil's nil sclio !'.
You ib- not know that lri.-ii Juile,.'."
1 came siitl! n'y forw ird. "I wbl not
go with yell,' I siid, before I lad leaded
them even.
Castro started back us if he li:il Imh-ii
stung, nnd ought at the wooden hand
that sheathed his steel blade.
Castro writhed his whole body, and I
stepped backward. "1 1. now wh.it Klo
Medio Is." 1 faid. not very li.iully. "It is a
nest of pirn Icy."
Oiistro , crept toward me again on the
IKiint if his to,. "Senor Don Juan Kemp,
child of tile devil," he hisocd, looking very
much frightened, "you must die!'
Carlo rrr"piod bis hai.d around Castro's
steel. He began to whisper in the other's
hairy ear. 1 caught:
"You nte a fool. He will not tnuke us
to be molested, be is my kinsman."
Cnntrn made a reluctant gesture Inward
a chist that lay lietwecn. us.
"We could cram him Into th-it." lie s.ild.
"Oh, bio slthlrsty fool." Carlos answered,
recovering bis broth; "is it nlwnys neces
sary to wash your hands In blood? Are
we not In enough danger? ln tip! Ho
Hoe If the boat Is yet there. We must go
quickly; up up " He waved bin hand
toward the scuttle.
"Rut still." Castro said. He was reluc
tantly fitting his wooden liand upon the
blue steel. He sent a baleful yellow gUrc
Into my eyes and Btooiied to pick up hli
ragged cloak.
"I'p-mount!" Carlos cnmmaiulcd.
Cimtro muttered, "Ynmr.s," nnd lugui
clumsily to climb the ladder, like a bale of
rags bilng hn tiled from above. Carlos
placed his foot on the steps, preparing to
follow him. He turned his head arour.d
toward me, his hand extended, a smll.'
upon bis litis.
"Juan," he said, "let us not qunrnl. You
are very young; you cannot uinb rs a'ld
these things; you cannot weigh them; you
have a foolish Idea in your hind. 1 wished
you to conic with us because 1 love you,
J, nan. lo you think I wish you evil? Yoi
are true and brave, and our fumllbs ate
united." He sighed suddenly.
"I do not want to quarrel," 1 said. "I
don't."
"I did not want to quarrel; I wanted more
to cry. I was very lonely, and he was
going away. Romance was going nut of
my life.
He lidded musically, "You even do rot
understand. There is someone else who
speaks for you to me, always :--ome me
clue. Hut one day you will. I shall com
back for you one day." He looked at me
and smiled It stifred unknown depths of
emotli n In me. I would have rone with
him, then, had he asked me. 'One day,"
he repeated, with an extraordinary cadence
of tone.
Ills hand was grasping mine; it ihrU'ed
mo like a woman's; he sbesl shaking it
very gently.
"One day," he said, "I shall repay whit
I owe you. 1 wishid you with me, beciuse
I go into some danger. 1 wanted you.
tioodby i Instil mas ver."
Ilo leant d ovi r and kissed me lieht'y on
the check, then climbed away I felt that
the light of Romance was going out i f my
life. As he readied the top of the ladi'er
somebody began to eill h:ir.-hly, startmg y.
1 heard my own name and the words,
"innhn ye were Kpcorln' after."
The light was obscured, the voice began
clamoring insistently.
"Mr. Kemp, Mr Kemp. noo. Here's th
mahn ye wen- spcerin' after. Here's Mac
donald." Macdonald's enormous hedy was i nvel
oped rather than clothed in a great vo'um
of Ill-fitting white stuff; he held in Irs
hand a great umbrella with a ild green
lining. His face was pale, and h'ld the
leaden transparency of a ho'hd artbiu.ke;
it was fringed by a red beard stroked wl h
gray, as brown flood-wati r Is Willi fn;im.
He made a motion with one of his dabby
white hands. I understood it to mean that
I was to follow him aft
In the pushing and burr Ing, I enmo
upon a little char space beside a pile
of boxes Stooping over them was the
annular (inure of Nichols, the second mate,
lie looked up at me. screwing his yellow
eyes t get her.
"lloing ashore," he asked, "'long of that
Huffing Hilly?"
"What business is that of yours?" I
mumbled su'kily.
Sudden and intense threatening came Into
bis yellow eyes.
"lon't you ever come to you know
wh re," he said; "I don't wunt no spies
on what I do There's a man there'll crack
your little backUme If he catches you.
Pon't yeh cerne now. Never."
1'lltT SKI OMI.
CIIAHTKU I.
The t;irl mIUi I lie I. Ward.
"Rio Mi-di?" Senor Ramon said to me
nearly two yeais afterward. "The cabal
lero Is pleased to glv me credit for a
very greit knowledge. What should I
know of that town? There are, doubtless,
gmd mm there and very wicked, as in
other towns. Who knows? Your worship
uuu.t usk the boat's crews that ;:i aiVnb'tl
I:..:. to lulli iiie town. lilt) will be
back cry i"i.on now "
I b d co'ne dottii trmi ilorton I 'en to
Sp'ifish Town, cxpcctli.g a b-tter fiom
Ve.i.ii.-.i, ;iP 1. the il,l;;.' t ot l eitii. III. lv.nl
dripped in to du.t with Hacioi. It was
Jost at the ipne w In n A.litM. ul ibwliy
wr.s iii'di rstiMI ti bi gclng to r ,1m- n
cni;etic .itni'ipi upcn the p:iate. who
Still illlC'led He (illir of Meeo. ,..,,1
neatly rnini-d the Jamaica trade if those
day .
"Hut II Is verv certain." lie went on,
"that If your i.o. : iiir.cn! had n. t reeog
nlted Hn I fill;-. r lit riiit'i of the re
bellious ii'I'iii,! of Mixico. theie would cow
he no letters of marque, no accursed Mex
ican privMl-crH, every ship that traverses
the Florida psssrge would not be looted
by l'.l 1 H'monio, and I and everyone else
In the Island should not now ! losing
thi usurds of dollars every year."
That whs the eternal grievance of every
Spaniard on the Island- and of not a few
of the Kngllsh snd Scotch planter. Spain
was still in the throe of losing the Mut-k-an
colonies when tjreat ltrUmn had ac
knowledged the exist eini' of a state of
war and a Mexican government. Mtxienn
letters of marque had Immi-dliitely nihil
the golf. No kind of shipping was safe
from them, and Spain was quite honestly
powerle to prevent their swarming on
the coast of Cuba -the ever faithful Island
Itself.
"What can Spain do," wild Ramon, bit
terly, "when even your Admiral Rowiry,
with his great HhipH, cannot rid the ea
of them?" He lowered his voice. "I toll
you, young senor, that Kngluiul will lose
thin Island of Jamaica over this business.
You yourweir are n svpuratloulst, are you
not? No? You live with hc ntriitlon
lsts. How could 1 tell? Many licnplc say
you are."
HI word gave me u distinctly disagreea
ble sensation. I hadn't liny Idea of being
a separatlonist ; I was loyal enouiii. Hut
I understood suddenly, nnd for tlm llrst
time, bow very much like one I might look.
1 hadn't much cared about either party I
was looking out for romance but I in
clined ii little to the separationists, bccuilSA
Macdonald, with whom 1 lived for two
years at Ilorton 1'en, was himself a sepiiru
tiouist, in a cool Scotch sort of way,
I used to buy Island produce through
Hamuli, ship it to New Orleans, have it
sold, mid reimport parcels of "notions,"
making a double profit. He was always
ready to help me, and as ready to tn'k,
saying that he had on Immense respect
for toy relations, the Riegos.
That was how, at the end of my second
year in the island, I hail come to talking
to him. The stage should have brought a
letter front Veronica, who was to have
presented Rooksby with a sou and heir,
but it was unaccountably late. I laid been
twice to the coach office, and was making
my way desultorily back to Itamon's. He
was talking to the editor of the llm k.itnru
Journal -the man from next door and to
another who had. whilst I walked lazily
across the blaring square, ridden furiously
up to the rteps of the arcade. The rider
was talking to both of them with exagger
ated gestures of his arms. He hail ridden
off, spurring, mid the editor, u little, glenni-inge-eyed
hunchback, had remained In the
sunshine, talking excitedly to Hamuli.
I knew him well, an amusing, qu-cr,
wiiTcl, Satanic member of sis h ty, who
was u sort of nephew to the Macdonnlds
and hand In glove with all the Scotch si p
aratloulsts of the island, lb' bad started
an extraordinary, scandalous paper that, to
avoid seipiest ration, changed Its name ami
olllia s every few issues, and was said by
loyalists like t lie . Topiiambos to have an
extremely b id Influent c.
The horseman iutd hpuigtit news that the
boats of Rowley's squadron had bei n
be. i ten off with great loss, in their attack
on Hio Medio.
Already I here was panic on the Islat d. I
could see mill coming together in little
knots, talking agerly. I walked across
the Kind's Square, and the stage (hiving
up just thin, i win! to the oltiie and not
rny oorrcspo udc nee.
I read it In u little house of call, in a
whitewashed room that conlalliid a ard
boird cat lal.ebd "The Host," for sole urn 1
ment I'u ll sK.itthy fellows. Mi x can pa
triots, were talking noisily a I suit their war
of Independence, and the exploits of 'a I ien-
ral TiaM'liiseiH, w ho had been defe itlng
the Spanish troops ovrr there. It was al
mokt impossible to connect them witli a
World that jndudtd Veronica's ileicit'
handwriting with the pencil linos mini at
the base of each line of ink. They sicn.cd
to lie lnlinitely more real. Klin V ronl -a'a
interist in mo seemed a little slrjnge; her
desire for my return Irritated mo. It was
ns if she had asked me to return to a state
of bondage, after having found myself.
Thinking of It nit.de me suddenly aware
that I bad become a man, with a man's
alms, and a disillusionized view of l!f . II
suddenly appear, d very wonderful th it I
could kit calmly there, surveying, for In
stance, those four sinister fellows with dan
gers, as if they wen nothing at nil. When
1 had been at horn, the matter would have
caus.il ine extraordinary emotions, a
many lis If I had teen an elephant n a
traveling show. As for going hack tu ny
old life, it didn't seem to possible.
(Tu Le Continued.)