VOL- xxxviii Huselton's Clearing Out the Broken Lines. Money Saving Chances For Quick Buyers* We are taking Stock and stock taking reveals the left overs the odds and ends. Brisk selling makes these plenty, too plenty, and puts us face to face ufitli the problem of getting rid of them. Experience tells us that only one way to clear them out —is a loin price. We have adopted this plan. Good weather now for good, heavy, warm FOOTWEAR. You have a choosing from tho largest stock in Butler AT HUSELTON'S Shoes and Slipperf, French Enamels and \ ici Kids. . Wen's, Boys' and Youths' - Vine Shoes in all the latest styles-Box and Velonr Calf. Enamels, patent Leather. Vici Kid, High-cut Copper Tip Shoes in Veal and Kip for school. Oil Grain Kip with or without Box Toe. Regular or High Cut. All grades. The greatest assortment of MISHANA/AKA VA/OOL BOOTS and STOCKINGS All sizes Rubber Boots, Arctics and Storm Alaskas. tWWe are agents for the famous QUEEN QUALITY Shoes for Women. ONLY TO BE HAD AT B. C. HUSELTON'S. Butler's Lending Shoe House. Opposite Hotel Lowrj. Uickel's January Prices. One lot Ladies' Fine Dongola Shoes £1 00 One lot Ladies' Kangaroo-Calf Shoes ' 00 One lot Ladies' Best Oil Grain Shoes 90 One lot Ladies' Warm-Lined Shoes TO One lot Ladies' Leather-Sole Felt Slippers 25 One lot Misses'Kangaroo-Calf Shoes. .. W One lot Children's Kangaroo-Calf Shoes 50 One lot Men's Holiday Slippers 50 One lot Men's Fine Satin Calf Shoes 1 00 Gokey's Hand-Made Kip Box-Toe Boots, long leg, 4 soles 3 00 Gokey's Copper-Toe Shoes for Boys, sizes 10 to 2 1 50 Gokey's Copper-Toe Shoes for Boys, sizes 3 to 6 1 ?■> Men's Double-Sole and Top Lace Working Shoes 1 00 Boys' Double Sole and Top Lace Working Shoes S3 Our Stock of Felt Boots and Rubber Goods to be Closed Out Cheap Men's Best Felt Boots and Duck Overs $2 00 Men's Beat Felt Boots and First Quality Overs 1 '~> Boys' Beet Felt Boots and First Quality Overs - 1 50 Youths' Best Felt Boots and First Quality Overs 1 15 Men's Storm King Rubber Boots 2 50 Men's Short Rubber Boots ~ 50 Boys' Rubber Boots 1 Youth's Rubber Boots 1 2.> Child's Rubber Boots Men's Buckle Arctics 1 Men's Fine Self-Acting Rubbers y0 High Iron Stands with Four Lasts • 50 Sole leather cut to any amount you wißh to purchase. Cut half-soles and shoemakers' supplies of all kinds. Complete stock of Ladies' and Gents', Miss?s' and Children's Leggings and Over-Gaiters. It will pay you to visit this great sale and secure some of the bargains being ffered. JOHN BICKEL, 128 SOUTH MAIN STREET. - - BUTLER, PA SPECIAL SAfce 5 g OHy GOODS AND CfcOAKS. & <1 Five Days of Bargain Selling Commencing m TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, J9OI. * Jn Surplus stocks must be reduced and all broken lots closed out be- jj| fore invoicing. To clean up quickly we make some startling cuts in jdk JC prices for this five day sale. jpfe BARGAINS IN CLOAKS—Prices on Jackets and Capes are re- fm X* duced one-third, and in some cases one-half : Mr $15.00 and SIB.OO Garments at $10.00; $12.00 Garments at SB.OO, S SIO.OO Garments at $8.50, SB.OO Garments at $5.00, $5.00 and s(>.oo Gar- (flr rnents at $3.50. iff « DRESS GOODS AND SILKS Sacrificed during this sale.- Lot \ 50c Dress Goods reduced to 25c. Lot 75c and SI.OO Dress Goods re- U duced to 50c. $2.50 Plaid Backs reduced to $3.00. $1.75 Plaid Backs R reduced to $1.25. 75c French Flannels and Challies reduced to .58c. K U All SI.OO and $1.25 Fancy Silks reduced to 68c. All 75c and 85c Fancy K Silks reduced to 50c. Uk SALE PRlCES—Hundreds of bargains in all kinds of goods dur- Uh Jfi ing this sale. We have space here to mention only al few: Good Cot- a ton Crash, 8c; Heavy Unbleached Muslin, sc; All Best Calicoes, sc; 15c Ufc JQ Pongee Drapery, 9c; 25c and 35c Fancy Ribbons, 15c; 50c Underwear, jm 39c; 75c Table Linen, .58c; $1.50 Fleeced Wrappers, $1.00; Lot $3.50 All- S Wool Blankets, $3.50. Jv |B Do not miss this sale. We mean to pay yon handsomely for your 40 S help in reducing our stock. IL. Stein & Son, | S 10S N. MAIN STREET, BUTLER, PA. 5 tuex&x&xxivxxxxxx>xxxx&+ W I nk// \ I Men don't buy clothing for the J mf- 1 111 purpose of spending money. They illrl U/TwsSvY "C desire to get the best possible re \/\kW ]jj suits for the money expended. Not / J\r cheap gocds but goods as cheap as JL/m they can be sold for and made up properly. If you want the correct IA thing at the correct price, call aiid ' " \ yUtjm j /~1 examine our large stock of FALL U \IW mm if LATEST STYLES, SHADES ANDCOLORS - Fit and Workmanship Guaranteed. G.SF. KECK, Merchant Tailor, 142 NorthlMain Street, Butler, Pa £ J You could not please some people better than to select a gift / V from our perfume line. We have beautiful packages from 35 cts \ t up—each bottle in a fancy box. \ J In our bulk goods are the richest and choicest odors—here f \ area few of them-Queen of Violet, Palo Alto pure La France / / Rose, Vernalis, Queen of Carnation, California Violet, Marposa / J Lily, Wild Crab-Apple, Sweet Pink, e*c. We invite yon to call. IREDICK f GROHMAN,) THE BUTLER CITIZEN. Constipation, Headache, Biliousness, Heartburn, Indigestion, Dizziness, Indicate that your iiver Is out of order. The best medicine to rouse the liver and cure all these ills, is found in Hood's 25 cents. Sold by all mediciue dealers. CATARRH LOCAL'DISEASE and is the result of coin- and r»c--cCLi.^ sudden climatic changes. '<&/?& JifeSS For your Protection Phajfever >sl ii we positively state tiiat this fev 9 remedy does cot contain E3 " , mercury or any other injur- UL_!s t!:e Bores, pro tects the membrane from col is. restores the ecns«'» of taste and smeM. lY:*'?" • -.a: J>rn :j or l.y ma.i. ELY BROTH£US, 66 Warren Street, New York. %jn IF A Great Nerve Medicine. Celery King cleanses the system and builds it up. It makes the blood pure. It beautifies the complexion. It cures constipation and liver disorders. It cures headache aud most other aches. Celery King cures Nerve, Stomach, Liver and Kidney diseases. 1 Butler Savings Basic HLitler, IPti. Capital - £feo, LKjo.ee Surplus and Profits - - $200,000 cc JOS. L PURVIS I' J. HENRY TROUTMAN VW-Pre-c*.. WM. CAMPBELL, Jr ■ lie: : Tw.troau, W. I). Brandon W. A hi-mi .1 s. C*mobell. The Butler Savrass Hank is the Oldest Banking Institution, n Butler County. General banking business triiusacted. We solicit accounts of >ll producers, mer chants, farmers and others. All business entrusted to us will teceive prompt attention. Interest eaiil on time deposits. TM K Bailer County National Bauk, Butler Perm, Capital paid in - - s2co, cro.u Surplus and Profits - f6o, coo.o Jos. Hartman, President; J. V. Ritts, Vice President; John G. McMaiHti, Cashier, A. G. ivtug, Aas't Cashier. A general banking business transactefi. Interest paid un time depusJs. Money l.ianed on approved security. We invite you to open an account with i Ins bank. DIKECTORS Hon. Hartman Hon. W. S. Waldron, Ilr. IN. M. Hoover. H Mc- Sweeney. C. I'. Collins I. C. Smith. Leslie 1' Hazlett, M. 1-' in eg in. \V. U. I.arkin, liarri Heasley, l»r. W. O. McCanri'.- s. Her seth. W.J. Marks. J. V. lCitts. A. L. itoil.tr THE Farmers' National Bank. BUTLER, PENN'A. CAPITAL PAID IN, $100,000.00. Foreign exchange bought and soid. Special attention given to collet lions. OFFICERS: - JOH N YOt"XK INS President JOHN ill Ml'Hlil'.V Yi.-e President C. A. BA I LEY Cashier E. W. BINGHAM Assistant Cashier J. V. HL'TZLEK Teller DIRECTORS. John You 11Uins. I). L. Cleelaud, E. F.. Abrams. C. N. Boyd, \V. F. Met/ser, Henry Miller. John Humphrey. Thos. llays, Levi IJ. Wise and Francis Murphy. Interest paid on time deposll- We respectfully solicit vour business. . /.I Bargain Prices. Christmas trade wjs very good, thank you, but we bought more goods than were needed and 111 order to reduce our stock of Watches, Chains, Rings, etc., we will sell at prices during the month of January. We were sold out of Edison talking machines before Xuias, but have a full line now. \'so a lot of new Records, both Edison am: Also a full- line of Cameras aud Photo Supplies. R. L. KIRKPATRICK. Jeweler and Graduate Optician- Next to Coint House Advice. C "™T> .. Is Advice is cheap under some cirtttm stances. The right kind of advice, if accepted, is cheap at almost any price Our advice is cheap, because it is FREE, and people are making us:; of u every day. * Our Optical Advice. We arc prepared to give vou advice ill this matter. Cortect advice—titne-sav ing, sight-saving, nerve-saving advice. We are properly equipped for making thorough and intelligent examinations of the eye. If You Need Specs. We furnish them at as low a figure as correct glasses, good frames, perfect fit and a guarantee can be had anywhere If vou don't need glasses, we advise you of the fact and tliank you for the inquiry. CAKk H. fcfcIGHNGR, JEWELER AND OPTICIAN, '209 S. Main St. BUTLER PA. BUTLER, TH U JANUARY 10. 1001. IIJOHNMHRATEII — 7 a-*— • ■■ » • | By Weathorby Chesney and Alick Munro. I « • ? f *•-- ? COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY WCATfI ERCY CHESNEY AND ALICK lOIU J I ILLUSTRATIONS DY H. C. COULTAS. | K—• «•>>««««» *••••" + V - " »<• "• CHAPTER XXI. Close contests and heated arguments make men hungry, so when the trial of our toy ships was over we returned to the little village under the palm trees with appetites sharpened for our sup per. We were doomed to be disappointed, however, for there were uo Spanish slaves waiting our return with fresh ly killed pork as we had hoped. We hailed, but got no reply; went to the nearest rising ground. but saw no sign, and so. concluding that incessant hunt ing was making the swine more shy and difficult to find, we made shift to (ill our stomachs with any odds and ends which .the larder happened to contain Afterward, throwing our selves down on luxurious natural moss couches, we Mew or.r tobacco smoke up into the still night air and chatted over the events of the day. fighting the battle of the toy ships over again point by point and not giving t!i Span ish foragers so much as a thought. Rut whet; lob Trehalion yawned and saiil he'd turn i:i if his stomach weren't so empty every one began o wonder what bad happened to the r hunters to keep tb< away so long, ind Alec, goirg to the t >p of lite cliff, hailed the seuiry ou guard ai the cave's mojuth to ii if ts. y bad 'ie st:aight to their jiiil iii in. ih "tiselve*. Tile y ahi .-.i : .. expres.cd sniji ist- ::i sei'iug !ii." captalß there, "for." he -I .1. ".v -i to ,i. boat dowu bait r. c»: ::u lio :r ag.ru-." "\\ j iiii'iti't you hail tbo bort. booby •*1 did. i . ;.i.-iiti." i ; lied the fellow in an a i - d tone. you answered tliat you w ts bound for Galley island." At this i i i !1.0 a storm of ibuse a I i. i sentry for his stupidity, but Alec cut me short, bidding me waste uo tin: e time, but take a dozen men with me and row to the mouth of the barber. He himself set oil to a coign of vantage on the outlying spit, running like an untired man at the be ginning of a race, while I, with a crowd at my heels, tore down to tiie beach. One boat bad gone, sure enough, and the other lay high and dry. We reach ed her and found that the Spaniards iiad taken a simple method of prevent ing pursuit. They had removed all the oars, knowing well enough that we had none in reserve. We could do nothing, for before we could split up new cars they would be far beyond our ken. as there was uo "Did it' l I tell you that live Spaniards were more dangerous than dcail onest" moon, and in the darkness we stood no chance of finding them. So we bailed to Alec to come back, and after mak iug sure that our storehouses were un touched returned to the cave. At the door we were met by the old man. "Oh. bo. bo!" he cackled. "So Don Miguel and bis fellow scoundrels have taken the tirst chance of breaking their plighted word. Didn't I tell you that live Spaniards were more dangerous than dead ones? And you derided my words and called me a savage and mur derer. Alt, Ua. a merry buzzing hor nets' uest they'll bring about your ears presently! Then maybe your squeam ishness will pass away aud the sour blue Spanish blood will flow in rivers. But if you were wise. Captain Ireland, you would give orders at once to light a fire of green wood at the mouth of the cave aud smoke out the rest of the hive before they, too, manage to free their stings. You frown at my advice. Ah, but you're young, my most chiv alrous captain; young and tender heart ed, for as yet you've suffered ouly triv ial injuries at Spanish bands! Oh, ho, ho, my words are wasted now, but maybe you'll live to see their wisdom!" "Old man," said Willie Trehalion solemnly, seeing by Alec's face that a storm was coming, "stop your blood thirsty babbling an go an lark with Nephew Job, your crazy playmate." And the old mau, after glowering venomously at his interrupter, did as he was told, and the tw T o of them gam ed with knucklebone for a maravedi a throw until far into the night. Nest day we laid the first plank of our new ship, and thenceforward the flat by the cave resounded with the bubbing of adzes, tbe ring of hammers, the jarring of saws aud the songs of the workmen, a discordant medley enough, but to our cars the sweetest harmony. First arose a bristling thicket of ribs, the bare, unsightly skeleton. Next a skin of planking, rising from rabbits ou the keel, spread slowly over the superstructure till it reached the deck beams aud then continued upward to form a strong protective bulwark, gap ped with small rowports and larger gun embrasures. Then tough treenails pinned the deck planks on their bed and by and by began the music of the calker's iron and mallet. When every stroke of the ax or hammer was a stroke nearer to freedom, there was little chance that tbe work would be come wearisome. Our Spanish slaves were useless ex c.''i.>t for porter's work, and of the English none bad served an actual ap prenticeship to the carpenter's trade. Yet such was the energy which our captain's enthusiasm infused into ev ery man of us that, incredible though it may seem, I, John Topp. solemnly declare that the schooner Scourge kiss ed tbe waters of tbe harbor three months aud four days after the first timber of her keel was laid ou the stocks. What a shout we raised as her stern swooped joyously down to meet the el iment she was destined for! Eagerly, us though Hinging from iier graceful sides the dishonoring taint of earth, sin- onibrnred the water. II«»r forward rush was stopped by the stout warp of esparto grass which bound her, and she swung sharply round to a stand still. And before the wave she threw up had spread a dozen fathoms we made a simultaneous rush upon her clever red polled architect and hoisted him high above our shoulders. And when we had had enough of cheering for Captain Alec Ireland some of us were uncomfortably hoarse, while as for the old man lie could not laugh above a whisper. But the Scourge was a mere bulk so far and not a well fitted fighting ship, and so it was to work again without premature holiday. Masts had to be T le r.hd stepped, rigging to be de :n d and set up and sails to be cut md stitched from the unpickings of alder sails. And these labors, with the fittings below and the shaping of spars and such like, were not the work of a day or a week. All hands took part iu them except the old man. who was deeply on-.iged in the construction of some infernal eugiue near the mouth of the harbor the use of which he ob stinately refused to tell us. Aii.i' > t all the powder on the wreck 3 if the Spanish ships bad been spoiled, and a handful or so from the heart of each barrel was ail we were able to secure, but arms, small and great, aud body armor we found in abundance, enough to have supplied two such ships lis the Scourge. One would have thought, moreover, that the g.e.-it s-.-auisb bombard, which the obi man kept trained on his prison ers in tie caves, w:; -as heavy a piece as a rersouable man could desire. But Ai...ei Ireland was not as other men. lie a :i:ed that with our small crew, a tight at long bowls would be our only chance, and so he set to work to devise a weapon which would enable us to do this. He made drawings and then a model iu wood, from which be fashioned a mold of moist sand. Then, breaking tip a falconet and some small deiniculverins and sakers, he built a furnace lid crammed it with the bra zen fragments of these pieces mixed with charcoal aad from shipwright turned himself to the trade of gun founder. Aud I must own that it was a deadly weapon which he turned out. For. al though the gun had none of that ornn mentation which one looks for iu a piece that is to earn a high repute, still it could not fairly be judged by the standard of other weapons, because it differed from every gttu that had hith erto been cast. It was fearfully cum bersome in the breech aud down to where the trunnions lay. but from that point forward it tapered throughout the whole of its enormous length, which wits a full foot and a half be yond the fathom, until just round the muzzle it swelled out to form a strong ring. He made a carriage for it. too. and planted it right amidships between the masts. The piece could be fired from a large port ou either side, or over the bulwark if need be; so that, except directly ahead or astern, its deadly pelting commanded every point of the compass. With this powerful weapon and the culverins and falco nets mounted ou either broadside we had as much artillery as we could man But the powder room was empty. This was a most serious gap in our defense and one which for lack of ma terials we could not remedy. Oue jester indeed said that we could get charcoal from the woods and sulphur from "the Spaniards' oaths, so that we required only saltpeter to start our manufactory, but even ou this showing we were no better off, fo* - we had not the saltpeter. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to run our first prize by the board and take her hue and thrust fashion and then to use the powder she carried to load our weapons against her friends. We bad, it is true, saved a few hand fuls of the precious black dust from the carrack's bold aud at one time had counted upon using that to fire half a dozen lusty broadsides, but every grain of it was blown away to smoke by the old man before ever the Scourge drop ped down the harbor. Ho had, as 1 have said, been for some time engaged in constructing a mystprious engine whose form and purpose were known to himself alone. Its site was among some rocks ou the spit at the harbor's mouth, but none of us had seen it, for since the old man had promised to launch his deadliest curse at the head of any one who pried into his secret we all kept widely aloof. Still, we were not a little curious, nnd, madman thongh he was, we trust ed him. Consequently when it was re ported that a large ship flying the Spanish flag was making dead for the mouth of the harbor our first thought was that we were trapped and our sec ond that the old man would save us. lie had boasted that his infernal ma chine would cope single handed with the proudest ship in the Spanish navy, and if he failed us now, after having taken possession of all our small store of powder, then the Spaniard might moor in the harbor and batter our new vessel to noggin staves at his leisure, nnd we could not hope to prevent him. We had not a stitch of canvas bent to the spars, not a sweep fitted to the row posts. The boat would hold only 12 men, but as a forlorn hope we had it manned and ready behind the shelter of Carrack rock, near which the fairway ran. In it were crammed those of us who could not swim. The rest were to take to tlie water sword in teeth, and each was to board the invader as best we could. A desperate enterprise surely, but it was the time for desperate enterprises, for if the newcomers were to land and release their countrymen from the cave neither strategy nor force could save us. It must be a fight to the death, and, truth to tell, there was not one of us who had not rather have died than trust again to mercy from a Spaniard. CHAPTER XXII. On came the majestic Spaniard, bow ing gravely and proudly over the roll ing seas. She was close hauled on the starboard tack, and her bellying courses and topsails strained heavily on the sheets. Standard, pennant and banner hung from trucks and poop staff, and the painted taffety as it flut tered out to leeward was more suggest ive of gala day revels than of fighting. But today her guns were not loaded with blank saluting cartridges. When she drew nearer, she hauled up her courses in their brails, stowed her mizzen and sprit sails and came running in under her two topsails only, and we eculd see for ourselves how heavy was the metal and how numer- , ous was the crew she carried. The ports were triced up. aud through them gaped ugly, yawning gun muzzles. The gunners were at their posts; the blue smoke from their line stocks rose lazily from the waist until the breeze caught it and hurried it to leeward, and ever and anon the sun would glint from a shining pike bead or sword blade. Few men were visible, and those, as their hoarse sea hauliug cries indicated, were merely sailors. But, though we could not see them, we could guess that a mass of armed men seethed within the lofty walls of that floating fortress. To attempt the capture of such a stronghold by simple escalade, without ladders, without hooked poles, with nothing but our own strong figures and the stimulus of a desperate cause, seemed a forlorn hope indeed, and of our little band many a sea warrior who bad grinned death in the face a score of times believed that now at last bis time had come and hoped for nothing more than to deal a berserk blow or two before the swarming soldiers spill ed bis life with a sword thrust. But not a man shrank from the battle. -Most of us discarded helmet aud all else except sword or ax and at Alec's word strode down the rocks aud into the water. But where were the old man and the marvelous engine of v, !:ich he bad boasted? Where was i';e vaunted dc- struction which be was to deal out to just such a foe as this? Had he failed us? Ah. well, a crazy man is a cracked reed to leau upon, aud perhaps we were fools to hope that the obi man could save us. "Off with the boat there," cried Alec cheerily, "and. Jan I'engony, lead your lads to board at the waist. We others will swim till our claws touch the beak, and if we once get a bold I war rant we will not leave go till we've made this big sea fowl as harmless and succulent a morsel as a well hung hen pheasant. Our beads in the water will be small marks for their cannon, so they won't waste powder by firing their large pieces. All the better for us! There'll be the more to stow in the Scourge's powder room. Have at 'em! 'England forever!" is the cry. aud mark bow that herd of binds will quail when they bear it." And so into the water we slipped aud, going straight out from the shore, wait ed with quick beating hearts for the great vessel to come down to us. On she drove with steady, cruel pow er, gashing the little wavelets with her beak aud crushing them contemptuous ly beneath her apple bows, stately as a rock that is stepped in the earth's cen ter. But of the bobbing heads in the water and of the boat creeping out through the rocks she bad not as yet taken the smallest notice. The sus pense was fearful. Presently a sentry spied us and gave the word. The big ship woke up with a scurry and bustle. The trumpeter made his noise, and some arquebus iers, clapping matches to the priming of their pieces, seut a few maravedis' worth of lead screaming over the heads of the unsoldierlike heretics who were adopting this unrecognized means of attack. They effected little, however, beyond satisfying themselves that they had obeyed orders. But soon a deadly arrow shower commenced from behind the bulwarks and frsm the round tops, by which the water here aud there was reddened and the strength of more than one stout fellow tapped. The doors of the for ward castle opened, and a detachment of mail clad soldiers trooped out to guard the beak. Armored men at the top of a high, steep wall against naked men in deep water at its foot—there could be small doubt what the issue of such a combat would be. But, little though we liked it, it was a trial from which we dared not shrink, and so. with grim deter mination to do or perish in the trying, we swam with slow, steady strokes to meet the Spaniard, each man of us looking out eagerly for the best point to board. In another half minute we should be facing the climb and making vicious sword thrusts at the axmeu who lopped at our limbs from above. Ah, well, it would be a speedy death! But, as it happened, there was to be no rasping of steel against steel just then. With a sudden roar like the bursting of a thunderbolt a spout of fire darted from tlie cluster of rocks on the outly- It hurtled through the air and struck the Spanish ship. ing spit, and in tbe midst of It rode a huge bowlder bigger than a soldier's sentry box. It hurtled through the air with a din like the humming of mil lions of ricochetting bullets and struck tbe Spanish ship just abaft of amid ships, close to the break of the poop. Bmitli and carpenter never put together gear that would have withstood the shock of that bolt. The solid timbers splfntered and broke as though they had been maize husks, and the mighty bowlder ate its way through fabric and cargo and fell with a sullen splash into the sea at the other side. The waves trembled with tbe shock, aud the proud ship reeled to her lar board beam ends and then righted again with such a strain that the wounded backbone crunched in two with the effort. The mainmast and Its gear lay floating on the water. Guns slid from the lower deck like so many pebbles. The fore round top leaned aft till it fouled the golden flag of Spain flying from the mizzen truck, and the bowsprit stood once more as it bad done when, leaved and branched, it sprouted heavenward from some Cas tlliaa sierra in the old world. Tbe grim sea wolves, carrion hunters of tbe ocean, darting up from the cav erns of the sea. fixed their talons on the swirling eddies to tbe dark jungles below, aud as each heavily armored Spaniard fell off into the waves he was seized by the soft arms of a foe more relentless than even the Englishman and strangled by a liquid caress that knew no refusal. Thus did tbe sea avenge the dishonors with which Span ish slave galleys had tainted her. It was all over in a few seconds, and before tbe minute bail elapsed, save for here and there a uiorioned bead beside a fragment of wreckage, the harbor ripples were by anything stouter than their own flowery foam. We English, seeing that otir work was already done, swam ashore direct ly the shot was fired and now stood in admiring wonder opposite the mouth of the great rock cannon which had worked this awful havoc. The air still bore the choking "taint of powder smoke, and the gnarled, nude figure of the old man crouching there, still hold ing bis lighted match In an ecstasy of demoniac joy, beside the toucbhole of his infernal machine seemed rather that of a fiend than of one born of mortal mother. "Ah, ha, ha!" he cried. "See what the old man can do when you heavy dolts leave him for a time in peace. See how he repays in part the wrongs that Spanish torments have worked upon his body. Oh, ho, ho! 'Tis meat and drink to me to have a day like this. Aye. gape at the engine—a sweet, rus tic engine, my masters, is it not? You may tinil its fellow in the narrow strait of Dardanelles, which the grand Turk holds, that neither Venetian galleass nor Genoese galley may follow the booty laden corsair to bis pagan iair in the E'uxiue. "What. my noble captain, you look black at me? Come, let no sour faces greet the old man on his triumph day. It was powder you lusted after, was it? And my brawny Jack here bad an eye to the other pickings. Yes. and you, too. my book banded boatswain, when 1 saw your smooth jwll and puffing mouth bobbing over the wavelets like some old dog seal's there was greed for gain in that solitary eye of yours, shining out as clearly as though you carried a placard on your neck with the words written in black and white. Not a cruzado, not a noggin of powder, scarcely a rope yarn Is there left for you to seize. But for me —I bad rather have done this day's work than be at this present moment holding the em peror of the Indies to ransom. Oh, ho, lio! There's no ointment like Spanish blood. The throbbing pain in the old man's joints will be easier tonight." CHAPTER XXIII. As we had abundance of victuals and water and were in nowise pressed for time, as soon as the Scourge was ready for sea we took her for a week's cruise through the desert sea to the north ward of our island. This was the more necessary as, except our captain, none of us bad more than the vaguest no tions of fore and aft seamanship, aud it would have been fool's counsel to think of fighting till we bad got all hands used to the feel of their new ship. We were returning from this cruise, well satisfied with what we bad seen and learned, and were within sight of the Temple of the Serpent on Cave is land when Alec called a general coun cil. The question was put to us what to do next. There was no lack of suggestions. One proposed that we should cruise along the main straight away; another thought that we had better run into harbor again and, lying snug there, plant a lookout on the mountain who should give us word when a suitable quarry hove in sight. One man added this bit of advice and another that. But when each man who had anything to say said it, and there were almost as many plans afloat as there were men, Willie Trehalion, who had been standing straddle legged by the bitta cle and rubbing his skin cap fore aud aft across his bald pate, as he always did when his tiiiuking machinery was at work, took a step forward and put in his word. "There's an island hereabouts," he said, "lying some 15 leagues s'uth'ard an west'ard, that should yield some good pickings to them as goes adven turiu on it." "An island with pickings!" said Job Trehalion. "Then there's Spaniards on it, too, uncle?" Willie took no notice of him. "Mar gberlta's the name o' it," he went on. "Some o' you may have heard o' it, but r.il o' you may not know that the Span lards has got three towns planted there to look after the pearl fisheries. Now, pearls bain't gould. But pearls Is what the queen's own majesty wears sewed about lier gown, an so It bain't for the like o' us to turn up our noses at 'em. Besides, there's Spaniards there to col lect 'em from the pagans as brings up the pearl oysters from the sea floor, an where there's Spaniards you can lay your teeth on't there's powder as well." "And you suggest, Willie?" "That we harry a town on Margher- Ita." Job chuckled. "A whole town would make a big mouthful," said he. "Hap pen it might squirm about when we was trying to swallow it an choke us. 1 ' "Always a fool. Job," replied his uu cle sourly, "an but oue peg removed from a natural. But 1 never thought io call nephew of mine lily livered." The big, dark scar which seamed Job's face flashed out and grew purple, and he stepped forward with bauds clinched and lips trembling. And no wonder, for, as every oue knew, there was not a braver man on board. Willie did not move a muscle. "Stop!" cried Alec sharply. "I allow no quarreling ou board the Scourge. Job's objection is a reasonable oue aud deserves a reasonable answer. There's nothing of the coward about him, and, Willie Trehalion, every man on the Scourge w ill tell you so. He has faced death at your side and at miue many a time, as I ought not to have to remind you. But enough of this. 'That is the size of these Spanish towns you speak of aud how do they lie?" "There's Pampatas at the east-sou'- east," replied Willie Trehalion gruffiy, "an there's El Pueblo de la Mar a league to leeward o' that, an there's El Pueblo del Norte on the north side." "And their strength?" "I don't know, nor their size either. But they're not as big as London nor Bristol nor Whitby itself, mebbe." "Which of them would suit our pur pose best?" "Pueblo del Norte." "Because?" "Because it's highest. Captain Ire land." "Could jou pilot us there?" "Yes, captain, with a couple o' careful bands at tbe lead. 1 seed the place marked on one o' them rubbishly Span iard's charts, but the lubbers hadn't marked down the fairways into the harbor. The island is steep, too, an rocky on the sea face, though, so there should be water enough." "We'll try." said Alec. "So we'll 'bout ship now. boatswain, and shape a course for the island of Margherita." And then, in a lower tone: "Mind, Wil lie. 1 don't want you to sail tbe Scourge into any harbor which masked bat teries and unknown currents may turn into a deathtrap for her Bring her a short sea mile off the town and then lay to. We can do the rest in the boats. If this wind holds, we should, with luck, be within hail of El E'ueblo del Norte when its doughty townsfolk have their shoes off aud their night caps on." And, biddiug all except the watch turn in, so as to come up fresh when work was on band. Alec and I went below*. "You are doing this against your own judgment. Alec," said I. "Yes; not because I fear to fail, but because street lighting may cost us,a life or two. And heaven knows we liaven't a man to spare:" "But the pearls, old lad?" "Aye. Jack. the pearls!" he answered bitterly "They lireil you tip as they did the men forward. Not one of you cares how many of his fellows fall so long as his own chest bursts with treas ure. And once the hatches cover what you think enough there'll be a common cry. I warrant, for the eastward cruise. Eh. Jack?" "Crammercy. Alec! You'd not stay holding on and ofT this sweltering coast longer than we have to. would you?" "Yes."' he cried fiercely. "I'd stay till we'd driven every Spaniard back to the devil who spawned him. I'd stay till we'd plven the country back to the Indian it was stolen front or till we'd peopled it with honest Kuglish heart* And. ruark me. Jack, that's what it will come to. Our people at home are in creasing every day, and the Island that holds them isn't. Look at Londou. look ct Bristol; they're big. overgrown cities even now, and they're still growing. Where, tliiuk you. must the overflow drift to? I'll tell you. When bread begius to fail them, as it soon will, and the little ones begin to cry to their fa thers for food, they will pour out to the west here. Ualeigh and his friends planted a faint hearted crew in a more northern land, so I have heard, among savages and snowstorms and barren rocks, and. as might have been expect ed, those that did not die came back wailing over their miseries and cursing the men who had led them away from England. But here, I tell you. It is dif ferent. The tierra firme bristles vith Spanish towns. There are Cuinana, Barcelona, I.a Guayra, Caracas, Va lencia, Cartagena and all those in Mex ico besides. And in every one of them the cursed Spaniard tortures and burns uuliindered and makes the very gar dens of God's earth into foul blasphem ing hells. I ask you, what nobler aim could a man have in life than to wrest this fair land from these demons and to bring it instead under the sway of Elizabeth of England? "Jack Topp." he went on. flushing deeply and gripping my arm till I fairly winced, "I swear to you that If I get back home from this voyage with sound skin and sufficient booty for the purpose I will get a charter and tit out on armada—at my own cost, if no one else will join me—and I'll sail for the main here and take every town as I pass along. The west Is the treasury of Spain, and If her power be once bro ken out here In the new world there's little doubt as to who will be queen of the seas over yonder in the old." He broke off suddenly and went to his bunk, and I turned away to mine For. truth to tell, 1 had little heart tt argue with one who was as eager for profitless battle as any paladin of the crusades, with never an eye for the plunder which would follow a good fight. Many a hard blow have I taken and given, but it is a sport I care little for, unless behind it there Is that which will pay for the broken heads and dam aged limbs. And to give credit where it is due, no man can say that John Topp was ever backward in a fight against those who were defending goods or treasure. But be that as it may. The suu was balancing over the west ern water line when 1 came on deck again, and the cliffs of Margherita were showing in a low, dark line fine on the be bow. Willie Trehalion was steering, with his one brawny hand on the tiller and the tiller rope cast on to his hook with a couple ef half hitches. His one eye took an occasional squint aloft and then rove once more along the land ahead. The vessel was rising it rapid ly, charging the short seas with her sharp stem and riding over them dry decked like the beauty she was. Our Scourge was a craft of which every man of her crew might well be proud. There were none of those dull swishing thuds of green wave against round ap ple bow, which cause a ship to stop and shudder as though cringing under a blow. The motion was gliding, oily and pleasant. And the pace was s» great that we deemed it advisable to stow the foresail and hoist the main tf»ck lest if we allowed ourselves to come into sight in the daytime the dons of Margherita should suspect our in tent and make ready an uncomfortably warm reception for us. We could not afford to risk by such a piece of care lessness the loss of our dainty racer. Night fell, dark, moonless, starless, but without rain or haze—just such a night as our purpose asked for. All hands were on deck, eager and expect ant, for word had been passed that El Pueblo del Norte was close under our lee. Now, tlierc is and has been from time Immemorial a custom among fighting men to put on their best clothes to do battle in. The sea dandy of the queen's ships would turn out in all the bravery of puffed and bolstered hose and trunks and with a starched ruff circle as big as a puncheon head cumbering his chest. But we wore our best—and worst— clothes every day; in fact, we had no more than one suit apiece, and that a skimpy one. We could not, therefore, honor the conflict by change of apparel. True, there was Spanish body armor in plenty If we had cared to put it on, but body armor has never found much favor with Eng lish sailors, and, moreover, it was mon strous heavy and uncomfortable. So, with the exception of a metal helmet apiece, which Alec insisted that each of us should wear, we were prepared to go into battle protected only by our own quick sword play and the supple strength of our iron muscles. And when the Scourge was hove to and the boats dipped Into the water there scrambled into them surely the most ragged, tattered and unkempt crew that ever set out to capture a town. Most of us lacked shoes and hose, some of us even wanted a shirt; but, though a scarecrow would not have taken our clothes as a gift, every man was armed to the teeth with jewel hilt ed swords and daggers, and our hopes told us that we were likely soon to have other gear to match the quality of our side arms. [TO BE CONTINUED.] Colli Expand* Tlifm. A civil engineer who la In Alaska has written home to Chicago that the rails on the Chilkoot Pass railway expand with the cold instead of contracting, as they would be supposed to do. A temperature ranging from 12 degrees to 40 degrees below zero F. would not appreciably affect the length of rails, but severer cold than that would be attended with expansion. This is cer tainly an exception to a law of nature, although water shrinks as it cools until 39 degrees F. is reached, when It be gins to expand. All Inference. "I Just know she Is ten years older than she admits," said the woman with i the sharp nose. I "How?" asked the other half of the ■ duo. | "Why would she be letting that 16- year-old kid make love to her if sho were as young as she pretends?"— Iu ( dianapolis Press. No. 2 THE POTATO CROP. Labor Savins: Method* and Itrlpt In Grvnlnv and Handling It. I have observed so many farmers during the past season in Wiscon ;iu and other states outside of the po',::to belt who were following the old meth od pursued by us all when potatoes were grown in "patches" In lieu of field culture that I may be pardoned for giving some of the means of saving labor as practiced at Waupaca, Mich., says a correspondent of Farm, Field and Fireside. We plant deep enough to permit the ground to be harrowed with a good drag. Any common harrow will do, though the teeth should not be too long. Drag several times from plant ing time until the potatoes come up, and there will be no need to make a "bee" to dig out the weeds by hand in June. I saw many iustances last summer where more human labor Vas being expended on a patch of half an acre of potatoes than is necessary to cultivate a crop of ten acres here- In the "belt." This great saving of labor is accom plished by a judicious use of harrow, weeder and cultivator. The "horse weeder" is not necessary, but very convenient and a rapid worker. One horse and man will brush over 20 acres per day. Drag and weeder must be used often to be of best service, say once in five days. Then in digging time to see people laboriously pulling with a hoe at a hill of potatoes instead of forking them out or using a horse machine is to be forcibly reminded that human progress Is slow. For potato boxes we use board ends 10 by 13 inches, cut from 10 inch di mension lumber. They do not tip over as easily ns 12 by 12 inches cut from ' 12 inch lumber and besides do not split BO readily. For each side we use a strip of 0 inch cull siding and two lath strips cut 22 inches long. For bottoms staves from old apple or other light barrels are used. The curvature of the 6taves allows the boxes to slide down a shoot into the cellar easily. Use six- POTATOES IS BOXES. penny or wire shingle nails for lath. Half inch pieces from dry goods boxes may be used in place of siding.' The handles are about 1 by 4 inches. Pile several heads together, one already cut out on top, and with a pencil "lay out" or mark the head beneath. Then bore the handles of all at once with an Inch bit. About three holes will be suffi cient to allow the easy smoothing out of the hole with a pocketknlfe. Bed pieces of 2 by 10 inch pine 10 feet long are placed on the truck bol sters in the usual way of making a rack. On the top of this frame boards are nailed crosswise. The boards are cut about six feet long from strong common lumber. A slight boxing of the hind wheels may be necessary, ex cept where the truck wheels are very small. A two inch strip nailed flat around the entire rack prevents the boxes from sliding off. The accompa nying illustration shows a load of 66 bushels dug by machine, picked up and drawn to the cellar in one hour and a half with "family" help. The unload ing is done by sliding the boxes down a piauk through the cellar window, where a hand empties them. Renewing an Asparasna Bed. An old and run out or neglected as paragus bed can be best Improved aft er the season for cutting is over by putting on a liberal dressing of manure In June or July and plowing it in, not taking much care to prevent breaking the roots or to save seeding plants. The plants are apt to become root bound, and they will grow all the bet ter for a little breaking up of the mat ted roots. Keep the weeds out all the summer, and in early spring or even in February, If the ground is open, put on from 600 pounds to half a ton of good fertilizer to the acre. This will push it along to make a good growth, and it will be better if it is not cut very freely that spring or not at all after the first of June. and XotM. Bird life In the United States has de creased 46 per cent in the last 15 y ears, according to recent statements of an authority on the subject. San Jose scale continues prominent among insect pests. Notable remedial work of 1899 was that of Professor Johnson of Maryland, who exterminat ed scale with hydrocyanic gas, and Professor Smith of New Jersey, who used crude petroleum successfully. Sand or hairy vetch is said to be bet ter adapted to general culture through out the United States than the com mon vetch. The favorite rotation of T. B. Terry of Ohio Is stated as potatoes, wheat, clover; his land so divided that a crop of each Is harvested each year. Clover has place every third year In the vege table garden and the strawberry land. For blights, rot and insects on pota toes apply bordeaux mixture combined with paris green or other arseultes. According to government reports the yield of hay, as a whole, in the prin cipal hay states will be light. From B»d to Worn, A gentleman was admiring his pi geons the other afternoon, when he heard a curious "thud" and saw one of his birds drop from a window sill to the ground. Turning round, the gentleman was Just in time to see a small boy In the lane drop a catapult and run. After a short chase the culprit was caught. "You young scoundrel!" ejaculated the angry owner of the pigeon. "W hat do you mean by coming and shooting my birds?" "Please, sir, I didn't mean to do It," whined the captive. "I—l didn't shoot at the pigeon." "Come, come," said the gentleman, "don't make matters worse. I saw the bird fall, and if you did not aim at it how came you to hit it?" "Please, sir," blubbered the boy, "the pigeon got in the way. I—l was aim ing at the winder."—London Tit-Bits. Snakes of all sines abound in the Su matra Jungl-s. Monster lizards are there, measuring six and seven feet. The house lizard is about 12 inches long and makes a noise like tfce bulk of a toy terrier.