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_</
Ely's Cream Balm
is acknowledged to be the most t!:nronch cure for
Naeal Catarrh, Co d in Hend and Hay Fever of ail
remeies. It opens nnd cleanses the n.ifal pr.«a!:es,
allays pain and inflammation, hi ■>!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 <V i,-..
LOUIS 11. STEIN 'if
DIRK'"TORS -Joseph I. t'urv:*., ■>■ 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.