Barney Blake, The Boy Privateer

more valuable prizes, and bringing two or three along with us. There was a British man-o'-war, the Atalanta, in this port, when we entered. She could h

ntire crew around him, thanked them for the jolly time they had afforded him, and shook the captain warmly by the hand. He was really an excellent-hearted fellow, and we gave him three hearty cheers as he went over the ship'

devil-may-care set of tars never raised a rumpus in a seaport town than did we in Rio. We were allowed to go on shore in squads alternately; and as many of the British sai

had somehow got separated from our companions. We were both of us somewhat in liquor, and had a hankering-a usual one under the circumstances-to have something more to drin

counter by the proprietor of the place, a wiry Brazilian, and, at the

he floor from a terrific blow between the eyes. Just at this moment, several English sailors entered the room, and, seeing that we were Americans, of course took the landlord's part. The latter was but l

hat 'ere way," mused one of the Englishmen to his comrades, in a

would stand it eff I was the Spani

take it up whenever he wan

hintended for me?" a

aid Tony, "and s

stand by and see little Tony overpowered, I also went in. There were ten of them, at least, and we were soon on the verge of destruction, when our cries for help reached the ears of friends outside, and in dashed Old Nick and Bluefish, at the head

of truth, and I merely give it as a sample

more novel and satisfactory than the foregoing. The town itself-or, rat

them-are attired with unparalleled magnificence. You know it is a country of diamonds. The ladies sport a good many of them, but they have another kind of ornament which, perhaps, will be new to most of

ry prevalent a

ore wigs. They are great lovers of spicy food, like all the rest of the South Americans, as well as the Mexicans. The amount of red peppers which a genuine Spanish

mountains, where the wolves are as thick as grasshoppers, and we found the body next morning untouched. I

st identical with what our hunters and soldiers call slapjacks. It is a s

perhaps, it was in the Isle of France-did I witness the yoke of slavery fit the neck of the poor negro so gallingly as at Rio; a

ly to the fun we had, so we will quit thi

rmances before we arrived. Of course, as soon as we got wind of it on board the Queer Fish, every man was wild to see the show. The dear littl

l miles from the city, and we had taken the precaution, several days beforehand, of securing conveyances. These were nothing to boast of. They consisted of one barouche,

t of the bargain. We were soon seated, or, rather, heaped upon the sorry vehicles, the drivers cracked their long whips, and away w

r immediate vicinity must have remembered for a long time the crowd of Yankee privateersmen. These Spanish people have ways and manners very singular to a foreigner. While we were waiting for the bulls, all the ladies amused themselves with smoking their universal cigarettos and fanning themselves. They never stop smoking, save, perhaps, to make and light a new cigar, and it has of

s. They frequently quarrel during their games, talk very boisterously, lay their hands on th

wo for the Queer Fish and the flag that flew at her peak. The native policemen would bob up and down about us, endeavoring to maintain better order, but not liking to arrest any individual one of us, while they did not dare to attempt a whole arr

were a sort of fireworks, one of the various modes adopted for the torture and goading of the bulls. The other class consisted of the matadores, whose duties are of a more sanguinary nature than their brothers of the arena. Most of them on this occasion were mounted, and armed with spears, but the most famous were on foot, armed simply with a long, sheathless rapier. These latter are in

pening of a suspicious-looking door at the upper end of the arena, and out bounded an en

w commenced

killing him instantly. The poor bull-fighter was hurled high in the air, and fell to the ground. I looked to see him destroyed instantly. But now the flag-bearers rushed in, flinging their red scarfs over the animal's hor

hem blindly, this way and that; but they gl

med into an enormous fiery porcupine, and a very frightful-looking figure he cut. Although considerably enfeebled by loss of blood, the ungovernable fury of the bull sustained him for another assaul

of the coup de grace. The one who now stepped out to the task, was a lithe, handsome fellow. With a light bound, he

re recovered his sword and returned to his former position; for one of the rules of the bull-f

e upon him. But he easily evaded the charge, gained the animal's side, and drove in his thin sword to the hilt, right behind the shoulder-blade. This time it was the coup de grace. The bull stumbled fo

ring, with a wagon, to remove the de

r less formidable, were dis

nimal than this bull. He was of a bright bay, and as glossy as the costliest satin. His eyes were brilliant and large. The strength as display

effective charge upon all the horsemen and flagmen, who were very injudiciously, all grouped together. The result was that the horses were immediately overthrown and disabled, one of the flagmen was immediately killed, and another one badly hurt, while one of the three matadores,[1] who had been in the group, was tossed high into the air and, by the rules of the arena, was out of the fight, on account of his having left his proper posi

lyzed by hitting a horn with his crazy-bone, and away flew his sword out of his h

e fighters was either prostrate or weaponless, there would be a great carnage. Even the

uefish, to our unmitigated astonis

im! Smash my top-lights, if I

. The latter charged him, with a roar that shook the pavilion to its center. But the sturdy old sailor leaped on one side, got in his blow, and drove it in behind t

reeted the brave de

! Americano!" echoed fro

simple and only self-comment of Bl

, when, as we were going out with the throng, the band struck up "Hail