Barney Blake, The Boy Privateer

riends were complete. Walgilka was very pressing in his desire for us to defer our departure, promising us al

hands, owing to the depletion our crew had suffered through the many detachments we had been compelled to make in the way of prize-crews. We hoped to obtain some recruits among the merchantmen of Valparaiso. But there was even more difficul

t lost a single man since we started. But now, on our way to Valparaiso, there was a little event happened on bo

on account of his gentleness and beauty. Every kindness was now evinced for him from every quarter. The captain especially was very considerate. He allowed Roddy Prinn to be nearly altogether excused from duty, in order that he might wait upon his little

th him in low tones, when they both looked pretty serious, and there was an expression on the captain's smiling lips-they always smiled more or less

octor were, somehow, kinder and more gentle with him than they ha

r of being stopped at the entrance by a British man-o'-war. We expected a signal from our agents, and hung off the coas

, and, choosing a dark and stormy night, we succee

sunlight of the ensuing morning saw us riding safely

er how the rays of the rising sun ever reach the little city nestled at their rocky feet. At least you think they must have daylight on the level pampas beyond many moments before it surmounts those mountains to reach the narrow strip of plain between them and the sea. There is a fine cathe

party in a kind of sport seldom, probably never, met with in any other porti

his country place, and he would promise us sport of, at least, a more novel character. Dicky Drake begged us to have the invitation extended to him also, which was readily complied with by Don Jose. And, one morning, having obtained a three-days

o population; and evidences of her future were not lacking in the year 1812. The Spanish population of the mountain region we

ore condors, as well as monkeys, and many other str

ertile table-land, and made me in love with South American rural life. As we approached the mansion, we passed several b

e, and engaged in a furious combat for the floating biscuit. Presently we saw the little fins on either side of their necks, and we then knew them to be eels. Some of them were very large-from six to seven feet in length, I should judge-but they averaged a much briefer length. Presently one of the larger snapped the biscuit under the water, which caused a sudden disappearance o

exclaimed, springing from his mule, and advancing, with hands innocently outstretched; while, from th

" exclaimed Dicky, stooping

over heels, with a bellow of pain, at the same time dro

! At him again!" roared

a!" exclaime

rage and again grabbed the reptile, which was making tracks for the water. But again

r regained his feet, and s

ur specimen

had something

kily. "I never heer'd of a snake as w

ecording, our party soon arrived a

nding, found our host already on muleback, with an eel-prong in his hand. Our mules and we

with a thousand hues, and flashing down, with a glittering swoop, upon the luxuriant plains. Everything was bright and blooming. Monkeys were leaping amid the branches of

t seeing any boats; for I thought that, of course, they were necessary for the pursuit of o

l-prong, which is a four-pronged "trident," so to speak, sharply pointed, and provided with a wooden handle, or stalk, about four feet in length.

oused by a great trampling of the ground, and perceived a herd of some hundreds of

ir fiery thirst. The character of the inhabitants of the pool was well known to them, and, under ordinary circumstances, not a horse or mule could be induced to put nose or foot into

heir tongues lolling out. They burst through the chaparral and thick-growing cacti of the b

ne which completely

ony almost human-like. They bit at the water, shrieked, and endeavored to reach the bank, but in vain. Stricken down by their unseen foes, many of them lost their legs, and went down, with difficulty keeping their heads above the water; and those that fell blocked the path of escape to those less fortunate. The appearance o

y abating. In about five minutes more, the fear and pain of the horses and mules totally ceased. Those which had fallen r

xpended after it has been exercised malignantly for a certain time, and it requires several ho

ns drove their prongs along the bottom, spiking the enfeebled reptiles, which they threw on the shore in great numbers, and then, retracing their steps, drove them toward o

aken off his shoes, and was toddling barefoot in the slime, when he accidentally tr

k, with a loud scream, and

of red-hot pins?" he asked of m

did," I

innocent-lookin' varmint," said he, pointing ruefully to the reptil

e captured eels-which are much esteemed as an article of food-and pro

joyed ourselves in other, and l

s, seem to have been mound-builders. We saw one of the mounds which had been excavated, and Don Jose, afterward, shewed us

inct volcano, and looked with wonder, upon the vast basin, which had o

we, at the close of the second day, set out upon our

cruisers, we, shortly afterward, weighed anchor, set all sail to catch the trade-winds, and danced out