Carried Off

various Spaniards in authority who had been able to leave their several stations to join in the discussion. The Marquis was so much disturbed and troubled that he took no

my must have reached the bridge, and we may expect them here by sunset

estily. 'How many guns are there at St. Jerome? Surel

e, and those will play freely on th

hem. We know they cannot advanc

ere, and that would hold but a

has only four hundred men with him; if

ld me they are more like a thousand strong. I believe A

ied him out into the woods to kill the birds. He was a very

r opinion was not asked, boy, and silence is

out coming to any decision. He saw several of the officers looking evidently anxious, and when the council of war broke up--having decided nothing but

go out to meet them in the marshes?--for

the swamps in the low ground or in the woods, and then they may think it better to return without trying to take a

ent back to his sister's room looking very crestfallen

I could see by Don Francisco's face that he thinks we are doing wrong. We have not even got true informat

turning pale. 'Oh, Carlo, do not do anyth

ossible to take this place by storm with a thousand men, or ev

ta. 'I wish I were a boy and I could go with you. To

I will slip outside presently before the gate is shut and run down the hill to the river. There Andreas has a canoe safely hidden in the bushes

ed English pirates are worse than cannibals; Catalina

s is too clever a fellow to let us get eaten. I shall be back be

eck, which, she said, would keep him from harm; and then she and Etta determined to sit up

ling thrilling and horrible stories of the various tortures inflicted by the pirates on their prisoners, and speculated as to the fate of the garrison of St. Jerome, whose fire had ceased when the sun went down. Ho

s, who was a fine fellow, a Christian, and, moreover, devotedly fond of the young Spaniard, who had always treated him with kindness.

; the other one is watched by the slaves, and they might set the dogs on us by mistake. I reckon we can reach

ve they are in great distress for want of food; but we shall see. Look, noble

urney by the land road. Andreas had powers of sight which appeared quite extraordinary to Carlo; and when the two were seated in the frail canoe, it was wonderful how the Indian paddled the boat, swiftly and surely, avoiding the rocks as if it were broad daylight, and never mistaking the many bends. Had Carlo been alone he would have grounded the b

; but they are too crafty for that. They have doubtless seized a good guide who would not dare to betray

mooring it there, Andreas stepped on to a dry piece of ground; then, stooping

seen how the land lies. Lie down in the canoe, and I will make haste. But cover yourself up, for the air is bad here, Se?or; indeed you must chew this root, and then you will feel no harm.' And so saying, And

which began to fall heavily. At last, when he was beginning to think his Indian friend had been caught by the pirates, h

ling at the start Carlo gave. 'It was to show him how w

as? Tell me quickly, shall I

bout that number; but they are in a bad position; they have no food, a

, did he look a wicked man?

o: if you can persuade the noble Governor to send a hundred well-armed soldiers to-night against these same men, we shall have no more trouble with them. We could drive them into the swamp, and then the swamp would do the rest. Why, they were badly o

icely sheltered here; but out where they are camped there are but few

a young lad about your size and your age, Se?orito, in the Captain's rude tent. I thought he must be his son; but he looked sad and dejected, and not like one of the pirates. Perhaps some

as Andreas' idea about the hundred m

my best to persuade my father to send a body of soldiers here by day

dreas

ilently as they had come they returned towards Santa Teresa. During the journey Carlo hardly spoke; he was planning the morning's expedition in

lad enough to jump up and follow his leader through the forest by an Indian path; an

o Andreas; 'but, even if they did, not more than a single file o

shook

dians of my tribe, and there are but few of us now. Good-night, Se

ad been educated by the missionaries, but had never altogether forgotten his childhood; and but for his love of Carlo del Campo some said he would ere this have run away from the Governor's estate, where he was forced to tend the

t in his sister's sitting-room, he knocked softly. Catalina opened the

ell us the news! How gla

poor lamb,' cried Catalina, 'how we prayed for you, till

it is raining hard. But tell me where my father is. We have only to send

om below when I came up,' said Catalin

ime absent; but when he returned his young fa

efuses to do anything till there can be another counc

pered Etta softly; 'the counci

red out, he went to his own bed a