Young Glory and the Spanish Cruiser Part 5

"No!"

"But I was. It's not Young Glory's way to desert a comrade, Dan."

The Irishman pressed his hand warmly.

"It's the lucky man who has yourself for a friend, Young Glory."

Dan began foraging about the hut now.

"It's food an' drink I'm afther," he explained, "an' partic'larly the last. Ha! what's this? Wine! Well, it can't be helped."

"What did you expect to find?"

"A drop of the craythur, shure. It's much I'd give for three fingers of whisky."

The two seamen made a good meal of some cold fish and bread and the bottle of wine, most of which latter going down Dan's throat.

Then Dan lit his pipe.

"Hurroo! but it's great. It's happy as a king I'm feelin'."

"For how long? We can't stay here, Dan; we must get out of this."

"But not till it's dark."

"Perhaps not."

"It's Captain Miles won't go away, Young Glory. He'll be afther kapin'

the cruiser near."

"Yes, I feel certain he will. I've no doubt he's doing his best to rescue you, Dan."

And so the two talked on, Dan smoking and Young Glory thinking how they might make their escape.

It seemed as if night would come and find them chatting.

An interruption took place.

Young Glory from time to time went to the door of the hut and glanced up and down the road. Now he came back quickly.

"Your hiding-place again, Dan."

"Why?"

"There are more soldiers coming."

"Murther!"

"There will be if you don't hurry."

The warning was enough. Dan was out of sight in a moment.

This second visit to the hut alarmed Young Glory greatly.

He saw that things were in a very critical position.

In the event of a thorough search it was absolutely certain that Dan would be discovered.

As the soldiers approached the hut, Young Glory tried hard to maintain his calm. He saw with surprise that all these men were officers. So much he could tell from their uniforms.

When they came to the hut they found Young Glory sitting at the table, busily engaged in mending some fis.h.i.+ng lines which he had found in the hut.

He sprang up quickly as the leader entered, and saluted him respectfully.

"Welcome, senor capitan."

"My good fellow," answered the Spanish officer, "myself and my friends here won't interfere with your work. Go on, I beg. We only seek a short rest."

Young Glory put the fis.h.i.+ng lines away.

"It is nothing," he said. "My friend who lives here is away to-day, and I am keeping house for him, so I thought I would do a little work."

"Has he anything in the drinking line?" cried a young lieutenant.

"That's more to the point."

A shout of approval followed.

"You don't speak very often, Ruiz," said one of the officers, "but when you do, you display the wisdom of Solomon."

The officers, making themselves quite at home, bustled about the hut, as Dan had done, searching for drink.

Young Glory was on thorns all the time. Detection seemed imminent.

"Sit down, senores," he cried. "I will myself search for the wine."

"But it's found," cried one of the officers, gayly. "Why, my good fellow, your friend must be in the liquor business. He's a regular cellar of wine here. Come on, gentlemen; take your choice. Here's claret from France, Rhine wine, brandy, Amontillado from Spain, and whisky and wine from America."

"Nothing American for me!"

"Good sense again, Ruiz. Let us try the Amontillado. It will remind us of our country."

The proposition found favor, and several bottles were opened, and the soldiers helped themselves.

"Your friend's a smuggler," said one of the officers to Young Glory.

The latter shook his head.

"My good fellow, it's a matter of indifference to us what he is. He's a benefactor of his species, anyway. Don't you agree with me, gentlemen?"