| Show I I PORTO BELLO GOLD I i r rI is v kY D. D HOWDEN HOIDEN SMITH SMITH I BU mj A ARTHUR I D. D SMITH I Howden Smith is addicted In his quieter moods to costume novels and when one appears it is a literary event of no mean Importance but when he gets excited and lets himself go the result is sure to be something something something some some- thing extraordinary as when he lie writes a pirate story or ortone orone tone of those thone stirring yarns about the early settlement of f New York and Canada And such a pirate story as Porto Bello Gold It takes up a number of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island characters at points In their careers careers before Stevenson St venson became acquainted with them m. m It was Inspired by the constantly reiterated expressions of friends wondering why someone doesn't write a pirate story that that will tell us how the treasure came to be buried on the island With the exception of this use of a afew afew afew few of the characters made famous by R L. L S. S and a few Incidents which Stevenson noted merely Incidentally as episodes of the past the story Is entirely Howden Smiths Smith's own In a truly remarkable manner he has succeeded eded in recreating the color of the Eighteenth century and the atmosphere re of Stevenson's m masterpiece st The h consensus consensus of critical opinIon opinIon opinion ion is th that t Porto Bello Gold Is Isa a fit companion to Treasure Island CHAPTER I 1 My Fathers Father's Secret I was In the counting room talking with Peter the chief of ot pur our fur traders traders traders-he he was that that very cry day jay come come down river from tile the Iroquois country countr when country when hen the bo boy Darby ran rno In In from the street r The Bristol packet ct Is In Master Robert he cried And oh sir the watermen do say there be a pirate ship off the Hook I II I remember I laughed at the combination combination com com- of of awe and delight In his face He lIe was a raw bob trotting bog trotting bItor bit bitof of or a we had bought at thelast thelast the last Jast landing of boncI bonded d folk and he talked with WWI a brogue tJ that at thickened whenever he grew excited For the p packet I I Ido do not doubt you yon Darby I answered But you must show me the pirate Peter Conner chuckled In his quiet rumbling ay tay ay his huge belly waggling before him beneath his buckskin huntIng huntIng huntIng hunt- hunt Ing shirt for all the world like a a- amon monster mon monster mon mon- ster mold of Jelly Ja ja show us der pirates he Jeered Darby flared up In a burst of Irish temper th that t matched his tangled red redhair hair I would I were a pirate and had you Sou at my mercy you butter tub he raged Ill warrant you'd tread the plank I D Darby said sald ald I have haye you done the errands my ray father set you u Every Thery one answered heVery he Very well Well ell Then get you Into the storeroom and sort over the pelts Peter Peter Peter Pe Pe- ter fetched In He flung off oft with a scowl as I turned to Peter My I father will wUl wish to know the packet arrived I said salcI Will you fo 1 o with me to to the governors governor's The c ca nell must be on the th point of breakIng breaking break- break Ing p for they have hae been sitting sIn 0 o. o p Peter ter heaved hig enormous bo body y erect And I 1 man mar always aft after r a perI period of Cf absence at i ro o- o portions To one who who did dicI not Whim W him he seemed a butter tub of a man as Darby had called called 1 him a him a mass t it t f tallow fat limbs a n pork barrel of a trunk a fat slab of ot a face upon which showed tiny Insignificant features es grotesquely gro gre i at at- variance with the rest athis of at his leis bulk Ills His little eyes peered Innocently Innocently Inno Inno- between rolls of fat which allbut all allbut allbut but masked masked them ills His nos nose was a miniature dab above a mouth a child might have owned But Bul under his layers of ot blubber were concealed muscles of ot forged steel and he was vas capable o of the agU- agU Ity Hy of ot a catamount The man had not lived on the frontier who could face him barehanded and escape Ja he said simply We Ve go go goHe He stood his musket In a corner I and slipped off powder porn horn orn and shot po pouch ch the thc while I donned donne hat and greatcoat for forthe th the air was vas still sun still chilly and nod there was WS a scum of snow on the ground We passed Out t Into Pearl street and walked westward to Hanover Hano Hano- ver square and ancI there on the farther side of the square I spied my father r with t Clinton Cl on and Lieutenant Governor Colden And And n It It made my heart warm to see I how these and several other gentlemen gentlemen gentlemen gentle gentle- men hung upon his words There had been those who slandered him during the uproar over the tIo 45 5 for forI forlie lie he I w was qs known to to have beena be been nn a Jacobite in his his his' youth th b but r his friends were weh were I more powerful v O than his hIs' en s and ana andI I I I Jo Joy to Ink U J I that he was was n not t tt t the e least l of those hose o Dt our leader leade lead lead- e er ers h ew 1 York O I lorval lo al t 16 King ng Ge GeQrge ge when many wee for or casting t n q our r. r r fortunes Olt ues with the tle Piete Pretender der 16 saw Peter nd fie e as we ap apt preached lcd q yav cI up to to him put but ut qt at t. t the be lUe ne moment there was a Slight disturbance ice on the ens eastward sJ side e or of the h r another l little tle group C of men came an e Into view sIew surrounding sur sir rounding a a Jc ruddy cheeked ruddy che ked old fellow inh ed blue bluecast bluecoat coat cast spoke qs as eJ eloquently q en l or of the sea as ris did Ills his rolling gait I c ar l Ids his s ll ar t roaring vol voice e dear cleat across tle square square I j ran J ran him down my mf cres el eyes es I did Id arid when I get t to port what do cIo I find but not a kings king's ship within r My otier Int Interrupted him hint What this Captain Fn Farraday Y adI Do you speak being chased I had hadr r th thought we were at peace with the world Captain Farraday discarded tI the e. e listeners listeners lis lis- who had attended him so far farand farand farand and stumped I across cross across the square bellowing bellowing bel bel- bel- bel lowing nib his answer In tones which brought shopkeepers to their doors and women's heads from upper win win- r r dows s Chased That 3 was Master Jaster Ormerod Or Or- merod d. d 1 by y as a pirate as as flouts the kings king's m majesty 1 l' l th the the the- Here nere he perceived percel who accompanied led my father Off came his hat and ancI he made an awk vard bow Your ent your excellency My ry duty Master Colden I But I have no words to to- to withdraw for all I did not see who was near by y to hear me Aye there Is Js more to be said much uch more and ancI andt matters have come to a pretty pass pas's t when when th the rascals co come e north north to to these ports Peter Conner nn and I Joined the little group of ot m merchants who were with the governor go and the other curious persons persons persons per per- sons hovered as close as they dared But I find this hard to give credence credence credence cre cre- dence to captain said Governor Clinton Clinon Clinton Clin- Clin ton on pleasantly enough Pirates In these latitudes We have not been bothered by such of late Did you you have sight of the ship which pursued you Sight Marry that I did and uncomfortable uncomfortable uncomfortable un un- un- un comfortable close your excellency She came up with a two da days s 's past and I at the first I made her herout herout herout out for a frigate by the top tOl hamper I she carried A A frigate protested protest a Master Gol Gol- den So big as that that Aye sir m my maste masted I And If It I have an any eye for n a. sh ships ship's ps p's lines and canvas she was none other ther than the theno Royal no al James Jame's that ch chased sed me three days together when I I Ivas tt wins vas is home bound from the West Indies th fn 43 That would be the tessel of the fellow known usually as as tain Rip nip Rap nap spoke up my father a d there was a quality In n his voice W itch led me to regard him closely l It It was mi manifest that he labo labored ed In Inthe Inthe inthe the grip of some strong emotion but the only IndicatIon of this fils t I ItS It'S face fuce was a slig sH f feature and o of die le ie others marked It I was the more amazed because my father was was' a man of ot Iron nerves and also aIM though his earlier years ears had been starred with a series of ot extraordinary adventures so far as I knew he be had had nothing to do with the sea True for you Master Ormerod answered Captain Farraday and since Henry Morgan died there hath bath not lived a n more complete rogue One of ot my mates was taken by hl him off Jamaica ten years gone and cites him him for a n. man of ot exquisite dress and mangers mann manners man man- gers n ners rs that would befit a London macaroni macaroni maca maca- roni God save us us' us And moreover Is as arrant a Jacobite as ever was wasa Witness the name of ot his ship I have heard he sails usually In company compan remarked m ray my father He works with John Flint who Is no less of ot a rascal albeit rougher according to those unfortunates who have fallen In his p path th Flint sails In Inthe Inthe inthe the Walrus a tall ship out of Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth Plym Plym- that was on the Smyrna run before before be be- fore she fell Into his hands Betwixt them the they are a pretty pair Captain Farraday Farra day stopped perforce for breath and Governor Clinton Cllnton seized the opportunity to ask with a smile M Captain Rap Rip Rap did chi u caI call your pur pursuer W What manner of name Is r The Ille merchantman shrugged his shoulders Nobody knows sir But Dut the only name flame he he goes goes' by I I ha lka ll heard rl that y years ms m's past past past-oh pas on it may be twenty or or m more more lie re-lle re he stopped a a. a hOl home bound le Chesapeake packet and ancI when tile fI master ster was was was was' haled a L V the first question lie h he asked was wn was did net he ha have any rip rap In his his- cargo argo It I seems hes hels Is singularly partial lo to th that t mixture of stuff And now I Jin b cn told tola his own o men give him this thI name for tor even they do not know w for certain that to which he was was' born s said ld he was a n a gentleman who suffered for his political convictions but that drat is as Ul like e to be a lie as us the nth All I know Is that he chased m rao ln past ast the Hook though the the Anne sll w f a clean clenn pair o 0 heels and ancI had U l down wi wl sunrise this m And d when I l made raade the made the har harbor or o nd there not a kings to to B sc ter it ter him v Yes Y Yes s M nod nodded this l e th Thetis TheUs 1 i fg oJ AU the lUG frigate sailed balled for for l me with dispatches a n week week ago ago iio will send express to Boston oston wh ref J t I I- I Burrage lies and bid him to get to sea without loss of time Doubt not our good commodore will make them rue the day And with Lieutenant Governor Colden Colden Colden Col Col- den and the rest he made to move move off oft Only my father H lingered You have letters for me Captain Farraday he asked Aye indeed sir sir from from Master Maste AlIen Al Allen Al len lea your agent In Lon London cIon I was on my way to deliver dellver em And AncI a goodly i store of strouds axes knives beads tools flints and ancI other trade goods to your our account I will accept the letters at your hands and even eyen save sm-e you the trip to Pearl street captain replied m my father fa fa- ther My Iy son Robert here will visit you aboard ship In the mo morning moaning and take measures to arrange for transshipping your our cargo f r fI rI I ha no quarrel with such sueh t terms rejoined Captain Farraday fishing a wrapped packet from his Ills coattail coattail coattail coat- coat tail pocket Here you are Master Ormerod And Ill I'll be beof of off to the George tavern for tor a bite of shore food and a mug of mulled mailed ale ule My father fidgeted the packet In his han hands s for a moment You are arc certain Captain Rip nIp Rap nap who chased you he lie asked then Id swear s to his an answered answered an an- I slivered Farraday confidently As I Isaid Isaid said afore he chased me In 43 13 I and Jenkins he took off Jamaica Inthe in inthe inthe the ship C Cynthia out o 0 Southampton ton when was for drowning the lot o 0 them but Rip Rap In his cold colcI way sa says there was no no point to slay slaying fag ing without purpose and they turned pD o 1 e 1 i o oI oA A I Made Her Out for a Frigate i v vem em loose In the longboat And theres there's none left on the Account that sail saU In a great ship fit to be a kings king's frigate frigate frigate frig frig- ate save pave It it be Rip Rap Rap flip Up nap FlInts Flints Flint's Wal Wul- Walrus Walrus Walrus' rus rus rus' Is a tall ship and heavy armed but hath bath not the sail spread o 0 the Royal noyal J James Jenkins says says she was wasa a Frenchman and Us to be admitted she he hath bath the run fine-run lines the FrenchIes French- French Ies les build My father Cather was hard put to It to tomake tomake tomake make head against this flow of talk but at last he succeeded It was was' my understanding he said that Captain Rip Rap disappeared from the West Wes Indies during the lut lute late war give I you than thanks s captain Pray call can upon lne me ne a at your leisure and If It ItI I can be of any service to you I am amat amat amat at your command Captain Farraday stumped off toward toward toward to to- ward the George a tall of the curious at his heels and I grinned to myself at thought of the strong drink they would offer him In return for his tale There was no chance of ot his being sober InsIde Inside Inside In In- side of ot twenty four hours My father nodded absently to Peter who had stood throughout t the en entire re conversation his flat face sleepily Imperturbable Im Im pert I like It not not he muttered as asif M It to J Peter Peter gave av t him a a quick look took Jook but but said salcI nothing J Is Is there anything wrong father I asked He frowned at me then stared off at the housetops ps In a n way he be had hud al aI- al- al i most as If he be sought to peer be beyond ond the future No yes No yes I do not know He lie broke off oft abruptly Peter I am glad you are here he added Ja Ja said Peter vacantly You have ha not looked at your letters letters letters let let- yet et I reminded himI him himI himI I have no occasion to to he retorted There Is that which which but but the street streets Is s no no place for such conversation Come home my boy come home Darby McGraw met us at the door and from his wild gaze I knew him to to be behalf halt half expecting c to see the pirates hot-foot hot at our heels Have HaYe you performed your tasks Darby questioned my father Yes master Be off orr with then thon I wish you U not notto notto notto to be he disturbed See can jou you find fincI us late news of ot the pirates Darby added I-added I added as he slipped by He He answered me v with ith a merry scowl but my my father spun on his heel What mean you ou by that Robert obert says says' he I 1 I was nonplussed Why naught sir Darby Is daft dafton on pirates H He He 1 Peter Cor a r shut the ro room door room door qt upon the Irish bo boy and came came toward towards us s moving with the thc swift stealth that was one of his most astonishing char char- Ja Jo he does not know he be said What cha challenged my father What you ou andt I know returned the Dutchman calmly So jou you know w too Peter Ja Jn I could restrain my Impatience no longer What Is Ig this this' m mystery I demand demand- ed I thought I knew all the secrets of the business but sure father I Ineer never ne thought to |
