638 



THE RED TARTANE. 



The Gitano, who understood not the cause of their delay, re- 



Seated his signal, and a bright red flame momentarily illumined 

 is vessel. 



One of the party no\v advanced sufficiently near to hail the Tar- 

 tane, and shouted in a tone of contempt : 



" Sefior Gitano, the accursed ! have you forgotten that good Chris- 

 tians will not approach thee, unless the reverend father by his pre- 

 sence re-assures the consciences of his lambs?" 



The Gitano, without replying, blew a shrill sound from his little 

 instrument, and the black head of a negro immediately appeared at 

 the hatchway. 



t! The monk !" exclaimed the Rover, and the black vanished; but 

 almost as suddenly reappeared, making a negative sign with his 

 head. 



" Well, hoist him up then/' said the Gitano. 



The negro promptly rigged a derrick, fixed to it a tackle, and de- 

 scended to the lower-deck ; three minutes afterwards the reverend 

 father arose majestically from the middle of the hatchway, hovered a 

 second or two in the air, and then descended slowly to the deck, close 

 to the Gitano, who hastened to disentangle him from the girths and 

 cords that had sustained him. When the priest stood once more 

 upon his legs, he regarded the Gitano with the utmost disdain, and 

 assuming an air of dignity, looked like a martyr eyeing his execu- 

 tioner. 



The Rover was the first to speak, " Excuse me, father, if I aided 

 you to ascend, but these honest smugglers are impatient that you 

 should exercise your holy ministry ;" and he pointed to the group, 

 who had been attentive observers of what passed on board. 



" With how much Christian charity/' replied the monk, f< must I 

 not be endowed, to consent to pass entire days with an apostate a 

 renegade, like thee, and all to purify what thy heretic and satanic 

 contact has soiled, in order that Christians may make use of this 

 merchandize without fearing the wrath of heaven !" 



" Between us, holy father, your benedictions and your exorcisms 

 will neither render the silk finer, nor the steel more flexible." 



" Execrable reprobate !" 



" Enough, monk," continued the Gitano sternly ; " begone to these 

 people who wait for thee, for time presses, and night draws on." 



The monk was put on shore by the negroes, while the Gitano, 

 mounted on his little horse, landed without other assistance, and 

 proceeded to give various orders to the blacks for the disembarkation 

 of the merchandize. 



While the Rover was thus occupied, the monk approached and ac- 

 costed the smugglers with " Peace be with you, my brethren !" 



" Amen !" exclaimed the leader, kissing the robe of the holy man. 



" You see, my sons," said the latter, " what interest I take in your 

 welfare, obliging to pass entire days with this son of Satan, that 

 heaven may not be offended at your intercourse." 



" Holy father, receive our blessings," returned the smugglers. 



" My sons," resumed the priest, " I shudder that this Tartane 

 should be commanded by such a wretch ; is it possible he is the only 



