The Pirate's Gold by Gordon Stables

"Ever of thee I'm fondly dreaming, / Thy gentle voice my spirit can cheer; / Thou wert the star that, mildly beaming, / Shone o'er my path when all was dark and drear. " / _Old Song._

"Gold! gold! gold! gold! / Bright and yellow, hard and cold. "

"‘Aileen -- for that was her beautiful name -- was like a child in my hands, and willing to do what I told her. Her governess -- a lady of thirty, and kind, almost motherly -- brought me vinegar and water, and we bathed the girl's hands, much to her relief.

"‘Then I said she must lie down for an hour or two. I and my men would bivouac near to the sea-shore and return to-morrow.

"‘She would not hear of the scheme.

"‘"No, no, no," she cried. "Your men are being well used, and they are happy. The negroes will amuse them, dance and sing to them, and find them good beds; and you must stay here to-night. I could not sleep if I thought you were out under the trees in the dark forest."

"‘My soul seemed to thrill at these words.

"‘"And father, you know, will be back before sundown. Do you promise, Mr. Bassanto?"

"‘"I will, if you call me Miguel; no one calls me anything else."

"‘"Well -- Miguel," she said, blushing a little.

"‘"Then I will stay," I said, right heartily.

"‘Aileen was down by five, quite recovered, and presiding over the tea-table. She looked radiantly lovely, I thought. The tea was good, but I hardly think I tasted it, and how many cups I drank I really do not know.

"‘Well, Mr. O'More himself arrived just as the sun was going down like a huge ball of red fire, and apparently setting the forest trees in flames.

"‘A hale, hearty, red-faced Irishman, probably some sixty years or over.

"‘We told him the story briefly, and the tears started to his eyes.

"‘"God bless you, my son," he cried, seizing my hand. "It was heaven itself that sent you."

"‘Then he held out his arms, and Aileen was pressed to his breast.

"‘"I've never had trouble before -- that is, not since the first days, when I and my dear wife landed here and began to form the plantation. Ailie was very young then. But Red Toad has ever been faithful, and has done us many a good turn. Once some pirates landed here. In two hours Red Toad had assembled his braves and cut off their retreat -- and their heads too, for not one escaped alive. They are all buried here. They then seized the ship, and having landed everything useful, they burned her."

"‘"I wonder," I thought to myself, "what this honest fellow will think when he knows he is entertaining pirates at this very moment."

"‘"Red Toad was a fearful savage at one time," he continued; "but we have converted him to Christianity, and Ailie there has actually taught him to read and write."