D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 42: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Power of a Quill. 33 sits as to himself, the good cavalier thought of his steed. “In passing through the village,” said he, “wilt you _ order one of the urchins to stable my horse? He is bet- ter to carry than to lead, better to be thrown down for a breastwork than for a dinner, for it has come next to eating him in some of our tight corners! By the way, where do you lodge to-night? You are never going off soundings under that threat?” . “In one of those boats drawn up high and dry. I am itching for the open blue. I shall go out there just as soon as one, returned, makes the next venture.”’ “Oh, if I shall see you again, off and on, this will be a desirable port!’ Pedro doffed his outer cap, and said, half-apologeti- cally, half-coaxingly : ‘Master mine, if your honor seeks diversion while wait- ing for the unknown visitor, why not come out a-fishing? | promise you good sport!” Gannarta smiled as though the wind were blowing his way. “T like to catch fish; it was my boyish delight in the Gulf of Gascony! But suppose, being green, I am caught!” “You, sir’”’ | “You said that the naval officefs—Dutch, French or Spanish—pressed men into their service. Now, I am one of those dogs who snarl at any collar but of their own choosing; and, as I am not, unhappily, a Brother of the Coast——” Pedro looked the speaker up and down like a recruit- ing officer for the marine. ‘“T am not going to dispute that if a man-of-war officer saw your honor on a fisher’s deck, through one of those Gallego tubes——” “Galilean tubes—an Italian sage—don’t rob a man of his glory % “Galilean tubes, by which the distance is brought down, he would order out his cutter and bid his crew row hard to overhaul your honor and carry him under his colors “You see! Better a host of the Petrel, even, than a CONNIE DOOKS (C(O) im