New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-09
[F5r ths New Ofle,ns Crescent.
THE TREASUR E-SEEKER.
A Sketch from Lif'
BY ELLIS AMMoNETTE.

BY ELLIS AMMONETTE.
| Not more than two years since, while sojourning
at country farmhouse, person most strange 10 ap
pearance and character came across the path Of my
| observation.
| One evening, when the night was closing In dis.
| NAL and bleak, the wind wbistling keen and shril
through the pine trees, and huge ragged racks Of
Clouds mdnightback in the center and silver bright
at the edge, come driving tempestuously out from
the north, my hostess and self stood for few mi D.
utes on the steps of the old.fashoned entry-way,
which separated the opens" OF the spacious AMI
comfortable log house. Just at the horizon's edge
the sun made final effort, and succeeded in throw
ing long lurfd lines OF defiance at the storm, an
then sunk in sullen darkness.
At this moment the gruf bark Of an old watch
dog gave the signal, and the chorus from doze n
canine occupants of the premises in as many differ
ent notes, betokened the approach of stranger.
About many" darkies' dogs made their ap-
pearance in the course OF minute the former with
the intention Of quelling the savage salute of the
latter and after sundry loud mouthed repriman DIS,
CALCULATIONS, and not few hard blows, which sent
the brues yeping to their Kennels the visitor was
| safely escorted to the steps.
My hostess recognized him with kindly greeting
fessional Treasureseeker,'' though he added to it
the sensible and it may be safely asserted more
| lucrative occupation of well digging.
| With the true hospitality of the country, which
only requires responsibility to accord welcome, be
was ushered with myself into the sitting genial
with the warmth of blazing hickory logs and filled
with the golden glow and radiance of the pineknots
dexterously interspersed and piled beneath. Mr..
Blake, or " Old Joe" he was universally called in
the neighborhood, laid off his hat and wooen neck
comforter and drawing close to the cheerful blaze ex
| tended his hands to receive their warmth. While
thus occupied an opportunity offered for observ-
ing his personal appearance.
He was tall above the average hight of tall men,
and large mbed in proportion, and with no more
flesh than nature absolutely required to clothe the
well developed muscle. From the crown of bis head
to the chin tip the distance very great and the
sides of his head and face were so fat, they walked
the surmise that his mother might have fanced the
custom of the aborignes of the north west and en-
closed his juvenile Uranium in boards. The forehead
was high, projecting sharply at the top,I the nose
long, the mouth wde with the lips firmly set, and the
teeth large even and in perfect preservation although
he bordered on seventy years the cheek bones were
high, and the jaw remarkably heavy, while the eyes
small, round, very black and filled with SIMS.
| ter light.
He passed his hands over his scanty grey locks and
commenced conversation by asking in a sharp voice,
which came strangely from such ponderous fram :,
the usual questions about the news of the day. and
then gossiped Of neighborhood events and occur
rences.
With the popularity of many monomaniacs, he was
shy of touching on his hobby and it was only after
the table was cleared of the remains of bounte GUS
| H.
sklfuly turned the conversation in that direction.
He gave quick searching glance at each face, and
finding neither sheer or laugh, was soon beguile d
into disclosing his belief and mode of working.
"Ah !" the old man commenced, +" we amt drea mt
yet of all the mysteries of this world tell you all
what it is, there don't begin to be, not in mon ey,
nor jewels anything, onehalf the amount of tire a.
sure in circulation that there is buried in the earth.
Let alone all the rest why just think what the pirates
hid that way But then that treasure is mighty har
to get at because they always left spirit to guar
it,.
GA spirit!' some one circulated incredulousy.
| Yes, spirit. I've seen and KNOW" replied the
old positively while his fingers worked neryonsly
and his eyes scintilated with unnatural brightness.
=" DO tell US all about it, said the rosy.cheeke ed
daughter of the house. casting half fearful lance
over her shoulder, while we all inyoluntary drew
closer together.
Well" he continued, GO the first ever knew thai
we had more than mortas to work against, was ono
when Daniel Boykin and me went prospecting for ore
up in the northern part of this county. l had my
divinng rods, and they marked a vein, nigh ty plain
right into the middle of an old field that must have
been settlement when this was all in the Indian
nation Well, when we got there they would nj
work the attraction the vein had for them Sc enc
overcome by some stronger power. We knew that
was very good sign there buried treasure near
and set about experimenting to see if we could
find it. After tryingit around for long time We
finally hit the very spot and as it did INT seem to be
very deep, we fell to with our spades, with fail
prospect of having hands on it in very few
hours. After working hole nine or ten feet in cir
conference, and about three feet deep, the rod.
pointed mighty plain to one corner of the opening
We concluded to direct all Efforts to that spot
and sure enough, soon came in sight of VIII at We
thought would prove to be a large earthenware jar
This made work pretty brisk, You may be sure
and in about half an hour we had it so that few
more strokes of the spade would have had it cleal
enough for us to break an opening Just then, az
we bent over the hole we heard loud or like
sand-hill cranes make when they give their note o
alarm, and looking up to see where it came from
two OF them, flying side by side, darted down ove
us, and tapped their wings in faces so that We
were nearly blinded aud then wheeled up and flew
off until we lost sight OF them in the distance. Fo
a minute like we were too much astonished to think
even, and when we looked into the hole, what W,
thought jar had fallen apart into bits of broker
earhenware, and the treasure had moved in tn
EARTH"
Moved! Where to ~
Moved in the earth, and the rods we're all a
fault, and we could not find it any more. OF cours
we knew then those birds the spirits left tier
to guard it. Well" continued the old man, will
half suppressed sigh, i" it pity, for do sup
pose there must have been million of treasure there
and we had worked mighty hard.n
What has become of Daniel Boykin 2" some on
asked.
% Oh, Dan, you know, never did have very goo
sense, Old Joe replied with selEsatisfied laugh
and now he is gone crazy and they have locke
/, him up. Why, he tried to conspre with one of hi
brothers negroes to murder me, as to get m
OWNING rods, but the negro told on him.
, Is it possible? But how do you make divinin
rods, Mr.. B ake?H
i" Oh am sworn not to tell" replied he with
mysterious air, q bat have directions written dow
50 that the secret NAV not die with me- There