The weekly Butte record., 1862-01-25

had not removed many spadefuls Of earth from
/ the grave he suspected. before he struck upon
something hard. Stoopiag down he felt for it
with his hands: ii was a heavy box. He
/ took it up. smoothed down the soil, carried it
straight home, double locked the door, and
broke It open. Ii contained broad, shining
pieces Of gold. They made such heap on his
table as he had never seen before. There was,
moreover, IN the box, a necklace of large pearls
Gold for the chapel. jewels for the Madonna
The church was furnished, the altar was
decked. the image was bought, and around its
neck he hung the string Of fair large pearls.
! Father Kelly saw bis dream fulfilled, and
as success often produces conviction, be thank
I ed ST. Michael anu all angels for having turned
the robbers booty into sacred treasure. So it
was written in bis book, but he told no one
whence these riches came. Some of the simple
/ folks thought the virgin herself had brought
these jewels TO the father. He, however, many
time, while he sat on the rocks by the chapel,
/ looking ont to seaward, aud watching the white
sails go by, wandered back to the question
whence these riches came, and whether, after
all they might not hide some after-curse or
other.
One evening, as be sat there. vessel came
around the point, and dropped anchor in the
harbor. She drew his attention as being IN
like the common coasting ships, or even the
traders which venture on more distant voyages
She carried more canvass in proportion TO her
hull, and had her sail furled almost as soon as
she had swung round with the tide.
Presently boat came off from her, and was
rowed to the shore, just beneath the spot where
he sat. Two men, apparently officers, got out
and walked up to him, begged him to accom-
pany them back to the ship, as they said one
of their crew was dying, and needed the offices
of priest. Wewent with them at once with
out suspicion-a man who mad been with him
and heard the summons, returned to Derby
! Haven.
| The ghostly summons, however, was a ruse {:
this was the sister ship of the pirate that had
been wrecked here in the storm, now some
months ago. The new comers had learned her
fate, and had landed to search for traces Of the
treasure she had on board. They had first
taken the priest as they thought, with much
probability, he could tell them whether the in
Eabtants of the village had plundered the
wreck, and also whether any Of her crew sur
/ vived.
What they learned from Father Kelley no
/ one ever knew. Some of the men, returning to
the shore, strolled into the chapel and doubt
( less recognized the necklace as one of the cost
lest items of their lost treasure. The next
morning the ship was gone, and the people
searching for their priest, who had not return
ed home at night, found the chapel sacked and
/ his corpse set over the altar in the place where
the image of the Madonna had been, with a
knotted cord like a necklace twisted tightly
around his throat.
The superstition of the natives never permit
ted them to use the chapel again. 1t gradually
became a ruin the roof fell in; the storm
lashed the walls within as well as without,
until at last it passed into the state in which
it is today
This was the story of the old man. He
added that, even now, whoever struck the
and noise like the jnging of money. " V You
can try 1t yourself" said he, " and find whether
have told you the truth"
Accepting this rather fearless challenge of
/ the old gel temans, | walked with him to the
wall anG knocked, wbea. 10 | suddenly found
that I had walked myself by striking my hand
upon the stone by which had sat down to
rest. 1t was all dream | had fallen asleep
thinking of the chapel and, watching the old
man among the rocks. He was not in sight
now. was quite alone, and trying to replace
a piece of skin which | had knocked off the
knuckle of my middle finger, by rapping on a
stone. | doubted even whether l had asked
the old man any questions at all so shook
myself, rubbed my eyes, and looked at my
watch, and happily found that should not be
too late for dinner if | set off on my return at
once.
Directly we sat down TO dinner, l asked my
friend for the true history of the little church,
and he told me there was none. Nov" said
/, that remarkable deficiency has been sup
piled through me- And, when the cloth was
removed we drew around the fire, and | told
my hosts boys and girls the true legend con-
corning ST. Michael's Island.
DISCOVERY OF A THEBAN ToMB AND PAPYRUs
OF THE TINE OF DAvIp.-In 1858, Theban
mountaineer is said to have discovered, in a
hill. called by the Arabs Shin-abdel- l-Gourna, a