The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-07-26

ana gel up all SstekS YOU can naEus
a dozen or two hung up in the smoke ehouse.n
Will they be enough" demanded Elias, whose greed
was showing itself Of most enormous stomach.
''Fil them" said young Roger, with laugh, ''and
for one will be quite satisfied" .--s -s-ef
'But I don't see why should leave any Of the
treasure behind us" quoth Elias
Nor shall We my son, y answered the fathe+- "Fll
answer that We shan't." s
Let US suppose their preparations all completed by
dinner time; the Implements ready for opening the
hoard, the sacks eapacious enough for bringing the
contents away; the boat in hand, with all necessary
oars for conveying them to the island and coil OF
rope in its bottom, designed to the prescribed
distances from point to point and angle to angle, as
laid down in erhymng record of the deceased pirate
Dinner over profound devotional fit suddenly crossed
the mind of old Carr. -e
81 say Roger, amt there bible somewhere in the
house?"
There used to be, sir but IrealIy don't know where
to find it, OF. .a i-.s-.3 szs 1a,e 4T 'az
"Look it up, if you can" asa. "a re rel5.
A long search, that, for a considerable while, pro-
missed to be fruitles rewarded finally by the dis
coveFy of an ancient volume at the bottom of old
chest in the garnet. 1t had once been i'll hands that
seemed to prize it, having been covered carefully with
a nice velvet sack. 1t had been the nightly study of
the mother of these hopeful boys-and her iron spec
taces actually found nclosed between the leaves.
Old Carr would you believe it, devoted the whole
afternoon to a sort of drowsy reading of the sacred
the mir of man who had succeeded in establishing a
claim upon the favor of the Deity in the prosecution
of his greedy enterprise. He ordered the book to be
put in the boat, with the other implements by which
the treasure was to be secured Elias demonstrated
against the useess lumberng as he called it, but the
old man said, very reyerenty-- rr tar g"
Its always WELL my son. if we can have the sanction
OF Godupon our honest undertakings -
'The old fOol' thought Young Elias.
They swallowed hasty supper They looked out
upon the night 1t WAS clear starlight. Then they
stole off Que by one making their way to the landing
where the boat had been carefully hidden under an
overhanging clump of myr.es and deedars. The coast
was clear all was silent Tho stars looked down without
suspicion, seeming to dream of tue to which
their torches to be put The father took his seat
at the stern and grasped the tller The boys pulled
at tho oars They shot off handsomely along the dimy
lighted agNhcs, in the shadow of the marsh and went
forward with eagerly beating hearts.
The pull was heavy one particularly to hands un-
practeed at such efforts Hitherto, when the young
had Visted the island, their rowerS had been ne
groes But their secret quite too valuable to be
ntrused to any subordinatcs and they resigned Them
selves to the unwonted TOLL in consideration of the
unwonted profit of the adventure
Such progress, over those silent waters, between
those green lawns of the sea, under those whispering
airs of the SOUTH and the blessed starlight, would have
appealed to eyes of taste and fancy, with thousand
attractions. But the tastes and flnce5 OF our party
not with the scene. 1ney saw none Vi lIS peau
ties The ilyery silent waters the pelting OF the little
billows against the marshy evesthe little bright sand
dunes like fairy slets which occasionally appeared i'll
sgt the tufted cones, of pine and cedar which occa-
sionay rose out of the higher land OF the marshed;
these all rich in picturesque relations and aSsoca-
tions; but they were totally Nhenthe father
or the sons spoke their thoughts of the Pirates
isle only and Of the expected treasure were
in their souls and there they nothing but the gold
and silver piles ngos vessels of price, and the Jewels
of plundered shrines and dwellings. -t
These grateful imaginings enabled them all TO sus-
tain with becoming fortitude the tedium and the labor
of their progress But the work was pretty severe,
and great was the relief which they enjoyed when they
% is'anG which S they s did Idn IN feE than bot
which they had undergone The young men looked at
spade and pickaxe with feelings of horror, they
lifted their lumber out Of the boat. Old Carr relieved
them of part of the duty, unless in taking upon
himself the burden of the bible This he solcfnnly
carried beneath his to the shore, where he de-
posted it upon sand-hil to itself Near this spot the
sons laid down their implements. The boat was car
ried up creek which pierced the iglet to little dis
tance only. a." ..s7s.
And now, my sons to find the three pine trees in
line. Where's the paper? Let's read the poetry"
Two lanterns had been provided. Ths rhyming
directions Of the dying pirate taken down from his
raving lips by young Roger, now produced, pro-
pery written out 10 tolerably legible hand The old
man began to read, but suddenly stopt himself. 1t
required some effort to enable him to do So
sh"What's the matter, sir" asked Elias.
''Let usltirst pray, MY sons!' a'4 y.a IL .-5'"
Pray ,.-t t-e .-acsasrsa-t sla.4e r. al
Eyes, pray! Let us be sure that We have the bless
ing of God upon our enterprise These pirates buried
their treasure, it is said, with the DEVILS agency You
heard what this said when he was dying. Vic
tins were murdered upon the spot and the devil
howied out his satisfaction their heads. 1t is
necessary that we have Gods favor and protection
that may disarm the power of the devil for other
wise the treasure will escape Hssad you know that
he shifts the treasure from place place, just when
you are about to lay hands upon it.. think We had
better begin with prayer" -- ..s.l ta-
II don't believe much those stories about the devil
All that's sort of superstition Let only find the
right hole and don't think the devil can keep from
getting at the goods"
That irreverent Elias! Such was his speech.
Fathers right" quoth the less courageous Roger
at can do no harm to pray."
And no good, I'm a-thinking!' retorted young
Elias. 'But it's you please. Go ahead" -a.s
Aud there with the bible before him. the old man
knelt down in the sand, and prayed-not any prayer
of his own by the way adapted to the occasion, but
the only he had learned or remembered frem
Father" ri .z.
Young Roger the only one to kneel with the
sire. Elias stood up, leaning upon mattock, and
looking with scorn upon the whole proceeding.
Old Carr actually fancied that he performing
religious rite Of course it takenfo granted that
the Deity would lend iaVorlte ears TO the pelon ana
accord to the devotee those gifts which Le never
toned in direct terms.
Thus armed with faith, thus strengthened with religion
thus encouraged BY his superstition in the exercise of
his greedy ayarice the father rose from his knees ald
the whole party proceeded to their work. .5 -er
4. Meanwhile our two young friends, Holcombe and
Rroughton, had been taking night ramblc along the
beach, the, tide being at ebb. Suddenly Hocoube
exclaimed--l @ 20 -'
Charley, look there ere lights upon the island They
are moYing-dont You see?' q gg.z .e-. -s re
Yes, sure enough. Who can it h" .,-
"some fishermen, perhaps let us go and see
Calling the dogs the young friends took their way
quietly through the woods in the direction of the lights
These were seen to be moving capFicously to and fro
on the very edge of the forest, A
''What can tbey-be about" -5. IA
The movements Of the unknown parties were SO
irregular, that the curiosity of the young men was