Litchfield enquirer., 1873-02-27
[From Blackwood's Magazine.l THE LOST SECRET OF THE ea CoCoS GROUP.
CONCLUSION.

b@ @SSt SESWGE OF tHG
 eaf CoCoS GROUP.
 s'Well, I reckon I'll cut the yarn short, for it's getting late. You know at first we only meant to copy whatever papers we found, but that good intention wasn't car ried ont, you bet. No; we kept all we could find that related in any way to the plumber. and the Doc touched up some of the rest with some chemical stuff he had. which took all the color out of 'em right away, and spoilt 'em forever I was kneeling by the box helping the Doc to fix thepapers, and feeling bit stiff, just raised myself for stretch. Somehow, in stinctiyely my eyes sought the bed d,-and l tell you, boys, it's true-never but once since have I felt the fearful cold start that seemed to fly through me and root me to the spot. Now, mind, this is true, boys, and you needn't snigger, for you would have been scared too, I guess. You know when M'Gill had done examining the body. 1t was dead-dead as could be ; there Warnt no manner of doubt on it.
 We'll, we had done what always is done that is,s drawn the sheet over his face and closed his eyes. And what do you think l saw when I looked up? Why, as sure as now live, the sheet was drawn down again, and there he was, his eyes wide open and staring hard into mine, and on the face was cold, mocking sheer which l can't forget, and never shall Those eyes have haunted me for ten years, and will till go under, I guess. MGill jumped up in hurry and sprang to him, thinking he had come round but no, he was dead and cold enough. f We'll, hur- riedly we repacked the chest, locked it, and put the key back, and then woke one of the attendants. q mind we'll how M'Gill went at him for being asleep Next day No. 13's friend, the sailor, came as usual and precious odd he looked when he found that his mate had gone under in the night. However, he made application through the consul to have the effects, which were given over to him and that was the last we heard of him, except that, a week later, found that he had taken a passage back to Frisco. The papers M'Gill and I had secured, when we came to examine them closely seemed to give all we wanted-the exact locality of the island, with the sketch of it to make sure, the bearings and observations taken from different points Cfrom the foot of that steeple-rock for one), and the measure ments to the very spot, where, years ago, the treasure had been hid. From the pa pers, too, we found that No. 13 had been the sailing master of the schooner (her name was never mentioned), and had shared with four other officers in the plumber, which they themselves had hid den, the crew having buried their share at some other place. Now there were stories in Panama which every one had heard of some years. previous. The west coast cities, from San Francisco to Lima, had been flooded with old Spanish coin and 1t sas generally reported and believed that H great treasure had been found or feccsezeet . party of foreign sailors who had about that time chartered small schooner from Panama, and after a months cruise, no one knew where, had put in at the Gulf of Fonseca, sent the schooner back to Panama, and dispersed that these men Gall strangers in Panama) that No. 13 had been sailing master of, and that after years of absence, (possibly in prison), they had returned and recover ed their booty. We knew that the off, cers had taken the greatest precautions to keep the secret of their cache; as on the drawing, point from which the harbor was visible, we found mark, and under it, in faded writing, 'The point where the Don stood sentinel to watch the schooner Within a fortnight the Doc and I got leave, and started in fishing-boat with three niggers for crew. The Doc, he un- derstood taking sights, and such like, and was gay sure he could make the island, which wasn't 300 miles of; but we got into a gale which all but swamped us, and, as it was, drove us altogether out of our course, and back again into the coast, 100 miles south of Panama. Our provisions were all spoilt with salt water, and one of the blacks had his arm broken, and both M'Gill and were dead beat so we coast ed back to Panama to reft. We had de- lay after delay; and finally, when we were nearly ready for second start, I was struck down with them cussed shakes Yes, you may laugh, Goldey but I tell you, chills and fever in Louisiana ain't circumstance to the regular Panama shakes. No, sir. So, when | couldn't stir from my bed, M'Gill came and swore to me he would treat me fair, but that he meant to try alone. | couldn't help my self; so he went. Never shall forget the anxiety of that fortnight and when one morning, chanced to hear that the Doc was back, the attendants had to hold me down, weak as I was, was so wild to get to him. In little time he came in, and I saw in moment he had failed. He looked worn to death his eyes were as red as beef-steaks, and he could hardly walk. When he was about again next day he told me all. He had sighted the is- land-got close to it, near enough to see the very cliff from which the measure ments had been made, and recognized the bluffs and bays on the coast which were marked in the sketch but just when he thought himself certain of success, his crew-four blacks as before-who had shown signs of discontent for the last twenty-four hours, came to him, and re- fused to proceed or to land. Two of them were old peal-divers, and they said that the island was sdebbil island '-that no one lived there, and no one who had ever landed there had ever come back, and finally fatly refused to go ashore. MGill tried entreaty, threats, everything; and at last tried force The four then rushed on him with their knives, and he was obliged to shoot down the leader in self-defence. This cowed the rest; but he recognized the impossibility of doing anything, as, had he landed alone, the blacks would have carried the boat of and left him i; and he could do notEing with them on shore. So, reluctantly, he turned the head of the boat towards Panama. A fearful voyage he had;. The three blacks su1ked into the bows of the boat, ready at any moment to rush on him so he dared not sleep, but sat night and day for two whole nights and three days steering with one hand, the other hand grasping his revolver. Several times he was almost overcome with sleep, but reused himself in time to see the three blacks glaring at him, each with his nsGchette in his hand, and on the point of springing aft upon him. Suddenly, as he instinctively raised his pistol, they crouched back into their former positions, and sat there muttering to each other in their own language. He knew that to sleep was to die but it was fearful struggle and no wonder that he was more dead than alive when at last he reached Panama. If he hadn't luckily had fair breeze back it wonld have been all up with him as it was, his sufferings under that burning sun must have been