The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-29
Continued from last week)
tricks that are VAIN"
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
When Captain Sklins left his vessel, it
was with the idea that Mr.. Baker must be as
accessible as the flying jib down-haul on the
Lively Turtle, and he had only to go and put
his hand on him. 1t was not until he had
got fairly involved in the confusion and tur-
moil of Baltimore street, that it dawned on
his mind like revelation, that Baltimore
was very big city; that Mr.. Baker had prob
ably, for obvious rea sons, taken up his quar-
tiers in some secluded locality, and was I'M
likely to run the risk of detection by showing
himself on the streets; and, moreover, that
there were numerous facilities for leaving the
city both by land and by water, so that, had
Mr.. Baker so chosen, he might be couple of
hundred miles away by that time. Struck
with sudden perplexity, Obadiah, for some
minutes stood sto still, jostled Oh all sides
by pedestrians, d, once or twice, almost
run over by jiggers. His head, from the COM
bined effects of the heavy blow he had SO late
ly received, and the saturated handkerchief
afterwards applied to his nostrils by Mr.. Ba-
mel, iCit HuSCl, duuA lhOuSuto tdllCu w
come readily. He felt the necessity of col
lecting his thoughts and arranging some def
mite plan of operations, so, in order to con-
summate this idea, he sought a respectable
coffee house, and called for soda with little
Jamaica rum interfused. This exhilarative
compound had SO restorative an effect that
he Immediately ordered a reduplication of the
first installment, pending the arrival of which,
he purchased morning paper and asslduous-
ly perused its contents. Soon his eye lit on
the following paragraph:
"For several weeks past, the customs offic-
ers have been keeping vigilant watch for par
ties who are endeavoring to smuggle into this
country quantity of uncut diamonds, the
booty obtained by the robbery of Brazilian
Government train. 1t was known that the
chief of the bandits, George Palmer, alias
Guacho Jack, had taken passage in British
barque, bound for Boston, and it was consid-
cred as more than probable that he would at
tempt to disembark at some point along the
coast rather than risk almost certain capture
by landing in Boston, inasmuch as requisi-
tion had been made for him by the Brazilian
Government, and officers lin that city, have
long been in waiting to arrest him On his ar
rival.
'Night before last, little after sunset, an
English built vessel entered the bay, hove to,
and after landing a boat, put out to sea i'm
mediately. This was seen by some negro
fishermen on the east shore, who apprlsed the
customs officers of the fact. Yesterday,
about the same hour, the revenue cutter Dol
phin sighted small boat containing four
men who were coasting cautiously along the
shore with the evident design of reaching the
head of the bay. From certain suspicious APP
pearances, it was thought that these were the
parties they were in search of, and steam was
Immediately raised and pursuit instituted.
On this, the parties in the boat, after keeping
to the shore for a few minutes, apparently
abandoned the idea of landing, and struck
boldly out into the bay, probably hoping to
escape under the cover of darkness. In the
squall which almost Immediately arose they
were lost to sight and could not again be
found although the Dolphin cruised all night
quest of them. The officers of the Dol
phin say that the boat must have foundered,
as no craft of the kind could have lived in
such tempest. There is little doubt that
uacho Jack was one of the men on board,
d that he has taken to the bottom with
m hundred and fifty thousand dollars
orth of diamonds, besides a considerable
antity of bullion and Spanish coin.
Gas it is impossible to tell within mile
here the boat sank, no steps will be taken
to recover the treasure. The untimely de-
mise of the estimable Guacho Jack will carry
real grief to the hearts of several of our dctec-
tives, who have anxiously awaited him, and
we bespeak for him, on their part, some sim
cere mourners."
Obadiah read and reread this item without
lifting his eyes from the paper; so absorbed
was he that the arrival of the second tumbler
of soda and Jamaica was unnotced. Finally,
on the completion of the second perusal, he
settled back in his chair, drew long breath,
and calculated:
"Jehosaphat! Its the same critter, for all
the world"
Obadiah was not an emotional man, but
this time his feelings were profoundly stirred.
Among the salient points of his character, the
love OF money was conspicuous, albeit tenn
rered and softened by sundry desires of the
flesh, and certain uncouth good-fellowship.
He had no doubt that Guacho Jack, alias
Mr.. Baker, was in possession of large sum
in gold and diamonds, which, or, at least, a
liberal salvage on the same properly apper-
tanned to him, Obadiah, and, he thought rue
fully, had once, In certain sense, been in his
hands, and would have been so still but for
his stupidity in allowing Mr.. Baker to leave
the vessel.
"The burned SKUNK" said Obadiah, pursu-
ing his thoughts aloud, his feelings becoming
too forcibe for silent meditations. seWhat
was | thinking of to let him walk off my
Schooner with his plumber and say not word
to stop him. Why didn't Jake and 1 knock
him and his burned gang of cut-throats over
board, and keep the chest for the rightful
owners. The Lord knows how loLg we might
have kept it, and if we did have to give it up
at last, the owners would have come down
very handsomely-coudn't have done other
WISE"
The thoughts OF the treasure lost had made
his memory obivious to the ill success attend
ing his last nights struggle with his obtusive
passengers. Obadiah felt at this moment
that he could whip a regiment of Guacho
Jacks. But futile regrets soon gave place to
crafty planning, and for full hour his now
revlylfied mind pondered deeply over the
question oil how to bring that desperate Gull
prlt to justice, and with him, of course, cap
ture the booty. To go and notify the polce
or customs officers of the existence If the
criminal they believed dead would have the
effect to put them on the right track and
possibly would lead to the capture of Guacho
Jack, but was not likely in any way to re-
dound to the profit of Obadiah. On the other
hand, without their aid what hope had he of
encountering the object of longing, even if he
were in Baltimore. Long thinking failed to