The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-11-13

| was utiMSls anu t%ilNh ~ iiitu tii' Hilh-
die of the clearing. Each man put his
share into an earthen pot; his name, writ
ten on bit OF parchment. was placed in
side. and his initials Were scratched on the
outside, and il was then sealed up care
fully. The pots OF gold and silver were
then buried In a circle in holes dug toler
ably deep In the ground, and every man
planted a small tree over his treasure.
Our common stock of treasures we next
sealed up in large jar, and buried this in
the center of the circle and planted good
sized tee over this also.
After we had secured our valuables. as
considerable time had been lost i'm doing
all this, II was decided that the schooners
should go off on another expedition at
once, and they put TO sea, leaving a few
men under my charge 10 look after the
camp and the treasure. Several weeks
went by, and no news came from the alb
sent schooners. Our stock of provisions
began to run low, and II was impossible
TO get anything in that desolate maze of a
morass, overgrown with tangled forests
and cut up by muddy streams and bayous,
especially as we had planted nothing in
the clearing, and had notcleared any more
of the land. as unexpected that, of course,
the schooners would soon return with a
fresh stock. Wehad always been SO lucky
that not a soul of us dreamed of any trou-
Bile. Anyhow, the schooncrs never came
back. nor did ever afterward get any clue
to their fate. They were probably cap
tured and burned, or more likely founder
ed in hurricane.
The rainy season was coming on, and
before long several of our number had
fallen off with starvation and disease. My
comrades and talked over the situation,
and finally concluded TO look out for mum
Der one, and leave the treasure to take care
OF itself.
"Well. we had ships boat with us.
and one day, after putting "A few mouldy
biscuits in our pockets, we took to our
boat and followed the bayou until we came
to the sea. Then we skirted the coast UNI
til we reached "A settlement. and after that
separated in different directions, for there
was no tie of friendship TO bind us, and we
each had a sort OF dread that the Others
might some way betray him. For years
after | wandered about the COUNTRY
sometimes on the frontier, until | enlist
ed in the army. not caring much what be-
came of me, but half hoping that perhaps
should be sent 10 Florida, as turned out
TO be the case, to fight these Seminoles.
and so perhaps catch chance to look up
the treasure we had buried in the forest |
never had the ready money, nor, I'm not
ashamed TO say. the courage TO go back
alone TO that spot but got this shot in
the leg, and here | am. and much good
that treasure has done me. But il don't
seem quite the thing. you see. that all that
money and treasure should be buried there
and be of no kind of use To ANYBODY. and
"a you are the first and the last person
that's been kind to me these many wears. /
Ill trust to you TO see that | have decent I
burial, and will tell you just how to 20 to |
find the treasure. It's all truth I've been 1
telling you. and you needn't be afraid Pm |
spinning you forcastle yarn. but lust do I
as direct you TO do. and it'll make YOU /
the richest man in the country, and don't !
know who deserves il better.''
Richard Blount, after this. gave the sur
geon very minute directions as TO how to |
90 i'm quest of the treasure. On the next 4
day the pirate died. As soon after this as
the surgeon could get leave of absence, he
made arrangements with a friend 10 20
after the supposed mine of wealth con-
ceaed in the forests of Southern Florida.
He could not quite believe the story, but
the circumstances under which il had
been disclosed and the fact that money
had often been concealed bv the freeboot-
ers of the sea, made it sufficiently proba-
BILE 10 warrant chartering a small light
draft schooner, and engaging crew of
blacks able To work the vessel and willing
TO dig in the mud after gold. Ii was only
by very close and tedious observation of
the coast that the mouth of the bayou was
found. On entering il from the sea, the
line of trees which had been blaZed was
also discovered with some difficulty, and
traced from bend to bend in the dusky
light of the prmeval forest.
Guided by this clue, often but family
distinguishable. the treasure-seekers. after
slowly sailing the devious mazes of the
silent waters of the wilderness until they
almost despaired of reaching the end in
view, at last burst suddenly upon sort of
clearing in the dense mass of vegetation,
oyergrown with trees of younger growth.
arising from which a circle of larger trees
could be distinctly traced with a central
shaft lifting its feathery TUT of foliage far
up in the blue sky. Tent stakes and other
relics of extinct life were also visible amid
the rank grass which evergreen the soil.
Every thing, thus far, had proved exactly ,
as described by Richard Blount, and 1t
was reasonable TO suppose that as the |
story had been found to tally IN the mi
nutest details with facts, it would continue
consistent throughout. Ii was. therefore,
with renewed Zest and with the burning
impatience which tortures the soul when
one is confident of the result and sees the
desired object almost within his grasp,
that the doctor seized pick. and. order
ing his mel. to follow suit, broke ground !
in the last stage of the quest after the trea- ,
sure which his fevered fancy pictured as
more and more colossal as the rapturous |
approached when it would be |
opened to view. Such was his impatience
that he was the first to make discovery.
The point of the pick, after turning up ,
the soft soil almost noiselcssly for some
anxious moments. ut last struck some /.
thing hard with a most decided click.
The next stroke the sound was repeated,
and, at the same time, a bit OF red pottery /
was thrown up. The doctor. perspirinp I