The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-01-11


you We never told me an uutruth yet and
don't believe you're going to begin now"
THANK you, sir said the old fellow
looking pleased. "Well, if you'll wait
minute FL tell you all, just as it happen
ed"
lie rolled away across the deck, and went
below, but soon came up again with
leather bag in his hand. i had seen it be
fore and knew he kept his treasures in it,
SO put aside my newspapers and settled
to comfortable smoke while listening to
the story which Hams told, as follows
Some few years ago-it was about '63,
L reckon there was a very bad time ont in
these parts. | don't know how it happen
| ed-though perhaps you do, sir-but trade
| seemed altogether at a StandStil. Some
! firms sent their men adrift aud laid up their
ships, for it was no good fetching things
| when there was nobody to buy them when
| they was fetched others helG on and did
| little bit here and little bit there, pot
terIng i'll aud out among the islands for
log o. two OF mahogany or sandal wood, or
! bros nest, or whatever came handy.
| But there was hing doing to speak of,
| and the town was as full as it could hold of
men that had much better been afloat.
! Il was sent adriit early. | was nos sail
ing for this firm then, and, as | was pretty
well off when | got ashore, didu't trou-
| ble myself for a few weeks, for I'd chanced
on a boarding house where the grub was
| good aud they made me comfortable, but
! as time went on, and there came no chance
| of work, | didn't like it, and what was
more, the missus at the boarding house
| didn't like il either. She had need to be
! sharp with such a set of beech combers as
was about then, aud I'm not blaming her
I for when the money goes the welcome goes
| with IT, all the world overland mine had
| nearly come to an end, and my berth wasn't
! what it used to be. | stirred about to see
what work l could find, but there was
| nothing in my line. Owners were afraid
To risk their money, and good many had
/ hard work To keep on at ALL ana | could
| not hear anything moving III the way was
! used to. But after a while | was told Of
small craft that was going out to pick up a
| cargo fort the China MAJ ket-nestS, sharks,
dogfsh. anything they could lay hands on;
and though i didn't half fancy the lot on
board, gol shipped and went with her.
| "The skipper was a native, and we'd two
/ chaps that it was all could do to- put up
with-EuIopeans they were too, but I'm
| blest if they hadn't turned MahometanS
| and to see them a bowling and scraping
| 10 the prophet, aud carrying on their games
| about Mecca and all that bosh, it were
enough to turn fellow sick, and them
born Christians, too. However, | kept
quiet tongue and said nothing, though 1t
| would have done me good a score of times
I to tell them a bit Of my mind. At the
| fishing grounds We had very fair luck, and
| got tidy lot of sharks besides
''What did you get them for?' asked
| sBiess you sir, them Cinnamon will eat
anything. The nastier it is the better they
! like it. Dried shark andIpickled fins fetch
! lots of money out there. But of C 'urse the
nests was what we looked to make profit
by; and the skipper took a run FOR the is
| land But he hadn't any luck to speak of,
ill he got q private word from Singapore
| boat of cave in one of the islands, that
! ships did not often go near; not knowing
| there was anything to go for. We should
never have heard of it, only the skipper,
! being a Singapore man himself, got the
hint from his fIienCS.
| cit was a pretty place when we reached
| il. that island was, or more properly speak
| ing, there was two, and We dropped anchor
| between them in what locked like a bay,
! though there was a narrow passage right
| up at the Tar end
"There were lots of swallows flying
! about, but where to find the cave and their
nests bothered us altogether. We looked
far about from the sea, and then went
ashore and worked along the cliffs, and
| wherever there was a dark place one OF the
Cinualese went over to search but not an
opening could we fiud. aud the skipper got
W lid to see the birds, and know there was
a nrize close by and not able to find it, and
after a day or two he offered twenty dollars
to any one who could discover the entrance
"The ship was anchored and there was
nothing doing, except that the divers were
after pearl oyster and coral, or whatever
they could find underneath so we men
used To 90 prospecting, aud one day L got
leave and took a little bamboo bOat-we'd
a lot of 'em aboard, packed one inside the
other-and wen. off to see what could do.
I rowed right up the bay to the end, and
found a narrow little bit of water that took
n tr6n round a steep rock aud then brought !
me into wide water again. hadn { gone
far in it when chap hailed me from the
shore. so | ran i'll and found he was one OF I
those Germans who spend all their time |
Getting BIZ ds and beasts, and flowers and /
insects There's lots of 'em about the /
island, sir; and they go pretty nigh on |
their heads if you show tbem beetle That |
is out of the common, no matter how ugly |
,he h, ute may be. | never could see no /
raason in such goings on out | had not /
nnticeo before that they are wonderful /
soif about telling things that other people |
would want to keep to themselves-same /
as tbey are wild to get hold oil what we |
should be glad to let alone so, after we /
had had little chat, L asked hIm II ne d /
dropped across any caves or openings about
there. .,. r,
= l,rge one not far of | passed il only 1
lost niobt. and should have gone in, only /
hadn't got my gun, and there was some
thing oueer looking out of 1t but l shall
he round there again soon.
shall you?' thinks |. Then II just /
GO and louk round inst
"He told me where II was and away /
,,ent- thinking I was sure of the twenty 1
dollars reward.
The opening was not large one, but
- coon as ran the boat inside | could see !
,hat II was a big place, and no mistake |
ahont IL being the one We wanted. There /
.ere nests stuck on the walls and nests 4
hanging from the roof, aud before l began
,.,her IL would be safe to keep IL all /
a. aud make a venture myself when we 1
,,oI back again To Batavia-for those nests
fetch q lot nf money, you know, sir. IL l
as very tempting, bui IT was not very safe; !