The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-27
"The next morning, at dawn, he looked

1.-The next morning, at dawn, he looked
for the vessel, but she had disappeared. His
anger at Jeanne's conduct kept him at home
for some hours, but finally his curiosity was
too much for his indignation, and soon after
midday he was on his way to the island again.
he found Jeanne gone and the house de.
serted. He then repaired to the woods
whence had come the sound of firing the
previous night, and there he found the body
of the old Frenchman, who had been shot
through the breast.
Joe was sadly demoralized by this tragic
sight, but he did the best thing under the
circumstances. He buried his old master
decently, and went back to Spurwink to tell
the news and mourn over the falsity of his
lady-love. How he was consoled, 1 don't
know, but time appears to have effected it.
for he married the blue-eyed English girl,
and lived very happily, and have the honor
of being one of their descendants.
"Joseph Atwell never seemed to have the
idea that any treasures were buried on the
island, and how that tradition came into our
family, along with this other, I do not know.
Probably it reached them from the des cend-
ants of some of Captain Kidd's crew, who
were spread about the country after his
arrest in Boston two or three years LATER
But heard both stories from my Grand
father when I was a. boy, and some years
ago came down here to look at the place
and boarded awhile with old Captain Chase.
learned all the landmarks and saw how the
treasure-seekers were running their angles,
and the one who was digging on the low
point seemed to me to have the most method
though it seemed impossible, that anything
could have been buried there where the tide
would sometimes cover it. studied over the
matter and found that he had got another
landmark in a line with the arrow of the in
scription and had struck an equilateral TRAN
gle from that, which brought him down to the
place where he had dug. tried all sorts of cal
culations upon it and finally struck out anoth-
er equilateral triangle from the point of the
first, the two points Of which fell some dis
tan ce.off in the woods. Pacing these off
found that one of these points was 1890 feet
from the inscription and the other 1890 feet
from the spot where the other man had dug.
The southerly point was too near the shore,
but the northerly point looked like suitable
place.
"Then it struck me that Just there was
where the old Frenchman was likely to have
come upon Captain Kidd, if he went straight
from his house towards the front of the is.
land. and that he must have surprised him at
his work, and got shot for us paiss,. xvhi,a
the mate carried off the pretty daughter after
the mischief was done.
As neither wished to share my discovery,
if successful, or to be laughed at if I failed,
did nothing more that season. But the
next summer came again prepared for the
search, and landing very early one morning,
dug out an old chest from the hole which
puzzled the old Captain so much, and got
away with it before anybody came around to
intercept me. Then I understood what the
100000 F. meant. It stood for 100000 for
ms, which was quite comfortable little for
tune for man who has only himself to pro-
provide for. 1t was mostly in old Spanish
and French gold pieces, and I had to melt it
up into ingots, to sell it without suspicion,
and it was long time before got it all dis
posed of and properly invested. And that is
the reason think Captain Kidd did bury his
money on JEWELS Island.''
My friend sometimes spends his summers
here now, and occasionally stops at the
Ottawa House. If you see fine-ooking,
gray-headed elderly gentleman, with red
nose, there at any time, you can ask him
something more about it.
As for the skipper, who would not let me
tell my story to him, shall leave him down
at JEWELS Island, to get back the best way
he can,