American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-12-14
THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

Away down upon the coast of Maine
there is little hamlet which bears the
name of Gray Craig. A few houses
hardly more than a dozcn-nestle under
the lea of the dark storm-worn rocks,
looking much like their feathered neigh
bors whose homes are near by. When
the weather is fair they are about skim
ming over the face of the water in pur-
suit of food but let the storm arise, and
their frail boats are turned homeward,
| the sails trimmed to run a race with
their feathered friends to see which
shall first gain place of safety in the
little cove under the shelter of the great
rocks.
A few summers ago 1 spent a couple
of weeks at Gray Craig, and made the
acquaintance of eveay soul in the ham
let. They were friends good and true,
and hardly know where or when 1
have spent happier season.
From the old fishermen 1 have heard
many stories of the danger of the lives
they led. They were full of them, and
nothing delighted them more than to sit
and tell them on a stormy day, when it
was impossible for them to be about up
on the ocean, and when the thunder of
the surf upon the shore shook the solid
rocks upon which the cabin stood.
One of these old fellows bore the name
of Tom Hams, and he was as full of
stories as the waters were of fish.
"Did you know that Captain Kidd
buried his gold not a hundred yards
from where we are sitting nowP'' he
said to me one day.
assured him that 1 was not aware of
the fact, although 1 knew that there
was hardly hamlet along the coast
that did not lay claim to some legend of
this sort.
sBut this is true," he said. "For 1
have seen the bars of gold myself
When l was a boy l often heard the
story that Kidd buried one lot of his
gold somewhere in these parts. The old
people firmly believed this, and they
told it to us younsters so often that we
came to be of the same mind. Time
and again, remember, that 1 and Joe
Xii by, chum of mine, hunted for the
treasure. Whenever we had a chance
we improved it in this way. When the
water was SO rough that we could not
go out, we would take our spades and
picks and dig among the rocks and
sand in all sorts of places that we could
imagine that Kidd might have hidden
away his yellow, blood-stained gold.
But we never found any thing in the
shape of treasure, although we dug I'M
til there was dozen spots about here
which looked like so many rabbit war
rens. The gold never turned up, and
at last Joe and 1 gave it up as bad
bargain, convinced at last, as many had
told us before, that we should never
make living in this way.
had not hunted for gold for nigh on
to ten years, and the thought of Kidd
and his treasure but seldom troubled
me, when one night 1 had a dream that
haunted me all the next day. could
not get it out of my mind for five min
utes at time.
"The dream ran in this way: L
thought that I was down on the shore
of the ocean, on the summit of q great
cliff where l had been hundreds of
times. 1 seemed to be on the very edge,
and it almost made me dizzy to look
down into the boiling water below.
Down over the face of the cliff had al
ways thought it was impossible to go,
but now something seemed to impel me |
to do SO, and l saw that there was a |
foot-hold to be obtained there, way
down to the very edge of the white cap
ped wave. Down this something forced |
me to go, and at last stood on a little |
belt of sand which now, as the tide was
out, was left bare between the water
and the rock. Then I saw close beside
me the dark entrance to a cavern, which
was revealed plainly now, but in
through which the ocean poured with a
rush and a roar when the tide was COM
ing in.
"The same power which seemed to
have forced me down over the cliff
against my will now urged me into the
aperture, and 1 stood at length in
spacious cavern and saw before me the
outlines of great iron chest, bound with
great hoops of the same materials.
81 knew at once that here was the
gold that Kidd had left behind him, and
'or which l had sought SO long, and
1 tried to burst the iron bands
hat held down the lid of the chest. But
could not do it, and in my struggle 1
woke, and found that it was only a
lream.
GAN through that day I tried to get
id of it, but the thought of the iron
hest haunted me. If l could only get !.
he gold which felt sure it contained,
ny fortune would be made. I could be ,
IS smart as those great gentry who in .
he summer time came down here to
ish and see what manner of people we &
we're
Late in the afternoon, when the tide
vas out, l took pick, and, unseen by
ny body, made my way to the cliff. The
ky was overcast, and the wind sighed !
ismally, indications that storm was
asst coming up. The boats which were
Inside were fast hurrying in, as were
he birds, who with many shrill ,
ries circled above my head. Il
"On the edge of the cliff found the
cry footholds had seen in my dream,
nd clinging to the face of the rock as :
7ell as 1 could, commenced my de- {