St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-15


the long hulk that lay Graded between the
iron shells of warehouses and the wooden
frames of tenements on either side. The
galley and covered gangway presented
mass of underlined shadow, against which
the white deck shone brightly, stretch
ing to the forecastle and bows, where
the tiny glass roof of the photogra-
piers glistened like gem in the Pontiacs
crest. So peaceful and motionless she lay
that she might have been some petrifcation
of past age now first exhumed and laid
bare to the cold light of the stars.
Nevertheless this calm security was pres
emily invaded by sense of stealthy life and
motion. What had seemed fixed shadow
suddenly detached itself from. the deck, ana
began to slip stanchion by stanchion along
the bulwarks toward the companion way. AT
the cabin door it halted and crouehed
motionless. Then rising, it glded forward
with the same staccato movement until oppo-
site the slight elevation of the forehatch
Suddenly it darted to the hatch, unfastened
and lifted it with swift, familiar dexterity,
and disappeared in the opening. But as
ASSSt ~
revealed the whitening eyes and teeth of the
Lascar seaman.
Dropping to the lower deck lightly, he felt
his way through the dark passage between
the partitions, evidently less familiar to him,
hating before each door to listen. Return
ing forward, he reached the second hatch
way that had attracted Roseys attention,
and noiselessly Enclosed its fastenings. A
all hn
opening. Drawing a small bull's-eye Ian
tern from his breast, he lit it, and unhesltat-
ingly let himself down to the further depth.
The moving flash of his light revealed the
recesses of the upper hold, the abyss of the
well amdships, and glanced from the shin
ing backs of moving zigzags of rats that
seemed to outline the shadowy beams and
transoms. Disregarding these curious spec
tators of his movements, he turned his atten-
ton eagerly to the inner castings of the hold,
that seemed in one spot to have been
strengthened by fresh timbers. At
lacking this stealthily, with the aid
of some tools hidden in his oil
skin clothing, in the light of the lantern he
bore fanciful esemblance to the predatory
animals around him. The low, continuous
sound of rasping and gnawing of timber
which followed heightened the resemblance.
At the end of few minutes he had succeeded
in removing enough of the outer planking
to show that the entire filing of the casing
between the stanchions was composed of
small boxes. Dragging out one of them
with feverish eagerness to the light the Lascar
forced it open. In the rays of the bulrs-eye
a wedged mass of discolored coins shone with
urid glow. The story of the Pontiac was
true-the treasure was there!
But Mr.. Sleight had overlooked the logical
effect of this discovery on the natural villainy
of his tool. In the very moment Of his
triumphant execution of his Patrons sug-
gestions, the idea of keeping the treasure to
himself flashed upon his mind. He had
discovered it-why should he give it
up to anybodya He had run all
the risks; if he were detected at
that moment. who would believe that his
purpose there at midnight was only to satisfy
some one else that the treasure was still in
tact! No The circumstances were pro-
pitious; he would get the treasure out Of the
ship at once, drop it over her side, hastily
conceal it in the nearest lot adjacent, and
take it away at his convenience. Who would
be the wiser for it?
But it was necessary to- reconnoitre first.
He knew that it communicated with the alley,
for he had tried the door that morning. He
would convey the treasure there and drop it
into the alley. The boxes were heavy. Each
one would require separate journey to the
ships side, but he would at least secure
something if he were interrupted. He stripped
the casing and gathered the boxes together
in pile.
41ot1 h. 4lo
Lascar houud-the ID nigger-should get
what bigger and butler men than he had
died for The mates blood was on those
boxes, if the salt water had not washed it
out. 1t was a hell of a fight when they
dragged the captain-Oh. what was thata
Was it the splash of a rat in the bilge, or
what!
A superstitlous terror had begun to seize
him at the thought of blood. The sitting
hold seemed again filled with struggling
figures he had known; the air thick with cries
and blasphemies that he had forgotten. He
rose to his feet, and, running quickly to the
hdtchwav, leaped to the deck above. All was
quiet. The door leading to the empty lofts
yielded to his touch. He entered, and, Gid
that gave upon the alley. The cold air and
escape was clear BAIL He would go back
for the treasure.
He had reached the passage when the door
he had just opened was suddenly darkened
Turning rapidly, he was conscious of gaunt
figure, grotesque, silent and erect, looming
on the threshold between him and the sky
Hidden in the shadow, he made stealthy
step toward it, with an iron wrench in his up
PIT fba
dlated with superstitious horror; the iron
fell from his hand, and with a scream like a
frightened animal he turned and fed to the
passage. In the first access of his blind ter
ror he tried to reach the deck above through
the forehatch, but was stopped by the sound
of heavy tread overhead The immediate
fear of detection now overcame his supersti-
ton; he would have even faced the appari-
ton again to escape through the loft, but be-
fore he could return there other
footsteps approached rapidly from the
end of the passage he would have to traverse
There was but one chance of escape left
now-the forehold ne had just quilted. He
might hide there until the alarm was over
He glided back to the hatch, lifted it, and it
closed softly over his head as the upper hatch
was simultaneously raised, and the small
round eyes of Abner Mott peered down upon
it. The other footsteps proved to be Rem
shaw's, but, attracted by the open door of
the loft, he turned aside and entered. AS
soon as he disappeared Mr.. Mott cautiously
dropped through the opening to the deck be
low, and, going to the other hatch, through
which the Lascar bad vanished, deliberately
refasteued it. In a few moments Renshaw
returned with light, and found the old
man sitting on tue hatch.
"The loft door was open," said Reushaw.
There's little doubt whoever was here es-
capped that way"
''Surely," said Mott There was pecu-
liar look Of Machiavelian sagacity in his face
wbich irritated Renshaw.
You're sure il was Ferrieres you saw pass
l. h,