Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-06-03
ward, saw that he was looking down into !

ward, saw that be was looking down into a
large subterranean cave.
Just beneath him was flight of steps cut
in the solid rock. Descending these carefully
for they were slippery as ice, he reached the
bottom, and found it made of sea-gravel and
loose shells, forming, indeed, a decline like
the seashore itself, to the edge of which, fill
ing about half the cavern, the waters of the
sea crept with a long, monotonous moan.
Approaching the waters edge, he saw facing
him the solid back of the cliff, but just at the
base there was an opening, q sort of slit, al
most touching the waves at all times, quite
touching them when the swell rose, and
through this opening crept beams of day
light, turning the waves to clear, malachite
green.
cave communicated directly with the sea,
but in such way as TO make an entrance
for any large object impossible from that di-
rection.
Turning his back upon the water, and hold
ing up the candle, he examined the interior.
The damp black rocks rose onevery side, and
from the roof hung spongy and hideous
weeds, like those fungi to be seen in sunless
vaults of wine, but piled against the inner
wall was a hoard of treasures to make
smuggler's mouth water OF turn a wreckar's
~NN-N-
brain
Puncheons of rum and other spirits, bales
of wool, planks of mahogany and pine, oars,
broken masts coils of rope, tangles of run
ming rigging, flags of all nations, and articles
of such material as is used on shipboard,
swinging tables, brass swinging lamps, mast
head lanterns and hammocks; enough and to
spare, in short, to fit out small fleet of ves-
sells. Lost in amazement, Brinkley examined
this extraordinary hoard, the accumulation
doubtless of many years. All at once his eye
fell upon a large canvas bag, rotten with
age, and gaping open. 1t was as full as it
could hold with pieces of gold, bearing the
superscription of the mint of Spain.
o William Jonesl William Jonesi And all
this was yours, at least by right of plumber,
upon the Queens se,.way; all this which,
turned into cash, would have made a man
rich beyond the dreams of ayarice, was the
possession of one who lived like misery beg
gar, grudged himself and his flesh and blood
the common necessaries of life, and had never
been known, from boyhood upward, to give a
starving fcssow-creatnre so much as a crust of
bread, or to drop a penny into the poor-box
o William Jonesi William Jones!
The above reflection and parenthesis belong
not to the present writer, but to my adven-
avian.
AS Brinliey proceeded on his tour of in
spection he became more and more struck
with wonder. Nothing seemed too insignificant
or too preposterously useless for secretion in
that extraordinary ships cavern. There were
mops and brooms, there were holvstones,
there were ''squeegees, there were canisters
Of timed provisions, there were bags a.
weeyiled biscuits, there wero sacks of pot, toes
(Which escuients, long since neglected. had
Actually sprouted and put forth leaves), there
were ring-bolts, there were tin mugs and
pannikins, and lastly, mira6ile dict,t. there
were books. Said books lay piled on the TOP
Of heap of sacks. and were in the last stage
Of mildew and decay For what purpose had
hey been carried therea Certainly not to
'orm library, for William Jones could not
cad. As curiosity deepened Brinkley opened
one of the forlorn volumes, covered with
nildcw and full of hideous, crawling things.
Most were in foreign tongues, but there were
several English novels, half century old,
and book of famous Voyages also in
English Near to them were some large
paper rolls-ships' charts, evidently, and
almost falling to pieces. And ON tho top Of
the charts was tiny prayerbool1, slime
covered and dripping wetl
What possessed Brinkley to examine the
prayer book cannot determine, but in after
years he always averred that it was an in
spiration. At any rate, he did open it, and
saw that the fly leaf was covered with writ
ing, yellow, difficult to decipher, fast fading
away. But what more particularly attracted
his attention was loose piece of parchment,
fastened to the title page with rusty pin,
and covered also with written characters
Fixing the candle on a nook in the damp
wall, he inspected the title page, and de
ciphered these words.