Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-17


1 remember right, II in all, and consisted
mostly OF negroes and mulattOes from the
ports of the Spanish main, CarthGgena,
Santa Marta, etc. They had hatehed the
plot in that hOtbed OF criminals and des-
peradoes, the American side Of Cha
gres.
immediately on recovering the bOXesin
the wood l compared them with my list,
and, including the broken box, | found
that l had all except one, large box con-
signed to Messrs. Rowland g. Aspinwall,
and weighing about $50 pounds. lt had
evidently been too heavy for the robbers to
carry away.
Our way back TO the road was slow, but
seemed to me much shorter than in the
morning. One of the sous of the woods
man accompanied us out OF the woods, and
we struck the same spot on the road from
which we had started. There was that
-hole right before me. was about to so
into it myself when the woOdsmau sen,
seeing what was about to do. tucked up
his loose, stout linen trousers and wentin.
In second he cried out to me:
"Aqui esia, SenOrw
Here tits! And, 10! the monstrous "H.
Il A" box was hauled out by 20 willing
hands. Every box had been found, and
the honor of the isthmus roads was viHdi-
Gated. The soldier whom had sent into
the hole in the morning was reported miss
ing when the guard was mustered in the
afternoon. He was captured, however, by
the Governor and his oavalcade on their
way back to Panama, and spent the rest OF
his life in the chain-gang.
started from Guayabal at daybreak the
morning after our recovery OF the treas
ure, aud reached Cruces without further
mishap early in the afternoon. BY day
break the next morning every box had
been slowed aboard my bung0, and We
were ready to begin the last stage of our
journey. A strange idea had seized me,
that, after the land attack on the train, an
attack on the river might occur on this
very trip. had always dreaded such an
attack, but had never spoken of my fear
TO any one. So strong had been this feeling
that, before parting with the Governor at
ter the recovery OF the stolen treasure, |
had obtained his consent to my taking the
% soldiers and their commanding SER
geant down the river with me, in case
deemed it expedient. Much TO their sur
prise. therefore, told the soldiers that
they were TO accompany me to Chagres,
and soon after daybreak We started, the
bungO carrying, besides the gold. myself
ana my servant, - soldiers, with their
officer, and II rowers, with the patron or
Xswain-in all 4 persons.
When about hall way down the river
thought saw through my glass some
thing moving slowly along the edge of the
mangrOVe bushes on the right bank about
200 yards ahead. INSTRUCTED the sergeant
in command OF the guard, who was lying
close to me, to tell the man in the bow OF
the bungO to look out, and to challenge
any body when told by the sergeant to do
so.
The sergeant instantly passed forward
~ IN ha IN
guard and TO listen carefully for his or
ders. BY this time | had made out
through nv glass the moving body | had
spied, a long white boat, full of men, pull
ing with a steady but perfectly nOiseless
stroke toward the middle OF the river
across our course. l felt a tingling in the
roots OF my hair. Here at last my anxi-
GUS dread mad taken SHAPED The strange
boat was now only some 80 or 100 Yards
ahead on our staTbOard bow. | told the
sergeant to order the lookout 10 CHALLENGE
and if not answered to fire. The lookout
did as ordered. l was watching the
white boat through my glass. and as we
had some little way on the bungo we were
nearing it fast. Listening with all my
ears, with nv heart somewhere near my
gullet, | heard first a whispered coRver-
sation in the white boat and then loud
voice shouted in English:
"Give away, men,"
Our bungO stopped and our Oarsmen
backed water. Then our sergeant, stand
ing about midships, gave the order:
''FuegOV
How that volley rang through the
woods on either banki The whalebOat,
for 1 could now see that it was one,
stopped instantly. There was one mo-
ment's hesitation, and then l saw the
man in the stern take a strong pull at his
right tiller rope; | heard him yell to his
crew, and away the boat few down the
river. Before she turned / had time to no
tice two gaps among the men on the
thwarts. Within half an hour our buugO
ran her nose on the shore OF that much
dreaded american side" and that dear
old Capt. Wilson stepped out of his long
boat into my bungo, and If ever two men
were glad to meet we were.
My story ought to end here. But as
fate would have 1t, my troubles were not
yet all over. l had about two-thirds of
the boxes transferred from the bungo TO
the long boat, when, owing to some one
kneelIng over the bungo little. one Of the
boxes, smaller one, slipped from the
mans hands and tell into the water. /
instantly seized pole and stuck in into
the mud exactly where the box fell. The
water was 10 or II feet deep. The mouth
of the river Chagres is fairly alive with
sharks, and knew that no native would
be plucky enough TO attempt to recover
the box. ! shouted in English:
''I'll give $25 to the man who'll fetch up
that box"
Chips / didn't know his name, but
everybody called him ''Chips" ), the car
penteT Of the Crescent City, had seen the
box slip overheard, and had noticed me
mark the exact spot with the pole. He
had been sitting on the gunWale Of the
long boat, but on hearing my offer he
jumped up.
''Say, mister.o be called out, 'sIIl take
that money of yours"
'All right" / answered.
In jitfy he was stripped OF everything
but his flannel trousers. He tried the
pole to ascertain II he could trust IL.
climbed upon it, and began TO "shinU
down II feet first. The water was about
10 or ~ feet deep, as dark as coffee
grounds, and about as muddy. Chips
came up for breath in about a minute. To
my inquiry he answered that he had felt
the box with his toes, and would fetch il
next trip. And be did. After another
moment OF suspense Chips head came
out Of the coffee, and he held up the little
tin box in his right hand.
That was the last incident on the trip,
so far as l was concerned. Ny bills OF
ladIng made out, and the treasure slowed
In the long boat. ] babe farewell 70 Capt.
Wilson, and washed my hands Of the mil
lions OF dollars which / had brought
across the isthmus.