The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-02

migiE be the wall Of his victim. The
luminous wake Of a phosphorescent fish
has terrors for him; he sees in it the
CLEAN of the ghostly moonlight, flltering
through the palm leascs on that pallid
co,ntenance Wonder. He is rowing on,
wildly. blindly, needless Of his course,
and instead of rounding the point, he is
going straight on, out toward the
breakers. He looks up to heaven
in desperate hope of solace; alas! but
heaven itself deridcs and threatens,
he thinks, for in the flying scuds of clouds
he sees but specters. On, on he hurries,
bending to his oars till his frail bark
bounds and leaps on the heaving, swell
ing water, now growing more turbulent
with every impulse that urges the life
boat forward. The roar Of the breakers
in his ears 10 demoniac, but he needs not
the warning; rather he hears in the
clamor the outcry of denunciation. He
is in the midst of cburning, foaming.
angry waters. A black rock seems to
uprear itself from the raging waves. and
wrest an oar from him. As he bends to
snatch at the shattered fragments the
other slipe from his hand and goes spin
ming away in the moonlight, as if whirl-
ing in weird dance Of mockery. His
boat crashes on the reef, whose fantastic
mantle of spray. flung high in the air, he
takes at the supreme moment for another
phantom There is brief struggle be-
tween a stupendous force and an atom
and the man and his sin are buried in the
waves forever.
Long years have passed. The two men
who once landed here are forgotten, the
fate of them buried in oblivion, un-
known. indeed, Of their fellows. But
who shall say how these things come
aboutl-the spot is known as The Cove
of the Treasure" No one knows how
or when or why he name has come to
be applied There is no definite tradi-
ton or legend concerning the matter;
but through some subtle medium the as
ISOLATION Of ideas has become fixed one.
And tine two palms have long since got
ten a name of evil reputation, and here,
indeed, there iss somewhat of definite
shaping, For the story goes that at
nightfall a grizzly specter comes forth
from their shadow and pursues the af-
frighted wayfarer. In all the country
around there is not human being who
will approach these palms when the sum
is fairly sinking, and in truth they are
summed at cost of a wide circuit at any
hour whatsoever.
Once again-but the hour is now high
mid afternoon of brilliant tropical day
once again a little boat comes around
the point and makes for the beach of the
barra, and once again two men step on
the shore They stand brief while
contemplative, impressed by the absolute
repose of the scene. The broad, green
sensitive as they are to the lightest
zephyr Those uncouth forms that sa-
lutte the eye, Impractical though it be,
with something of dread and horror, are
not rough logs, as might be thought al
first sight, but swinish alligators lazily
basking in the slime of the creek or in
the shade of the cane brake. The jaguar
and the lizard, too. are asleep, but far
Their within the jungle, where their more
sensitive bodies receive less of the in
tense heat of the hour. The huaco sits
in the high ceiba-for this tall, silk cot
ton tree will he the first point to catch
the grateful breath of the land breeze
when that cool, refreshing wind shall
blow up sweetly. The cicada sings his
grating, strident challenge, but its meas
ure, far from relieving the weight of the
day by hint of activity, only serves to
enhance the feeling of breathlessness, as
the cicada call will do the wide world
over. So too. an added heaviEess comes
from contemplation of the hawk over
head moving in lazy circles.
"Caramba, but what heat T. says one
of the new corners, in liquid Spanish;
1--WE have found the spot, there is no
doubt. but the hour is badly chosen.
Docs it not seem strange, Felipe, that we
should so readily have found the site
described in that old parchment, written
in my uncle's scrawling hand, and, oddly
preserved in the sea chest of your
father, sent home so long ago. after that
last lucEless voyage, on which the two
embarked together, and from which |
neither Teturned:'
"Most strange. indeed" says Felipe;
land for my part, am still inclined to
think we have come on fruitless quest.
They were dreamers, most like, your
uncle and my father, and we shall find /
heir treasure trove to be but rainbow |
gold.
lit is more likely" says Fortunate,
that they won it by force or violence;
md you know that gold that has been
Baptized in blood shall not be enjoyed by |
one Of the same race as the shedder of
hat blood What have you there, Fe-
lipel" His tone changed from simple
to alarm, as his companion
is shaken by powerful
shudder.
Il do not know" says Felipe; Il felt
hat strange, mysterious thrill of horror
which is said to be caused by the tread of
III alien foot upon the ground where
one's grave shall be.
''PahI nonsense!' says practical For
chow weak of you to remember
I'D women's superstitions! What fear