The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-13
CHAPTER XVI.
I HEAR OF A GREAT TRr,srpr

| lighted a pipe, and sat bordering hi
story little while. There was no doubt h,
had given me the exact truth so far as INF.
relation Of il went. As il was certain tber
that the Boca del Dragon las she was called
bad been fixed in the ice for hard upon fifty
years, the conclusion formed va, that She
had been blown 10y some hundreds of league.
farther south than the point TO which the
Laughing Mary had been driven: that thi,
ice in which she was entangled was not then
drifting northward, but was in the grasp OF
some polar current that trendcd it south.
easterly; that in due course IL was carried "a
the antarctic main of ice, where il Law com
pacted; after which, through stress Of
weather or by the agency OF particular
temperature, a great mass of it broke away
and started on that northward course which
bergs Of all magnitude take when they are
ruptured from the frozen continent.
Now that | had companion should he
able TO escape from this horrid situationl He
had spoken Of chests Of silver. Where was
the treasure-in the RUNE There might h.
booty enough in the hold to make a great
man, a fine gentleman, of me, ashore. II
would be a noble ending To an amazing ed
venture 10 come Off with az much money as
would render me independent for life. and
enable me 10 turn my back forever upon the
hardest calling to which the destiny Of man
, can wed him.
OF such were the fancies which hurried
/ through my mind.
wished TO sec how the schooner iav, and
what change h0d befallen the ice in the
night, and went on deck 1t was blowing
whole gale Of wind from the northwest.
! The sea was swelling very furiously. and |
could divine its tGnpestuous character by
| clouds OF spray which spread like volumes Of
steam under the sullen dusky heavens high
over the mastheads The schooner lay With
list OF about 10 degi., and her bows high
cooked. | looked over the stern and saw
that the ice had sunk there, and that there
were twenty great rents and yawning seams
where had before noticed but one. 4 vast
block OF ice had fallen on the starboard side,
and lay SO close on the quarter that / could
have sprung on to IL No other marked
changes were observable.
was about 10 go below again, when my
eye was taken by the two figures lying upon
the deck No dead bodies ever looked more
dead but after the wondrous restoration of
the Frenchman could not view their forms
without fancying that they were but rs he
had been, and that if they were carried 90 the
furnace. and treated with brandy and rub
bing and the like, they might bc brought 20.
Full of thoughts concerning them | stepped
into the cabin, and going to the cook room
found Tassard still heavily sleeping TIE
coal in the corner was low, and as it wanted
Ion
bucket and went into the fore peak, and
after several journeys stocked up good pro
vision OF coal in the corner made noise
enough. but TaSsard slept on. When this
was ended | boiled some water to cleanse
myself, and then set about getting the dinner
ready
The going into the fore peak had put my
mind upon the treasure, which, Us | had
gathered from the FrenchmanS narrative,
was somew here hidden in the schooner-in
the run as doubted not, | mean in the hold,
under the lazarette-for you Will rccolect
that. being weary and half persisted with the
cold, | had turned my back on that dark part
after having locked into the powder room
All the time was fetching the coal aud dress
ing the dinner my mag .nation vas on tire
with fancies Of the treasure in this ship. Tho
Frenchman had told me that they had beer
well enough pleased with their hauls IN tho
South sea 10 resolve them upon heading
round the Horn for their haunt, wherever 1t
might be. in the Spanish Main; and had too
good an understanding of the character OK
pirates to believe that they would have
quilted rich hunting field before they Lad
handsomely lined their pockets. What, then,
was the treasure in the run, If indeed It were
there
was mechanically stirring she saucepan
full of broth | had prepared, lost IN these
golden thoughts, when the frenchinan sud
denly sat up on his mattress.
"Ham cried he, shifting vigorously, Il
smell something good-something am ready
for. There is no physic Like sleep and with
that he stretched out his arms with great
yawn, then rose very agiIely, kicking the
clothes and mattress on one side, and bring
ing D. bench close TO the furnace. Nv hat
time is il, slrl'
Something after ~ by the captains
watch, said |, pulling it out and looking at
it. But It's guesswork time"
"The captains watchT cried he, with a
short loud laugh "You are modest, Mr. -
paul Rodney" said |, seeing he stopped
for my name
ayes, modest, Mr.. Paul Rodney. That
watch is yours, sir; and you mean 1t shall he
yours"
"Well Mr.. Tassard,' said |, colorinS in
spite of myself, though he could not witness
the change in such light as that, 81 felt
this, that if left the watch in the captains
pocket it was bound to 80 to the bottom Ill
timately. and
BAH he interrupted, with violent
flourish Of the hand. LET US save the
schooner if possible; there will be more than
one watch for your pocket, more than one
doubloon for your purse. Meanwhile, to din
ner! Ny stupor he's converted me into an
empty hogshead, and it will take me fort
night of hard eating to feel that have broken
my fast"
With blow of the chopper be struck OIL
a lump Of the frozen wine, and then fell to
eating uerhaps Is u u2S- u1-..le aynscted