Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-06-28

fair
before mis- minds vision: There was q
quarter of a mile of ice beyond the shin.
have it very plain in my sight; it was a great
muddle of hillocks, for the ice pressed fbick
and hard, and raised us, and vomited IN
peaks and rocks to the squeeze. Suppose /
have been asleep week" Here lie opened
his eyes and gazed at me.
"Wellsn said l.
II say" he continued, in the tone of one
easily excited into passion, "a week. It
Will not have been more. 1t is impossible.
Never mind about your 1S0l,n showing his
fangs in a sarcastic grin; "a week is long
enough, friend. Then this is what 1 mean to
say: that the breaking away of quarter of
mile of ice in a week is fine . orl. full of
grand promise; the next w9each-which
might come now as l speak, Or tomorrow.
or III week-the next wrencl may bring
away the rock on which we are lodged. and
the rest is matter of patience-which we
can afford, hey! for we are but two-there is
plenty Of meat and liquor, ana the reward
afterward is a princely independence, Mr..
Paul Rodney"
was struck with the notion of the bed of
Ice on which the schooner lay going ahoat,
and said: Are sea and wind to be helped,
think Jon! II tao block on which we lie
could he detached it might beat a BIT against
It's parent stock, but would not unite again
| The schooner's canvas might he made to help
1t alonG-though suppose it capsizedln
We must consider said he; there is no
need to hurry. When the wind falls we will
survey the ice.n
He warmed himself afrcsh, and after re-
| naming silent with the air of one turning
many thoughts over in his mind he suddenly
cried, Dye know / have mind to view the
plate and money below! What say your
His little eyes seemed to sparkle with sus-
picion as he directed them at me. was con
tident he suspected had lied in saying knew
nothing of this treasure, and that he wanted
to see if | had meddled with those chests
Ono of the penalties attached to a man being
forced to keep the company of liars is, be
himself is never believed by them. l an
swered, instantly, Certainly; l should like
TO see this wonderful booty. 1t is right that
we should find out an once if it is there; for,
| surprising it vanished, we should be no better
than madmen to sit talking here of the fine
lives we shall live if ever we get home.n
lie picked up the lantern, and said, II
must so to your cabin; it was the captains.
The keys of the chests should be in one of his
boxesn
He marched off, and was so long gone that
was almost of belief he had tumbled down
| in fit However, had made up my mind
| to act very wary part; and particularly
| never to let him think | distrusted him, and
so | would not 60 to see what he was about.
| But what did was this: the arms room was
| next door; l lighted candle, entered it. and
swiftly armed myself with a sort of dagger,
a kind of boarding l1nife-a very murderous
| sword he oh
inches long, and the haft of brass There
were some fifty Of these weapons and l took
| the first that came to my hand, and dropped
| it into the deep side pocket of my coat and
returned to the cook room. 1t was not that
| | was afraid of going unarmed with this man
| into the hold; there was no more danger to
me there than here; should he ever design to
! dispatch me one place was the same as an
| other, for the dead above could not testify
| there were no witnesses in this white and
! desolate kingdom. What resolved me to go
| armed was the fear that, should the treasure
| be missing-and who was to swear that the
| schooner had never been visited once in eight
| and forty years?-the Frenchman, who was
persuaded his stupor had not lasted above a
| week, and who was doubtless satisfied the
| chests were in the hold down to the period
when he lost recollection, would suspect me
of foul play, and in the barbarous rage Of a
pirate fall upon and endeavor to kill me.
| 1t might be that he was long because of
having to seek for the keys; but my own
conviction was that he found the KEYS easily
and stayed to rummage the boxes for such
| jewels and articles of value as he might there
| find. | think he was gone near half an
| hour; he then returned to the cook house,
saying briefly, 81 have the keys" and jim
| Cling them, and after warming himself said
| 'Let us go"
/ was moving toward the forecastle.
''Not that way for the rum" cried he.
SIS there hatch aftp / asked
"Certanly-in the lazarette"
81 wish l had known that," said 1; 81
should have been spared sitting scramble
over the casks and rattle forward"
He led the way, and coming to the trap
hatch that conducted to tho lazarette he
pulled it open and we descended. He held
the lantern and threw the light around him,
and said "Ay there are plenty of stores
here We rcckoned upon provisions for
twelve months, and we were seventy of q
crew.
A strange figure ho looked, just touched
by the yellow candle light and standing out
upon the blackness like some vision of dis
tempered fancy, in his hair cap and flaps,
and with his long nose and beard and lo.ic
eyes shining as be rolled them here and there.
We made our way over the casks, bales and
the like till we We're right aft, Cad here there
was a small clear space Of Geek ii which lay
hatch This he lifted it's ring, and down
through the aperture aid he drop, follow
ing Tho lazarct deck came SO low that
we had to squat when still or move upon our
knees. At the foremost end Of this division
of the ship, SO far as it was possible for my
eyes to pierce the darkncss-for it seems that
this run went clear to the fore hold bulkhead,
that is to say, under the powder room, to
where the fore hold 'began-were slowed the
spare sails, ropes for gear, and a great vari-
ETY. of furniture for the equipment of a ships
yards and masts But Immediately under
the hatch stood several small chests and
cases, painted black, slowed side by side so
that they could not shift.
Tassard ran his eye over them. counting.
''Rightm cried he; ''hold the lantern, Mr.
Rodney
took the light from him, and, pulling tho
KEYS from his pocket, he fell to trying them
at the lock Of the first chest. One fitted; the
bolt shot with a hard click, like cooking a
trigger, and he raised the lid The chest was
full of silver money. picked up couple
of the COINS and bringing them to the candle
perceived them to be Spanish pieces Of 1889.
Tho money was furnished yet it reflected
sort of dull, metallic light. The Frenchman
grasped a handful and dropped them, as
though, like q child, he loved to hear the
chink the pieces made as they fell.