The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-01-27

| were right, too, III saying tHab you
thought had known the Pontiac before
I stepped first on her deck that day. !
had"
lie laid his discngagcd hand across
lightly on Roscy's> rs II to assure himself
that she was listening
81 was at that time sailor. had
been fool enough to run away from COL
legc, thinking 1t fine romantic thing to
ship before the mast for u voyage round
the world. l was a little disappointed,
perhaps, but made the best of it, and in
two years was the second mate of whaler
lying in Il little harbor of one of the un.
civilized islands of the Pacific. While we
were ut anchor there French trading
vessel put in, apparently for water. She
had the dregs of Il mixed crew OF Lascars
and Portuguese, who said they had lost
the rest of their men by desertion, and
that the captain and mate had been car
ried Off by fever. There was something
so queer in their story that our skipper
took the law in his own hands, and put
me on board of her with salvage crew.
But that night the French crew mutinied,
Cuu tIlc CuDicS, uuu WouIN lluNC kOu W ScU
if we had not been armed and prepared,
and managed to drive them below.
When we had got them under matches
for few hours they parleyed, and
offered to go quietly ashore. AS we We're
short of hands and unable to take them
with us, and as we had no evidence
against them, we let them go, took the
ship to Callao, turned her over to the au-
thorities, lodged claim for salvage, and
continued our voyage. When we returned
we found the truth of the story was
known. She had been French trader
from Marseilles, owned by her captain;
her crew had mutinied in the Pacific,
killed their officers and the only passenger
the owner of the cargo. They had made
away with the cargo and treasure of
nearly half a million of Spanish gold for
trading purposes which belonged to the
passenger. In course of time the ship
was sold for salvage and put into the
South American trade until the breaking
out of the Californian gold excitement,
when she was sent with cargo to San
Francisco. That ship was the Pontiac
which your father bought"
A slight shudder ran through the girls
frame. II wish-I wish you hadn't told
me-" she said. 81 shall never close my
eyes again comfortably on hoard of her, I
know"
II would say that you had purified her
of all stains of her past-but there may be
one that remains. And that in most peo-
pies eyes would be no detraction. You
look puzzled, Miss Nott-but am COM
ing to the explanation and the end of my
story. A ship of war was sent to the
island to punish the mutineers and pirates,
for such they were, but they could not be
found. A private expedition was sent to
discover the treasure which they were
supposed to have buried, but in vain. |
About two months ago Mr.. Sleight told |
me one of his shipmasters had sent him a |
Lascar sailor who had to dispose of a
va lie secret regafling the Pontiac for
a. sntage. Tha, secret was that the !
trl are was never taken by the mutineers
outbt the Pontiac! They were about to
land and bury it when we boarded them.
They took advantage of their imprisonment
under matches to bury it in the ship. They
MD it in the hold so securely and safely
that it was never detected by us or the
Callao authorities. was then asked, as
one who knew the vessel, to undertake a
private examination of her, with a view
If purchasing her from your father with
)ut awakening his suspicious. assented.
You have my confession now, Miss Mott.
You know my crime. l am at your mercy"
Rosey's arm only frightened around his
,wn. Her eyes sought his. "And you
lidn't find anything?' she said.
The question sounded so oddly like
sleight's, that Renshaw returned little
tiff1y--
II didn't look"
"Why?' asked Rosey simply.
Because stammered Renshaw, with
IN uneasy consciousness of having exagger-
tied his sentiment, sit didn't seem honor
,ble; it didn't seem fair to you
ooh you silly! you might have looked
md told me.''
"But," said RenshaW; ''d0 you think
hat would have been fair to Sleight?'
GAS fair to him as to us. For, don't
you see, it wouldn't belong to any of us.
It would belong to the friends or the fam
ly of the man who lost it,
''But there were no heirs" replied Rem
haw. "That was proved by some inn
,ostor who pretended to be his brother,
and libeled the Pontiac at Callao, but the
courts decided he was lunatic.''
''Then it belongs to the poor pirates
who risked their own lives for it, rather
han to Sleight, who did nothing" She
vas silent for a moment, and then re-
umed with energy, 81 believe he was at
he bottom of that attack last night
81 have thought SO, too" said Rem
haw.
''Theh must go back at once" she
continued, impulsively. ''Father must
rot be left alone"
ssNor must you," said Renshaw,
iuickly "Do let me return with you, and
hare with you and your father the trouble
have brought upon you. Do not" he
ldded in lower tone, deprive me of the
,nly chance of expiating my offense, of
making myself worthy your forgiveness"
81 am sure" said Rosey, lowering her