San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-07

rouowed Jne schooner drove, rolIIiig ana
plunging before the seas, into the northeast,
to the pulling of the spritsail 1 made sew
eral excursions into the forehold, but never
could hear the sound of water in the vessel.
Her sides in places were still sheathed in ice;
but this crystal armor was gradually drop
ping off her to the working Of her frame in
the seas, so that, since she was proving her.
self tight, it was certain her stanchness owed
nothing to the CLASSY plating.
should but fatigue you to follow the sew
eral little stories of these hours one by one
how got my food, snatched at sleep, stood
at the helm, gazed around the sea line, and
the like
The sea worthiness of the craft, coupled
with the reasonable assurance of presently
falling in with ship, rendered me SO far
easy in my mind as to enable me to think
very frequently of the treasure, and how
was to secure it. If | fell in with an enemys
cruiser or privateer l must expect to be
stripped This would be the fortune of war,
and must take my chance. My concern
did not lie that way-hOw was | to protect
this property, that was justly mine, against
my own countrymen, suppose l had the good
fortune to carry the schooner safely into Eng
fish waters' l had a brother-in-law, Jere-
miah Mason, Esq, Turkey merchant in a
small way of business, whose office was in
the city of London, and if 1 could manage to
convey the treasure secretly to him he would,
knew, find me a handsome account in his
settlement of this affair But it was impos-
sible to strike out plan. must wait, and
attend the course of events.
l was resolved at all hazards to stick to the
schooner; and, with view of providing
against the curiosity of rummaging of any
persons who should come aboard, l fell to the
following work after getting my breakfast.
l hung lanterns in the run and hatchways
and cabin to enable me to pass easily to and
fro; then emptied one of the chests in my
cabin, and carried it to where the treasure
was. The chest I filled nearly three parts
full with money, jewelry, ETC., which sank
the contents of the other chests to the depth
l wanted. l then fetched a quantity of small
arms, such as pistols and hangers and cut
lasseS, and filled up the chests with them,
first placing a thickness of canvas over the
money and jewelry, that no glitter might
show through. To improve the deception
brought another chest to the run, and wholly
filled it with cutlasses, powder horns, pistols
and the like, and so fixed it that it must be
the first to come to hand. My cunning
amounted to this that suppose the run to be
rummaged, the contents of the first chest
We're sure to be turned out, but, on the other
chests being opened, and what they appeared
to contain observed it was as likely as not
that the rummagers would be satisfied that
they We're arms chests, and quit meddling
with them.
The wind at dawn had weakened and come
into the west. There was a strong SWELL
indeed there always is in this ocean-but the
seas ran small. The sky looked like marble,
with its broad spreadings of high white
clouds and the veins of blue sky between. |
wished to make all the northing that was
possible, but there was nothing to be done in
that way with the spritsail alone. Had not the
cnpstan been frozen should have tried to get
the mainsail upon the ship, but without the
aid of machinery l was helpless. So, with
helm amidships, the schooner drove Ian
guidly along with her head due east, lifting
as ponderously as line-of-battle ship to the
floating launches of the high swell, and the
albatroSs hung as steadfastly in the wake of
my lonely ocean path as though it had been
some messenger sent by God to watch me
into safety.