The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-23
The Captains Money.
ATaIe OF Buried Treasure, Cuban Revolt
and Adventure Upon The Seas.
I'M -FOUR PARTS.
eY JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.


II don't agree with them as says
there needn't be no fear for the Nellie
Willis. Not the pleasant young woman
comm up the street yonder-God
bless her bright eyes!-but her name
sake that we saw round the point there
so finely in August. l don't say much,
but think good deal; and I says to
myself that time, says I: Goodbye to
Aaron Willis and his ship"
A profound silence followed this re-
mark. No one was ever presumptuous
enough to ask the oracle the reasons
for his opinions; but all knew that he
would not fail to state them as soon as
they had made sufficient impression.
Il says to Aaron himself" he con-
tinued. in moment, "the day before
he sailed - says l: Captain Aaron,
you're bold man to 60 to sea now,
with all the spooks of old buccaneer
Lobdell and his crew going along with
you
"'O,' says he, with a laugh-and I
tell we. it makes me SILVER to hear any
man laugh at a spook!-says he:
there's enough of 'em roamin' round
the old garnet and down cellar, I'm
afraid, but they'll never follow me-.
They'll stay right there. Fact is, I
have notion that the old freebooters
got so in love while they were alive,
that they can't quit it now, and lie
quiet in their graves, as good Christian
cOrpses orter.' "
''Did he say Mat?" one of the awe
struck crowd asked.
'Aye, he did! I'd never had chance
to talk with him so free before that.
about the awful bad name the old
place has got. But he told me all
about it,"
what was it, Uncle Petery" half-a-
dozen eagerly asked.
The old man shook his head with
an air and an aspect of superhuman
wisdom.
80, don't say what he told me. I
amt one O. your talkin' kind. Only I
do say that the things he told ME was
worse'n any thing we ever thought
about the place"
"What was it like, uncle?"
''Well, I say think too much OF
Mis- Willis and her pretty a'ter, to
put adoat any more stories about that
house. I've known Cap'in Willis nigh
on thirty year, and sailed with him
when some of you didn't know bin
nacle from bow-anchor. He's a sail
or through and through, but dre'ful
queer in some of his shore-ways. He
knows, / reckon, what for he keeps his
women-folks IN such a spook-rookery
as that-Or near to it. l don't find nc
fault; but [ do know that Peter Null.
Inns wouldn't pass one nig ht under
that roof for the worth of all the freight
under the matches of that big three.
master out there in the bay"
But you might just hint what he
said"
whats the use o. hintin'? You
know now just as we'll as l could tel
you, that there's been unearthly noise.
heard from the loft and the cellar Of
the old rookery. There's been lights
seen flittin' from one window to an
other; and everybody, grown men and
women, as we'll as children, have
steered clear O. the place alter dark
What more dye want?"
1--WE all know that. Peter. But thu
man that lives there ought to be able
to tell a good deal more nor that. Ant
he told you more'n he did u.s.
You'd think so-you'd think so.
reckon if you'tta heared him." The ole
sailors vanity was now sufficiently
ministercd to, as that of a person pos
sesslng definite information about the
suspected locality which no one else il
Provincetown had gained. eff you'd
jest heard him talk! He's strange
man, as I said, and there's no gettin
away from it. We sailors see queer
things sometimes aboard ship, and PEG.
pie as don't believe in ghosts orter tt
go to sea awhile, and get posted up
but for all that, l never heard any
thing quite so spooky as Cap'in Willis
told me that day about the old shell.
He's heard chains clankin' in the mid.
die of the night. when he couldn't
sleep for the noise; and got up to see
what was the matter. An he's seen
old Lobdell himself, with his red skull.
cap on, and cutlass drippin' with
blood, flynn round the horn, runnin'
down the crazy stairs and the cellar,
laughin' like demon. He's seen all
that, and a great deal more"
A profound silence fell on the group
after this revelation.
swell" resumed old Peter, after a
few energetic pufs, II spoke my mind
right out to the Cap'in. says to him,
says /. 'Cap'in Aaron, you're brave
man and a good sailor, and all Prov.
incetown and every seaman that ever