Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-04

you don't mean to say" he said. hoarse-
ly-"you don't mean to tell me as-as the
Santa Anna foundered hereabouts and
somebody else got the treasure? l won't
believe it! 1t can't be truel God! it would
be too hard-too hard-after all these
yearsl No: won't believe itI''
''If the Santa Anna you mean is the
Santa Anna of which Mr.. Hare speaks in
his diary" said Nab, wonderingly and
pityingly, land which was captured by the
'HecaUe' in 1744. there can be no question
that she struck on the Painted Rocks In
the same year; that all the efforts Of the
crew to get her off failed; and that she
went to pieces a few weeks afterward-
not, however, before all her stores and all
the treasure were taken out Of her and
landed on this island"
81 don't believe it! 1 don't believe itr'
reiterated the boatswain. SIT cannot be
true. You are making game of mel Say,
now, you are making game of mer'
what mean you? Why should / make
game of your asked the queen, angrily.
"Al that have told you is on record. We
have the log-books both of the 'Hecate'
and the Santa Anna Mr.. Hare did not
die of the illness he was suffering from
when he threw his diary into the sea; he
lived to be an old man, and died on this
island. I can show you his grave. And
the Mr.. Fame he mentions, who took the
command after Captain Barnaby's death,
was my eat~great-grandfather and the
founder and protector of this common
wealth."
''Then I've been defraudedP' cried Tom,
savagely, striking his fist on the table.
THAT is what it is; I've been defraudedl
It's me as should have found that treas
urei It's me! It's mel Haven't thought
of it, and dreamed of it, and striven for it
thirty years and more? Ay, they were
right as called me Crazy Tom. lam crazy!
1 am crazy! and may God forgive them as
has made me sop
And bowling his head on his hands, the
poor old fellow wept aloud.
why does the foolish man take on so'"
asked Nab, who seemed equally distressed
and surprised. "He might have been Wis
tied with some terrible misfortune. It
surely cannot be disappointed greed?"
'It is the SCATTERING of long-cherished
delusion," said. ''The idea of finding
the Santa Anna had become part of his
life"
"And he has found her. At any rate, he
has found out what became of her, and
that is all he had any right to expect;
while as for the treasure, shall be glad to
give him an ingot or two of gold or few
handfuls of doubloons.
"I'll have no gifts from nobody" said
the boatswain, in a quavering voice. eff
had found it, all would have been mine;
but l would have shared and shared alike
with Mr. Erie. Amt speaking the truth,
now3 Didn't we agree to share and share
alikeS"
Say no more now, Tom," said, sooth-
ingly. 'We will talk the matter over to-
morrow, and hope you will see it in an
other light. Go into the garden and smoke
your pipe"
'Ay, ay, STRIP he muttered. and without
another word left the room, greatly to my
relief, for could see that the queen was
beginning to lose patience.
"These are strange stories you have told
u.s. Mr. Erle," she said, turning to me,
land no less strange is the manner of your
coming hither. 1t would almost seem as
if Fate, or Fortune, or Providence had di-
rected your course and sent you to the
Fair Island for some purpose which is not
yet clearly discernible. And no less strange
than the story you have told me is the
story which am about to tell you. Don't
shake your head. Waterlow Field. l shall
tell Mr. Erie everything. He is a man of
honor, and will neither abuse my conf
dence nor do aught to injure our people or
compromise their safety. Besides, who
knowss he may be persuaded to remain
with US and give our commonwealth the
benefit of his knowledge and experience;
and you must admit that we are sadly
lacking in many things. If isolation has
great advantages, it has also serious draw
backsl But to my story. You must have
already guessed, Mr.. Erie, that we are the
descendants of the 'Hecate's' crew; indeed
l just now told you that Com mander Fame
was my gTeat-great-grandfa The
Santa Anna struck against those very
Painted Rocks through which you so mar
yelously threaded your way"
"Then the inscription / saw"
''You saw the inscription That is the
very place. It must be well-nigh obliter-
ated by this time. We will have it renew
ed. Since the wreck of the Santa Anna
several ships have been lost in the same
place; for the most part they went to pieces
Immediately, and their crews persisted to a
man. Yours is the only ship that ever got
through, and you are the first born Eng
lishmen who, since 1744, has landed on the
island. But if l go on at this rate 1 shall
never finish my story, and 1 had perhaps
better not attempt to finish it-at present
You shall read the log-books Of the 'Hec-
ate and the Santa Anna also our records;
they have been well kept, and then after
ward-yes, that will be the better way
Mr.. Field will place all the records at
your disposal. Let him see everything,
Mr.. Field"
Mr.. Field bowed acquiescence, and l said
I should read the log-books and records
with the greatest interest. After few
further remarks had been exchanged, In
CURED if the queen was still in the mind
to pay her promised visit to the DIANA"
Certainly" she saic, smiling. 81 am
not in the habit of changing my plans ex-
cept for good cause; and 1 am most anxious
to see your wonderful steam-engine, and,
above all, those books. Ifear 1shal never
be able to tear myself away from them.
May bring some back with me?"
"Of course. Have I not said that the
DIANA and all she contains are entirely at
your disposals But 1 shall have to precede
you. 1t will take me an hour or two TO
get steam up; and we shall require help to
heave the anchor. The boatswain and
cannot do it alone"
"You shall have all the help you want.
See to it, Mr.. Field, that Mr.. Erle's orders
are as implicitly obeyed as if gave them
myself; and give him and the boatswain
quarters IN your house."
On this he bowed again. Then the queen
gave me her hand, which I kissed as be-
fore, and withdrew with Field, leaving
her alone with Fame, whom I now knew to
be her kinsman; for the commander Of the
s'Santa Anna was doubtless the common