The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-12-03

the lightning cleft the sky. he collected
his i'll gotten gains into five small CASKS
With the assistance Of the negro he
placed them in as many holes dug in the
old burying ground of the Bay OF the
Dead. Having accomplished this he
suddenly sprang on the unfortunate no
gro and plunged knife into his heart
As the life blood slowly ebbed away he
twisted the limp form Of his victim
around the central cask. At this dread
moment the old Scottish superstitious M
ture asserted itself, and he believed that
the wrath" Of the negro would KEEP
adventurous outsider from unearthing it.
He then heaped up the earth over the
five casks in the form Of graves, Judging
that no French habitant, whose rever.
ence for the dead is proverbial, would
modest them, and at each apparent
grave he placed stone, TO carry out the
illusion.
At dawn the pirate sentinels saw the
man-of-war sailing through the western
passage and heading toward their re-
treat. Sail was quickly set, and the
schooner escaped through the eastern
outlet. The storm of the previous night
still ragged wild and fierce. The sea was
dashed to fury. The waves ran high,
striking the vessel with resistless force,
throwing her on q sunken reef. With
despairing shrieks and prayers to the
God whose laws they had outraged. hef
wretched crew were launched into eter-
nifty. All were thought to have per
ished.
Twenty years passed, new genera
ton grew up, and the story of Manning
and his exploits was well ghforgotten.
Then, as now, trading vessels from Nova
Scotia frequented the coast to supply the
scattered settlements with the necessar
ries of life, receiving in return furs and
fish.
In the year 1890 the captain of one Of
these vessels happened to be in an inn in
Halifax talking over his summer voy-
ages, while smoking pipe with friend.
They observed that an old man, sitting
at table near them slipping his whisky
and water slowly, appeared highly inter
ested in their conversation.
When Captain Black left the inn the
old man followed him into the street and
eagerly questioned him about the Labra-
dor coast. Before they parted he made
the captain promise to take him to the
Bay of the Dead the following spring.
Captain Black had harbored there once
| during great storm. In the spring,
when the warm rays Of the sun had
loosed the icy barriers Of the coast, Cap
tain Black, mindful Of his promise,
sought the mysterious old man, but
found him dying Of fever. Amid the
rawlings of delirium the astonished and
horror stricken captain was told . tale
Of murder, bloodshed and robbery on the
high seas, and of the hidden treasure Of
the Bay Of the Dead.
Manning flor the dying man was none
other than the notorious ex-pirate), with
blasphemous curses foretold death and
destruction to any one who should at
tempt to secure the i'll gotten wealth.
In q paroxysm Of fear and despair he
died unrepentant, unabsolved. The
captain was too bold man to be deter
red from seeking the treasure by q dying
mans curse, 30 he Immediately set sail
for the Bay Of the Dead.
The weather being foggy and the coast
dangerous, he approached with the ut
most caution. Within q few hundred
yards of the coveted goal, the burying
ground, q strange faintness came over
him, his limbs refused to bear him.
Eager to secure the treasure, which had
from long breeding become his sole OBJ
ject in life, he with a great effort drag
ged himself to the bcw of the vessel
At that moment the ominous words,
Death, death, DEATH" sounded in his
startled ears.
A mortal fear overspread him, and he
had barely sufficient strength to order
the crew TO put about. The sailors.
wondering at the strange conduct Of
their captain, obeyed Just in time 10 pre-
vent striking sunken reef. Among the
crew of Captain Blacks vesse, on this
occasion was lad of some thirteen years
or age, Ricketts, by name. The captain
had made rather q pet of this boy, and
during the long voyage had related TO
him the story of Manning. Thirty
years passed, and no further attempt
was made to wrest the wealth from its
ghostly keeper. In the year 1850 Rick
etts, then in middle age and living in
the United States. was haunted man.
In dreams and in his waking hours the
appsrition of Manning followed him.
urging him TO 60 10 the Bay Of the Dead
and secure the treasure. Old inhabitants
Of the coast say that in that year 1s60l
q strange vessel flying the American flag
sailed into the harbor Of the Bay of the
Dead. The captain, whose name was
Ricketts,, hired a fishing boat, and whils
ostensibly engaged in fishing operations
spent a great pant of his time in explor-
ing the shore and digging. After .
month spent in this mysterious way he
departed, returning, however, the fol-
lowing summer.
Again he was watched, and from the
burial ground ut the Bay OF the Dead
was seen to unearth o large wooden boz
or cask. which he carried OF with him.
Again, 90 late as 1880, strange Amer
lean vessel paid mysterious visits TO the
bay. Their object was and b . subject
Of endless conjecture among the 6sher'
folk.
There are now many graves Ut the Bay
Of the Dead, and the good people Of thu
coast, with their great respect for The
dead, disturb them not TO search for hid
den treasures.
Il cannot be asserted positively thai
the treasure Of Manning has been tom
from its hiding place and the spirit Of
the murdered negro released from hi
long and faithful vigil. But 1t is . sur
auu $780,. -. uweuR un00 =
.iiFs of the bay has of late. without sn
! Pitchers castoFIa.