Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-05-27
TREASURE TROVE.

|
TREASURE TROVE.
Il dreamed about that berried treasure
agin las night, jack" said old Skipper
Maxwell, resting his oars bit to draw his
sleeve across his weather beaten face.
which was moist with perspiration.
Don't doubt it a bit, Uncle SOL" laugh
ed Jack Belchers, who sat in the stern
| sheets of the Whitehall boat, sandpapering
some mackerel jigs to proper degree of
brightness.
"Oh, you can laugh" responded the old
fisherman, locally known in yarmouth as
Uncle Sol, "but there's more in dreams
| than folks thinks for, an everybody in Bar
mouth knows that Cap'n Kidd hid more'n
one chist full of gold along on this here
shore"
Il know some people say So" returned
Jack lightly, but Uncle Sol, unheeding the
emphasized word, resumed his rowing and
went on:
IF you'n I, now. could only be lucky
enough to find it, Jack, think of the good
the money'd do us! I wouldn't hev to fish
fer Twin, an you could go ahead an finish
your schoolin jest the same's though
Squire Belchers had left you his property,
as folks always cal'lated he would do"
Jacks bright face clouded little.
II never shall understand why my
adopted father did not make will before
he died" he responded; "never, for he
spoke OF doing SO very freely the last time
was home on vacation"
tSVnrrs INIT 81, nj
Maxwell, involuntarily lowering his voice,
shat Squire Belchers might "a made one
after all, and that air scaly brother of his
Lawyer Belchers-got holt of it an hid it
| away''- E
Nonsense" rather sharply interrupted
Jack. Lawyer Belchers is too shrewd to
| commit a crime that would send him to
| state prison. No, that sort of thing is done
| in stories great deal oftener than in real
| life."
Cpd believe anything that's bad of
Thurston Belchers, or his boy either" the
| skipper returned persistently. "'Mem-
| Der how mad folks said he was" he con-
| tinued, with glance over his shoulder at
| a distant sailboat. when the squire took
you home after your pa and ma was lost
| to sea, and made no bones of tellin here in
yarmouth how he caIlated to adopt you,
which he finally did?"
Eyes, l remember hearing something
about it, was his careless reply.
The boat having reached its destination
just outside the harbor mouth, Skipper
Maxwell drew in his oars and dropped the
killock. A bucketful of chopped CLAIMS
| was used as bait, and very soon they were
| lingering line in either hand, one at the
| bow and the other in the stern, awaiting a
| bite.
''There they be-" muttered Uncle Sol,
dropping one line and pulling the other
| with the swift hand-over-hand motion
peculiar to the mackerel catcher
"Me, too," exclaimed Jack, and for
| few moments the fishermen were busy
enough pulling in mackerel as fast as their
hands could fly.
"Struck off agin," observed Skipper
Maxwell, as once more the lines trended
| downward through the intense greenish
black water. "There's the Spray bearin
down to U.s." he added, and Jack involun-
tarily frowned.
The Spray was the stanchest and hand
soonest boat in yarmouth harbor Squire
Belchers had her built for his adopted SON
only the year before. But after his death
no will was found, so his brother Thurs
| ton, as next of kin, took out letters of adj
ministration and coolly limited to Jack that
shis room in the great old fashioned house,
SO long his home, was better than his COM
pany.
| Jack had spoken his mind very freely
| both to Mr.. Belchers and Bradford, his
son, a young fellow of Jacks age. Then,
gathering up his clothing, books and per-
sonal items Jack shook the dust Off his
feet, left the old house and took refuge for
; few days with Uncle Sol Maxwell, who
lived in small one story house on the edge
of the shore.
Rather than be idle when he was laying
plans for his future actions, Jack, dressed
according to his work, accompanied Uncle
Sol down the harbor in his trips for the
fresh fish with which the latter supplied
the two summer hotels, which were just
then full of visitors.
| Bradford, or Brad, Belchers had at once
taken possession of the Spray, and it was
the sight of the young man in flannel
boating suit steering the swiftly approach
ing boat, in which was gay party, that
called the frown to Jacks face.
"He's tryin to show off his boat sailin,"
said the skipper contemptuously, as at the
sight of the small boat Brad hauled his
wind and headed directly for them.
| 0dys yOu UWO lC4OWS, kOU any ISL W
SELF" shouted Brad in his most patroniz-
came within hail.
Jack bit his lip without replying. Sud
denly Skipper Maxwell sprang to his feet.
| 'Luff-luff, you laundering fool-do you
want to run us DOWN." he roared.
But the warning came too late. The cat
boats sharp stem crashed through the side
of the smaller skiff, whose occupants man
aged to scramble aboard the Spray amid
chorus of screams from the young ladies of
the party.
| "l'll be even with you yet for sinkin my
boat, young feller," wrathfully exclaimed
Uncle Sol, turning to Brad, who looked
| rather ashamed for the moment.
why didn't you keep your old boat out
Of the way?" growled Brad.
Jacks eyes flashed with indignation, but
nothing more was said or done till the
Spray arrived at the wharf.
The loss Of his boat was serious matter
for Uncle Sol And it was in vain that he
applied to Brad's father for redress. Mr.
Belchers would not even listen to him.
"Now's the time some O. Cap'n Kidds
buried gold would come in handy, eh,
Jacks" remarked the old man ruefully on
the following evening, as the two sat on
the little porch in front of the house, look
ing out over the harbor and the sea, which
were bathed in the wonderful sheen of
moonlight.
'Some of the old squirrels would too,"
returned Jack, who was feeling very heavy
hearted. It was not alone at the loss of
the fortune which should have been his.
He had had deep affection for eccentric
Squire Belohers, and it hurt Jack more
than he cared to own that his adopted
father had left no word or message even
to show that he returned his regard.
Uncle Sol made no answer. Like many
of his kind, he was inclined to supersti-
ton. It was the full of the moon, and ac=
cording to an old legend it was at such a
time that the marks on Kidd's ledge 10
eating the burning place of pot of gold