The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-04-21

| w Z DeaIeu DI1ChS Teu uOL ou tilo duOy
stove, swiftly wrapped them up in
cloths, and they no sooner touched the
water than they were gulped down.
AS soon as a shark was wounded by
ball or lance so as to leave trail OF
blood he was at once eagerly attacked
by others, and our hot bricks soon
turned dozen OF more big fellows on
their backs.
1t was regular circus for about
three hours, during which at least
fifty of the monsters were slaughtered,
and then those that were left alive
suddenly drew off to the last one, and
we did not sight another shark during
our stay. l did not 60 down again
for twenty-four hours, however, not
feeling certain that some big fellow
was not lying in wait behind the
wreck. When | did descend | found
the schooner lifting to the casks, and
after attaching three or four more she
slowly rose to the surface. We then
got the boats out and towed her into
depth of fourteen feet and then swayed
her over until she righted. She went
to the bottom again, of course, as the
casks no longer buoyed her, but we
expected that.
When | came to go down in my suit
[ found almost a clear deck. She had
been schooner-rigged and both masts
had been carried away at the deck.
Beginning at the heel of the bowsprit
and running along the port side about
twenty-five feet of her bulwarks were
left standing. Capstan, windlass,
hatch covers and the skylight of the
cabin had been swept away. This
latter fact was greatly in my favor, as
| could drop directly into the cabin.
| was told to look for the treasure in
the captains stateroom, but my feet
had no sooner touched the cabin floor
than my outstretched hands encoun-
tered something which knew by the
feel to be dead man. My finding him
in the situation | did still further
dcepened the mystery of the whole
expedition. He was tied fast and
had to cut him loose with my knife.
; AS soon as released the body hoated
upward, and the men told me that it
foated out to sea with the tide, riding
on the surface like cork.
Evening was now drawing near, and
further search was abandoned until
another day. After breakfast next
morning | descended again, and with
in two hours had the treasure out of
the wreck. L found it, not in the
captains stateroom, but on the floor
of the main cabin--the diamonds were
in cast-iron box about as large as
child's savings bank, and the gold in
stout wooden boxes, and l left nothing
behind.
From the treasure being found
where it was argued that there had
been mutiny before the storm, and
that the captain had been tied in the
cabin and the crew was making ready
TO divide up the spoils. Perhaps after
driving over the reef and striking the
rock one had been cast ashore to tell
the story, and it was on his informa-
ton we acted. If SO, however, the
fact was not admitted. | learned no
more than | have told you. Not one
of the crew knew the value of our
find, and, sailorlike, asked but few
questions.
When the treasure was safe aboard
we returned to Rio. For four days
not man was permitted to leave the
vessel. Then | received the sum
agreed upon, with a considerable in
crease, the men were made happy
with a snug sum of money counted
down to each, and we were all bundled
aboard a steamer bound for Cuba,
each giving his promise to say nothing
of the wrecking expedition to anyone.
learned later on that Government
vessels searched for weeks for the
wreck, and that the Rio banker had to
flee to England for safety, but that
only added to the strangeness of the
adventure instead of clearing up the
many mysteries. I'M. Quad, in st.
Louis Republic.
ReparatiOn.
Jones--I say, colonel, your dog bit