Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-04-30
TREASURE TROVE.

HI IIlO y IL.
81 dreamed about that berried treas
IRE agin las night. Jack" said old
Skipper Maxwell, resting his oars a bit
To draw his sleeve across his weather.
beaten face, which was moist with pers-
piration.
Don't doubt it a bit, Uncle SOL"
laughed JackBelchers, who sat in the
stern sheets OF the Whitehall boat, sand
papering some mackerel jigs to a prop
or degree of brightness.
"Oh, you can laugh" responded the
old fisherman, locally known in Bar
mouth as Uncle Sol; "but there's more
in dreams than folks think for. an
everybody in yarmouth knows that
Cap'n Kidd hid MORN one chist full of
gold along on this here shore"
IL know people sag So" returned
Jack. lightly, but Uncle Sol. unheeding
the emphasized word, resumed his
rowing and went on:
"If you'n !, now, could only be lucky
enough TO find il, Jack, think of the
good the money'd do us! | wouldn't
have TO fish for a %livin', an you could
go ahead an finish your schoolin' Jest
the same's though Squire Belchers had
left you his property, as folks always
callated he would do"
Jacks bright face clouded a little.
81 never shall understand why my
adopted father did not make a will be-
fore he died. he responded; never,
for he spoke OF doing so very freely
the last time / was home on vaca-
ton"
you don't s'pose. Jack" said Skip
per Maxwell, involuntarily lowering his
voice, "that Squire Belchers might a
made one after all. and that air scaly
brother Of his-Lawyer Belchers-got
holt Of il an hid it away"
Nonsense" rather sharply inter-
rupted Jack. Lawyer Belchers is too
shrewd TO commit a crime that would
send him TO states prison; no, that
sort Of thing is done in stories a great
deal oftener than in real life"
I'D believe anything that's bad of
Thurston Belchers, or his boy either
the skipper returned pers;stently.
"'Member how mad folks said he was"
he continued with a glance over his
shoulder at a distant ~sailboat, "wheu
the squire took YOU home after your
pa and ma was lost at sea, and made
no bones OF tellin' here in yarmouth
how he cal'lated to adopt you, which
he finally did,"
"Yes, | remember something about
it, was his careless reply.
The boat having reached its destina-
a.. ...zt .,t1.la tLZ IA.la- ,,..,.I
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 a line in
either hand, one at the bow and the
other in the stern. awaiting IA 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.
"ble, too" exclaimed Jack, and for
a 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 trend
ed downward through the intense
%greenish black water. There's the
Spray bearin' down 10 u.s." he added,
and Jack involuntarily frowned.
The Spray was the staunchest and
handsomest boat in yarmouth harbor.
Squire Belchers had her built for his
adopted son only the year efore. But
after his death no will was found, so
his brother 1hurston. as neXt of kin,
took out letters of administration and
coolly limited TO Jack that his room in
the great old-fashioned house, so long
his home, was better than his COM
pany.
Jack had spoken his mind very free
ly both to Mr.. Belchers and Bradford,
his son a young fellow Of Jacks age.
Then, gathering up his clothing, books
and personol items Jack shook the dust
of his fc the old home and took
refuge f. days with Uncle Sol
Maxwell. lived in a small one
story house on the edge of the shore.
Rather than be idle while he wa
LAYING plans for his future actions,
Jack, dressed according to his work.
accompanied Uncle Sol down the har-
Dor in his trips for the fresh fish with
which the latter supplied the two sum
mer 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 mar in a
flannel boating suit steering the swift
ly approaching boat. in which vas a
gay party. that called the frown to
Jacks face.
"He's tryin' to show OF his boat sail
in" said the, skipper contemptuously.
as at the sight OF the small boat Brad
hauled his wind and headed directly
for them.
Say, yon two fellows got any fish to
sell?" shouted Brad in his most patron
izing tone and manner as o as the
Spray came within hail.
Jack bit his lip without replying.
Suddenly Skipper Maxwell sprang to
his feet.
"~Luf-luff, you laundering fool-do
you want to run us down?" he roared.
But the warning came too late. The
catboat's sharp stern crashed through
the side of the smaller skin. whose oc-
cupants managed to scramble aboard
the spray. amid a chorus OF screams