The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-03-14


| guard over the treasure, preventing any
adventurous outsider from unearthing II.
He then heaped up the earth over the
| Eve 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 sunken reef. With
despairing shrieks and prayers to the
God whose laws they had outraged, her
wretched crew were launched into eter-
nifty. All were thought to have per-
ished.
Twenty years passed, q new genera
ton grew up, and the story of Manning
and his exploits was well nigh forgotten.
Then, AZ now, trading vessels from Nova
Scotia frequented the coast to supply the
scattered settlements with the necessa-
ries Of life, receiving in return furs and
fish.
In the year 1880 the captain Of one of
these vessels happened to be in an inn in
Halifax talking over his summer voy-
ages, while smokinga pipe with u 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.
To-, - L.,
died unrepentant, unabsolved. The
captain was too bold man to be deter
red from seeking the treasure by dying
mans curse, SO 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 tine coveted goal, the burying
ground, strange faintness came over
him, his limbs refused to bear him.
Eager to secure the treasure, which had
from long brooding become his sole OBJ
ject in life, he with great effort drag
ged himself to the bow Of the vessel.
At that moment the ominous words,
Death, death, deathr 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 to pre-
vent striking a sunken reef. Among the
crew of Captain Blacks vessel on this
occasion was a lad of some thirteen years
or age, Ricketts, by name. The captain
had made rather a 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 1860 Rick
etts, then in middle age and living in
the United States. was haunted man.
In dreams and in his waking hours the
apparition of Manning followed him,
urging him to go to the Bay of the Dead
and secure the treasure. Old inhabitants
of the coast say that in that year 1S60)
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 while
ostensibly engaged in fishing operations
spent great pant Of his time in explor-
ing the shore and digging. After a
month spent in this mysterious way he
departed, returning, however. the fol-
lowing summer.
Again he was watched, and from the
burial ground at the Bay of the Dead
was seen ID unearth large wooden box
or cask, which he carried off with him.
Again, plate as 1880, strange Amer
lean vessel paid mysterious visits to the
bay. Their object was and is q subject
of endless conjecture among the fisher
folk.
There are now many graves at the Bay
of the Dead, and the good people of the
coast, with their great respect for the
dead, disturb them not to search for hid
den treasures.
1t cannot be asserted positively that
the treasure of Manning has been torn
from its hiding place and the spirit of
the murdered negro released from his
long and faithful vigil. But it is sure