The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-07-19

by tAe captain. Five dollars was
large SUN TO these poor Toys. But
Denny still resisted.
II found it," he asserted. 'and l
shall set my own price. Skipper Nc
Leod cannot buy it for five dollars
lie wants IL more than he cares to
let us know. / saw that plainly
enough In his eyes"
Before night, too. Denny prudently
took the whale stone oil the fish
lake and hid II away in safe place.
This was a wise act for the next
morning the boys found everything
topsyturvy about the fakes ana the
landing Jetty, as if some one had
been searching there diligently.
The coaster still lay at anchor In the
bay.
This very suspicious circumstanca,
coupl d with tn, skipper's behavior,
caused Denny to think quit serious.
y about his whale stone aud its pos.
;iblc value, until at length h. be.
came SO earn st about IL
that he resolved to lind out
in some way what IL was and what it
was worth. But the flsherfolk who
lived near had no knowledge OF such
| matt RS
50 during the following we k,
| much against the advice OF Aleck
and the older members OF tn family.
Denny took an o'd potato sack, and
putting the gummy, ycllowy mass
within, started TO trudge with 1t on
his back all the way TO st Johns,
tn capital OF the island.
1t was heavy load and a great un.
! dertaking for a lad OF his age and
| limited experience. ii was five or
| six days making the journey; and
when at length he arrived IN the
! city lie was quite at loss how TO
| get the information he desired.
After walking the streets for some
time he made bold to enter a store
and ask the shop keeper to buy his
treasure. The man look at IL, and
laughed at him for fetching such a
worthless loss as that TO market.
AT another store man examined
IL curiously and offered ~ for IT, He
was so dlsheartened that he was
much tempted to take the money and
start at once for home; but he re.
solved to try little further Ac.
cordlngly he shouldercd his tiresome
load, and went out on the street
again
thancing TO glance back, he saw
that the stOrekeeper was following
very slowly after him, as IL TO see
where he was going. AS he turned
awkwardly togo on. he joStled against
a man in a unifOrm-the most splen.
| did garb he had ever sccn-and felt
greatly ashamed that his dirty gunny.
sack had rubbed against such a COR.
gcous red coat.
II didn't mean to. sir, :" he faltered,
dcprecatingly.
The officer laughed good -naturedly
and asked him what he had got SO
heavy in his gunny-hag
Il don't know what IL Is, SIR" re.
piled Denny, rather disconsolately
II wish l could apd some one wAo
co0id tell me" - @ 49,
ficer.
Denny turned his treasure ont OF
the sack; and h 5 new fac luaintance
examined IL, first with a smile, then
more attentively.
III ! am not mistaken, my lad
he said ST length, "this is ambergr ::
and If so, IL is valuable. Where did
you get it?"
Denny told him the history OF the
whale stone,
$50 you are stranger here" the
olllcer remarked,
"lcS, sir I've walked all the way
from Bonavi>ta Bay and brought
this thing on my shoulders.
"Well, | may be in error" observed
the uniformed gentleman; ''but come
with me 10 some tradcsmen whom ]
know. They will probably tell u,
whether am right"
To the mercantile house OF some
dealers OF a better class they accord
/ ing Y repaired, and after a critca
examination Of the gummy mass, and
various teStS-amOng others, heat,
which completely vOlatilized small
/ fragment OF IL, these aders pro
| nOunced the substance ambergris, OF
good quality, such as is formed in tn,
bodies OF whales.
q Before purchasing it, however, they
wanted a few days time in which Il
look more fully into the value OF the
article; and by advice of the major
for that was the rank OF the officer
who had thus kindly interested him
self in Denny's behalf-he left hi
load with them, and then sought
lodgings for the night,
1t was week or more before the
merchants tlnally decided what they
could afford to give for the ambergris
and meantime lenny grew very i'm
patient, for the major had now goae
away from ST Johns, and he did mol
have the benefit OF his couusels aitei
the first evening,
But the mercantile firm at last
came TO a conclusion as TO the value
OF the substances and the announce