Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-09-05

we happened to have with MS, and some
of that stuff was actually recovered aft
erward. But l was III hard luck. When
we were getting into the boat, some fool
who went down the rope ahead of me
dropped his sheath knife, which was
sharp, and when 1 lowered myself-in
my bare feet, as we all were-I got
mighty nasty cut in my left foot on
that knife. The salt water inf1amed it,
go that it was sight to see by the time
we got to La Guayra and I was think
ing more about my chances for lockjaw
than anything else. So couldn't hus-
tie around to hide my stuff, as the other
fellows did, and of course I couldn't
trust any of them, and the upshot was
that when we were arrested every piece
of gold and every jewel had was cap
tured, all but the opal, which, being an
unset stone, had slipped into the waist
band Of my old trousers. 1t was not
found
1.-THE superintendent knew we'll
enough that all the valnables we had
belonged of right to the company, but
he couldn't t prove it, at least he couldn't
w lllC otblS1ttClloD VI bllS fSIl6Lucldu
authorities, so after long hard fight in
the courts we were let go, but not until
we had been. upon one or another pre-
text, stripped of everything in sight. He
recovered nothing except his longboat,
but the sailors, lawyers, courts and ev-
erybody else pretty much took hack
at us until nothing was left. Then we
We're literally kicked out.
II got to Porto Rico on goleta; then
to Trinidad before the mast; to Liver
pool in the same way, and finally back
to New York, firing on steamer. Lord
What tough time I had But through
everything l managed to retain my big
opal. Iwent to see Jenny Paterson, and
she would have nothing to do with me.
Alec had got home some time before
did and poisoned her mind against me
with stories of l don't know what. I
had hoped he had forgotten the opal and
our fight, but he had not and had done
me the worst hurt he could.
''In a few days after my return was
arrested again, at the company's in
stance, on the old charge of stealing re-
covered jewels, and little gold pin
with three or four cheap small stones in
it that was found in my possession when
was taken up was held to be an in
eliminating proof of my guilt. 1t was
not, for I had won it fairly at cards
from another fireman coming over from
Liverpool, and, so far as know, it had
never been within thousand miles of
the wreck of the San Pedro Alcantara.
The company did no better prosecuting
me at home than they had done abroad,
for proof was lacking, and l was dis
charged. But the effect Of the affair was
damning, SO far as work in my profess
sion was concerned. No wrecking COM
pany would hire diver supposed to be
dishonest. I tried for work in other
ways, got several successive situations
and was driven from each in turn by
some unknown person-Alec, I've no
Notwithstanding to my employer news
paper account of my trial.
81 lost heart and hope, took to drink
ing hard, had only rags to wear and
many a day was 4niserably hungry, yet
through all that bitter time, with
strange unreasoning infatuation for the
fascinating and accursed thing, man
aged to keep my opal, and when /
deemed myself secure from observation
among my tatters and gloat over it, and
wonder how much it was worth, and de-
bate with myself whether / could make
up my mind to sell it, and, if SO, how I
could, i'll my condition, dispose of such
a gem without being deemed thief and
having it seized from me without any
compensation. ALI such questions were
suddenly settled for me.
Zone night had become SO utterly
wretched that deliberately resolved to
jump off the pier and end it all. had
been looking at my opal until the con-
trast between its glory and my debase-
ment seemed to madden me. Within
block of the river, as l passed dark
alley, house seemed to fall suddenly
on me, and knew nothing more. When
/ recovered my senses, l don't know
how long after, my hair and beard were
matted with blood from cut on my
head, my face was caked with mud
from the street where / had fallen, and
my opal was gone. No doubt some
robber had seen me handling it, follow
ed, and after knocking me senseless rob-
bed me.
1.-The blow left me still dazed after I
had got on my feet, and I staggered
along aimlessly, III the direction my
nose happened to be pointed, until I got
to Broadway. And there l encountered
Jenny, with her mother, returning home
from a visit. The agony in my heart at
sight of her, so beautiful and far above
the thing l had become, leaped to my
lips, and without knowing what I did
l cried ont her name MS lost soul
might shrek to an angel. By sight the
dear girl could not have known me, as
she has told me since, so much had mis-
cry changed me, but my voice went
straight to her heart, and with an an
swering Cry of "Oh, you poor Benr'
she sprang to me and held me up, or I
should have fallen. And her mother,
noble, good woman, who always liked
me, she, too, knew at once whose voice
had called her daughters name and
helped sustain me.
"They took me home and fixed me
up. l was i'll for few days. and they
tended me as kindly as if had deserv-
ed it. Alec was away, gone to South
Africa. AS soon as got out I found
work i'll my old profession, at good
wages, with kind, true man who was
willing to give me n chance again And