The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

smoker: wore miners clothes and close cropped
beard of singular copper color Two hundred
Whereabouts. FoSDYK IL FoSDYK, solieitors
3 BIsh ops gate within, London, i. C-Adye rtise-
ment
have never told OF my connection with
the Earl of Gasket affair. In the first
place the details of the story will disclose
the discreditable part played, and in the
second l cannot say positively that ever
saw the real Earl of Gasket. To all intents
and purposes / was myself the Earl OF
Gasket while off the California coast, but
if my fellow passenger was not the real
Earl then was the counterfeit of q
shadow, and the mystery will only become
deeper by the publication of my expert
ence. So have hesitated about writing 1t.
On the other hand, the name and de-
scription are so like The man / knew that
the matter could scarcely have been a
simple coincidence. And as for his disap-
pearanee from Babaquivera with the big
gold bar, it is quite natural that he should
have decided TO get INTO Mexico, and so
chose Ensenada as his destination, where
an English company was operating. There
he would have found congenial young
Englishmen as dissipated as himself.
Thence he would have decided to risk de-
tection at San Francisco while embarking
on an Oriental steamer. OF course, l ad-
NIT the possibility that the young Earl
never left Arizona alive, but was waylaid
on his way from the mines with the Poid,
and that his bones may now be lying on
the desert, gnawed clean by coyotes. But
in that case who was my fellow-passenger,
and why did he personate the Earl?
No, after thinking thesmatter over, in
cline to the belief that the Earl went to
the dogs in Arizona, and finally In dis
gust decided to steal the gold bar in
trusted to him and use the proceeds to
carry him away, anywhere-to Mexico,
China or India. If l remember rightly,
the papers said the bar was worth 200.
That was enough 10 tempt even an. Earl,
especially if he were young and impe-
cunious. 1t is probable that on the death
of the Duchess Whats-her-name, wnen.
the London lawyers were looking over the
world 10 find the heir to her millions, that
young man, unconscious OF his greater
wealth, was scattering the proceeds of the
Arizona gold bar in the lotus lands across
the Pacific. l have no doubt that he will
eventually turn up TO claim his money.
1t is to give the young devil his due that
tell my story, and old newspaper men
will pardon me for emerging from the
decent and customary anonymity of the
craft to assist in solving the absorbing
question-Where is the Earl of Gasket?
am a newspaper man-Earl Gasket by
name. During one of the late Central
American squabbles l was sent down as
special correspondent, mainly through a
villainous smattering of Spanish unfortu-
nately picked up along the Rio Grande.
1t is irrelevant and painful to dwell upon
my experiences in Central America. l
got out as quickly as possible, and came
up along the coast, writing up special ar
ticles, and finally landed at Enseneda.
There awaited the steamer Triton, Cap
tain Won Rudder, en- route from Mazatlan
to San Francisco.
Owing to "untoward circumstances"
ETC., found l had barely enough money
left to buy a second-class ticket. / was
not sorry, however, to part with my last
''dobe" for the pasteboard that would take
me back to San Francisco. and scanned
the list of my fellow-passengers with as
much interest as if l were travelling on a
hrst-class pass. Among the names of the
Morenos, Rodriguezes, Fulanos, Zutanos,
and all, I saw:
THE Earl of Gasket."
'Aha," said I, 'the Gaskets travel to-
gether. shall cultivate his Grace"
The next afternoon the Tritons deep
whistle was heard. The entire population
with one accord awoke from Its slesta and
ran open-mouthed to the beach and
swarmed on the long wharf like ants
sent my trunk down on the back of
stout paisano and followed soon after.
The Triton was just making fast. Cap
tain Won Rudder, bluff and bearded,
stood on the bridge believing out orders
in English, Spanish or German, and some
times mixing the three, as occasion
seemed to require. Dozens of Mexicans
jumped for the lines as they were heaved
ashore, while others ran for the gang
plank ana cleared the way with a great
deal of noise for the uniformed captain of
the port, who majestically advanced, with
a few hangers-on, all calmly smoking
cigarettes A fusillade of salutations had
begun between the crowd and their
friends on board, and the, air was full of
'Como te vas, Chlcha? All, Pepe! que
tai de Mazatlan?"
Soon the lines were made fast and the
gangplank run out. Friends, men as well
as women, embraced and patted one an
other on the back. The sailors dealing in
odd shells and gulf pearls brought out
their wares, squawking parrots and green
pineapples obstructed the path, and the
putting donkey engine began TO disem-
bowel the steamer of crates OF panoche.
barrels of teauila and big punches of plan
tains.
The busy steward and his funkies
hustled the passengers ashore and began
to stow away the newcomers for San
Francisco. Ny porter stood by and
pointed to me when addressed by the
steward, who consulted his list and read
the name, Earl Gasket," on my trunk.
Right this way, Mr.-um-that is
er-your Majesty" said the steward,
fawning before me. "BilIy, bring the
Earls trunk into No. II. Not so luxuriant
as you are used to, of course" added the
steward, turning to me, "but the best
stateroom we've got on the ship. Will
you come this way, um-um2"
TIE ota-ord lad tho Uov cu;va-;ro