Sharp County record., 1896-11-27

This Is IT,"
"And no one else resides here"
"No one"
"Follow me inside the gate. Halt!
Stand there, where il he holds a light
he may see your muskets glisten. Now,
silence!" And the captain knocked
loudly on the door.
Presently a window opened from
above.
well, what's wanted?"
"Are you Secretary Raynor?"
"Yes; what is wanted?"
"You are wanted at the treasury at
once. l have orders to conduct you
there"
What Is the trouble?"
81 don't know. Something Is wrong"
"Who are you?"
Capt. Philip Holt, Of the regular
army, and a detachment of four men,"
and the captain ratified his sword
against the scabbard.
"I'll come at once" and in two min
utes the secretary stepped out of the
door.
"IIave you the vault keys?"
"Yes, but why?"
''They might be needed, that's all.
Forward, march,"
Stra ght for the door of the treasury
did they march until halted by the
sentinel. Black Beard recognized the
voice of his own sentry, and knew that
all was WELL
"Where Is the lieutenant and the sec
rctary, sentinel?'
"In the building, captain"
"Very well, pay strict attention to
your duty. Forward, march," and at
the door the captain knocked three
times with the hilt of his sword. !
1t swung open, and all but the sentry
entered -Pockmarked Bill was sta-
toned before it.
"Lieut. Parks, have you secured the
prisoners?" ,
"They are bound and gagged" and
the lieutenant pointed to the forms OF
the sentry and watchman lying on the
floor.
II trust 1t was unnecessary to injure
them," said the captain, "our duties are
not pleasant, secretary, but they must
be performed-now, I'll trouble you for
the vault key and the key to the door
that leads there .
But said the secretary, who now
began to get suspicious.
"No time for Ifs and butts, sir! Quick,
men, the cords. Secretary, you see tho
shining muzzle Of this pistol, the strong
arm Of the government is here
The secretary was soon bound and
gagged and deposited with the other
two, and, emptying his pockets, Sandy
took the keys and led the way.
They bore the three men along and
placed them IN On inner Office. Then
Sandy led the way to the vaults, un-
locked and threw open the doors and
there 10y the gold coin Of Uncle Sam
great heaps sewed up in sacks contain
tanning $4,000 each.
Each man took from beneath his vest
q canvas bag and filed It with as many
sacks Of coin as he could carry, and the
"a men, we'll laden, marched back to the
Fisher Boy and hastily descended to
the captains cabin, where the gold was
deposited. Then the uniforms were
do1red and the sailor rig donned, the fas-
Jennings cast loose and the Fisher Boy
swung round, her ample sails spread.
filed with the stiffening breeze, and she
was OF, scudding through the water
like q thing Of life, dashing the spray
from her prov, and fast leaving behind
the scene Of the most daring exploit Of
Black Beard.
On ladder that hung suspended over
her stern stood man with brush
end paint pot. The Fisher Boy had
disappeared from the face Of the ocean
forever, and II was the Nancy Parks
that nt midnight on the 18th OF the
month found her way under the guild
ance Of IN experienced eye into the
estuary Of Smiths island and was made
fast to the pirates landing.
The gold was transferred to the cav.
ern and placed with the other treasures
TO await a general division by Black
beard among his crew, Then bumper
followed bumper over the success OF
tlieir last great venture, and when
finally the last man had drunk his fill
and story ami rhyme and song died
out the music OF the cabin changed to
lusty snores, which evidenced that even
pirate forms must find repose, and re-
pose they did, as peacefully as though
the nation was not aroused us 1t had
not been since 1912, and MS II they
needed not the fact that congress had
already offered n reward Of $3.50, 900 for
the apprehension Of the looters Of the
treasury,
True, they kneY not who they were,
but as Black Bel fd's name was now on
every tongue II was conceded to be
he; though the third secretary, when
released from his uncomfortable po-
stion at nine n, m. on the 10th, said;
"That from the military bearing OF
the officer who accompanied him from
his house to the treasury he must have
been West Pointer"
CHAPTER Xxx.