San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-28

weather kept WONDERFUL nne. Besides,
they knew we understood dot IL we
slipped the boat nd be alongside afore
we could have hoisted rag of canvas,
and then they'd have blowed our brains
out. +"
''They certainly would have done
that, said William, with a sudden dis
tortion Of face that at least proved the
fellows slow intelligence possessed
some small capacity of realization.
'It grew plain to me and William, /"
continued Harry, that them gents
meant to give the brigantine good
chance, the ship lying at anchor and
themselves spending the days ashore
along with their gold. Davenire asked
William afore going into the boat one
morning to let go second anchor if
circumstances obliged. William said
yes, he'd do that to save the ship for his
own life's sake 1"
81 must interrupt" said Mr.. Mat
thews. when the boat went ashore
with the gold, how deep did she fioat?"
''She showed a side like plank. sir, I"
answered William. "She was sunk so
deep when the nine of the gents got in
ON top of the chests that / allow it set
tied their resolution then and there to
give the brigantine a good long chance
and to keep the ship at anchor to use by
and by if that there Saunders, as I'd hear
them call him, didn't tarn up"
They'll never attempt to carry away
the gold in the boat them" said Mat
thews to the commander.
mo"
but I always felt it. I knew that
boats capacity. Nine menl They'd
need to go flush with stores. They'd see
to that They're not gentlemen to go
afloat with view to perishing Of thirst
anyhow" said Mr.. Matthews. "They II
not trust the treasure in her, and unless
the brigantine has turned up since the
ship was blown or rather rolled away
from the island the COLDS ashore and
ready for us to restow."
How came you to be rolled OFF the
island, as I've heard you express it?'
said Boldock.
The Dane and William looked at each
other. and William spoke.
at was shortly afore shutdown four
days ago, with the roastingest hot look
in the face of the west that ever took
notice of in all my time. The gents had
been ashore all day and was still ashore.
They seemed sick and tired of keeping a
lookout for the brigantine and had left
the vessel without taking any glasses
with them. So / reckoned from the heap
that lay ON the cuddy table. We lay
about mile out, and by looking through
a telescope could see 'em plain. sitting,
walking about, talking. Twas constantly
a-watching of 'em in this way, reckon.
ing I'd light on where they'd hid the
gold.
but how was the ship rolled off,
MANI" said the commander.
"All of a sudden, while was look
ing westward at the flare there and the
light upon the water, saw the sea in
trouble and a-moving. 1t had been calm
down to this, a nice air Of wind out Of
the south and small natural heave Of
swell. The trouble in that water came
along in seas. O."
Rollers" said the Dane.
"Rollers, them" exclaimed William.
1--WE was riding head on, and the first
bowed us cathead under. She rose roar
ing OIL top of the next lump of brine
with leap that knocked me down and
parted the cable. In the shindy and fear
l didn't know the cable was gone. The
island was sight. 1t was smoking with
salt. The rollers flung themselves hun
dreds of feet high into the air in white
water, which fell with noise like bolts
of thunder upon a mountain. That
curve of land which protected the 'arbor
smoked, too, l can tell you," said Will
liam, speaking a little fast with some
excitement of memory and some en-.
joyment of his own powers of nara
ton. ut was raging white water in
the 'arbor itself, but all so thick with
the mist of spray, though now it was
blowing but light wind, that l could
not see what the men were doing of. /
reckoned, however, that their first idea
would be to haul the boat high and dry
to save her. There was nine, and it was
to be done quickly among 'em. l sings
out Shall we let 60 the second anchor,
'Arry?' That was arter saw we was
adrift, and he yelled out, 1T 'ud never
hold her in this sea- Let her go. It's
our chance of getting away, Bill, with
out risking our lives, and 1 don't be-
lieve myself that a second anchor would
have held the ship. 1 never saw such a
swell, never heard of the like of it. 1t
was got up like magic. Every blow
seemed to drive the ship by her own
length astern, leaving her sunk in a
valley, and to clear the land we hoisted
the fore topmast staysail. This coaxed
her head off, but it was wonderful she
didn't founder in the trough afore she
came starn on, by which time the island
was ON the quarter, the sun going down
and darkness a-settling over the world. I"
ITO cut the yarn short" said the
commander, "the ship drifted, the night
came down, the rolling sea broke upon