San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-14

morning. When 1 awoRe and came on
deck, I belheld a beautiful scene of
bright green land, most sweet and re-
freshing to the sight after long days of
blue water. 1t lay out upon what is
called the port beam. Soon afterward
both vessels anchored. Robert from the
poop of the Queen necessarily viewed
the land through glass, but told me he
could see no sign of the men.
depend upon it, said he, they
are in hiding. The boat left the island
Yesterday ON piratical cruise-that is,
with the idea, since they had lost thu
bark, of falling in with small vessel
suitable to their purpose, seizing her
and sending her people adrift. Look
how we'll they were armed.
81 suggested that if the three men
were not on the island they might have
been killed in quarrels.
"'We shall soon find that out, he
exclaimed.
Before he went ashore he entered
the steerage to exhort the prisoners to
tell him where the gold was hidden.
He said that q confession would be Of
great use to them, while their silence
could simply signify nothing but the in
convenience of detention. for he was de-
termined not to leave the island with
out the nuggets.
"Davenire asked if the island was
in sight, and, being answered, inquired
if the commander had been ashore.
This was all he said. He grinned fierce
" at the others, Robert told me, who
were as dumb as dogs. Quite as likely
as not that wretch of a giant was hop
ing and thinking that the nuggets
would not be found, that something
would befall to free him, SO that he
could return to the island in due course
properly equipped, and possess himself Of
the whole of the gold. Surely he or the
others would have confessed the hiding
place but for some such wild dream.
Caldwell had been taken out of the
steerage and put into the cabin into
which Trollope's body was conveyed.
think / told you that the remains of
that miserable man were buried in the
evening. Caldwell was now gloomily
and dangerously mad and needed sem
tinel with q truncheon. He was safe
enough, however, with irons on his feet
and handouts on his hands, and in this
dreadful, degrading condition Robert
told me he lay in a bunk; cursing his
Waterman, blabbing secrets of horror
and blood and grimacing with the face
of satan at the upper deck.
"Well, very soon after the ships were
anchored the longbOat-that historic
longboat-was lowered into the water
and eight men and Robert entered her.
1.-The boat went ashore at IL O'Clock
in the morning. twas very fine wealth
en- Indeed we were most fortunate in
this respect throughout The ships lay
with their topsails beating in pulses OF
light and shade as they lightly rolled
upon the smooth undulations Many
birds glanced like showers of broken
glass over the island and some drew
near on arched wings with coarse
shrieks They were evidently not used
to being disturbed by visitors, William
was in the longhoat Robert had refused
the services OF Harry, pronouncing him
a contemplate little murderer, unfit to
| oppose men in fair fight.
II watched the boat through an opera
glass as she grounded upon the beach
and two men were left in charge of her.
This reduced the strength of the com
mander's little company, but of course
it was necessary that the boat should bt
watched. Likewise there was the chance
of her being seized by the three mel
rushing down upon her. But that wa
risk not to be seriously apprehended
What use could they make of her? Th'
briggs boat would fetch Robert and hi
party, who would Immediately givC
chase to the robbers. l should add tina
the boat was without mast or sail, foI
these things the commander did not re
quire TO go ashore with.
"Well, watched Robert and his 81,
men march along the white sand. Rob
ert trudged with cutlass in his grasp
The others were armed with the lik
weapons as we'll as muskets and pistols
and they entered little valley, or, as
might say, a sort of hollow in the WOO
that was very thick upon this part o
the island, and disappeared,
"TheR for two hours we could get n
news either by eye or ear. Impatienc
became a torment l longed and ye
dreaded to hear the cracking of fire