The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11

% huuucIll upon H0Unetn1nK WnlCn DTO-
icctcd from under tho table. It was tho log Of
a man, a leg with a long sea boot upon IT,
his siiSO face, G Sfs a 5HSTC thrown E%s q 'tiS Srwa SGGr Snd 6Is SPSG9
twisted. Ono glance told mo that Il was Arm
strong, the ilrst officer, and a second that he
was a dead man. For n few moments ! stood
gasping. Then l rushed onto the deck, called
;Allardyce to my assistance, and came back with
from under The table, and as We looked q, lis
sThS same m0S as the The Spanish spS IisSiOs sailor ii aSS s s%iS
internal y shSst S""i Look " at RRF F@stron SSs ha ladi, 'p''
Ho held up the mates right hand, and there
MAS The .c,rcwdrivor which he had wished to nso
Hes been at the chest, sir. He knew that !
front OF It and hc pushed the lock hack with
that tool. Then something happened to him
happened to himl' -
s,c TGS s sSS0G dro,y mate ate ,I put h his co hand upon my
w can talk hero, sir, and wo don't know
who l mHy be l T. in M to bo us IN Int, there Soro What do
u give you my word, Allardyce. that have
well. ! can only find one theory which. will
at all tho facts. Look at the size Of tho box. Look
ut all the carving and metal work which may
weight of il, 1t took four men to carry It, On
the top OF that remember that two men have
tried TO open II, and both have come to their end
one thinci'
J OH iheHn Intl lleTe " " WhT. IL III
o course there Is q man in it. You know
how IL is in these south American states, sir
like a dog tho ncyt. They are forever flying
for thor lives. Ny idea is TINT there is some
pcrate, and who will fight to the death before
''l,nt his food and drinki'
ITS n rOouiy chest, sir. and he may have
some provisions slowed away. AS to his drink,
@ Rf had saw 9 t 1r'G" be " haa What sns S hr'w Tes a9Rssp the brig
You think. then. that the label asking poo
Pie not to open the box was simply written in
Yes, sir, that is my idea. Have you any
other way of oxplainine, the %iactsi'
| had to confess that | had not.
The question Is; what are We TO dol, asked.
The mans a dangerous rnii2n who sticks
s lon : i'd for hall an hour. Then !" we could open
kept him from getting any water maybe that
would do rs well. Or the carpenter could put
ho i : OF Ha'h''h over 1t ana stop ". the blow
Come, Allardyce,',' said I. %anErily, You
don't seriously mean to say that a whole ships
man in II boxi II he's there III engage to fetch
hill Mith 0 my reT ! TSn! i lS my my f Ssna. and as s'1ne A ihss
dyce" said l., do you open the lock and III
"For Gods sake, think what you arc doing,
sir" cried the mate. Two men have lost their
lives oyer it. and the blood of one is not yet dry
1.-The more reason why we should revenge
well, sir, at least let me call the carpenter.
Three are better than two, and he is a good
He went of in search of him, and 1 was left
alone with the striped chest In the cabin. I
don't think that I'm a nervous man, bnt kept
morning the red and white stripping Mas begin;
wreaths OF metal and carving, which showed
the loving pains which cunning craftsmen had
the mate came back together, the former with
a hammer in his hand.
Its a bad business this, sir" said he, shak-
ing his head as he looked at the body OF the
mat mate e ;; IA hARR nd 70! you think there's some one hid
'.There's no doubt about it," said Allardyce,
picking up the screwdrive- and setting his !awW
drive the lock back if you will both stand by.
II he rises let him have it on the head with
GoP bs 1 hammer e. Ssa ,1FS, S5w; Shoot at once SIR
He had knelt down in front of the STRIPED
chest and passed the blade Of the tool under
! "sia md by M' Ye i Spt the mate mate. ' and io With ie~ heavo
he threw open the massive top of the box. Az
my pistol leveIled, and the carpenter, with the
hammer above his head. Then, as nothing hap,
i; Not quito empty y'np Either. for in one corner
as the box itself. It's rich yellow tone, and
Of value. For the rest there was nothing moro
weighty or valuable than dust in the old striped
hlApkly into it. Where does the weight come
',took at the thieknss IS Of the sides ,Sssn and l fos
see sr fbat sr fSr h %Sthl sp she i'd dG ap. sai the mate.
You see. it will only stand straight. 1t won't
lean iS.iaa back. What's that German printing on tho
1T means that it was made by Johann Roth
stein an Of : Ugh r. in in 1900 H6St ,oo Ro, # does,.s
throw much light on what has passed; does Il,
Capt. Barclay That candlcstick looks like gold.
V'a GhAn IN N a. nm. htp fnr nl,r rnnhla
moment l have never doubted rs 10 the reality
by the collar and pulled him straight. again. 1t
may have, been some story OF the middle ages
have been that Si1 my = caught I,aaS red which
Io"S nor h',t that tn t, Of a r%;' = HIpS on ! the Mi, TTP 7 part see OF the aS
Theirs deyiItry here, said /, Give me
It was an ordinary watkins, cane with 2
hooked top passed D., It ovSr the G cane hI acEi
she steel fanss sI Shot out from below the upper
lip, and the great striped chest snapped at rs
i iniS Z is w piac sni anna the cI siassS Ssi on the he s% H4Ss ns
rack sang. and tinklcd with the shock. Tho
mate nh9ter sat d Mb, on r the C CaGG OF bo lnc 's .Ysu H xs
saved my life. Capt. Barclay said he.
cn SO ms hi o Mr hd the Rs oTSTCs a" Il l I%yr T,r'p ped f fbis WSs
how he preserved his i~li-goltcn gains from tho
Terra Firma and the province Of 'N,eraquas;
that golden ca ndlestick from the other articles
of value, and the instant that he laid hand upon
IL the terrible spring WAS unlOosed and the muir
dcrous steel spikes were driven into his brain
while the shock OF tho blow sent the VICTIM
backward and enabled the chest automatically to
close itself. How many, ! wondered. had
fallen victims TO The ingenuity, OF the MECHANIC Of
,Augsburgf, And as thought OF the possible
history of that grim striped chest, my resolution
was very quickly taken.
Carpenter, bring three mon and carry this on
deck.
Going to throw 1t overheard. SRI"
Yes. Mr.. Allardyce. | am not superstf
| tlOlS AS IA rule, hut there are some things WHICH
are more than o sailor can be called upon. to
stand
NO wonder that brig made heavy weather.
Capt. Barclay, with such IA thing on board. Tho
glass is dropping fast, sir, and we ARE only just
in time
So we did not even wait for the three sailors,
but W. carried il out, the mate, the carpenter.
and !, and we pushed il with our own hands over
the bulwarks. There was "A White spout OF
water, and IL was gone. There il lies, the striped
chest, n thousand fnthonis deep, and II, AS some
say, the sea Will some day be dry land, grievo
for the man who finds that old box and tries 70