The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-01-27
THE TREASURE SHIP.

Captain Blake stood on the deck of the
schooner, the Jane, which lay anchored
that fine moonlight night at Port Bodega,
Cal. The Jane was but u small vessel, but
1t had on board treasure in the shape Of
gold dust worth over $4,000, and the
aext morning had been fixed for its sailing
to London.
That night the captain had given his crew
leave to go ashore to spend few hours in
jollity before commencing their homeward
voyage. They had not yet returned, and
the captain was on board alone, with q
couple of sailors and the mate, to whom
he was speaking.
Saying that he would turn in, the cap
tain went below, while the mate walked
the deck on the watch.
1t was about in the morning that two
boats set off from the shore, having in one
of them and in the other 12 men, and
In the darkness-for the moon had now
set-.were rowed off to the place where the
light of the Jane glimmered over the dark
water.
'Boat ahoyl Who are youp'
1t was the mate of the Jane who sang
out as he leaned over the side of the vessel
and saw boat approach.
In answer there came what seemed some
thinking the men were the sailors returned
from their iaunt the mate saw the boat
pulled to the side of the ship. He did not
notice that another boat had softly made
It's way to the stern, the mon rowing ST.
lently and the dull sough Of the waves
drowning the splash of their oars.
"Is that Jenkinson?"
The mate was forward Watching the
men in the boat. Hardly had he called out
before he heard noise behind him, his
arms were gripped, a hand was placed over
his mouth, while the butt end of pistol
came down with crash upon his head.
There was a dull splash in the water n mo-
ment later. 1t was the body of the mate
cast into its watery grave.
The Jane had been boarded by robbers.
Stealing along like shadows-for the men
had their feet bare-the thieves rushed
across the deck to the ladder leading below.
The leader, q tall man, with heavy,
black beard, whose face was almost hid
by piece of black cloth tied across the
upper part, with two holes cut for him to
see through, grasped his pistol in his hand
as he prepared to 90 below, while his fol-
lowers held long, cleaning knives in their
hands.
"If you struggle you are dead man."
Captain Blake had been asleep and
started up as "a light flashed upon his face,
and looking about him he saw u man
standing beside him, one of his hands up
on his throat, while in the other he held a
pistol
"We won't hurt you if you don't strug-
gle, - said the robber. "But we want the
gold you have on board. Give us the keys
of the chest, and I'll swear you shall be
safe"
Resistance would be useless, and the
captain was soon lying ON the floor of his
cabin bound hand and foot with a strong
cord.
While these things were going on on
board the JaDe the crew of the vessel had
| gathered together on the shore and had
put off in their boats to return to the ship.
They were astounded as they turned the
| quayside to see the Jane in the growing
| daylight far off at sea, all sails set, and
making way before O good breeze at n rate
which forbade all hope of their overtak-
ing her.
The sailors were some hours later than
they should have been in seeking the YES
sci, and now they imagined Captain Blake
must somehow have got others to man her
and set off without them. They therefore
rowed back to shore.
While some of the men who had boarded
the ship, many of whom had been sailors,
set the sails and took her out to sea the
others were busy searching for the treasure.
No threats could make the captain speak
word as to where it lay, and leaving
him the robbers began to look about for it.
"Hurrahp'
With axes in their hands, three or four
men were with fierce shouts breaking open
the stout boarding at the head of the cap
tain's ca bin.
Behind it, as they peeped through gar
they had burst open, they found darI
recess. 1t was the place where the treas
ure lay.
They piled their, axes furiously, the
board gave way, and the eyes of the thieve:
cleaned with delight as they saw before
them the pile of bags and small wooder
boxes in which was the gold for which
they had undertaken the desperate ven
ture, and the cabin rang with their wilt
shout of joy.
"Whatis here will make us rich for life
boys' cried the leader. cts in our grasI
now. Let us drink to our good fortune!'
And he ordered some of the men to search
the ship for what liquor there was OF
board.
A cask of rum was soon found, ant
knocking out the head of it the ruffian
drank to one another in glasses of the fer.
spirit
"And now to the boatsp'
Staggering under the weight of theil
burdens, the men carried the boxes ant
bags of the precious gold to the side of thu
ship and lowered them into the boat
alongside.
In a short time all the treasure had beef
laid In them, and the place where it hat
been slowed In the Jane stood empty.
Sect ready to push off there, !" said tn
black bearded man, looking over the yes
sells side, to his companions in the boats
and as they gripped their oars and waited
for him he disappeared below.
He looked in at the cabin door and threw
glance at the captain lying there, still
bound hand and foot Then he disappear
cd and made his way to the hold
"Now row for your livesp'
The man took his place in one of tn
boats, and it flew from the side of tn
doomed vessel. 1t had not got far before
terrible sound rose over the noise of tn