The Ravalli Republican., 1898-08-17

and bones and bits Of clothing, Du1
not coin or jewel Of any sort. If
there was treasure room in the
hulk, the entrance would be from
! the cabin, and there was nothing to
do but clear away the sand.
It took US day to accomplish
this, but our labor was rewarded
by finding a trapdoor leading to a
lazarette. There was an iron bar
across this, fastened with two huge
padlocks, but all were SO rusty and
weak that they gave US no trouble.
The trapdoor fitted SO closely that
no mud had filtered down, and the
water had been drained off by the
auger holes bored from the outside.
The lazarette was little room
just the size of the cabin overhead
in length and breadth, but not over
feet high. was first into it, car
rying a light in either hand, and
after one glance around I cried out
in exultation. Even on the floor at
my feet I caught the glitter of dia-
monds from Il broken box. Bales of
what had been choice goods had
been stored here, but all had been
reduced to pulp. Piled up at the far
end against the bulkhead were 18
stout boxes, about foot square,
and to port and starboard were two
iron chests just a trifie smaller than
the trapdoor above. Leaving one
Of the candles behind, 1 picked up
three loose diamonds, a large pearl
and q sapphire ring and made my
exit, and when I had gained the
cabin there was much cheering and
handshaking.
I will tell you exactly what wo
took out Of that hulk, for l made
the list with my own hand Each
OF the Is wooden boxes was packed
with gold coins amounting to about
5000. Every nation was represent
ed in these coins. In the iron chest
were silver and gold amounting to
$4,000 and in the other jewels to
the value Of $50, 600. Nearly all
the stones were set, and it was plain
that at least a hundred women had
been robbed to get such a lot to-
gether. There were a score of gold
watches, ten gold snuffboxes, five
jeWeled sword hilts and a Chinese
idol of solid gold weighing four
pounds.
You may judge of our elation at
coming across such a store Of
wealth. It took us two days to over
haul it and pack it away on the
schooner, and we were then ready
to set sail for Singapore. We had
to wait for change of wind, how
ever, and this could not be expected
before morning.
AT about o'clock at night Cap
tain Cross suggested a last visit to
the wreck for the purpose of setting
her on fire. It struck me that it
would be good idea to get the hulk
out of the way, and Matthews
agreed. He was to remain and look
after the schooner, and we left him
with all going we'll on board. We
had walk Of half mile down the
beach and around point, and once
we were aboard of the hulk we
made a last search of her before ap-
plying the torch.
We were gone about four hours
in all and returned to the bay at l
O'Clock in the morning to find the
schooner gone. A favorable breeze
had sprung up during our absence
and Matthews had taken advantage
of it to get the schooner out and run
away with the treasure. She was
out Of sight when daylight came,
and neither Of us ever set eyes on
her again or heard of the sailor.
The craft may have been lost at
sea, or she may have landed him in
Siam, China, Borneo or Java. had
IN my pocket some jewels which I
had been cleaning up, and Captain
Cross had others, and at Singapore
these sold for moro than enough to
recoup us. That was poor conso]a-
ton, however, when we realized
that we had been basely defrauded
of a fortune.
At the end of ten days we were
taken off the island by q native
craft and year later there was no
island there. A submarine disturb
ance opened the bottom Of the sea
and sucked it down, and along with
1t went the charred tim bers Of the
pirate craft we had looted and been
robbed in turn by man who de-
served hanging for his treachery
and inpratit176a