The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-10-28
A Tale Of Hidden Treasure,

contents, SITE, 800 in gold, less $23, 900, is
now snugly tucked away in the. bank to
the credit Of Captain Cahrles A. Hen
derson, a bluff and hearty old sailor,
man,. who halls from this city, says
the New. York Journal. In jackson,
where the captain is we'll known, he is
telling and reciting :. the story of the
treasure to his astonished t~ownspeople,
n as proof of HIS remarkable good
fortune he is showing" them a certificate
of deposit for $780, 900 n a roll Of
$4,000 in government bank notes which
he wants to use as ready cash..
The island where the %reasure was
SO long secreted and but recently un-
earthed, is, situated about half way pe-
tween the coast of Africa and South
America, in latitude 80 degrees II min
utes south, longitude 81 degrees 80 min-
utes east, and has been christened
Summers island. Here there was en-
one of those exciting dramas of the
high seas which makes the pages Of
Marryatt and Stevenson and Mayne
Reid of absorbing interest to all who
love tales Of adventure and feats Of
reckless daring.
While yet a mere boy, Captain Hen
derson ran away from home and ship
ped before tn mast. In 1858 h had just
returned to the United States after a
cruise to the West Indies, and in Phil
adelphia fell in with one Captain Sum-
mers. He said ne was shipping a crew
in his clipper-built brig, the Lark, en-
gagged in the fruit and spice trade in
the West Indies and South America,
and offered Henderson a position as
mate. Henderson accepted the offer.
Just about the time the civil wal was
opening the Lark started homeward
from a South American port, and ran
n a violent hurricane, which blew
her out of her course eastward and
southwark for over a week. During
this time there had been no opportun-
ity of taking ar observation, and Cap
tain Summers had no definite idea Of
his whereabouts. On the ninth day the
weather cleared and an observation
showed that the vessel was far out
in the Atlantic, only about thirty miles
south Of the Tristan d'Acunha group.
That same afternoon the lookout dis
covered an American cruiser steaming
at full speed, apparently directly for
them.
There were lively times on deck when
Captain Summers gave orders to put
the ship about and try to run away.
1t was evident from the first tina the
brig was no match in speed for the
cruiser, and the captain and his crew
were fast losing hope Of escape when
land was sighted straight ahead. AS a
last desperate effort to elude the cruiser
the brig ran into a little cove sheltered
by a long reef. The cruiser could not
enter the cove but hove to outside and
prepared to lower her boats. The only
refuge for the crew was on the island,
and there they were all safely landed
in a hurry. 1t was at this moment that
Henderson learned the secret which had
puzzled him. Captain Summers took
him down into the cabin, and, closing
the door, said: +
Henderson, I lave here a chest con-
tanning nearly $175, 900 in money. I
van you to help me take it ashore and
hide it. If we succeed in getting away
we will divide the money. If one of
us dies the other shall have it. We
can inc a place on the island to conceal
it," y
had gon ashore he and the captain
lowered the chest into the boat and
rowed toward a part Of the beach as
remote as possible from where the crew
landed. Although all this had been
done in less time han it takes to tell
it, they were none too soon, for a mo-
ment later the boats of the cruiser
dashed into the GOV Henderson and
the captain jumped into the luxuriant
underbrush, dragging the heavy chest
between them. After travelling a con-
siderable distance they stumbled upon
a natural cave and, entering it as far
as they dared, concealed the chest and
lay down to rest, not however, before
hiding the entrance as we'll as they
were able.
They remained there the rest of that
day and all the following night, ana It
was not until the afternoon of the next
day that they ventured out. Creeping
cautiously down to the beach they
discovered that the cruiser had disap-
peared. They also saw that the Lark
had been scuttled and sunk in the wat
ers Of the cove. Soon afterward almost
all the members of the crew Joined