The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-04-06
A MADMAN'S SEARCH
BY CHARLES b. LEWIS.

By CHARLES Il. LEWIS.
We were lying at Singapore in Ii,
big Albatross, waiting to take on !
few tons Of freight for Liverpool, when
an American named James Granger
came aboard. lie was a man in tn.
prime Of life, tall, stout and handsome
and he had personal magnetism be-
yond any man I ever met. His bust
ness was with the captain at first, and
ne had singular story TO tell.
BE was New York shipowner, he
said, and had taken trip to China
and Japan in one of his own vessels
called the Red King-for the benefit
of his health. She had been cast away
several months before in the China
sea, and all hands lost save him
SELF He managed to reach small
island, and after two weeks was taken
off by native craft aud transferred to
an English merchantman.
4 part of the island was sterile and
rocky, aud amid the rocks he one day
found a robbers cave, There were, he
contended, thousands of yards Of silk
and other valuable fabrics, boxes of
pearls. chests of jewelry ald kegs of
coin He had counted out S2O5, 800 in
gold without counting it all, and he
roughly estimated his find to be worth
s., ,OOO, 900.
He was sure that the stuff had been
hidden away for long years, and be
discovered that portions had been
taken from vessels which had mysteri-
ously disappeared in the China sea
years before. 1t was the cave of band
of Chinese pirates, and the entire band
had been lost or captured at sea. He
had with him two pearls, diamond
ring and several gold coins as proof OF
his statements.
What Granger wanted was to charter
a ship TO fetch away the treasure, and
he had boarded US because he had heard
that we were to discharge cargo at
Singapore and reload for Bombay. He
talked with our captain for two hours,
and then the chief mate was called into
the cabin.
The story was all gone over again,
and then was called down. No man
could tell more plausible story, nor
could any one have demanded better
proofs. The only weak point was that
he was no mariner and could not locate
his islsnd-that is, We knew there was
no such island as he described within
2OO miles Of the spot where he insisted
it was.
Had our captain been free to charter
/ think be would have taken chances.
Had the chief officer not been impa-
tient to get home and marry and take
command of ship am sure he would
have been ready TO sail craft to the
island. AS neither would go, Granger
turned TO me. If our captain would
release me, 1 was free to go, and as
understood navigation he need have no
fear that l would hit the spot aimed
for.
Sailors hear a good many yarns
about buried treasure and pirates
caves, and l was not ready to give an
answer off-hand. Iagreed to let Grang-
er have my decision next day and he
went away after swearing us all to
silence. Then the three of US went
over his story in detail to try and sat
isfy ourselves. The result was that the
captain said:
"WelI, it is the straightest story /
ever heard from castaway, and if you
want 10 go with him III release you.
If you get the treasure, you can quit
the sea; if not, you will not have lost
so very much"
Next day l gave Granger my dec;s-
ion and went ashore with him.
found that he had plenty of money
and was in good standing with busi-
ness men. He went to more pains
than demanded TO prove his identity,
and be insisted on written contract
that was to have a generous share OF
the treasure. In the course of week
1 got hold of schooner which was for
charter aud ten days later had fitted
her out for the voyage. l saw Mr..
Granger two or three times day dur
ing this time and grew to respect him
very much. He seemed to me 10 be a
very thorough business man aad was
well spoken of by all. 1t was given
out that our object was to search fol
other Survivors who might have es.
capped, and as there happened TO be a
surplus of seamen at Singapore just
then had no trouble in securing a
crew of first class men-aIl English
spsakiny.
We cleared for a port in japan and
got away with a fair wind, and during
the two weeks it took US to work up to
the locality OF Changers island all
went well with Us. He had located
the island as being about5 so miles to the
east Of the island of Hainan.
NY chart showed a clear sea for 300
miles in every direction, but in those
days uacharted islands were being re-
ported every month and it was possible
that the bit Of land on which he bad
spent moath had been missed in the
surveys. 1 was not at all disappointed,
however, when we failed to find it
We oyerhauled junk after junk to be
told that no such island had ever been
heard Of, and when at last sat down
with Mr.. Granger TO learn what we
should do it struck me for the first
time that there was something queer
about him. lie did not betray the dis
appointment one would have expected,
aad thought he glanced at me In a
furtive, cunning way. / asked him to
20 over his story again, and TO my as
tonishment he doubled on himself.