The Ravalli Republican., 1898-04-27
A MADMAN'S SEARCH
By CHARLES i. LEWIS.


when an American named james
Granger came aboard He was q
man in the prime of life, tall, stout
and handsome, and he had person
al magnetism beyond any man |
ever met. His business was with the
captain at first, and he had a sinsu-
lar story to tell. #~..:".. 49,.
He was New York shipowner,
he said, and had taken a trip to
China and Japan in one of his own
vessels--a brig 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 himself. He man.
aged TO reach small island, and
after two weeks was taken off by q
native craft and transferred to an
English merchantman.
A part of the island was sterileand
rocky, and amid the rocks he one
day found q robbers cave. There
were, he contended, thousands of
yards Of silk and other valuable fab
RIGS, boxes of pearls, chests Of jew
elry and kegs of coin. He had count
ed ont 100000 in gold without
counting it all, and he roughly esti-
mated his find to be worth 81 0O0,-
600.
10 was sure that the stuff had
been hidden away for long years,
and lio discovered that portions lluu
been taken from vessels which Had
myste1iously disappeared in the
China sea years before It was the
cave Of a band of Chinese pirates,
and the entire band had been lost Or
captured at sea. He had with him
two pearls, diamond ring and sew
etal golo'coins as proof Of his state
ments.
What Granger wanted was to char
ter ship to fetch away the treas
ure, and he had boarded us because
he had heard that we were to dis
charge cargo at Singapore and re-
load for Bombay He talked with
ohr 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 a more plausible
story, nor could any one have de.
n1anded better proofs. The only
weak point was that he was no mar
iner and could not locate bis island
that is, we knew there was no such
Island rs he described within 200
miles of the spot where he insisted
It was.
Had our captain been freet to char
ter | think he would have taken
chances. Had the chief officer not
been impatient to get homo and
maryland take command of a shil
l am sure he would have been ready
to sail a craft to the island. AS nei
ther would go, Granger turned tC
ME If our captain would release
me, was free to 90, and as under
stood navigation he need have nt
fear that would hit the spot aimed
for
Sailors hear good many yarn:
about buried treasure and pirates
caves, and was not ready to give al
answer offhand. | agreed to lc
Granger have My decision next day
and he went away after swearing II
all to silence Then the three of Il
went over }.is story in detail to tt.
and satisfy ourselves. The resul
was thht the captain said:'
We'll, it is the straightest story
ever heard from q castaWay, and
you want to so with him FL relcas
you. If you get the treasure, 70
can quit the sea; if not, you will nc
have lost SO very much. y
Next day | gave Granger my de
cision and went ashore with him.
found that he had plenty Of none
and was in good standing with bus
n ess men. He went to more pain
than demanded to prove his idel
tity, and he insistSa OIL d write
contract that va, 10 have a gene:
Gus slMre OF the treasure. IN Il
course of week I got hold Of
schooner which was for charter a
ten days later had fitted her out fl
the voyage. saw Mr. Granger tv
or three times Il day during this tin
and grew to. respect him very muc
He seemed to me to be a very tho
ougl business man and was w
spoken of by all It was given o
that our object was to search f
other survivors who might have {
capped, and as there happened to
surplus OF seamen at Singaro
Just then had no trouble in sec'
ing a crew of first class men
English speaking.
We cleared for a port ii Jap
and got away with q fair wind, a
during the two weeks it took us
work up to the locality Of Grange
island al went well with US. lie Il
1pcated the island as being about
miles to the east of the island
Hainan.
81. My chart showed clear sea