The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-04-06

anus thC NiACutty was Al iOCAtAuS lut
right one. Granger had been swept
ashore at night He had landed on
one side of the island and been taken
off on another. He claimed to remem-
Der certain landmarks, however, and
for ten days we threaded our way
among the islands, and ne took long
and close look at each one. His queer
demeanor passed away soon after ouI
talk, and I found myself fully believ-
ing in him again. No man could have
heard his story and doubted it. He
went into each minute particular, and
you felt certain that he had passed
through all he claimed, and back of all
were the souvenirs he had brought
away with him. 1t might have been
on the twelfth day of our search that
We came to his island, and the finding
of it gave me queer feeling. There
were no such landmarks as he descri-
bed, nor was the lay of the ground ac-
cording to his description. 1t was a
totally different island in size and ap-
pearance, but he stoutly insisted that
it was the one he had come in search Of.
We carried deep water TO within half
a mile of the beach, and then the
schooner was anchored and we pulled
ashore in the yawl. This was just after
noon on certain Wednesday. There
would be plenty of time to overhaul
the island and get the more valuable
stuff aboard before dark. The schooner
was snugged down and three men left
aboard, aud it was only when the boat
was ready to set us ashore that told
the crew the nature of our errand.
We had come to carry away a great
treasure, instead of looking for casta-
way sailors, and Mr.. Granger author
lied me 10 say that each man might
look for a handsome present in gold
coin when the plumber was safe aboard.
This put everybody in good spirits, and
Changers demeanor was such that /
had no doubt of beholding and hand
ling those boxes and kegs within an
hour.
We landed on sandy beach, and
Granger headed into the forest without
hesitation. After walking for half an
hour he began to recognize certain land
marks, and said the treasure was not
far off. Just at that moment we en-
tered well-beateD path and saw two
or three goats. He had never said a
word about there being goats ON the
island, but did not give it more than
a passing wonder. He cried out that
something had worked into his shoe
and for US to keep right on till we
reached the rocks, and as he sat down
and began unlaeing his shoe we went
ahead along the path.
We found no rocks. We found other
paths and saw other goats, and by and
by we had crossed the little island and
stood on the beach. Granger had not
yet joined US, and after waiting fifteen
minutes / sent one of the men back.
He had not only gone to the spot where
We left the man sitting, but as far as
the beach, and he reported the yawl
gone. All my suspicious were now
aroused, and the crowd of Us started
into a run as we headed back. We
reached the beach to find the yawl
gone, but the next moment we sighted
her alongside the anchored schooner.
As we were about to hail the craft we
saw Granger and the two men descend
into the boat and shove off for the
beach. His going aboard alone was a
matter to wonder over, but was think
ing he might have plausible explana-
ton when the boat touched at a wooded
point running out below US and the two
men got out. We could plainly see and
hear that they were forced out at the
muzzle of a revolver. As soon as they
were clear of the boat Granger threw
an car over and began sculling her
back to the schooner, and all our shouts
brought no response from him. No
man bat a sailor could have used that
sculling oar as he did, and one and all
remarked it.
What sort of trick was he playing
us? Each man asked this question Of
another. but no one could answer.
When he had returned to the schooner
alone, his pretense was that he had for
gotten something, but no sooner had he
reached the deck than he ordered the
men into the boat. As he was armed
and looked dangerous, they did not
think it wise 10 resist.
Well, here we were, eight of US, ashore
on small island, and an insane man
in possession Of the anchored schooner,
and council lasting an hour did not
bring any satisfaction. The man had
firearms, and we had only our knives
II would have been no trick at all to
swim off to the schooner but for the
sharks. Look where you would, you
could see their dorsal fins cutting the
water. and it would have been rank
folly to swim thirty feet from the besch-
After a while we retired from the beach
and took tramp over the island.
We found fresh water and fruits, but
no signs that the place had ever been
inhabited by man. The goats num-
bered fully two hundred, and the
original pair had probably been landed
by some whaler or had floated ashore
from some wreck. AS the weather was
warm we were not 20 badly off, but Of
course we We're anxious about our posi-
ton.
Granger was certainly insane. He
could not run away with the schooner,
but he might sink her at her moorings
or set her on fire. He refused to show
himself or answer our nails, and when
night came / was inclined to believe
that he might have committed suicide
We made our beds on the grass that
night aud slept soundly enough, and
when morning came and Granger still
refused to answer our halls we began
the work of building raft TO float Us
to the schooner. This work was car