Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-23


=. tbourh w., rs..- ..o&-iy o an
old friend: r.r -LaH probably never
see her again. There rsg> something
wonderful In ,&- ~. >A- had guarded
tLo,c ni.'..r- f.I ".- aH tE" years
,ivce thy @I-j disappeared under wa
p. .ad s...t,a:.a q little as to
.-..a.. ...tcG l,.es., v.".da'i re
euire NY searching for heirs of the
original owners This didn't trouble
me very long. however. The risks Hal
stead and l had undergone, and the
,ysy we had worked the problem out to
a successful result, seemed to give us
better claim upon the money than
anyone else-even our fat and schem-
ing friend Sebastiano.
So the days slipped along through
April into May, while rested and
learned what il was to have beautiful
woman's personality creep into the
deepest corners of my heart. Then
one morning there came a cloud which
threatened disaster to all our hopes;
and but for Dorotea's position and
ready wit this MARI a1iye would be
merely one OF fruitless adventure. y
schooner came sailing into Apra-one
of the island schooners which trade in
cocoanuts, beche-de-mer, and other
products-in search of water, poultry,
and any cargo there might happen to
be in the place. Noticing the bags Of
copra under the shed, her captain of
fered the harbor master higher rate
than that which obtained at Manila,
and was told that, as the gobernador
would undoubtedly be glad to sell at
such price, he might send ashore for
1t whenever he pleased. We were just
coming in from a sail, and saw the
schooncr's men loading some of the
bags into a jolly-boat as we skirted
along outside of Apapa island. My
face must have been absolutely color
less, for Dorotea laid her hand upon
my arm and eXclaimed:
'Madre de Dios, querido, what is it
que tiene w"
''No tengo NADIA; but look! They are
taking away the copra in that schoon-
er! The treasure! 1t is packed away
in the bags. I never dreamed they
would be disturbed until Halstead
came for them. Oh, good Lord! how
on earth can l stop them without Civ
ing the whole thing away?
"Steer inside Apapa and land at the
pier. I will stop it very quickly"
But how? What can you say that
will not arouse suspicion that there is
something more valuable in the bags?'
'I cannot tell until I ask of the har-
Dor master why he does permit it,;
then I will think of something. Does
el Captain Halstead know?"
"Of course he does, and expects to
take them next trip"
'"Then he would surely give more
than other men for them?"
eyes, yes. So will I. Only keep them
where they are until he comes. Ihave
it! Say that I spoke to you of a new
chemical discovery which Halstead
told me about-one which increases
the value of copra, and which made
him think of buying this lot on specu-
lation. The treasure will need chem
icals to get the corrosion off, any
way"
y
SO alarmed appear, Enriquito. Doyou
light one of your cigarros. Smoke as
if it did make no difference to you.
Leave the rest to rae. Now-vivo-take
the frown from your forehead. Come,
there is el official-Senor Legaspel
Senior Legaspe, why do los hombres
remove the copra?"
Gel capitano gives two dollars more
than the Manila rate, senorita.
knew el gobernador would accept such
an offer, so l have given him permis-
sion to load"
"You have made a mistake, senior;
the gobernador will be greatly dis
pleased. The price of copra has risen
very much, and the stranger capitano
thinks we have not heard of it. Stop
them instantly. I should regret TO
see you in trouble, Senior Legaspe."
"a thousand apologies, senorita; 1t
shall be as you say. knew nothing of
the rise in values, and l but thought el
gobernador would be pleased to sell.
Hola, hombres The copra is not for
sale. Take those bags out of your boat
and bring them back"
The sailors looked at one another
and then grumblingly began to do as
they were told. The schooner's cap
tain must have been watching through
his glass, for inside Of five minutes he
dropped another boat into the water
and came ashore as fast as his men
could row Hailing the harbor-master
in bad Spanish when he was within ear
shot, ,he asked what the devil was the
matter, and why his men were taking
the stuff out OF the jolly-boat. Le-
gaspe was smarting a little under the
sharp trick he thought the captain had
played upon him, and was very short
in his reply that 1.-THE gobernador
would not sell, and that was all there
about it."
"Who says he won't?" shouted the
captain. I've had my glass on the
shore for half AN hour, and no one has
spoken to you but this yellow-faced
chap and the girl yonder. He ain't the
gobernador, I'll take my oath; and as
for the girl, I don't. allow no damned
native women to interfere in my bust
ness
1t took all the Self-cUntrOl l had to
keep from knocking the man down
His cool appropriation Of our millions
was a serious enough offense, without
the gratuitous insult TO the girl | in
tended to marry. l stepped in front
of the fellow and looked him over.
Then ! said:
"Thiz lady, sir, is Senorita de Garma,
only daughter Of his eNcellency. Col
De Garma. gobernadCr of the Ladrones.
I supposed from your colors that you
were a German, but I'm ashamed 10
see that you came from my own coun-
try. You will doubtless see fit to apol-
ogize to the lady at once"
The mans cold, fshy eyes met mine
for a second or two before he spoke;
he seemed to be sizing me up. Finally
he drawled out:
'Waal, perhaps l war leetle hasty.
l dunno who you mought be, stranger,
but yer kin tell thur Teddy didn't mean
no ofrense; wimmin's a good deal alike
out herein thur islands, an | didn't
ledge her right, that's all. But about
that thar coppera; want a cargo of IT,
an I'm willin' ter pay er far price. I'll
give the goberuador four dollars more'n
thur Manila rate an he kin pocket thur
difference; but don't cal'late ter leave
Apra without it,"