Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-05-13


end Of the launch-line and lowered q.
wow get your foot in that loop. Mike
and then seize hold above. and We will
pull you outi~ Harris called down TO
him
The combined strength o. the three
barely sufliccd 70 haul the Irishman up.
Foot by foot they hoistsd him. dripping
and trying 90 aid them by catching
toe-hOld and irgcr-hold here and there
in chirks OF the old ma1onry The
well had been lined up with stone
blocks. IN cement
Thy had him within a few feet OF
the top when his toe disloGgrd one OF
;he stone blocks and Il feli down with
a splash But the next moment Alike
got his arms ont and was dragged forth.
a very wet and slimS object.
bad cess 70 tho haythen that leaves
their wells uncovered" were his first
words, Bu; something about the hole
30 The wall from which the stone biocS
had slipped appeared 10 interest him.
for al dripping as he was. lac GOT down
on his knees and looked down atit.
"Ila thinl.in' that was ver, quare
hole he said 20 Harris. "D'ye know. I
fancied caught tho CLINT OF a bntticas
passed that hole. sor."
Harris aud Van Nlcck laughed. think
ing ,his hint that Mike desired some
thing 20 warm dim up Bot hewas not
joking
~Surc I can see tire nose az 10 uow."
he xc-aimcG. "Nuit a bit. while put
me fut in the noos,. ay The rope again.
and thin houd on tight while take
peep down"
They let him down few feet when
be drew out from The hole in tle veli
wall large square sAouldered bottle
OF vcry clumsy shape.
81 have it!" cried Mike. and they
pulled him out again. AND now did
ycz ever see the likes OF chat for
bottle," re exclaimed ~Bedad. bui
the ould stopper isno better than punk
What Go ye make of IL. sor2" he si>cd.
and handed IL 20 Harris
The bottle was iopsited affair o.
impure green glass. and contained what
looked through the glass like small
bullets Harris picked out the stopper
which was Of wood wrapped in crum-
bling leather. Some moments were
required 20 extract il. To their vren
surprise. the round. bullet-iike object
proved 90 be large pearls. some Of then,
wy beautiful. lhefg vovs l1os ol
thenh
Van Week. who had seen Jewels aat
pearls i'm Holland. was Of the opinion
that they were OF great value.
Their first thought. after looking at
the contents of the bottle. was 10
search the hole I'm the wall for further
trea sure. But they found nothing eN-
cept q small. moldering box with 81
yer crocketS al the corners. This be-
ing opened was found 20 contain dis
colored parchmcnts, evidently OF the
nature OF roya, letters or deeds Of gift
or conveyance. and also exactly a hun
dred Spanish gold coins of apparently
about the weight and value OF a
doubloon.
We'll. Mike. this is your find" Har-
ris said TO him. Il congratulate YOU"
Faith. then. how wud hev found il
/ II yez hadn't pulled me out OF the ouid
Well? Tell me that. sorri" exclaimed
Mike
What is your idea. then?" Harris
asked him.
share and share alike, sor. There
wud be no other fair way"
Including Pabioe''
sure. Didn't the nayger help pull
me out?"
They steamed back 10 the city and
showed the pearls to a dealer there
sThe man was astonished al the size
and beauty of many OF them, and
would not say what he thought they
were worth An English dealer al
length rated the market value al
E 3.6l0. or not far from Si6-550.
They had little doubt that this bot.
tie Of pearls and the box bad been con.
cealed in the we'll al the time when the
city was taken by the pirates. more
than two centuries ago. and that ths
person who secreted them had perizhed
in the sack of the town There could
be no hope. therefore. OF fndipg the
rightfui pOsseSsors.
II will not be thought strange thsl
the three canal guards went again and
again 10 the ruins Of Panama We 10
| searching for other old wells, and
soundirg them with graHple-hooks ir
the hope Of finding other milar cache.
OF ololtime wealth; but They found
nothing more.-Youth's Companion.
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