Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-07-13
TH[ TREASURE FISHING.
By oUTOLIFFE HYNE.

deed I've strong notion the whole plot
TO steal the treasure was in the begin
ming theirs and theirs alone | can't be
sure. but I've an idea that Miss Brad
bury came into the business soon after
we sailed from Liverpool, and, if one
may hazard a guess. it was because
Willie Cameron, the diver with the
black hair, fell in love with her and let
out the secret. However, l didn't ar
rive at any of this till later, and. if it
hadn't been logged into the business by
the verlest outside chance, it my be-
lief the three of them would have
walked off with all the gold, and the
salvage company would never have
seen SO much as the bare color of it.
There was a distinct understanding
between me and Captain Boyd when |
signed on as "third' of the Cleaner
that was only doing it as personal
obligation to himself. The berths of
second and chief engineer had been
filled. They wanted man who would
not mind bearing hand if anything
went wrong with the diving tackle
and they couldn't have picked better
than myself | was thoroughly we'll
grounded in the shops before ever 1
thought Of the sea, and, though l say
1t, few better filters and all round me-
chanics have ever stood on the foot
plates of a steamboats, engine room If
1t WASH t for the board of trade and their
rotten examinations, I'd have been
chief long ago, and with chiefs ticket
in my pocket you may be sure I'd have
got the master hand over the whisky,
at any rate at sea, and in sight of any
one that mattered ashore
OF course it was condescenson for
man like me to be third on bit of
steamboat like the Cleaner, but was
drawing e9 a month, which was the
same as the second engineer got, and I'll
not deny l was in manner forced into
taking the first berth that offered I'd
been paid off from my last ship in Liv-
erpool. and ia met friends who knew
Ballindrochater. where my father had
been Free kirk minister and we'd got
little noisy and found trouble. The
fat English brute of magistrate did
give us the option, but it took all the
money had left to pay myself out
l might even admit, too, that the
business Of the Cleaner had some at
traction for me. She was off treasure
fishing to the Canaries she was char
tered by little company that called it.
self the S. S. Corinth Salvage associa-
ton, and the work for her engineers
promised to be light. We should steam
down channel. through the bay and
down to the spot among the islands
where the Corinth had been sunk, and
there we should swing anchor while the
boats went eff with the divers to do
their work We should keep banked
fires in case an onshore breeze came and
we had to steam out but as a general
thing there would be no watches for us
engineers and full pay going all the
time.
"It'll be the softest job you've tum-
bled into for many a long day. Mr.. Nc
Todd. said the old man when he offer
ed me the berth eve shall be quite
family ship. There's big, large cabin,
and we shall all mess together-mates
engineers, divers and passengers-with
your chief at enc end of the table anc
me at the other. +"
Passengers? said L 81 thought
this was salvage job. ="
''They are coming just for cruise
Mr.. Kent and his wife and her sister,
Miss Bradbury. Of course the Cleaner
hasn't got passenger certificate, SO
they will have to sign articles like the
rest CT US to get to windward of the
board of trade. The ladies will be stew
ardesses and Mr.. Kent can take his
choice between being doctor and fourth
mate"
care they interested in this salvage
business
"Not bit, said Captain Boyd
They're people of means, and Miss
Bradbury writes novels. They pay for
their grub and rooms like they would
on regular packet They re just COM
ing. to see the diving and get blow of
sea air, and shouldn't wonder but
what the young lady writes book
about it when she gets home. So keep
your hair combed straight Mr. Nc
Todd. It's a pretty big affair, anyway,
The Corinth took down e270, 900 worth
Of gold with her when she foundered
She was Cape boat, you know. coming
home I"
''Her propeller shaft broke, didn't it.
somewhere in the after end of the tun
nelg''
"That's the idea, Mac. There was
breeze on at the time. and l suppose
she was racing badly And it ripped
the stern plating to smithereens when
it went. Of course, the sliding door to
the shaft tunnel jammed when it was
wanted. and so she just had to swamp.
There was no help for it, They'd half
an hour to get clear in. and the boats
saved about two-thirds of her people.
guess the rest of the poor beggars are
in her now. and an ugly sight they II be
for the divers when they go down t.
try to weigh that gold.
The captain had other business to at
tend to then. so l left him. but after
we got fairly started and had dropped
our Mersey pilot at Point Lynas there
was information about the work ahead