Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-01-12

All. entiendo. Each of the cap
itanos who do sail near it do make
the sounding, and when find they do
not. behold, it no longer must there be.
| suppose many the examination must
have made, that los geografos so sure
are that i is now gomez
Well, lot very many. The Chal-
lenger didn't get as far east as the
Ladrones.. and the American cruiser
I Alert is the only one that really made
much of search. You see, the supply
boat only comes out here four times
a year, and the place is not in the
track of any other ships"
And the capitanos de los vapores de
Ia Compania-yourself also - have
been unsuccessful
Why, personally, I've never looked
for it. You see, there's plenty of
sea room to keep clear of the place,
and / don't see the use of risking my
ship by fooling around where a shoal
certainly existed at some time or 9th
er. As for the other captains who run
out here, doubt if they would bother
about it, either"
But would not you much honra
gain, and una gran recompensa from
la sociedad geografica, if the correct
report of su posicion you did send
them?"
''Oh, the Royal society is always
glad to get anything of the kind, and
they like to have every captain send
in what information he can; still,
merchant skipper wouldn't be expect
ed to go out of his course for such a
search. The warships are supposed
to do most of the surveying, YOU
know, padre"
.'Ah, 81, that l do know. of course.
But, as you say, they come not often
10 tic Ladrones. Well, perhaps while
| Ia gran narration de las Islas am
writing, may be able to make un eX-
animation with those native proas you
did speak of. If so, the true posicion
of every roca V isla in the archipelago
will send to you. Then los capitanos
the name of Ell Padre Sebastiano will
bless; is it not 500"
why, padre, if you're really going
to write a book on the group, I've no
objection. to helping you out all / can.
Bound as we are for Guajan, IT
wouldn't take us more than a few
hours out of our way to pass the po-
sition of that reef and take a sound
ing or two, if YOU think it would be
worth while. But you'd have to make
it right with my primero, Mr.. Diaz.
He feels pretty sore about having to
overhaul his cargo on account of our
shifting about; YOU see, GuajaH has
always been our last stop, and all the
Agana stuff is in the lower hold But
if you can persuade him that there is
chance of glory and thanks in it, he
may feel in better humor. You go talk
to Diaz and Moreno; say that it'll give
them five or six hours more to get their
stuff up, and work it in as a favor to
the church. Then if they come to me
and say they'd like to take a whack
at Santa Rosa, I'll head her quarter
further east in the morning"
"Ah, captain, have the fear you are
un hereie; you do make the joke upon
the padres. But you are un benevolo,
so YOU forgive. Fl primero / will see
and him absolve. Buenas noches."
When Padre Sebastiano was out of
hearing Halstead and looked at each
other. His expression must have been
a reflection of my. own, for il said, as
plainly as words
We'll. what do YOU think Of that %
| shook my head. 1t was little too
much for me. We smoked in silence
for several minutes. Then the captain
sauntered out on deck. to be sure there
was no one near, and carefully closed
tho Topr tyhpn he returned
What | am trying to figure out,
lie said. SIS whether that oily old duck
is convinced that we are interested in
the reef, or whether his suspicious
have been so completely lulled by the
accident that he thinks it safe to med
! die with il on his own account"
Your impression is. then. that his
book on the islands is nothing but
fake?"
''M-blessed if know what my inn
preston is IL he were really plan
ming such work, nothing would be
more natural than the questions he
asked, or his anxiety to obtain all pos
| sible information. These islands have
never been written up; there isn't
! even a cyclopedia that devotes more
! than a thousand words to them, most
| IL relating to their discovery and moth
| ing else; and il would be a natural ex-
! PLANTATION Of such q trip undertaken
4 by a man of his position and learning.
! On the other hand. every word and ac-
! ton might easily be construed as in
dications Of a secret purpose connect
ed with that reef, I guess the only
/ safe thing is to accept the last suppo-
/ sition and keep him from making any
I thing out of il. We fooled him on the
\ accident, anyhow.
"H'm-fooled ourselves a little, too,
I didn't we You didn't count upon an
actual crack i'm that shaft, did you?"
What Do YOU mean TO say that,
knowing aIl about it, YOU Well,
I I'm. That's compliment TO Mae
+ Why. man alive. lie made that scratch
With "a Care CbiSei while She was max