Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-13
CHAPTER X.

auTHR1r FINDS PROFIT IN TIE TEMPEST
The sun set big and yellow behind n
reef of purple cloud. and the wind.
which had been blowing n fresh breeze
from the east all day, died away to
nothing
The task OF sitting out the gold and
silver from the litter OF mud and rotted
splintcrs which the grab had deposited
on the Eureka deck, went on merrily,
and most of the workers were far too
busy and eager to notice the threatening
aspect OF the sky. Captain Colepepper,
however, was too good seaman not to
have observed the coming danger, and
that he was worried and anxious would
have been perfectly obvious to the 9TH
rrs, If they had had eyes for anything
else but the pleasant work IN which
tE2y were engaged. -Four times III the
space OF less than an hour the captain
feft the task of mud grubbing on deck
and went below to the after cabin, and
tae burrows on his brow when he re-
joined 'he others grew deeper eacI tllle'
-Aitei tue lourtn Oh these Nlslts 10 'ie
canlh ne approacheu LIZ Irihg ana
quletly drew MN ASIDE
Doclol' ne saio III 40" tohes'
CONE OeloW WIN me.
Inc ooc1or hanueu 'ne ln8oI' "Hicn
ne was cleaHinB Oh l'S couVlhS 81 i1uo'
To duthfle ana Ioilo"eu dis partner
"Wel, Colepepper he said when
they were alone, "what Is ltT
Look at the glass.
DR.. Tring did so and whistlcd. ely
dove, he said, "it has gone down, and
no mistake
AN inch and quarter in the last
90 minutes, observed the captain,
land it's still falling. We're in for
something ont OF the common
The doctor thought for a moment.
"Then, if that is so, " he said at length,
"we'd better hurry up and get below
the surface again before it begins. Now
that we've hit upon the spot where the
gold lies we can afford to be lavish
with our supply of oxygen. Well just
stay down below there till ii has blown
itself ont. "
AYE" assented the captain, 1--WE
might do that if it was going to be an
ordinary storm. I've no more fancy
than You have for leaving the Santa
Catarina now that we We got our fingers
in her money box at last, but this blow
isn't going to be a matter of hours or
OF days either maybe It's a regular
tornado that we're in for, tell you.
Look at the sea-dancing up and down
like a plate of calf 5 foot Jelly, though
there isn't as much wind as would
blow match out. I've been IN storm
of the kind before, and know the signs.
We shall be precious lucky if we escape
with the loss of spar or two.
do you mean that we shall have to
leave this spot now, when the Spanish
gold Is almost IN orr pockets
es, doctor, do. We shall have TO
set about putting the ketch into sea
trim again az fast as we can and then
run before the storm wherever 1t chooses
to take MS. If we're lucky and don't 80
to the bottom, we can come back here
atterward for tho rest Of the gold If
we're not lpcky, we shall be dismasted
or worse. A West Indian tornado is the
hottest sort Of terror when it fairly
breaks loose, and that's what we are
going to have before we are a couple of
hours older Your trick of command is
over for the present, doctor, m afraid,
for there will be precious small chance
Of any more undersurtace work for a
spell It's pity, but there 5 no help
for it, SO we'd best be setting about
putting the Eureka into shipshape
again.
The twofriends left the cabin and re-
turned to the deck. The gold and silver
had by this time all been sorted ont
from among the slime, and Tom Jelly
and Henrietta were already busy with
the buckets washing down the mud
fouled decks. Captain Colepepper ex-
planned matters to the others and then
put the whole crew to the work of set
ting up the canvas again. 1t had 10 be
hurrledly done, for there was no time
to be lost, and hardly had the necessary
rags Of storm sail been set when the
tornado broke upon them.
The first squall came down upon the
Eureka with rush, driving a wave OF
white foam before it. The sea had risen
rapidly, even before the wind came
running crosswise in several direction,
at the same time and giving clear evil
donce by its confused warning of the
nature of the tplnDest which was com