The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-09-01


when the galleon was lost). eight-real |
pieces of Philip W. dollars from the
Mexican mint. bearing simply the
Spanish arms. and even four-real
pieces. I remember wishing that all
The treasure had been gold, on account |
of its bulk: but. after ascending to the
upper chamber. l knew pretty well
how Edmund Dantes must have felt
/ had provided myself with a stout
bag of cocoa mating. and was raking
handfuls of the doubloons into it. when
there came a sharp tug at the line fas-
tened around my waist. This was the
danger signal agreed upon with Doro-
tea; SO. dragging the heavy sack.
scrambled out through the hulk and
pulled myself up to the proa- 1t took
our united efforts to get my burden
over the gunwale; then Dorotea point
ed of to the west-ard, where gigantic
sail was moving swiftly along.
To unscrew the helmet clamps and
take it off was but the work of few
seconds; then l grabbed the glass and
focused it upon the other craft. 1t
was the PADRES big proa. as had sus-
pected-his corpulent figure near the
heImsman was unmistaka ble-but SO
far away as to be all but hull down;
and, making to the s'uth ard as she
was, it was highly improbable that he
had seen our mast. For good half
hour l watched the proa. not daring to
raise our own sail lest it should be
seen; then Sebastiano put about to
the west'ard and almost disappeared.
This was our opportunity, SO we were
quickly off in the opposite direction.
] calculated that by making 40 miles
due east we should have the wind
about right for straight reach into
Tarofofo. and could probably get there
by six o'clock. 1t was actually little
| before that when l concealed the gold
| and other articles in the assure, SO
that, catching enough sea bass on the
way to account for our long sail. we
arrived at Agana by eight. In all my
experience with sailing craft. extend
ing over many years and gathered up
on every sea of the globe, l never found
anything to equa! the island proas of
the western Pacific in either speed or
| safety. On account of their strength
and lightness they are practically in
destructible, and their enormous sail
area makes them the fastest things
upon salt water. That my statement
of having made 26 statute miles an
hour with one, before the wind, is no
exaggeration, anyone who has ever
sailed in one will admit.
Sebastiano returned about nine
O'Clock. having left the big proa at
Apra, and, while satisfying his vora-
cious appetite, told US quite frankly
that he had spent the day looking for
the Santa Rosa shoal. Recalling, for
Col. de Garma's benefit, the con.ersa-
tions which had induced Capt. Hal
tstead to sound for the shoal, the padre
asked if l could remember the posi-
ton given upon the Imray chart.
When l repeated it he said that an
older Spanish chart which he had seen
in Manila located the reef at least 20
miles farther west; that he had sup
posed at the time, and, in fact, until
Halstead explained its nature, it was
really a small islet which showed
above water, and the most southerly
one of the archipelago. This state.
ment didn't exactly tally with the
questions he had asked on the steamer
l
could hardly repress grin of salts
faction. nevertheless. If my fat FRIEND
pinned his faith upon this last theory
it would keep him at least 30 miles
away from me whenever he pursued
his Investigations.
The fact. however, that he intended
making a systematic search for the
shoal complicated matters good deal
He was likely to overhaul me sooner
or later and find that was actually re
moving the treasure. He might have
spies all over the island, for all
, knew. and some day my visits to Por
: Tarofofo might be reported to him
| Then, again, if succeeded in getting
E all the money as far as my rocky ifs
= sure, it was sure to be spirited ava.
; by Sebastiano or the natives if the,
were successful in tracking me; and
5 cudgel my wits as l might, Their
seemed no way in which 1 could secret
. it until the steamer returned withou
T exciting suspicion-suspicion whicl
e might cause it to disappear at any mo
r ment. 1t seemed imperative that
n should consult Halstead before get
4 ting any more of the stuff above wa
< ter; yet in case there were no passen
1 gers for Guajan, as we had talked
t there wasn't chance of seeing hir
" for nearly four months. and there wa
e some doubt of his returning even ther
r There was a possibility of my react
Y ing zap in the proa before he left tina
1 - Ii