The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-04

When the yacht entered the S3ragosSA
sea. An hour had been consumed i'm
making the alterations in her machinery,
so that when the sun went down, as it
did about O'clock, Capt. Darlington esti-
mated that they had left twenty miles of
weeds behind them.
Then the engines were stiEed and every
thing was made snug for the night; and
what a night ii was!
The mass of weeds which surrounded
them on every side seemed to be on fire.
Strange phosphorescent lights cleaned
over them like darling flames, unlike any
thing they had ever witnessed before.
Swishing. gliding, rustlins noises filed
the air, as II serpents were at play upon
that treacherous surface. Louder and still
stranger noises came TO them from dis
tances, and il was as though they had
glided into another world, heretofore UNI
visited by man.
There were sleepless eyes aboard that
yacht that night. Uncanny sights and
sounds dispelled all thought of slumber.
and the watch upon the deck comprised
the whole ships crew.
But with the dawn of another day the
illusions of the night We're dispelled. Greg
Dry offered a reward to the first man who
should sight a derelict; and they had not
made three more knots through the
weedy mass before a dozen were discov-
cred. Another knot and the yacht seemed
to be in the vortex of the Saragossa sea,
around which the mass of weeds and
floating things revolve. drawing all things
TO its center. There were solid masses OF
weed-grown wrecks. brown with age and
mold, and green and red and yellow with
moss and vegetable fungi. Some were
comparatively new, and here and there
deck-house showed itself among the
stagnant growth Others were SO old and
besodden and pulpy that one wondered
why they did not sink. Every stage of
Il. 81. IL IL I'll r.f
is heir was here in evidence, and over it
all there hung an indescribabe odor of
wretchedness, of misery, of decay and
death There were living things there,
too; strange crawling, writhing creatures,
as of another world and even the stout
heart of Capt Darlington faltered and
trembled with alarm at what he saw
Then while he stood appalled, with the
impulse growing upon him 10 turn and
make his way back again TO the open
sea, he raised his binoculars and swept
one more searching glance about him,
upon that huddled mass of slowly re-
voIving, decaying, forgotten wreckage.
His arms dropped at his sides lie ut
tered an excnama ton of amazement. Be
fore him, not half mile away, listed 10
starboard so that only the port half of her
deck and huh could be seen, he discovered
the object of their search The water
covered half the name yet visible upon her
stern, Dut lie NOulh lbdu NilOuSh " SdtAS7
fly him that he was right. "Sallie Jo-"
cleaned at him above the weeds, and be-
meath il were the first two letters OF the
name OF the port from which she had
hailed va"
In an instant his momentary trepida-
ton was forgotten and excitement took
its place. The hydraulic apparatus was
sci in motion again, and the weeds and
wrecks were pushed aside until the nose
of the yacht was thrust against the ham
sunken huh of the long-ost derelict, The
excitement communicated itself TO the
men, although they did not know for
what they really searched.
my men," called out the Captain,
stepping amidshfps TO be nearer to them,
we have arrived al our destination. In
a few hours our work win have been per-
formed ] thank you for your courage.
I ask your patience yet a little while,
When next we're under weigh our bow
will be pointed toward the open sea ana
home Three cheers now for your owner
and the yacht"
aye, and for the Captain, too" shouted
a resonant voice from the forecastle and
they were given with hearty win,
Below in the cabin Darlington and Gre
CORY worked long over the blue print plans
which directed the way to the hidden mil
lions
InefR rs only one way, NItSOIyt Sdlu
the Captain at last, thrusting the papers
aside and rising to pace the cabin deck.
1--WE can. at best, recover no more than
half of this fortune. The other half lies
on the starboard side, out Of our reach,
and 1t were death TO any man TO seek
1t in this awful place. Were the Sallie
floating on an even keel, as last reported
by Capt. Graham, then. I grant you,
the thought would be tenable; as II is. ii
is out of the question Your plans here
show us that five of the ten compart-
ments in which the gold was stored, lie
along the port side of the hold just above
what is now her water line. There are
$4,000 i'm gold in each; 2.5O0, 900 in ALL"
And that Darlington, you believe we
can saver" asked Gregory, eagerly.
"Yes. or nearly all of it, IL we work
with system and with care. | have fig
ured out the measurements here" plac-
ing his hand upon a sheet of paper that
laid upon the table. They are mathe-
maticaly exact. / can put my finger
over the precise spot where each cons
partment is located. We must bore
through the hull at these places-I have
indicated them here-saw out sections of
the planking. penetrate to the inner hull,
pierce that in the same manner, and the
gold--the Treasure Tor which we have
searched so long-will be exposed 10 oui
view. where we have but 10 reach in our
hands and remove It,"
at is greatr exclaimed Gregory with
enthusiasm. at is magnificent
Out upon che deck the men were group
ed along the starBoard rail viewing and
discussing the derelict. The Captain
closely followed by Gregory, issued from
the cabin.
Hasty orders were given, three OF the
machinists were detailed as assistants,
measurements were taken from bow to
stern OF the floating wreck and from the
freeboard down. augers and saws and
other tools were produced and the work
commenced
II went on joyously for quite a time. the
excitement which neither the Captain nor
Gregory could conceal, imparting itself to
the men. AZ last the inner hun was
pierced.
Capt. Darrington's own hands Piled the
saw. Piece by piece he flung aside the
half-rotten bits of planking that he cut
away.
Then the aperature stared open before
him and peering through he sa W a bean