The Democratic advocate., 1900-06-30

and less frequented thereafter; for, for
tunately, the usual harbor for the fishing
boats Law on the other side, and there was
no essential need to go there.
1t may be readily imagined that after
the misfortunes which had come on the
young officer, the Mad Spaniard did not
grow in more favor with the inhabitants.
But as no one molested him, and as he did
not know, or if he did, did not care for
what they thought, but worked on unceas-
ingly, it came to pass that by degrees peo-
pie withdrew their attention from him, and
concentrated it on their own proper busi-
ness. He was always looked upon as un-
canny, and it rather began to be thought
that the troubles that had come on Captain
Norman might readily come in other ways
on those who impertinently meddled with
his affairs. Wherefore, people let him
quietly alone; and a good deal of the in
terest attached to him and his affairs when
be first came having died out, it was but
rarely, if, indeed, at all, anyone went to
that portion of the island But stray fish
ermen, sailing around in their corraghs,
brought word that he was still at work;
for they could hear him busily hammering
with his axe at the sides of the old hulk,
or see him scooping the sand from her in
terror or burrowing it out.
One evening, late in the month of Oc-
tober, when the Atlantic storms might be
expected at any moment to begin on the
coast, the tall masts of a foreign rugged
vessel appeared in the offing, and later on
in the evening dropped anchor hard BY the
coast, and not far from the Mad Spaniard s
harbor. 1t was reckless thing to d.,
for if "a storm came on nothing in the world
could save her; and very suddenly did they
come on this wild coast. OF course we all
! wondered what brought her there, and
many were the surmises concerning her.
Had she come with supply of winter
provisions for the lone worker? Or, again
had she brought back Charlie Norman 5
lost love, the lost Spanish Rose? This
latter looked so very likely that we all jump
ed at once to the conclusion that she had,
here
You may depend curious footsteps were
straying early next day to the shore, for
not few thought and hoped that the mis-
sing youth might have, by some curious
turn of the wheel of chance, have come
back with the Rose Numerous lights had
been seen about the place, on the cliffs, on
the sands, on the sea, all night, as if some
scenes of rejoicing were going on. But,
behold when they arrived there the YES
sci was gone; stranger STILL the Mad Span
lard was gone There was not soul
about the place; they had all departed with
the morning dawn. The news soon spread,
and quite a crowd gathered, who scattered
themselves over the place, curiously search
ing and investigating. And then came a
strange revealment The old hulk, mas
sive and magnificent even in her ruin, had
been quite excavated, the sand completely
cleared away down to the lowest timber of
her keel. Compartments hidden away for
generations -centuries-had been laid bare
and broken up, and scattered here and
there over the naked timbers were shining
pieces of gold Yes, shining pieces of
gold-broad Spanish doubloons, which had
fallen about, either unnoticed by the find
ers, or perhaps considered by them in the
hurry Of their departure, and IN the larger
treasure they had to deal with, as nos worth
the trouble of picking up.
Then we knew it all. The yery name
Sanctissima Trinidad, in huge bronze let
tiers on her uncovered side, half hidden by
Il greenish coating of verdigris, vas enough
to tell the tale. If we did not understand
it at once, Phadrig Coady, dominic and
philomath was there to explain it-not a
little, be it said, To our modification
The Sauetissin,.. Trinidad was one Of the
treasure ships OF the famous Armada.
When that great fleet came a-sailing up the
English Channel in mighty crescent, her
tall masts stood high above the others.
Don Vcspaslan Gonzaga Of Spain com
nianded her. She formed Il mark for the
attacks of the great naval leaders, the bold
sea lords, whom this crisis in England ;
fortunes called forth Drake had leyelleC
his guns under her huge sides, and poured
shot and shell into her almost solid wooder
walls. Howard and EHingham had man
tied her in haze of battlesmcke; Hawkin:
had riddled her acres of sails with chair
shot; and Sir Martin Frobisher had swep
her bulwarks with grape until not living
Spanish face could peer above them. Will
Ii, 4 of tho ArInull
the tattered and torn galliasse shook her
self free from these dreadful watchdoSs
mustered what sail she could and, in de
spairin. retreat bore northward around thu
shores Of Scotland, and homeward by thu
western Irish coast. There, the fierce At
lantic storms had caught her, had rent he
/. torn sails afresh, had made her a helples:
wreck on the wild waters, and had finall,
flung her on the quicksands of Arran Is
, land, not soul of her crew or officers re
naming to tell her tale. The wild wave
completed their work by sweeping the drift
, ing sand around and over her, until moth
, ING but the shattered timbers of her pro,
: remained visible There, the winter wind
r of two centuries and half had moane'
/ over her; the suRs of twelve-score summer
had frightened the sands above her; bu
, no one knew or dreamt of the huge treasur
, that lay concealed beneath.
! Until the Mad Spaniard came TIL
, wonder was how he learned it. Som
! Spanish archives, perhaps, preserved re
) membrance of the vessels in which the gol
was carried, and some chance incident ha
} brought to light where her ruined timber
) lay.
Now we understood what the old fol-
eigner's boat building meant; now we kne'
how little of the fool or the madman ther
. was about him ! He had labored jealous
ly, untiringly, in his quest; had take
3 cunning steps enough to keep our supersti
tious islanders eyes from his work; an
had found at last his reward The strange