The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-30
SELECT Stnrp.
THE SPANISH GOLD.
A Story of the Lost Treasure Ship

tive land, or what induced him to take up
his abode in that old ruined tower. Such
a place as it was to make Il home in
Grey and old; storm beaten; with deep
creyices, into which you could put your
hand, between its huge stones, and quaint
hooks in high ve-courses, IN which the
wandering swallows in summer time built
their nests, as one might see by the straws
and moss that peeped thereout; 1t was
about as unlikely spot as anyone not al
together demented would be expected to
select for habitation There was nothing
standing but the bare walls; and how thick
and strong they were
Local history and tradition had alike
failed to tell its story; it had been rootiess
and ruined for longer than the fathers aud
nrandfathers of the present generation
could remember; and was likely to remain
so till the lapsing ages should make Its
walls crumble on the precipice they sur
mounted, and cause them to topic over
into the sea. Not, indeed that they could
fall right into the sea, save when the WIN
ter winds send the great rolling waves OF
the Atlantic inwards and swept them, leap
ing and surging, to the base of the cliifs,
At such time they would, no doubt, II
they gave way, descend into the sea, but
at other periods they would simply fall on
a small strand, crescent-shaped, of the
finest sand. as white as flour; or, other
wise. ON the great beams and timbers pro
truding with uncouth prominence through
1.-THE relics of great vessel that some
time in the past had been wrecked by the
nitiless sea and driven in there.
It must have been ship of no ordinary
kind that was thus driven in and wrecked
for its gigantic beams were TOO unwleldy
far any vessels that our island had ever
seen. Moreover, they were fastened and
clamped with iron ana copper bolts ana
nnts to a degree, and IN themselves were
blacl and hard 50 much 50, indeed, that
they remained there for generations IN
touched by the inhabitants, who would
rather do without firing than 90 to the
trouble of cutting them up. When 1t
came there? Who manned itP When
II sailed the sea-? What nation iias 1t
bore aloft were all things that the great
aver-advaneing wave of time had buried
away and hidden out Of sight And ior
auobt one could see of decay about them.
they were likely to last as long As the old
castle itself But change came over
them and the surroundings quite unex
pectedly; and this brings me back TO the
commencement of my story.
He was a small, withered, black lo"N :
inc little man. remember very wen
when | first saw him-standlns at the
door Of the old castle, hooking down on
the strand and over the sea, and taking
note generally of the place. lie might
be sixty years of age. OF only forty IRON
what anyone could Judge by hls appear
ance And the gibberish he spoke 1t
was enough to make all the neighbour
lauph when they heard IT. Much be
cared about their laughing He ordered
in timber, got local carpenter to he'll
him. and SION had portion OF the old
castle rooted In Had two or three rooms
made in it, too. quite coultortable-ihonst
IL was the wonder Of everybody what a
single man. and stranger to boot, wanted
a. many for. And then 1t became RI
mored that he had taken lease Of the
Mace from Lord Clare, a il he we're go'n2 t.
live in il forever. Knowing people >ho"S
there heads aud said WAIT until WIN
ter; wait until the storms come from 'h'
west and the great Atlantic waves roll ~
and see how long he will remain IN 1t
What was he going to do with It
What was he GOING to do with himself
How was he going to live were ques
ton, constantly asked Not asked +"
him-people were too much afraid ct Ina
to do that-but Of one another
They were very soon answered, IT.
began boat building. II he had begun 1
build another Noah Ark, people woui'
not have been one whit more surprised
The only boats used along our portion .
the Irish coast were corraghs, which wer
merely slight framework Of timber coy
cred over with hides Of kline Nothin
else would live 10 the stormy aud tumblln
seas that surrounded ~ Who was goin
tn buy his boats when made. or wher
were they 10 he used Aud then peopl
shook their heads and laughed more oon
sumedly than before But quite needle,
of what anyone said or thought. the ne'
arrival kept straight and steady at hi
work.
Ii was not the least curious thing abou
him that he should try to work up tn
huge beams of the sand covered wrec
into materials for his trade 1t was quit
of piece with all his Oddities and tho>
who laughed at him before pitied now, it
they considered him thoroughly demented
The Mad Spaniard should have told 70
that he came from SPAIN don kno
how we CHANGED to know it, bat We did
the Spania, or Mad Spaniard, as he wa
called, soon came to be spoken Of far an
near, and people would wander to th
place Sunday after Sunday, when the
had time. to look at the progress the ne
trade was making and at the boat bnildt
himself
But they had soon something else
talk about, when one summe: 5 eyenin
they found that another had joined him
young girl How she came there,
when she had come, no one knew or coul
tell; but there she was, walking with hin
If the boat builder was old and withere
and grizzly, the newcomer was fresh an
soft and sweet as the May flowers CROWN
in the valleys hard by. Slender and eli
CANT, with face singularly sweet an
winsome- though its dark olive color col
trasted curiously with the fresh and whit
of our island girls and with pair of dar
eyes, out of which shot CLEANS of ligf
brighter than the brightest sunshine whe
she smiled. She was the very perfectio
of gentle and blooming girlhood. HI
step was so light it would scarcely ben
the flower on the hillside, and her slendt
form put to shame the most graceful {
our island lassies; though can tell you
looking back at it now after the lapse {
some fifty years, there were some anon
them who needed not to blush beside til
best of those who trod the streets of tn
metropolis-and who knew it too, more
over.
But the attractive characteristic Of tn
Donna Gracia-for so the old man terme