Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-05-02
THE WRECK LAY THERE ON THE REEF.

general laugh as her bid was accept
She had recognized me as a sailor
while waiting to bid and had asked me
the distance to the islands and If l
had ever been there. When she had
bid in the wreck and was ready to GO,
she gave me her address and asked me
to call. Just what she was up to l
couldn't figure out, but the fact of a
woman bidding in a wreck was suh-
cient to satisfy a sailor that she was
acting upon some information not pos
sessed by the underwriters. l was on
hand at the hour named, and | soon
discovered that she was a woman OF
business. When she had made many
inquiries about me and was evidently
satisfied that ] was all right, she told
me that she had discovered through
one of her boarders that the cargo of
the ship was far more valuable than
appeared by the manifest. 1t seemed
that some one had a private specula-
ton in opium, the captain and mate
standing in. and it was this knowl-
edge that had caused the Widow Jack
son to bid for the wreck. The secret
had been let out by the mate while i'll
of fever and out of his head.
What the widow wanted of me was.
first, to ask if there was a possible
chance that the wreck was still on the
reef and if any part Of her cargo could
be got at; second, the cost of fitting out
a craft to visit the scene, and, third, II
I would take command on a percentage
Of what might be recovered and could
scare up a crew to do h same. The
Widow jackson was q brisk spoken.
decisive She had been left
money. The adventure would be a big
risk, but if the wreck was found the
profit would be enormous. All l had to
risk in it was my time, and l soon de-
cided to do that. Acting under her in
structions, l looked about for a craft
to charter and after a little lighted up
on a brig which filled the bill. | also
routed out among the sailor crowd a
J mate, cook and six men who would
take all other chances If paid a months
wages in advance. l got figures on the
necessary stores. and the widow took
a day to look them over. | expected
the sum total would brighten her, as
the figure was pretty steep in spite OF
= all l could do, but when I called again
she said:
81 have got that amount of money
and q little over. 1 am going to sub
lease this house for six months and GO
! with you on this voyage. l see yor
have figured on a cook. Strike him of
the list. l shall be cook myself. If
e can cool and work here, l can do the
same aboard of a brig, and we want nc
idlers. l have fully made up my minC
II to carry out my ideas, and you will &C
ahead as fast as possible"
: I was pushing things along to get
e away at the earliest hour, when
heard that the captain of the late Coco
Intent was secretly seeking a craft fol
= charter. This satisfied me as to thu
:, value of the wreck if it was still intac
y and also made me hustle the harder
} When we finally got away, there wal
no talk about it, and | was the only
V man aboard who knew our real destina
:, ton. That we should be followed with
n in a week or ten days was certain, ant
'e we were no sooner clear Of the "heads'
II than orders were given to crack OF
and keep the little hooker travelling 70
all she was worth. We were in ballas
only, having cleared for Japan, and
had picked up a good sailer in charter
: ing the Duchess.
, There is a wide stretch of salt waite
and weeks of sailing between the Cali