The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-01-16
AN ISLE
 OF GOLD.
But It Was Believed That a Curse Rested Upon It


 One day in 1877 a carpenter stopped at Panama on his way home from California, where he had earned fair measure of success In the goldfieids.
 In such places men are not discrimi- hating as regards the acquaintances they make. and he fell in with couple of rough looking sailors who had de- serted from whaler that put into port | for provisions.
 One evening, upon learning that he was a miner and therefore familiar with metals, they showed him a strong bag filled with some hard substance, which they asked him to examine and pronounce judgment upon.
 He examined the contents, which he found to be gold of the finest quality, whereupon, after first imposing an oath of strict secrecy, they told him that shortly before arriving at Pana- ma their ship had touched at an island to take in water The casks were rafted ashore and quickly filled, the ship meanwhile standing off and on.
 While waiting for the ship tp stand In these two. sailors strolled along the beach for about two miles until they came to a place where a re sine or water course came down from a high mountain, passed under a natural stone arch and emptied into the sea. Here they noticed that the sand of the beach was filled with a number of shining particles resembling gold and that the crevices or seams of the water course also seemed full of 1t. Not sure whether It was gold. they gathered a small package and retraced their steps to the boat. saying nothing. however, to their companions of the discovery.
 INss Being assured by the carpenter that they had discovered genuine gold the | sailors proposed that the three of them should fit out small vessel and re- | turn to the island. The plan was agreed to at once. A vessel was pur- chased. and six or eight more men were induced to join the expedition. | There were so few men available that they had to take such as they could get, and they got as precious a lot of rascals as ever went unhanged There were two big negroes, two viii lanous looking Spaniards who could not be trusted out of sight. hunch | backed. snaky looking fellow who, it | was afterward learned. was an escap | pd convict from the penal colony in | French Guiana and a surly, scared old fellow who had been warned out of | California by vigilance committee. He was feared by every member of | the crew, and even before the coast | lines had sunk below the horizon he | had let out little suggestions that fill | ed the carpenter with premonitions | that he was going to make serious | trouble. Surly and morose, he slouch | ed about the deck without word to anybody The other members of the crew were indifferent.
 The vessel was fitted out ostensibly | for coasting purposes, with mining ltoois. provisions for two or three months and couple of barrels of rum, man and woman were taken along | as cook and stewardess. Toward even. | ing of the second day out they sighted | the island
 It was a lonesome, cheerless looking | spot. with n rough, irregular beach, along which the surf was tumbling in long curls of creamy foam, and little
 farther in upon the rocks were groups of slmy, black creatures which gave voice to the desolation with their hoarse barking There was a sporadic growth of palms on the island which dwindlcd away into a scraggy growth of undprhrush upon the slopes of two mountains which rose symmetrically | from the two eXtremities.
 A small cove, bordered by a sandy
 beach. offered a safe anchorage, and
 Into this the vessel was cautiously steered, and the crew was set to work
 at once at landing the stores.
 1 That night there was grand carou- 1 sal aboard the vessel In celebration of the successful termination of the voy- age, during which rum flowed freely and quarrels were frequent. The car
 penter and one of the sailors, however,
 held aloof from these orgies, remaining on deck. prepared to leave the vessel | should matters come to a crisis. Mat
 ters did come to crisis with a crash
 when one of the Spaniards dragged the
 poor, frightened stewardess into the cabin and insisted that she should sing
 a Spanish song for the company.
 The big ruffian with livid scar, who claimed to be an American. declared
 that she should sing nothing but Van
 kee Doodle" The Spaniard attempted
 to force matters by drawing a knife,
 but the American anticipated him with
 his gun" which he began to dis charge right and left.
 In a moment the fight became gener-
 al. Out of the cabin and up on the
 deck they tumbled, shooting and cut
 ting and cursing in manner that was I frightful to hear. Half of them would
 have been killed or wounded had it not been for an accident that drew theiv
 attention from the fighting to dangei
 that threatened them all In common.
 In the scutfle in the cabin large lamp
 was overturned, and before any one at,
 tempted to put out the flames the