Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-02-06

whole cabin was in blaze. Without
trying to save the vessel they rushed
to the single boat remaining, leaving
| one man dead in the companionway
and another severely wounded on deck.
Thus ell the stores and tools were
burned, together with the poor wound
ed wretch on deck
The next morning a party set out to
explore the island and soon found a
simple minded old German on the OPP
sort of Robinson Crusoe life-tilled a
little soil and kept couple of fishing
| boats. That night some of the more
desperate spirits of the party proposed
that they should steal one Of the old
Germans boats, sail to the mainland,
seize a small vessel and bring it back
to the island with more provisions and
tools.
The carpenter and the sailor who had
Joined him the night before tried to
dissuade them from putting the plan
into execution, but they persisted and
sailed away the next day.
In about two weeks the sailboat
hove in sight, and when she was beach
ed an emaciated, wounded wretch
crawled out, the sole survivor Of the
crew that had sailed away so conf
IDENTIFY two weeks before.
Before he died he told how the ras-
Gals had succeeded in reaching the
coast safely and with little difficulty
had found small vessel suited to
their purpose.
They tried to get away with it in the
night, but the owner discovered them
and attempted to interfere, with the
result that he paid for his vigilance
with knife slash which settled him in
a minute. But the pirates did not get
far away before they were overhauled,
taken back to port, and every one Of
them was hanged, except the teller of
the tale, who had escaped, but had
been MORALLY wounded in doing so.
The carpenter and the sailor pros
pected daily about the ravine and the
beach; but, having nothing except their
knives with which to work, they made
little progress. Still they picked out
of the crevices considerable amount
of gold.
One day they borrowed a Ratchet
from the old German and penetrated
the ravine which ran up the side Of one
of the mountains. Some distance up
and found the ledge to be composed Of
soft. rotten stone impregnated with
gold in large quantities. In fact, the
entire mountain seemed to be streaked
with the precious metal.
AS they worked, however, their lives
were In constant danger, for the noun
tain side seemed to be alive with poi
sonous reptiles, scorpions, tarantulas-
In fact owing to these pests, they were
fain to give up all attempts to pene-
trate farther and contented themselves
with working about the foot Of the
mountain. They remained on this Is
land nearly two months before they
which stopped to fill her water casks.
Shortly after their return to the 18TH
mus the sailor was taken down with
isthmus fever and died. The carpen-
ter then took the gold and, keeping his
secret, set sail for his home, where he
bought hotel. He intended some time
to return to the island, but one winter
day he fell on the ice, receiving an in
jury that resulted in paralysis, and a
year later he also died. But before he
did so he told to a friend who had
nursed him all the details Of his strange
adventures In the southern Pacific,
drew plan of the ikand, described its
location and topography and gave such
an accurate description that any one
familiar with the coast could have no
difficulty in verifying the statement.
The carpenters friend did not sur
vive him long, but before he died he
likewise related the carpenters story
to q captain who was familiar with the
waters of the southern Pacific. And
now another expedition has been fitted
out for the mysterious isle of gold.
But wiseacres shook their heads, and
already belief has grown among the
timid that a curse is associated with
the isle and the treasure, and that
death and doom inevitably follow the
pursuit of the secret.-Chicago Times
Herald