The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-11-06
:. CHAPTER {.
Was II Buried Here7'


Backbone OF the smallest and poor
est where none were large-a light
glimmered in a lower room 1t was
nearly IL o'clock of a stormy summer
night, and the other dwellings held
only sleeping inmates.
The low, dark, smoky room was in
habited only by one persona man not
much past middle life; but he looked
much older as he sat at the table
which held the lamp, his head support
ed by both hands, his eyes intent upon
yellow-leaved novel before him. He
read, half-aloud the paragraph over
which he was porting:
These men, after having secured
their bloody spoil, steered south, in
tently not TO land until they had gone
many leagues. But Providence did not
permit them to carry ont their plans.
Not many hours after they had sunk
the ship, and seen the men whom they
had robbed sink IN the sea before their
eyes without helping them--not long
after that, God, as IL to mark His dis
pleasure, sent terrific storm along
that coast, and they were driven into
the bay, which was afterwards called
Massachusetts Bay. 1t was in vain
that they tried to prevent the ship
from approaching the land; she drove
on, faster and faster, until she reached
that reef OF rocks near the southern
shore of the bay, where many ships
have since gone to destruction"
AT this point the man paused with
his finger on the place, and said,
aloud:
THAT must be Minot's Ledge. From
this, and what it says before. there
can be no doubt OF it. Yes. it's Mi
not's." .
Then he went on reading:
''The pirates could not prevent her
striking on the rocks. but they had
succeeded in changing her course so
that she did not dash to pieces, as they
had feared. She was driven farther in
the bay and close to shore; when, sud-
denly, the wind shifting, the storm
broke away. The men, in their glee,
began drinking OF the rum with which
they had provided themselves.
The ship was leaking at a rapid
rate from the parting of the timbers,
caused by the stroke of the rocks, and
to destroy themselves, for they be-
came more and more drunk. and ne
elected the ship until she had sunk
nearly to her top.
"But two of them--wily fellows--re-
membering all the treasure that was
on board, sewed 1t about their persons,
loading themselves so heavily that
they could hardly walk.
IT.4f- n. - a.
they secretly took boat, and left the
ship and rowed to the land, which they
reached with great difficulty. being so
heavily laden.
Once landed, they consulted togeth-
er. and soon began to quarrel, for
much treasure make men enemies of
each other. They soon drew their
knives, and one Of them slew the 9th.
er. The surviving man. his soul full
OF terror and avarice, worked all the
night long to bury the treasure that
both had brought. When he had done
he wrote strict description of the
place, and boand the paper to him with
belt beneath his clothes.
But the devil, who had helped him
thus far, deserted him now That
man, at morning light. was set upon by
Indians and stripped of all his cloth
ing, the precious description was flung
away as worthless, and the man him
self carried into captivity. But the pa
per was found and preserved, and here
in follows a correct copy OF It."
At this point in the reading the man
rose and went impatiently to the door
which he opened after struggle with
the wind, and, stepping out, he raised
his hand to his ear and listened in,
tently.
"He is late" he muttered. "If he
was as impatient as am, he would not
be late for a moment It's just the
night--no one will be about to trouble
us. Why doesn't he conner"
There was something weak and fret
full in the mans voice. He turned and
walked slowly about the house, repeat
ing to himself the description OF the
spot where the treasure was buried
He told himself that he would not read
1t again--he knew 1t too we'll He
struck his hands together, exclaiming
with an intensity almost fierce:
YES; that must be the place. The
cove there beyond the Gun Rock is the
cove that Is meant The spot is de
scribed precisely, allowing for some
little change that the water must have
made in all these years. There's no
another place just like IL On all this
south shore, and the book says, dis
tinctly, that Ii was on the south shore
of Massachusetts Bay. Yes; the treas
ure Is there now, only waiting for som,
one to dig ii up. II will make Kate
fortune. II will educate her; 1t will
give her the surroundings of a lady. /
can't make her a lady. for she is tina
already. Yes; il is for her sake--fo
her sake. She must live such life al
her days. But when am gone wha
will become of her? The treasure Il
there-thefe is not the slightest doub
of that--and 1t must be Hates for
tune"
AS he went on, his voice had SUM
into kind of querulous tone, and b,
locked about him as il fearful som,
one had heard him.
K NJ He was now standing still on the le
side of the house, his gaze wandering
abseutiy toward the glimmering ocean
which could only just be seen in tn
q darkness.
"A IA light hand was laid on his arm
En- and the touch made him start with
IS X kfnd OF nervous terror He could se
IA female hsare beside him.
What's the matter. father? VIII