Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-02-22

SOu iedIu the story ! WHAT were THESE
villains after but money? What do they
care for but money? For what would
they risk their rascal carcasses, but
money!"
That we shall SOC know" replied
the doctor. But you are so confound-
edly hot-headed and explanatory that
l cannot get a word in. What / want to
know Is this: Surprising that 1 have
mere In my pocket some clew to where
Flint buried his treasure will that
treasur amount to much?"
Amount, sir" cried the squire. 'It
VIII amount to this: IL we have the
crew we talk about, / fit out a ship in
Bristol dock. and take you and Haw-
klns here along. n I'll have that
treasure II l search a year"
very Well" said the doctor. Now,
then. If Jim is agreeable, We'll open
the packet" and he laid it before him
on the table.
The bundle was sewn together, and
the doctor had to get out his instru-
ment case n cut the stitches with his
medical scissors. 1t contained two
thlngs-a book and n sealed paper.
First or all We'll try the book OBJ
served the doctor.
The squire and / were both peering
over his shoulder as he opened II. for
DR.. Livesey had kindly motioned me to
come round from the sid table, where
l mad been eating, to enjoy the sport
Oh the search. On the first page there
were only some scraps of writing, such
as a man with a pen in his hand might
make Tor idleness or practice. One was
the same as the tattoo mark. Billy
Bones his fancy" and then there was
MI. w. Bones, mate" mo more rum"
on Palm Key he got itt;' and some
other s~natches, mostly single words
and unintelligible. / could not help
wondering who It was that had got
ltt, and wha lit" was that he got.
A knife In his back as like as not.
Not much instruction there" said
Dr. LlVesey, as he passed on.
lie next ten or twelve pages were
niled with a curious series of entries.
mere was a date at one end OF the line
ana at the other a sum of money, as in
common account books; but instead Of
explanatory writing only a VARYING
number OF crosses between the two.
On the 18th of June, 1745, for instance,
a sum OF $40 had plainly become due
10 some one. and there was nothing but
SIX crosses TO explain the cause. In
a few cases, to be sure, the name of a
place would be added, as "Offe Carac-
cas- or a mere entry of latitude and
longitude, as "62 degrees, II minutes,
~ seconds, 10 degrees 2 minutes 40 sec
onds."
The record lasted over nearly 20
years, the amount OF the separate en-
tries growing larger as time went on.
and at the n a grand total had been
made out after five or six wrong ad-
aitlons' and tese words appended:
Bones his pile
II can't make head or tail of this"
said DR.. Livesey.
The thing is clear as MONDAY"
cried The squire. This is the black
hearted hound's account book. These
crosses stand for the names Of the
ships or towns that they have sunk or
~plundered. The sums are the scoun-
dreIs share, n where he feared an
ambiguity, o see he added something
clearer. 'Otfe C~arcaccas,' now; you see,
here was some unhappy vessel boarded
on that coast. God help the poor souls
that manned her-coral long ago.
Right said the doctor. See what
IT Is to be q traveller. Right! And the
amounts Increase, you see, as he rose
In rank"
There was little else In the volume
but a few bearings OF places noted in
the blank leaves toward the end. and
a table for reducing French, English
ana SPANS moneys to a common
value.
Thrifty mani" cried the doctor.
He wasn't the one to be cheated"
And now" said the squire, "for the
other"
The paper had been sealed in several
places with a thimble by way Of SEAL:
the very thimblc, perhaps, tina I had
found In the captains pocket. The doc
tor opened the seals with great care,
and there fell out the map OF an ISL
and, with latitude and longitude.
~soundings, names of hills and bays and
lnlets, and every particular hat would
be needed to bring q ship to n safe
anchorage upon It's shores. IL was
about nine miles long and Ave across.
shaped, you might say, like a fat
dragon standing up, and had two fine
land-locked harbors, and n hill In the
center part marked THE Spy Glass"
There were several additions Of a later
date, but, above all, three crosses Of
red ink-two on the north part of the
island, n in the southwest, and be-
side this last, in the same red ink. and
in a small, neat hand, very different
from the captains lottery characters,
these words: Bulk of treasure here"
over on the pack the same hand had
written this further information:
Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, bear
ing a point to the n. OF N. N. f.
Skeleton island T.. S. L. and by e.
Ten feet.
THE bar silver Is IN the north cache;
you can find 1t by the trend Of the east
hummock, ten fathoms south of the
black crag with the face on it.
THE arms are easy found, In the
sandhill, N. point or north inlet cape,
bearing T.. and q quarter N. j. f."
That was all; but brief as it was.
and, to me, incomprehensible, ii filled
the squire and DR.. Livesey with de-
light.
"Livesey." said the squire, you will
give up this wretched practice at once
Tomorrow | start for Bristol. In three
weeks time-three weeks.-two weeks
ten days-we'l have the best ship
sir, and the choicest crew in England
Hawkins hall come as cabin boy.
You'll make a famous cabin boy,
Hawkins. You. Livesey, are ships
doctor; / am admiral. Well take Red.
ruth, Joyce and Hunter. Wen have
favorable winds and a quick passage,
and not the least difficulty in finding
the spot, and none to cato roll In
to play duck and drake with ever
after"
"Trelawney," said the doctor, "Ili
go with you; and I'll go bail for It, so
will Jim, and be a credit to the under
taking. There's only one man 1 am
afraid Of"
And who is that?' cried the squire.
Name the dog, sir!"
YOU" replied the doctor; "for you
cannot hold your tongue. We are not
the only men who know of his paper.
These fellows who attacked the inn to-
night-bold, desperate blades, for sure
and the rest who stayed aboard that,
lugger, and more, / dare say, not far
off, are. one and all, through thick and
thin, bound that they'll get tat money.
We must n of us go alone till we
get to sea. Jim and l shall stick to-
gether In the meanwhile; you'll take
Joyce and Hunter when you ride to
Bristol, and, from first to last, not one
IF US must breathe a word Of what
we've found"
"Livesey," said the squire, you are
always in the right of it. I'll be as
silent as the grave"