The Morris County chronicle., 1902-10-17

general laugh as her bid was accept
ed. She had recognized me as sailor
while waiting to bid and had asked me
| the distance to the islands and II
had ever been there. When she had
bid in the wreck and was ready to CO.
she gave me her address and asked me
to call. Just what she was up to
couldn't figure out, but the fact of
woman bidding in a wreck was suff-
cient to satisfy sailor that she was
acting upon some information not pos
sessed by the underwriters. l was on
hand at the hour named, and l soon
discovered that she was woman of
business. When she had made many
inquiries about me and was evidently
satisfied that ] was all right, she told
me that she bad 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
q craft to visit the scene, and, third, If
would take command on percentage
Of what might be recovered and could
scare up crew to do the same. The
Widow jackson was a brisk spoken,
decisive woman. She had been left
money. The adventure would be big
risk. but If the wreck was found the
profit would be enormous. All 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 little lighted up
on brig which filed the bill. l also
routed out among the sailor crowd a
mate, cook and six men who would
take all other chances If paid a months
wages in advance. ! got figures on the
necessary stores, and the widow took
day to look them over. l expected
the sum total would frighten her. as
the figure was pretty steep in spite Of
all could do, but when l called again
she said:
II have got that amount of money
and little over. | am going to sub
lease this house for six months and go
with you on this voyage. l see you
have figured on cook. Strike him off
the list shall be cook myself. If
can cook and work here, | can do the
same aboard of a brig, and we want no
idlers. have fully made up my mind
to carry out my ideas. and you will go |
ahead as fast as possible"
l was pushing things along to get |
away at the earliest hour, when l
heard that the captain of the late Good |
Intent was secretly seeking a craft for
charter. This satisfied me as to the |
value Of the wreck if it was still intact
and also made me hustle the harder. |
When we finally got away, there was
no talk about it, and | was the only
man aboard who knew our real destina-
tion. That we should be followed with
in week or ten days was certain, and |
we were no sooner clear of the "heads"
than orders were given to crack on
and keep the little hooker travelling for
all she was worth. We were in ballast
only, having cleared for Japan, and |
had picked up a good sailer in charter
ing the Duchess.
There is wide stretch of salt water |
and weeks of sailing between the Cali
fornia coast and the Necker islands, |
which lie in southwest direction and |
number II, great and small. Only the
largest two are inhabited, but l knew
that residents of them roved among the
whole group and that shell gatherers
and traders would be frequently met
with. Among our outfit was pound
cannon and 10 muskets, bought Of
junk dealer in San Francisco. If we |
found the wreck, we might have to
hold it by force and do some sharp
fighting. From the first day of sailing
until the morning we sighted Niger
island, one of the Necker group and the
one where tho Good Intent had left her