Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-11-06
CHAPTER /.
Was Ii Buried Here?"

beacn-One OF InS SUldllSSb anu poOh
est where none were large-a light
glimmered in a lower room. It 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 n 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
q yellow eaved novel before him. He
read, half-aloud the paragraph ove
which he was pcring:
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 out 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 If TO mark His dis
pleasure, sent a 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 tho 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 1t says before, there
AN be no doubt OF 1t. 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
Al seemed as IL these men were left
10 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.
Unknown to the rest OF the crow,
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 n of them slew the 9TH
er. The surviving man, his soul full
of terror n avarice, worked all the
night long TO bury the treasure that
both had brought. When he had done
he wrote a strict description Of the
place, and bound the paper to him with
q belt beneath his clothes.
tBut 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 i~mpatiently to the door,
which he opened after a struggle with
the wind, and, stepping out, he raised
his hand to his ear and listened in
tently.
HE is late" he muttered. "Tf he
was as impatient as I 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 Gomez
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 wher the treasure was buried.
He told himself that he would not read
it again--he knew it too well. 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
uAduc III Al LHeSS years. IlereS not
another place just like it on all this
south shore, and the book says, dis
tinctly, that 1t was ON the south shore
of Massachusetts Bay. Yes; the treas
IRE is there now, only waiting for some
n TO dig it up. 1t will make Kate a
fortune. Ii will educate her; it will
give her the surroundings of a lady. 1t
can't make her a lady, for she is that
already. Yes; it is for her sake--for
her sake. She must live such a life all
her days. But when / am gone what
will become of her? The treasure is
there-there is not the slightest doubt
OF that-and it must be Hates for
tune"
AS he went on, his voice had sunk
into a kind OF ~querulous tone, and he
Locked about him as il fearful some
n had heard him.
He was now standing still on the lee
side of the house. his gaze wandering
absentiy toward the glimmering ocean,
which could only just be sec in the
darkness.
Al light hand was laid on his arm,