The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-02
The Treasure Diners
BY Charles Frederick oder-Copyriehted by Dodd Mead
8 Co.. Publishers New York.
CHAPTER XII.
The Treasure Ship.

the bows OF several canoes moving alongshore half
mile
Come on, double quick!" said Captain Blake, I'VE
can't afford to take any chances and they raced over
the sand. reaching Dolphin, lying
shore just the natives in the first caught sight
them.
One valuable feature of the Dolphin the possibility
Of getting under way at short notice, demon
strated. They out the palm, that had been
used as q gang plank dropped down thru the hatch
Captain Sam Slipping the CABLE three minutes later
the propeller revolved and the Dolphin shot out into
the channel just as the canoes came with rush,
the dusky occupants firing their arrows and shouting
like fends.
"They will get camp" said Captain Sam
mournfully, thinking of the bed he had secured by
robbing the nest of the cocoanut crab.
I'm not Of that" rejoined Captain Blake,
who had headed the Dolphin the advancing
"They have already stopped"
The natives, doubtless considered
white wrecked seamen and legitimate prey,
evidently amazed at their sudden disappearance and at
the sight of the whaleke object. They stood up in
their and looked earnestly with much gesticu-
lation; then, seeing that the fish, with its
back almost out Of the water headed directly for
them, they turned and padded ingoriousy
direction of the lagoon.
The Dolphin plunging along a marvellous
A Slight depression of the big rudder, her
bow dipped and she dived out of sight few moments
later Ralph from the big window the paddles
the bottom of the overhead then with
went the Dolphin rising directly beneath of the
Canoes lifting it into the air and sping the dusky
demoralZed into the water.
The remaining natives were almost paralyzed with
fright at the sight of the big-eyed monster that
shot along the surface at another Several the
natives fired spears and at the Dolphin, that
glanced One of
reached shoal water where it waited the natives
who left the sinking and to it, when they
padded rapidly in the direction from which they
had The Dolphin passed out of the channel and
intercepted them in the water rising by the side
of the and exhibiting to the occupants the
traordnary spectacle of man. in the person Cap
tain Sam, shaking his fist them the eye of what
they conceived must be monster.
Il don't think they will to trouble again."
said Captain Blake laughing, he sheered off, land
don't to hurt them. They won't stop until they
reach their island, wherever it is"
I0r,tfiY hin
into port again. where they passed the night taking
the precaution to watch for the possible
natives who had bad reputation in that locality. On
the following day it was found that some repairs
necessary on the Dolphin; she beached,
week the voyagers rested while the engineer put
in order. During this time Captain Sam Ralph
professor visited various portions of the in
portable which Dolphin carried in search of
the wreck. The chart stated that the aesperdes
down the east side of the island, where
washed over into the lagoon, going down
deep channels. They had no difficulty in locating the
spot. just where the old sailor had the
chart the channel approached within two
of the reef upon which the sea beat furiously and
here probability the good ship had pounded her
life away and been washed into the deep channel
The papers in the box contained little relating IN the
treasure merely stating that large fortune
in the accompanying list, enclosed in a tank The
list must have been accidentally lost ap-
pear, so what the treasure was could only be
jectured
morning the engineer announced that the
Dolphin ready for at high tide was
launched and at once pointed the blue channel that
partly encirced the island. Once in deep water the
captain gave the Signal and the vessel sank into
veritable tropical garden of the The in
It's widest part not two hundred feet across
and proved to be less than hundred Deep tho
the water extreme blue suggestive Of greater
depth. AS the Dolphin settled down it, sides
to be almost perpendicular, wall Of
points that looked from the window like the bayonet
poins army Of cheval-de frise.
"a madreporean forest said the professor; "and
you see," he continued, his face lighting up with en-
thusasrn "how the branches Increase in de-
scend; the polyps have food They are not in
eects. but polyps despite the imagery poets"
The Dolphin reached the bottom, and as the
could plainly and the floor of the
appeared to be firm they arrnors and
were the floor of the reef AS Ralph slipped
down the ladder, he amazed at the towering wall
Of branch coral that extended upward for
hundred feet straight tho made by man, vet
of points and innumerable coral.
Here and there was hollow as tho some huge body