The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-02-11
ending the
~ honeymoon
Copyrighted, 1907, by E. c. PARCELS.
By TAYLOR WHITE.

Copyrighted, 1907, by E. C. PARCELS.
"And so you are your Uncle Dudley's
neir?" cried Laura as Dan Fetter fold
I'd the letter and replaced it in its en-
velope Isn't that great?'
ITS not much of a fortune" explain
ed Dan. "Just before the failure Uncle
Dudley wrote that he had hoped to
leave me a lot, but that he was afraid
there was precious little left and that
was going fast. Two weeks after that
the failure came, and he shot himself.
Poor Uncle Dudr'
But there must be something" In
pirates treasure"
And lose what little there is left"
suggested Dan THAT chart was all
right to study over in the winter even
ings, Laurie, but it's a different thing
to sink money in a search for treas
ure buried 300 years ago off the Argen-
tine coast"
But this is real" suggested Laura,
going to the desk and taking there
from the well worn parchment which
had furnished them amusement for SO
many long winter evenings. 1t was
well preserved, and Dan could clearly
trace the lines and written directions.
This paper had been handed down in
the Kingsland family since one of the
early Kingslands, sailor in the Brit
ish navy, had befriended a member of
pirate crew captured In the Spanish
main. Just before the prisoner went
to his execution he had slipped into the
hand of his benefactor roll of parch-
ment which had come down through
past generations, gaining in romance
with each year.
Now the two poured over the old
map with renewed interest since there
was at least the possibility that they
might have the means for prosecuting
the search. Dan was inclined to be
skeptical, but Laura would not have it
SO.
at is a real treasure" she declared.
II know that it is real, and 1 will
never forgive you, Dan, if you don't
60 after it. Think of the years we
have been wishing that we had
enough money to fit out an expedition!
Now our chance has come, and you're
laughing at the idea. You must go,
Dam"
"We1l see what Uncle Dudley's for
tune is" he temporized. wait until
the estate can be settled"
1t was not long wait. Dudley Fet-
ter had been forced into bankruptcy
after long career as a shipping mer-
chant The disappointment had so
proved upon his mind that he had kill
ed himself and the little old lawyer
who was at once his counsel, receiver
and executor soon disentangled the
muddle. Dan found himself owner Of
a tramp steamer and some $1,000 In
money. /.
He was inclined to sell the steamer,
but Laura would not hear of it. She
was firm in her faith in the pirates
map, and she at last carried her point
through, only after she had declared
that she would break her engagement
if Dan did not undertake the trip.
The captain of the Dudley was a
weather beaten old man of fifty, whose
shrewd eyes twinkled when the sub
jeet was preached to him.
81 never heard of 'em that far
south" he declared; but, Lord love We,
there's pirates gold hidden from the
north pole to the south-to hear 'em
tell it. It's as likely to be there as
anywhere"
"Win $4,000 take us down and
back?' demanded the cautious Dan
Captain Glass removed the pipe from
his lips the better to smile.
Down and back and down again."
he asserted Anyway, you don't have
to worry about getting back. We can
easily get load at Buenos Ayres or
Rio to pay the. cost of the up trip. It'll
make a nice little sail for you, seeing
as you've never been to sea. Why not
make it bridal tour? Brides bring
luck to ships. Maybe with bride we
could find the gold"
81 know you willp' cried Laura,
jumping up to plant kiss on Dams
cheek well be married on board
the Dudley before she sails"
The last argument was clincher,
and Dan gave in. Ten days later the
men were called aft to witness quiet
little wedding, and as the minister
went over the side a noisy little tug
helped the Dudley get out into the
stream and point her nose to the
south.
1t was a long, delightful honeymoon
to these two who had never seen the
ocean until Dan had come to New
York to claim his legacy. They had
day or two of seasickness, but this
soon passed, and after that, as they
slipped over the blue waters, Laura's
confidence in the quest grew amazing
~. Even Dan began to share her en-
thusiasm long before they had crossed
the equator.
At last the course was altered and
the Dudley headed inland until the
black, forbidding cliffs doomed darkly
before them. 1t was no easy matter to
pick their way through uneharted
channels, but at last the steamer slip
ped into a little bay, and Captain
Glass declared it to be the spot shown
in the map.
Here the rocks did not come sharply
down to the waters edge, but ran in
land, forming sheltered nook Of some
few hundred acres in extent. The two
Sage rocks which marked the entrance
to the bay and peak of the distant
spur of the Andes formed their range
marks. and as soon as they had put up
tents on snore Dan. who had studied
civil engineering. got out his transit
and began to lay off the lines.
The cross marks fell near the base of
The cliff where the sides were more
precipitous than elsewhere, and for
two days the men from the steamer Ia
bored to clear away the underbrush.
1--WE shall have to dig Deep remind
ed Laura "There must have been a
heavy deposit of earth during the 300
years that have elapsed"
''We1l dig through to China if nee
essary," declared Dan as he watched
the men work. In anticipation of the
digging some laborers had been
brought along, and for ten hours day
they took out the sandy loan. At the
end of three weeks they had huge
hole in the ground, but there was no
trace of treasure chests, and Dan and
the captain began to lose faith, even
though Laura grew more confident as
the days progressed.
"We1I get it yet she insisted. Just
keep digging and the honeymoon for
tune hunters will sail back to New
York with millions"
'T'll dig one more day." promised
Dan, "and then we must be getting
back The provisions are getting low,
and we are only losing time"
Laura pleaded, but Dan was firm,
and that night she sobbed softly in
aI,o 4n.,t .r.hiIn &c though in Surnna thy