, 1909-05-20

It before got a chance. an then
| shipped afore the mast on a sandal.
wood trader. De Nova here was mate
| an finally, huntin' goods to peddle
among the islanders. we sailed into
| Valparaiso, an the most of us shipped
| out. Well. by hat time | wasn't
| thinkin' very often about that Ice
shin down in the Antar'tic; l was
hustlin' for some sort o berth to take
me back to the States. But one night
down in R%odrigues' back room. where
| hung out, | got to talkin' with a
gambler named Francisco-the same
smooth duck who introduced himself
as De Castillo to you, sir. He was an
| educated man, an seemed to like to
| hear me talk. an among other sea
yarns | happened to tell him this one.
He seemed mighty interested, although
he wasn't never given to seafarin',
an asked me a whole pile o. fool ques.
lions. Finally he wanted to meet me
again alone the next day.
well, having nothin' better to do,
| was there when he came. an he
showed up with a queer'lookin'. big.
OIL book. the cover half ripped of,
under his arm. Then he made me tell
him that yarn owe again. and de.
scribe the ship jest exactly al l re.
merbered it. Then, when I'd got
through. an told him everything |
could dig out O. my memory he opened
up that book o his on the table, an
damme. sir. if he didn't show me a
picture of that same oil hooker, plain
as life. only everything was trim an
shipshape on board, with the masts UP
an the sails DRAWN. The name was
/ printed underneath. too-Donna lisa
bel, Cadiz.
That book he showed me was
printed in Spanish-not just like what
you see today, sir, but he etterin' all
rough, as though 1t had been cut out
o wood, but the fellow showed me the
date when 1t was printed, an 1t read
Seville, 1873 plain enough. Francisco
wrote out in English what he said was
printed there about this Donna Isa-
bel: an there 1t is, sir. in his own
haI dwritin'."
He took the paper out of his inner
coat pocket and spread 1t open IN
the table before Us. De Nc! Z and
Anderson leaned forward eagerly to
lock at it, but futile showed it along
) TOWARD me.
READ it out loud, sir he said, his
voice trembling. The writing was not
clear, and | held it up to the light.
"Galleon Donna Isabel, s%hip-rigged.
$50 tens. Amador. Mas'er, built 1880.
home port Cadiz. Sailed Guayaquil
Tor Valencia, June IL. 1853; crew num-
bered 81. passengers II. including five
women; carried treasure, in gold in
gets and pieces OF eight. valued at
5000, 900 pesos, consigned by Canda-
mo. presidente. to department of the
west, receipted for by Salvatore. gov
agent. Spoken by ship Con
cuistahor. Sanchez, MASTER. July l6,
17-3. 90 degrees 20 minutes west aud
A degrees Is minutes south: all well.
Lost at sea-: no report"
put down the paper. and looked
across at futile; he sat motionless,
his. head in his hands. l confess the
Ge lad affected me strangely, ana /
ccn'd not doubt that the man honestly
bEi ed every word he had uttered.
Yet It was far too marvellous ever to
be true; too impossible; too wildly
Homantic. 1t must have been a hallu-
cination, an optical illusion born from
a mirage Of fog and sun in those
frozen seas. Over 5000, 900 pesos,
locked within the eternal ice for l26
years! Over 5000. 900 pesos, guarded
by the dead for a century amid that
grim desolation of crested sea! God!
1t was simply u~nthinkable, and | even
Ventured to smile at the credulity OF
the men about ms; yet did 1t with
set Jaws and lips parched n dry.
what II II was all true? / felt the
blood boiling up through my veins,
every extremity tingling with The
FEVER OF it. Over 5000, 900 pesos
Nerciful mother! 1t was the ransom of
a King; 1t was the temptation of hell!
! know not how | controlled my voice
so as to question calmly, for, even
as | first spoke, ] noticed how my
hands trembled where they rested on
me outspread map.
rs that all?"
futile nodded his head, uplifting
MS eyes ~questioningly to mine.
That's the whole of it, sir. What
do you Think"
That's more than | know. Mr.. Tut
ue' Perhaps you dreamed, perhaps
francisco lied. should have liked TO
see hat book"
bent lower over the chart, staring
at the red cross.
What was it you men wanted me
for?"
To operate the steamer, sir; the
rest OF us aboard only understand
sailin' vessels"
Yes, of course; but why did you
happen to choose a steamer for the
JobE There were plenty of sailing