The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-07-26
CHAPTER vi.

Whlte ~ 60. stumbled on treas
ure In James Seaton.
He never saw Helen Rolleston,
except on Sunday. On that day he
went to her chujch and sat half be-
hind pillar and Toasted his eyes
and his heart upon her. He lived
sparingly, saved money, bought a
strip of land by payment of $50 de-
post and sold in In 40 hours for
$500 profit and watched keenly for
similar opportunities on a larger
scale, and all for her. Struggling
with a mountain, hoping against
reason and the world.
White G. Co. were employed to
ship valuable cargo on board two
vessels chartered by Wardlaw &
Son. the Shannon and Proserpine.
Both these ships lay in Sydney
harbor and had taken in the bulk
OF their cargoes, but the supple
ment was the cream, for Wardlaw.
In person, had warehoused IS cases
OF gold dust and ingots and so of
lead and smelted copper. The mate
Of the Proserpine, who was in
Wardlaw's confidence, had written
instructions to look carefully to
the stowage of all these cases and
was in and out of the store one aft
ernoon just before closing and
measured the cubic contents of the
cases with view of stowage in the
respective vessels. The last time
he came he seemed rather the
worse for liquor and Seaton, who
accompanied him, having stepped
out for minute for something or
other, was rather surprised on his
return to find the door closed ana
1t struck him Mr.. Wylie chat was
the mates name) might be inside,
the more so as the door closed very
easily with spring bolt, but it
could only be opened by key Of
peculiar construction. Seaton took
out his key, opened the door and
called to the mate, but received no
reply. However, he took the pre-
caution to go round the store and
see whether Wylie. rendered SON.
nolent by liquor, might not be lying
obliviOus among the cases. Wylie,
however, was not to be seen and
Seaton then went out and shut the
door.
He had been gone about two
hours and that part of the street,
so noisy in business hours, was
hushed in silence, all but an oc-
casional footstep on the flags out
side, vi en- something mysterious
occurred In the warehouse, now as
dark as pitch.
At an angle of the wall stood two
large cases In a vertical position,
with smaller cases lying at their
feet: these two cases were about
eight feet, high. more or less. Wsll,
behind these cases suddenly flash.
ed n feeble light and the next mo-
ment two brown and sinewy hands
appeared on the edge of one of the
cases--the edge next the well; the
case vibrated and rocked a little
and the next moment there mount
ed on the top of 1t not a cat, nor
a monkey, as might have been ex-
pected. but an animal that in truth
resembles both these quadrupeds,
viz, sailor; and need we say that
sailor was the mate of the Proser-
pine? He descended lightly from
the top of the case behind which he
had been damned for hours and
lighted dark lantern aud went
softly cropping about the store
with II.
He unlocked the Is cases mark
ed Proserpine, etc, and, peering IN
with his lantern, saw the gold dust
and small ingots packed In parcels
and surrounded by Australian wool
Of the highest possible quality. II
was q luscious sight.
He then proceeded to . heavier