The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-03-16

yarns i happened 10 tell MIN mis- one
He seemed mighty interested, although
he wasn't never given to s%eafarin',
an asked me a whole pile O fool ques.
tons. Finally he wanted to meet me
again alone the next day.
We'll, having nothln' 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 over again. and de-.
scribe the ship Jest exactly as ! re.
membered II. Then, when I'd got
through. an told him everything i
could dig out o my memory. he opened
up that book o. his on the table, an
damme. sir, II he didn't show me q
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 nj was
printed In spanish-not just like what
you see to-day, Dir. but the letterin' all
rough. as though It had been cut out
O. wood, but the fellow showed me the
date when It was printed, an 1t read
Seville. 177s.' plain enough. Francisco
wrote out In English what he said was
printed there about this Donna lsa.
bel; an there It is, sir. In his own
handwritin'."
He took the paper out Of his inner
coat pocket and spread II, open OF
the table before us. De Nova and
Anderson leaned forward eagerly to
look at It, but Tuttle showed 1t along
toward me. r5
Read Il out loud. SIR" he said, his
voice trembling. The writing was not
clear, and | held 1t up to the light.
"Galleon Donna Isabel, shiprigged,
$50 tons, Amador, Master. built 1880,
home port Cadlz. Sailed Guayaquil
for Valencia, June II, 1853; crew NUN
hered 80, passengers II, including five
women; carried treasure, in gold in
cots and pieces Of eight. valued at
1900, 900 pesos, consigned by Canda.
mo, p%resldente. to department OF the
west. receipted for by Salvatore, gov
eminent agent. Spoken by ship Con
qulstador, Sanchez, master, July 16,
1853, so degrees 90 minutes west and
Al degrees is minutes south; all well.
Lost at sea: no report"
I put down the paper, and looked
across at futile: he sat m%otlouless,
his head in his hands. confess the
t.!e had affected me strangely, and
could not doubt that the man honestly
believed every word he had uttered.
Yet It was far too marvellous ever to
be true; too impossible: too wildly
romantic. It 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 126
years! Over 10000 0 pesos, guarded
by the dead for a century amid that
grim desolation Of crested sea! God!
1t was simply %unthinkable, and ! even
ventured to smile at the credulity Of
the men about me; yet | did 1t with
set jaws and lips parched and dry.
What II, II was all true? felt the
blood boiling up through my veins,
every extremity tlngling with the
fever OF IT, Over 100000 pesos!
MercIful mother! It was the ransom OF
a king; 1t was the temptation OF hell!
l know not how | controlled my voice
80 as 10 question calmly. for, even
as | first spoke, | noticed how my
hands trembled where they rested on
the outspread map.
'ls that all?"
futile nodded his head. uplifting
his eyes questlonlngly 10 mine.
That's the whole Of It, sir. What
do You Think"
= That's more than / know. Mr.. Tut
tie. Perhaps you dreamed, perhaps
Francisco lied. 1 should have liked te
see that book"
| bent lower over the chart. staying
at the red cross.
what was 1t you men wanted me
for?"
TO operate the steamer, sir; the
rest Of US aboard only understand
sallln' vessels"
"Yes; Of course; but why did you
happen to choose n steamer for the
Job? There we're plenty of sailing
craft lying In the harbor easier te
steal than this yacht"
Very true, but It happened to be
steam power we wanted. Here Is
about how we figured II. sir. First
place, We had to get away quickly
out of those portions Of the sea whers
they'd be most likely to hunt for us
We're outlaws, an every ship sailln
under a flag Is an enemy, Well, sir
WIN, chance would a sailIn' vesse
have In such n chase? We needed
somethin' that Would show EN- q
clean pair o hecls-somethin' thu
would give 'em 4 run for their money
That's what this yacht can do; she:
pokln' It now at sixteen"
Yes: you've got the advantage"
confessed, $50 long rs your coal lasts
But you can't put In anywhere for Q
new supply-what then?"
He turned partially about, ant
.t,t,a - M NNnrn. fhn fo1inp