The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-08-05

below 70 unite our Strength IN hauling
forth the Ioosened box from the ice
cavity
We accomplished this by resorting
TO block and tackle. and even then sx-
perienced Nc small difficulty in drag
ging it away from the ice grip Under
the dim candlelight it appeared a fair
sized sea chest. constructed of some
heavy. dark wosd. and bound secure
~ by metal bands. With a cumbersome
lock A considerable quantity of wa
ter from somewhere continued to seep
down into the lazarette, making the
Eour an icy puddle, and so We tailed On
chest up through the trap-door out up
on the cabin deck | could find no
keys in any of the state-rooms. and
We must have been half an hour break
ing the rusty lock and pTying open
the lid. the only sounds audible the
blows struck and the heavy breathing
of the men. Finally We wrenched apart
the last band. and our eager eyes be-
held the revealed cOntentS-pieces-Of
eight, yellow and level to the top,
There was a wild yell a fierce scram-
bic, the crazed men digging their fin
gers into the coins. handling them.
fondling them, laughing and crying
like children in their excitement. and
cursing each other as they struggled
for a chance at the box For the mo-
ment, staring down at the dull glow Of
the metal. | even lost control of my
self. scarcely aware of the mad uprOar.
1t was actually there-there before
me, That old Spanish record had all
been true; here. and beneath that ice
between decks lay the remainder
three million pesos, Here was the
wealth of a king; here almost within
reach Of our hands. and it wcs all ours
ours, if we could only bring it forth
to where it possessed value.
If we only could! The thought
struck me like a blow knew the
truth, the truth. There was not one
chance in a thousanI-rot one.
made no effort to deceive myself. The
men, even the mate. blinded by the
gOld-lust had ignored facts plain as
day to me-the terrible listing of the
ship to port, the constant seeping Of
water into the hold. the increasing
sOddenness of the staggering hull-all
these combined to tell the st0ry-that
the Donna Isabel was doomed. No
power OF men, situated as we were,
could ever save her. The protecting
iCesheath. by help Of which she had
drifted ghost-like out OF the Antarctic.
pounded by the fierce seas. lOosened
by the milder air N more northern
ATTITUDES, had already commenced to
flake Off and the invading water was
discovering crevices everywhere along
her ancient seams. We had come 70
the gold; we had discovered it: It
was ours. But we could only gaze on
il, and give it back to the ocean in OK
change for our lives. | straightennd
up, my lips compressed. and looked be
yond the struggling figures of the men
into Doris questioning gray eyes.
Father of Mercy. | possessed some
thing worth more than monev-the
love of a woman Ay. but what of
the men? What of the men? II would
be cutting their hearts out; yet it
must be done-done. if necessary. with
all the brutality of slave driver. She
had said this treasure was a curse. a
legacy Of crime and death. a prize
for dead men. Not while I retained
mind and body to battle should it cost
our lives. | pushed De Nova back.
ward, and planted myself across the
open chest, scowling into the uplifted.
angry faces.
That's enough, men. This is part
of the treasure all right, but there is
no occasion for you to go crazy over
it. Put those coins back-do you hear.
McKnight?-put them back. and Wen
shut down the lid They're nice to
look at. and dream over. but that's
about all the good Wen ever get of
them. Were there any signs of 9TH
ers down there in the ice, johnson ,"
No, sir, but they'll be there"
oh, yes, no doubt they'll be there.
but the only way we could ever get
them out would be to run this hooker
ashore in some mild climate and let
the ice melt. It's plain enough 10 see
what has happened. The Donna Isa-
bel sailed in ballast, these chests be-
ing about the only cargo she carried
They shifted in the heavy seas, and
the Lord only knows where they are
now. Anyway, they are safe beyond
the reach Of your ice cleaver"
They stared into each others faces.
the disagreeable truth slowly pene-
trating their minds. Kelly spoke. his
voice trembling:
Then why the hell, sir, couldn't We
do just what you said?"
What! run her ashore?-simply be-
cause, my lad. that shore happens to
be thousand miles away. and | doubt
II this wreck keeps afioat three days
longer"
Their excited faces told OF incredu-
lily, of suspicion that was playing
with them. and | went on swiftly:
you fellows have been so crazy the
last two days you haven't thought OF
anything but gold. I tell you it Is
not the treasure but our lives we've
got to save. The ice is peeling off the
sides, and the ship is taking water like
a sieve. We are going to be driven