The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-08
CHAPTER XVII.

.
BY this time, thoroughly convinced
myself that our final preservation OF
this wealth would prove impossible,
: was Sun far from devoid Of interest
in It's recovery, and consequently
made no effort 10 Interrupt the work
being carried on between decks. It
was better that the men be busy and
their minds occupied than to have
them roaming aimlessly about the
decks in discomfort, now that the ship
and weather gave US little occasion
for concern. Here they vigorously
piled the cleayer, working in relays OF
two hours each, during the remainder
OF the day and night After break
fast had been served we all Of us went
below to unite our strength In hauling
forth the loosened box from the ice
cavity.
We accomplished this by resorting
10 block and tackle, and even then ex-
perienced ne small difficulty in drag.
ging Il away from the Ice grip Under
the dim candleliEht 1t appeared a fair
sized sea-chest, constructed OF some
heavy. dark wood, and bound secure
~ by metal bands, with q cumbersome
leck. A considerable quantity Of wa.
ter from somewhere continued to seep
down into the laZarette, making the
foor an Icy puddle, and so We tailed on
to the ropes again, and hoIsted the
chest up through the trap-door out up
on the cabin deck. l could find no
keys in any of the state-rooms, and
we must have been half an hour break
ing the rusty lock and prylng. 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 wild yell. 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 chance at the box. For the mo-
ment, staring down at the duh glow OF
the metal, even lost control Of my
self, scarcely aware Of the mad uproAr
1t was actually there-there before
mel 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 king; here. almost within
reach Of our hands, and It wGs all ours
ours, II We could only bring 1t forth
to where 1t possessed value.
II we only could! The thought
struck me like blow. I knew the
truth, the truth. There was not one
chance in a thousand-not 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 story-that
the Donna Isabel was doomed. No
; power Of men, situated as we were
could ever save her. The protecting
ice.sheath, BY help OF which she had
drifted eEhostlike out of the Antarctic,
pounded by the fierce seas, loosened
Z by the mIider air OF more northern
ATTITUDES, had already commenced to
fake OF, and the invading water was
discovering creviees everywhere along
her ancient seams. We had come 10
the gold; we had discovered Il; Il
was ours. But we could only gaze on
Il, and give II back TO the ocean in ex-
change for our lives. Strengthened
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 mOney-the
love Of womanl Ay. but what Of
the men? What of the men? It would
be cutting their hearts out; yet IL
must be done-doue, II 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 retained
mind and body to battle should 1t cost
our lives. pushed De Nova back.
ward. and planted myself across the
open chest, scowiing into the uplIfted,
angry faces.
That's enough, men. This Is part
OF the treasure all right, but there is
mo occasion for you to so crazy over
It. Put those coins back-do you hear,
) McKnight7-put them back. and we'll
shut down the lid. They're nice to
look at, and dream over, but that's
about all the good well ever get Of
them. We're there any signs of 9th.
ers down there in the ice, johnson? ?"
No. sir but they'll be there"
y. "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 to zee
what has happened. The Donna Iaa.
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 cleayer."
they stared into each others faces.
the disagreeable truth slowly pene-
trading their minds. Kelly spoke, his