The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-06-10

conception could hardly find accept
ance in her mind. The men were
grouped close beside the entrance,
while De Nova and Celeste had gone
forward to assist Dade in bringing his
supper from the galley, so that for the
moment we were comparatively alone,
AS | bent over, wondering what | had
best say, she questioned quickly, with
a little sharp %indrawing of the breath:
"And-and the people, Jack,-the-
crew? What became of them?"
Dead more than a century ago." I
answered solemnly. 81 did not stop
this morning to read the log, and So
| know little of their story. But the
vessel itself tells of storm and of long
struggle in the ice; probably most of
those on board persisted from expos.
ure and cold"
Her hands clasped mine, her cheeks
white from apprehension.
"Were-were there any-any bodies
-here?"
yes" l replied reluctantly, not dar-
ing to say otherwise.
"How-how many?"
-Four men, a woman, and a child"
An instant she stared into my face;
then swept her eyes about the light
ed cabin, only to bury them within her
hands, her whole body trembling.
GA oma and child! Here!
here! for 1875 years! Oh, merciful
God!" she lifted her eyes again, filled
with horror, her hands clenched.
''They-they were actually here, ap-
pearing natural? looking as they did
In life?"
Eyes; they seemed to be sleeping,
for they had been solidly frozen in the
very attitudes in which they died. The
m rested on the couch yonder.
She had beautiful dark hair and eyes,
and must have been about 80 years of
age. The child was in a bunk, a little
flaxen-haired girl of three or four"
"And-and you buried them?"
GAS best we could. We wrapped
them in blankets, and consigned them
to the deep, with a prayer for their
souls" l bent closer. Doris, dear,
don't let this rest SO heavily upon you.
l wish l might have kept it all hidden.
1t was only the end of n of the in
Vulnerable tragedies of the sea. We
must face our own needs now, and
that task will require all our courage"
l thought she did not hear me, the
tears continuing to fall between her
fingers, half-suppresed sobs shaking
her form. Yet as l rested my hand
upon her shoulder, she looked up at
me out of moistened eyes, her lips
firmly set.
"Yes-yes; I know, Jack, but-but
it is all so terrible, and-and has come
TO me with such a shock. / can not
comprehend it-that they should have
actually been here-here, all those
years-waiting! But I will not think
of it any longer; II will do some
thing to make me forget"
We all messed together, sitting upon
the long benches drawn up about the
table, Dade waiting upon us, with Dor
is and Celeste occupying places be-
tween De Nova and myself. At the
beginning we spoke little, the strange
ness of our surroundings holding us
| silent, but the minds Of all being busy
with the same thought, w ~insensibly
drifted into conversation regarding
our chances of rescue, and the history
of the old vessel in whose cabin we
| foated. Once De Nova introduced the
| subject of the treasure which might
be stored away below deck, and the
men exhibited their interest by nu-
merous question; but l gave them lit
tie encouragement along this line, re-
alizing that for the present Jul earli-
| est effort should be to transform the
wreck into some degree of safety-a
sail first, and a clean rudder; these at
tanned, the search for treasure might
begin.
What a scene and group that was!-
the wintry night without, the drifting
fog of snow, the helpless hulk rising
and falling upon the ~treacherous heave
of the sea, that odd, v~iolet-colored light
cleaning over us. The faces are even
before me-the girlish looking Celeste,
with her dark curls and white teeth;
Lady Darlington, her gray eyes still
moist as she glanced about the in
terror, unforgetful of it's memories; De
Nova, jaunty as ever, with no thought
beyond the present. recalling to my
mind with every movement the face of
that dead Spaniard who for more than
a century had sat where he was sit
ting; Sanchez, pale and with that
hunted look, a counterpart no doubt of
some seaman this ship had known In
othar DAYS. cKniph hurIv and red.
necked; Kelly, his blue eyes filed with
the merriment of old Ireland; John
son, broad-shouldered, and sober-faced,
eating steadily, with a lift OF
his shaggy brows; and Dade, iuttering
about like a waiter ashore, with his
eternal Sinking and suggestion OF a
tip.
GRO BE coNTINUED)
HMf tN ifaya Miefakao w G ffl