The Washington times., 1910-04-30
CHAPTER XIV.
Gold

I T is one thing TO lay a course even IN
the open sea, and It IS quite another
70 follow IT. Wind, waves. and currents
often drive q vessel from the way she
1 wishes to go. and all Of these had acted
on the wreck pack, seemingly Consplred
70 % make difficult the line Of progress
that Howard had mapped out Again
and again he had to make long detOurs
70 pass some 1nsurmOuntable wreck
tnat lay across his path, and finally he
had 70 turn aside from Il altogether 10
skirt narrow but impossible channel
OF weed-grOwn water that corkscTewed
unexpectedly across his path.
It's that hurricane we had a month
asone.' explained Joyce 1t isn't often
thoy come here. but when they 90, faith
III the Toine MI up they make!
moind one Of thin ten years agone- II
split the pack for miles back, and filed
tne hole up again with wrecks that
would have made the fortune OF dime
museum man, so they would. The most
OF them were fair rotten With age, and
sank as soon as they began 70 rub I'D
against the strong new ships. The last
storm WASH so bad. and, belize, II
only split the pack here and there"
Howard nodded The explanation
seemed very pr0bahIe as IN no other
way could he account for the open chan
nsd In the midst or the vessel wrecks
Mere mutual attraction ought 70 have
closed II up years before Il made him
anxious. for the channel had already
led him a mile deeper Ilto the pack
than he had intended 20 90, and stu
showed no signs OF ending
Il might 20 on even 20 the heart Of
the wreckage, where lay the ancient
ships on which all food had rOtted away
centuries before II q former storm had
opened up channel that far. so might
q later one
Cases Were Parallel.
That the cases were parallel was soon
exhibited with startling proof. For
some moments Howard had bean motto
ing great gray hull, banded with tarn-
ished gold, that Ioonaed across the patch
two OF three ships ahead. As he drew
nearer, he saw, with wonder, its strange
architecture Huge. round belIled with
stern II rose above the other wrecks,
Ter above tier. with lines Of frowufuz
pOTus Ir9Tn which pTOtruded the mouths
OF Olo-IGshiOn ID cannon No such ship
Llad sailed the 1cean for year-not since
the days Wnen Spain was in her glory
and her rich fleets bore the riches ~
America C III her already overfIovvirs-
coIIers Il must have lain screened In
the heart OF the shin continent 20 80
.eesls{ Two centuries. 90 be a. last spewed
Iorth IN time 10 meet the curious &c
q an alien race.
from The topgalant poop OF q modern
SAILING ship. Howard studied q curt
ously, while behind him the rest Of the
party looked on with an1azement
----IF an -4-1A me very EU-r and
image OF them I was spskin' about
remarked Joyce tTfUmDhantIy An
what sort OF ship do you suppose
she is. sOr2'-
She's Spanish EaIlsJn, beyond
doubt Tejoined Howard shes the
very type Of those old treasure shfus
and there are more Of the same kind
behind her. Look
Along the open channel. far away
70 the sunset, stretched file OF
ancient vessels, now in single ATe- now
IN double. Not all were EafIeOns b-rr
all plainly belonged 20 DEAD and r-o-a
ages While the others OF their kind
had long ago persisted from human
sight here. IN this lost corner OF The
world, these had fingered on. slowly
decayinEs Ike the once mighty nation
al them in wondering amaze
But joyce recalled him 10 himself. I
DID you say treasure. sor7-' he IN
Treasure-Laden Ship.
Howard laughed "Oh, yes hs an
swered indiferentIy. shes a treasure
ship ali right. though that isn't 70 say
that she has treasure aboard StUI. fits
not unlikely. There nay he q million
apiece for all OF Us on heT-sf we could
only carry II away Hold on Where /
are YOU EoiugT'
Joyce was already climbing through,
n