The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-25

er in a ships dinghy. with keg OF wa
ter and bag of biscuits and some tins
Of salt horse slowed in the bow. We
also took some picks and shoyels and
some guns.
We knew the little island Ike
book. 1t was not far from the west
coast Of Central America and had been
dug over from one end to the other by
different treasure seekers. all after the
same hidden gold and jewles. | can't
stop to tell you the history surround
ing the burying Of the treasure by the
oiliest old pirate that ever sailed the
seas in the days before Captain Kidd
| can't tell you. either. Of all the differ
ent expeditions that combed that is
land from end to end without success.
and at last we folks aboard the Indus
resolved to have a try at il one voy
age when we was sailing light from
San Francisco to Valparaiso. where
we were going TO pick up a cargo of
nitrate
-Four Of US went ashore in the din
ghy. and the minute we stepped on that
shell strewn beach and heard the rus
ripe fruit we knew right away that
we were going to find that treasure
There was something in the very at
mosphere of the place that limited at
adventure. and we had plenty of 1t be-
fore we left. Thank you. ma'am
Will take another piece OF ginger
bread. | don't reckon you made it"
he inquired
assured him that Miss Maria Wee'-s
had concOcted the spicy loaf. and
thought he looked tenderly reminiscent
at the froSting before he removed a
<emicircle from his slice | had sus-
picion that in the distant past there
might have lurked a tender romance
between my companionable old salt
and the rather grim spinster who
accommodated me with room and
board. | had my own plans for fur
thering this romance. and the delicious
lunch I had brought was only one of
little traps | had prepared for the gen
tie, unsuspecting captain
you went ashore prompted him
Yes. ma'am. we went ashore and
made Il little camp among the palms.
and after we had had some supper we
started off at IA run for the place where
we had calculated the treasure was
buried. OF course every man who ever
went to that island had different
theory as to where it was hid but we
thought ours was sure guess, for
Louis Franck. a Finn who was one of
our crew. had IN ancestor who had &C
tually sailed with this bloody old pi
rate away back before the Revolution
airy var days Franck could recite the
legend that had been handed down by
his ancestor so glibly that he could
tell it the same every time. and so aft
or awhile We got to believe ii was real
II so. and that was how it happened
we decided to stop there.
"Of course Franck was the leader and
guide. for he said his ancestor had said
that the chest was buried ten feet deep
under Il rock ten feet square.
I'VE found the largest rock on the
island. and it was only three feet six
by six feet two. and 1t looked thin, and
Franck said he thought it had been
worn off by the wind and weather dur
ing all that time. 1t was snow white
coral rock too.
''The rock was set in q little grove
of palm trees. and ] suppose once it
had rested on the sandy shore. but as
the island grew larger and sand was
washed up to form new beach trees
grew up around the stone until it real
~ was about in the middle of the Is
land when we found 1t.
We worked away picking and pry-
ing at the loose sand around the rock
and trying to get crowbarS under 1t so
as to lift it up when we smelled wood
smoke
"'What's that? asked Franck.
The remains of our campfire /
told him. bp. afterward found out
was wrong.
ut soon grew dark. for we had been
late in landing and we had not in
tended beginning operations until morn
ing, but the thirst for adventure was
strong within us and even while the
shadows heightened full moon arose
from the sea and we decided to con
tinue the work by its light.
We had just pried off the stone and
sent it crashing into the underground
when there arose from our midst. ap
parently from the disturbed soil under
the stone, Il gigantic figure that gave
vent to a snarling yell as he leaped
into the moonlit space and faced US.
Miss Telham," said the captain i'm
pressively. emphasizing his words with
successive taps of a horny forefnger
against his other palm, Miss Telham.
believe me, ma'am. when | tell you
that that there figure was nothing more
or less than the ghost of the bloody
pirate who had buried the treasure"
Captain Barnabas" | protested.
He nodded That's what Louis
Franck, the Finn. said He said the
critter looked just like the description
his ancestor had handed down of the
pirate who had buried the treasure
He whispered il to Us, for III confess.
ma'am. we huddled together all at