Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-15
it, that the treasure is Whereabouts"
"What treasure is II %
force, GentIewoman, in the Great South Seas.
Copyright. 1912, by Cyrus Townsend Brad,

1t, that the treasure is thereabouts.
What treasure is it,"
1.-The plumber of Spanish galleon by
pirate Ship
"And how came it to be there on that
island?"
"It was buried in that cave there a
hundred and fifty years ago by one
Philip ldap, ), WHEREFORE an English ouc-
And how came this girl by news OF
it?"
1.-The story goes that this Wiberforce
was one of her ancestors. His ship was
wrecked and he alone survived. He es-
capped. was picked up and brought back
to England with nothing but the clothes
he wore and this parchment in bag
round his neck: With all that he had
space. He recovered before he died
enough to tell some story. His sons
quarreled. The story with one-half of
the parchment went to one branch OF
the family and the story with the other
half to another. They never got together
again until her father and mother.
strangely enough the last survivors of
the two branches of the family which
had been so long separated, came to-
gether by marriage. and after their death
she pieced out the secret
How much Of this they understood I
could not tell. Probably but little. yet
the idea of the treasure was real enough
undoubtedly and my glib way of rehears-
ing the story made great impression on
them evidently.
as that alp asked Pimball, as 1 stop
ped for breath.
"All that know
And you think there is treasure
there?'
Now, of late I had changed my mind;
why know not, but I had. yet it would
not do to tell them that
II am sure Of it, I CRIED gold, silver,
jewels; God knows what. Everything to
make us rich forever"
''And what do you reckon the value of
it all to be?''
"Oh, several millions of pounds" / an
swered, lightly, as if the treasure was so
great that a million more or less was OF
no moment.
To the end Of my life I shall never for
get the cleaning of their eyes, the COW
| etousness in them, the tense silence
broken only by their deep breathing, the
vulgar passion for greed that filled the
little cabin.
"Hurrah!' cried out one old seaman.
| suddenly, and the cabin on the instant
was filled with wild cries. bestial. brutal
| shouts.
| AS the sound partially died away I
/ heard the door back Of me open. Now.
l had purpOsely SO placed myself as to
! be between the crowd and the door. The
| door was opened but little way. I was
conscious that she was awake and, at
, least, was listening.
You are the only navigator among us.
Mr.. Hampton" began Pimball, after the
men got measurably quiet again, "and if
! you are with us. you will take the ship
ure aboard. sail away and sink her on
| the South American coast, and then every
man for himself with all he can carry
"Am to be captain?" 1 asked.
''There'll be no captain, every man for
himself, say, but me and the bo's'n's
mate, Glibby, will take the watches in
turn. You'll navigate the ship and what
ever is necessary for our safety Well do
at your order Is it understood?'
Yes said /, under one condition.
Eve make no conditions said PIN
ball. darkly, 1--WE are masters of the ship.
remember, and this is our last word
1T IS not mine" said I, composedly.
for l had yet the hardest part of the bar
gain to drive.
well. It's got to be- said Pimball,
menacingly, starting toward me with the
marlinspike he carried.
Now, my friend said 1, I'VE might
just as we'll understand each other. You
can kill me if you want to, it would be
easy enough, but when you have killed
me you have killed your last chance at
the treasure. You don't know what lati-
tude or longitude we are In now, there is
not one of you that knows enough to take
a sight or to sail the ship to the island.
You are completely helpless. My life
means the difference between treasure
and no treasure to you. You are smart
enough to see that"
HE speaks right" said an old seaman
at the back of the crowd.
There speaks a man Of sense said I,
therefore you will hear my conditions
and accede to Them
''Heave ahead said Pimball, roughly
enough. evidently not liking the situation,
but failing utterly to see how it could be
amended since / completely held the whip
hand of them all.
What stipulate is very simple. First
of all, / am to have my full and equal
share Of the treasure with the rest.
am to be treated exactly like the others
in the division. and my life and liberty.
which are just as valuable to me as to
any of you. are to be treated with re-
spect as I respect those Of others
Why we told you that in the first
place." growled out the boatswain. IF
that's all you've got to say
But it isn't
What else?'
1.-The woman"
'.Ah, the woman said Pimball. slowly. |
What had you proposed to do with
herr" 1 asked.
"Why-er Ter" the man faltered: he |
actually did not dare to say what had |
my pistol never looked bigger than it did |
when quietly laid my hand on it.
1t was probable that the others had not !
as yet decided what was to be done with |
her. whatever Pimball may have con-
Guided l took advantage, therefore. of |
their hesitation and pushed the matter
to speedy conclusion.
WELL I said, quickly, II want her !
for myself Did l hear grOan in the |
cabin back of me? If did. I could not |
hear. you saw how she treated me-
cried, raising my voice and banging on
the table, 'She struck me, she had me |
imprisoned. l want her to be given over
to me alone"
But" began Pimball. not relishing
tho aha ndOnment Of this DriZe which he