The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-06-27
when be- bought this old house and
went to live In it.

grandfather wasn't afraid of Kidd :
ghost nor any Of his crews. ghosts.
Now. my great-grandfather had the
reputation of bein' miser Mebbp
he was; dunno. But this do know
he was all alone In the world, so to say.
He had quarreled with my father and
my grandfather. and they didn't speak.
and then they was drownded. so he
was all alone except for a sister, her
husband and gal child
! when he give up seafarin' life he
fixed hisself up in this place like it
was the cabin Of full rigger on one
| side, bunk In another and q galley
In the corner. He done his own house
keepin' and was at peace. His wife
was dead. He liked his sister well
enough, but he didn't encourage visits
But II he didn't care much for folks
he certainly liked good Old brandy
and took a nip whenever he felt like
1t, but 1t never seemed to hurt him
none. He was plump and rosy red.
and his face was like winter apple
| They say that this here cabin was
picter Of neatness and order He
had a aagpole and Merican flag
hitched to 1t, and he said that if ever
he needed help he would raise it Union
down and then his sister could come:
otherwise he would prefer to be left
alone.
He was man of regular habits.
At daybreak he'd raise that fiag-bare-
headed-and then he'd take his grog
At D he'd have his mess of CLAIMS or
listers. mebbe fish and coffee and
hard tack. and finish with his pipe and
glass. At noon another glass and at
g another and at nightcap and to bed
So you can see how careful he lived
and yet he died so young.
| Nov, I must tell you. This here old
! house kind O. butted into the side Of
the hill, and the rear wall stood right
against It There was a window in the
front Of the house aud a door, ard
dormer window In the attic, but no
body ever went up there to sleep
There was lot of old furniture. dus-
ty and spider webbed. not worth bring
in down, but he kept it to use for fire
,, wood some day.
His sister come over one day. bring
In the gal along. and they sent her up
, stairs to rummage around while they
talked. They say she was the pootieSt
gal on Long Island. and she loved, best
OF all things, to rummage in old stuff.
"Bimeby she sung out. oh. mother.
do come and see the pooty wood for
est? And they went up and found.
sure enough. great chimbly piece of
oak wood all carved to show hunting
scene In q forest with men and hosses
and dogs and deer 1t was so deep
they couldn't reach the back with their
hands and must have cost mint of
money on account of the fine lot of
carvtn'. 1t was brung down and clean.
ed and looked fine. He'd never no
ticed 1t, It bein' SO dirty
THAT settled it. He was now sure
that this was really Kids place. his
treasure house, and he intended to dig
the hull place up till he found the
treasure.
Ills sister went home, they say,
with lots of good advice, but no mon
ey. We never knowed what he done
with that there caryin'. but we guess
ed he must have sold 1t to some of
them New York felaers what buys up
old junk and then calls it anteeks.
Then ! guess the old man did search
and probe and dig and slash and cut
The rafters was hacked, and there was
signs that he had lifted the floor.
puncheon by puncheon. and the chin.
bly, had been tore out and built in
again, but he never found nothin'.
Zone day. they say. he was so out
done, workin' SO hard and gettin' moth
In for It. only lot of joshin' by them
az knowed him, and he had a sledge
hammer In his hand, and, bein' so mad
he up and slung 1t full tilt at the back
wall what stood plumb agin the
hillside. and. 10 and behold. If the hull !
side of the wall didn't fall down in
one piece as fat as pancake and
just as easy.
AS soon as the dust settled my
great-grandfather saw that there was
a little cave all hewed out of the hill
side and shored up by more white oak
timbers. And as nice as you please
there stood In a row seven barrels full
Of fine French brandy. They must a
been there ever hundred year
AT first my great-grandfather
thought that the seven barrels might
be full Of gold and jools. but by pound
ln' en- 'em be found they was reilly
Allied with brandy. and he was gettin
ready to open one when he saw a fiat
lin box that stood on one. Inside the
box was piece of sheepskfn. and
wrote on II In black letters was these
here words:
1. Captain Robert Kidd. king pirate
II the world, do place these barrels of
brandy for safe keepin'. Six of them
ire good and safe to drink. but the sew
NTH is pizened. so that who drinks of
will miserably perish
snow. wasn't this pooty kittle of
1Sh? There wasn't fhe least mite af