Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-04-04


Just as well store up again in Maize and make the
trip long shot there being just outside
chance that we might land something chat would
partly smooth our failure at the Crozets.
With this objective hustled the little
Black Pearl all we knew, carrying WHOLESALE in q
two-reef breeze scoopng up most OF the Indian
Ocean over the bows, and living in water day
and night. decks. cabin and caboose, with devil
dry rag stick fore and aft until raised the
land close aboard through the haze. with Maize
harbor dead to leeward
Every hour spent ashore vas working on
a dead horse, so just as soon as the grub was
slowed aboard toward shutdown, sail was piled
on the Black Pearl again and her nose pointed
seward for one more crack out of the box
For fourteen days the little hooker snorted
through the reas and reckoning showed US
to be within a hundred miles of island. when
down came westerly bowler with torrents OF
rain for good measure and Off scooted close
'reefed, dead before it. and as the night was as
black as the back door OF Hades, we hoped there
was nothing than Australia
Our figures must have been out some miles,
for around midnight the schooner fetched up
with jolt like the kick of hundredton gun,
and then dived over the bar and broke in two,
splitting us out to fight through swirl of broken
water and splintered timbers to rocky shore
Now here was holy if ever two men
In one. Saint Paul might be all right to
visit If one of making getaway but
for a permanent residence, not by a darned
sight
The wreck we came to find did not show up
for some long time, and began to give up
hope OF finding any trace OF her, but, having
nothing else to do we kept up search when in
the humor. About six weeks after we blew in
there, when / came down from the signal-staf
we had erected, Red came to meet me- looking
as If he had just lost his mother-inlaw. Asked
if he had sighted q sail that had escaped me- he
grunted:
Nothing quite so good as that sonny but
come along perhaps you can put name on ii,
or tell something about it. 1t looks like the thing
we came for, and may as well give her
rummage If we find anything it won't eat any
thing, and we may make getaway from here
after while"
Following him round the point OF rocks on
which we had spit up wedged firmly in a crevice
and buried In the sand, could be seen the tim
bers of the stern of what had been an iron ship
There ladde, what dye make of that? I've
been scratching sand away for days when you've
been up on the hill, and this morning went in
side the hull There's whole lot of stuff lying
on her floor, chests barrels, old junk of sorts,
and maybe some of 1t viii pay US for search"
When my mate came out between the ribs,
Juggling snalI, heavy, wooden chest brass
plate still attached to the lid, and the let
tiers, when We had polished them up bit with
goats fat, surely read H NJ s. Megara.
From what ! remembered reading of her all
the valuahes had been saved, she had been
at anchor several weeks off the island before she
went up; but evidence before us that some
part had been overlooked, and q sharp rock IN
Reds powerful fist speedily uncovered the
tents of the box
1t was specie ali right, and good gold British
sovereigns at that; two thousand by the actual
count Not fortune by any means, but enough
If we ever got away with ito pay Saunders
for the loss of his schooner, and give US both
another start.
We did not leave that old iron steam frigate
without ferreting every crook and Granny cap
able of holding q dollar bill endways, but not
another yellow boy was uncovered. and lug
ged our find up 70 camp to decide what we
would do with 1t. We both of opinion that
we would have to leave the bulk of it behind II
we were taken or and return and get it with
our own vessel fixed up goat-skin belts
for each to carry hundred of the little fel
lows and sewed the rest up in skins and cached
the lot well above high-water mark.
Our reasons for leaving the stuff were good
for US, il we were picked up and taken into
port with bunch of gold coin in sacks, all the
persuasion in the world would not prevent some
of the of whatever picked up babbling
out the TRUTH and then would have to ante
up to the authorities.
So our minds were made up and we were ready
to leave when, on the SEVENTEEN day of our
"Crusoing" bark hove to off the island and
sent boat ashore to investigate our signal The
transfer of kit did not take long you may
bet: and that evening were aboard the
French bark Vendome bound for the Mauritius
and being feted and palavered over if we were
the original prodigal come homs TO Poppa
The Vendome made good passage north we
were soon counting the days now to elapse be-
fore could make fresh start for Saint Paul
and when she dropped her mud-hook in Port
Louis, we bundled oversize into the first shore
boat alongside after the port doctor and harbor
master had left shouting au revoir to our erst
while shipmates, and inviting them all to meet
us in the town later.
The pleasure of returning their hospitality
however could not be allowed to stop the bust
ness on hand Quickly casting about for craft
to carry us back to Saint Paul. luck favored us
in the shape of a Mozambique dhow which was
held for debt and could be bought outright for
eighty pounds.