Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-04-04

the subject of the old iron steam-frigate MegRra.
wrecked on Saint Paul, and after much chin
music had passed on the subject we decided
that while we were in the business we might
just as well store up again in Mahc and make the
trip as a long shot, there being j;lEt an outside
chance that we might land somethis. " that would
partly smooth ovor our failure at tie Crozets.
With this new objective we hustE-.1 the little
Hack Pearl all We knew, carrying wncle-sail in a
two-reef breeze, scHOping up most of the Indian
Ocean over the bows, and living in water day
and night. decks, cabin and caboose. \ fh devil a
dry rag or stick fore and aft. until we raised the
land close aboard through the haze. With Maize
harbor dead to leeWard.
Every hour spent ashore now was 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
seaward for one more crack out of the box.
For fourteen days the little hooker snorted
through the seas. and our reckoning showed Us
to be within a hundred miles of our island, when
down came a westerly bowler, with torrents OF
rain for good measure, and off we scooted close
reefed, dead before it, and as the night was as
black as the back door of Hades, we hoped there
was nothing nearer than Australia.
Our figures must have been out some miles,
for around midnight the schooner fetched up
with a jolt like the kick of a hundredton gun,
and then dived over the bar and broke in two,
spilling us out to fight through a swirl of broken
water and spl1ntered timbers to a rocky shore.
Now here was a holy mess if ever two men
were in one. Saint Paul might be all right to
visit if one were sure of making a getaway, but
for a permanent residence, not by 1. darned
sight!
The wreck we came to find did not show up
for some long time, and we began to give up
hope of finding any trace of her. bur, having
nothing else to do. We kept up a search when in
the humor. About six weeks after we blew in
there, when | came down from the signal-staff
we had erected, Red came to meet me, looking
as if he had just lost his mother-in-law. Asked
if he had sighted a sail that had escaped me, he
grunted:
Nothing quite so good as that, sonny; but
come along, perhaps you can put a name on it,
or tell something about it. 1t looks like the thing
we came for, and we may as well give her a
rummage If we find anything, it won't eat any
thing, and we may make a getaway from here
after a while"
Following him round the point of rocks on
which we had split 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, laddie, 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 a whole lot of stuff lying
on her floor, chests, barrels, old junk of sorts,
and maybe some of it will pay US for a search"
When my mate came out between The ribs,
Juggling a small, heavy, wooden chest. a brass
plate was still attached to the lid, and the let
ters, when we had polished them up a bit with
goats fat, surely read H. NJ. s. Megera.
From what | remembered reading of her. all
the valuables had been saved, as she had been
at anchor several weeks off the island before she
went up; but evidence was before us that some
part had been overlooked. and a sharp rock in
Reds powerful fist speedily uncovered the con-
tents of the box.
1t was specie all right, and good gold British
sovereigns at that; two thousand by the actual
count. Not a 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 a dollar bill endways. but not
another yellow boy was uncovered, and we lug
ged our find. up to our camp to decide what we
would do with it. We were both of opinion that
we would have to leave the bulk of 1t behind if
we were taken off, and return and get it with
our own vessel, so we fixed up goat-skin belts
Tor each to carry one hg&dred of the little fell
lows, and seWed the rest UP in skins and cached
the lot we'll above high-water mark.
Our reasons for leaving the stuff were good
for us, as if we were picked up and taken into
a port with a bunch of gold coin in sacks, all the
persuasion in the world would not prevent some
OF the crew of whatever picked us up babbling
out the truth, and then We would have to ante
up " ibS dutnO llG
b so our minds were made up and we were ready
to leave when, on the seventeen day of our
"Crusoing," a bark hove to off the island and
sent a boat ashore to investigate our signal. The
transfer Of our kit did not take long, you NAV
bet; and that evening we were aboard the
French bark Nendome, bound for the Nautilus,
and being feted and palavered over as if we were
the original prodigal sons come home to Poppa.
The VendOme made a good passage north wa
were soon counting the days now to elapse be-
lore we could make a fresh start for Saint Paul,
ana 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.
Inc pleasure OF returning their hospitality,
however could not be allowed to stop the bust
ness on hand. Quickly casting about for a 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.
we made the best of our way down to Saint
Paul, arriving off our old camp in fifteen DAVIS
from Port Louis.