The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-03-30
Red Peppers
Treasure
lie Died Without Betraying
Its Whereabouts.
By CLARISSA MACkIE

Captain Ham Tadskate sat on the
wharf and dangled his boots over the
water.
II was very pleasant there, for the
tang Of the salt air was agreeably
mingled with the fragrance from
empty clam barrels and lobster pots
and the more elusive odors Of cedar
shavings and tar.
Besides these odors, each nothing In
itself, but as a whole making up what
one at once recognized as sea smells,
there is the expanse Of water surface
stretching before one with nothing to
break its continuity. A sail here and
there creeps along, a gull soaring above
suddenly swoops down on some luck.
less fish, and all the while there Is
the plash Of the waters driven in by
the salt laden breeze. One who has
ever experienced the combination Of
fragrance and scenery will never for
get 1t.
There was the sound of hammer and
saw and the creaking Of a windlass
as a rusty little oyster sloop moved
slowly up the railway Of the shipyard.
"Hum-hor yawned Captain Ham
contentedly. where in thunder u
FerdieT'
At that instant Ferdie Pratt's eau
tious voice hailed him from the land
ing steps.
hoe Sharo nonW ha nallaA
Captain Ham arose with difficulty.
rubbed his rheumatic knee with a
large freckled hand and limped down
the steps.
Ferdie Pratt, a rotund little man
with sunburned skin and bleached tow
hair, turned a pair Of Dubious blue
eyes toward his friend.
"ReadyT' he asked.
Ready" assented the captain as be
entered the boat and picked up an oar.
"Letty's watching u.s." remarked
Ferdie as the boat swung out from
the wharf.
Captain Ham squinted over his
shoulder at the gable Of his white cot
tage on the east shore.
The sun focused on the lens Of a
marine telescope held In the steady
hands Of Mrs. Ham Tadskate.
II wish Lefty wasn't so drafted
nosey," complained Captain Ham as
they headed toward the harbor mouth.
IF she guessed we were looking for
Red Peppers treasure I'll be blamed
II I know what she'd do"
ITS safe to say that she'd tell every
man, woman and child in Punderson
village" growled Mr.. Pratt, who cher.
ished no illusions regarding that strong
minded lady.
~ wish that the New Jersey wizard
they tell about would invent some
thing to bride winners tongues u
pulled Captain Ham as he bent to his
oar against the tide.
Nothing but death will do It,"
scoffed Ferdie.
what does an old bach like you
know about wimmenT
Its what l know about wimmen
that's made me an old bachelor" was
Ferdies tart reply.
Outside the breakwater they turned
the boat to the east and rowed along
the shore for several miles. At last
Captain Ham laid down his oars and
rubbed his hands together
Now, Ferdie, guess I'll take an
other look at that map ] found" he
said complacently.
He fumbled in his hip pocket and
brought out a yellowed bit Of paper
which unfolded to display some strag'
Cling characters in faded purple ink.
81 guess there amt no more on II
than when you found 1t a week ago.
remarked Ferdie impatiently.
Captain Ham smoothed out the pa
per and studied the rude map with
avidly curious eyes, muttering the
words to himself.
Grab point-hum-thats here-the
old hickory-that's yonder-under the
big pudding stone three feet deep
"where'd you say you found the map
Ham?" asked Ferdie.
in Letty's workbox. It's one that
belonged to her great-grandmother
/ SeeulS Tue SItdt-Siuhuiu'hci h'uue ~
for her during a long voyage to the In
dies. Lefty sets great store by the
box, and when the bottom came out
she asked me TO mend It.
"Confound my buttons, Ferdie. but
you could have knocked me fatter'D
a pancake when found this map hid
I'm false bottom to the box! Course
l knew where Il came from"
Ferdie winked solemnly. II reckon
Letty's great-granddaddy hid II there.
My mother used to say that old Cap
tain Biddle was mate OF Red Pepper
himself in them pirating days"
/ Captain Ham chuckled.
"Letty'd scold herself to death II she
knew she'd overlooked anything like
this. She will be surprised when !
walk In with Red Peppers treasure.
and tell her the secret was hid In her
own workbox for $50 years"
The boat grounded on the yellow
sand Of Crab point
IL hope the chest Of treasure won't
sink her," said Ferdie. with a specula'
tive eye upon the green dory.
I'VE can make two loads of IT," ar.
gued the captain as he stamped up