Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-07-07
i-t-i'i-t-i-i-f-i-i-t-t-t
Red Peppers
Treasure
lie Died Without Betraying
It's Whereabouts.
By CLARISSA MAcKIE

water,
It 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 whole making up what
one at once recognized as sea smells,
there Is the eXpanSe of water surface
stretching before one with nothing "a
break It's continuity. a sail here and
there creeps along, Il 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 ana scenery will never for
get 1t.
There was the sound Of hammer an(
saw and the creaking Of wlndas.
as a rusty little oyster sloop moved
slowly up the railway Of the shipyard
"Hum-ho" yawned Captain Han
contentedly. "Where in thunder Il
Ferdie?"
At that instant Ferdle Pratts eau
hous voice hailed him from the land
ing steps,
"Ahoy, there, cap' he called.
Captain Ham arose with difficulty
rubbed his rheumatic knee with {
large frcckled hand ana limped dowr
the steps.
Ferdle Pratt, a rotund little maj
with sunburned skin and bleached TOW
hair, turned pair Of Dubious bluC
eyes toward his friend.
Ready he asked,
Ready assented the captain as III
entered the boat and picked up an oar
"Letty's watching US remarked
Ferdie as the boat swung out from
the wharf,
Captain Ham squinted over hi
shoulder at the gable Of his white cot
tage on the east shore.
The sun focused on the lens Of {
marine telescope held in the stead!
hands of Mrs. Ham Tadskate.
81 wish Lefty wasn't so drafted
nosey," complained Captain Ham al
they headed toward the harbor mouth
IF she guessed we were looking TO
Red Peppers treasure I'll be blamed
If know what she'd do
ITS safe to say that she'd tell ever.
man. woman and child in Pundersol
village" growled Mr.. Pratt, who cher
ished no illusions regarding that stroni
minded lady.
81 wish that the New Jersey WHARF
they tell about would invent some
thing to bride wimmen's tongues,
pulled Captain Ham as he bent to HI
oar against the tide.
Nothing but death will do 1t,
scoffed Ferdie.
What does an old bach like yo'
know about wimmen"
Its what | know about WINNER
that's made me an old bachelor" wa
Ferdies tart reply.
Outside the breakwater they turnet
the boat to the east and rowed aloni
the shore for several miles. At las
Captain Ham laid down his oars ant
rubbed his hands together.
"NOw, Ferdie, l guess I'll take an
other look at that map found" h
said complacently.
He fumbled In his hip pocket ant
brought out yellOwed bit Of paper
which unfolded to display some straG
Cling characters in faded purple Ink
81 guess there amt no more on
than when you found it week ago
remarked Ferdie impatiently.
Captain Ham smoothed out the pa
per and studied the rude map wit
avidly curious eyes, muttering tn
words to himself.
"Crab point-hum-that's here-th'
old hickory-that's yonder-under tn
big pudding stone three feet deep"
"Where'd you say you found the MAP
Ham," asked Ferdie.
"In Letty's workbox. It's one tina
belonged to her great-grandmotheI
Seems the great-grandfather made
for her during long voyage to the In
dies. Lefty sets great store by tn
box, and when the bottom came on
she asked me to mend 1t.
"Confound my buttons, Ferdie, bu
you could have knocked me flatter'l
a pancake when l found this map hi,
In a false bottom to the box! COurs
I knew where 1t came from"
Ferdle winked solemnly. 81 reckon
Letty's great-granddaddy hid it there
NV mother used to say that old Cap
tain Biddle was a mate Of Red Peppe
himself in them pirating days
Captain Ham chuckled.
"Letty'd scold herself to death If sh,
knew she'd overlooked anything lik
this. She will be surprised when
walk in with Red Peppers treasure
and tell her the secret was hid in he
own workbox for $50 years"
The boat grounded on the yellow
sand Of Crab point.
II hope the chest Of treasure won
sink her." said Ferdie, with specula
tive eye upon the green dOry.
sryuo am ,nalyo t.uo lands ne a. - or