Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-21
A Secret Of the Sea.

We were compelled to resort to rope
and pulley, and then search through
the dead mans clothes to discover the
key. Even with that found. 1t required
the sharp edge Of Ratchet to force
open the cover. AS it lifted, the sight
was greeted with cries of astonish-
ment.
"Good Lord, sir, it's money, and a
stack of it,"
"English and French coins!"
"Aye, and SPANISH"
Whites voice broke in above the
babble, the old harsh croak remem-
bered so well:
"Well, see here, lads" he shouted,
whose is all this gold, anyhow?
Amt it just naturally ours? It's sure
no good to these yere dead men, an
there want nuthin' else good aboard
when we come. Then why amt 1t ourn
now to divide share an share about7'
1--WE undoubtedly have q, claim"
answered, "for salvage; and II the
heirs of the rightful owners are un-
able to prove themselves justly en-
Aled to the gold, perhaps we might
hofS the entire amount"
'Pifle!' snorted White, "what's the
use O. all that poppycock! These fel.
lows likely enough stole the money, OF
else dug it up somewhere. 1t never be-
longed to them eny more'n it does to
US. Nobody knows the stuff even ex-
lists. Why should we go around tellin'
about It? I'm fer dividin' 1t up square
between the five O. us-no, by Aeap
ems, I'll count the girl for a full
share-the six, and never sayin' nuth.
In about it when we 60 ashore. Amt
that the best way, mates?
'Do you agree to this, Mr.. Leayord?"
z asked suddenly.
s He lifted his eyes to mine in be-
wilderment.
/. II don't just know, SIR" he STAN.
mered. 1T doesn't seem exactly the
square thing-is 1t, sirf''
''No, it's not" answered firmly, and
I slammed down the cover, locked It,
and put the key in my pocket. "Now
look here, men, and you particularly,
Jim White-this isn't our gold. do
not know who 1t belongs to, or how
these dead men ever came into its pos
session. But there Is curse on the
stuff, which has already cost the lives
Of eight men that we know Of. No
one has touched 1t but to die. I'll tell
you fellows plainly Just what I'm going
to do. I'm going to sail this schooner
straight into St. Johns tharbor, with
those dead men locked in the cabin,
and this chest Of gold here unopened
on the, deck. It Is going to be Eng
lish courts which will decide the own
ership Of this chest and its contents
not Jim White. Are you with me, Lea
yord7"
Aye, aye, sirl" a,
.And you. OlsonT
II suppose that's best, sir" reluc-
family. II don't want any trouble"
II thought not; now fall to, all of
you, and shake the reefs out Of those
topsails. I'll take the wheel, and Wen
point the bow toward port"
The morning Of the second day the
speeding Rose Of Gaspe rounded the
northern head, and swept like fair,
white bird into the beautiful harbor of
st. Johns. We tied up Mt Long Wharf,
and, within an hour, had told our
story to the port captain, and officers
Of the marines had taken possession Of
the vessel. That very afternoon the
+ I'VE Of us gave our testimony before
the maritime court, and were permit
ted to go free. Before leaving the
courtroom the Judge spoke with me
.sThis is indeed strange case, Cap
tain Hollis" he said, land, perhaps,
the truth will never be learned, yet it
II evident that you and your crew had
nothing to do with the death Of these
men, or the possession Of this chest Of
money"
sis May ask, Judge. II anything has
been discovered tending to explain the
voyage of the Rose Of Casper"
aNothing satisfactory as yet. There
were no papers OF value found In the
cabin an excellent chart Of the Lab
fador coast, q memorandum In French,
= diseclceed q to be almost unread.