Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
CHAPTER xxxIx-contlnued


"D1FFLEr snorted white. whats the
L use O. all that poppycock' These fel.
lows likely enough stole the money. or else
dug 1t up somewhere. 1t never belonged TO
them any MORN II does to us. Nobody knows
the stuff even exists. why should we 60
around telin' about It? I'm fer dividin' il up
square between the five o. us--no, by
heavens I'll count in the girl for a fun
share-the six and never sayin nuthin
about 1t when we go ashore. Amt that
the best way, mates?'
There was a mutter Of voices, and a
glance about at the faces told me that
Masters and Olson we're ready enough to
accept Whites Hne Of reasoning, while even
Lcayord felt the temptation. 1 knew also,
without looking up, that Vera had crossed
the deck quietly and now stood beside mo,
gazing down at the treasure revealed in the
open chest
"Do you agrec to this Mr.. Leayord?"
! asked suddenly
He lifted his eyes TO mine in bewilder-
ment
81 don't just know. SIR" he stammercd.
1T doesn't seem exactly the square thing
is it, sr?"
mo, it's not" answered firmly. and
slammed down the cover, locked It and put
the Key In my pocket Now look here,
men, and you particularly, Jim white
belongs to or how these dead men ever
came into its possession. But there is a
curse on the stun which has already cost
the lives Of eight men that we know Of.
mo one has touched It 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 harbor, with those
dead men locked in the cabin and this
chest OF gold here unopened on the deck II
is going to be English courts which will
decide the ownership Of this chest and its
contents--not Jim White Are you with mo,
Leayord?"
AYE, aye. sir"
And you. Oson?"
Il suppose that's best, sir" reluctantly. 81
don't want any trouble"
Il thought not now fall to all Of you
and shake the reefs out Of those topsails.
| I'll take the wheel, and we'll point the
bow toward port"
| There is now little moro Of interest to be
| told. I scarcely know how best to express
| II in words. The three whom l had thus
| overruled were far from satisfied but we
| gave them no opportunity for action. Either
| LeayOrd or myself were always awake and
| within sight Of the chest, while Vera took
| her trick at the wheel. thus enabling us
| to keep the discontents busy forward most
Of the time. 1 was perfectly Indifferent as
| to what they thought or planned being
| fully occupied in getting all possible speed
| out Of tho schooner. We slept on deck, NJ
| ono among us having any desire to agar
enter the cabin, which remained locked and
left alone to it's ghasty occupants.
The morning Of the second day the speed
| ing Rose Of Gaspe rounded the northern
| head and swept like a fair white bird into
| the beautiful harbor Of St. Johns We TIED
up at Long Wharf and, within an hour
| had told our story TO the port captain
| and officers Of the marines had taken pos
session of the vessel That very Afternoon
the five Of us gave our testimony befor,
| the maritime court and were permitted L
| go free. Before leaving the courtroom th
| Judge spoke with nc privately
This is indeed a strange case Captain
/ Hollis" he said, and, perhaps, the truu
| will never be learned, yet it Is evident tina
you and your CROW had nothing TO do witt
the death Of these men or the possession
of this chest Of gold"
May I ask judge, II anything has beel
discovered tending to explain the voyage o
the Rose of Casper
Nothing satisfactory as yet There wer
no papers of value found in the cabin-a
excellent chart Of the Labrador coast,
memorandum in French, so discolored as (
be almost unreadable, accompanied by
rudely drawn map, and a list Of the schoon
| erS crew
what was the name of the COOKE"
He shipped as Gustave Montain, of 81