Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-04-18

ems, I'll count the girl for a full
share-the six. and never sayin' nuth-
In about it when we go ashore. Amt
that the best way, mates?'
"Do you agree to this, MI. Leayord?"
[ asked suddenly.
He lifted his eyes to mine in be.
wilderment.
II don't just know, SIR" he STAN
mered. ut doesn't seem exactly the
square thing-is it, sir?"
"No, it's not" I answered firmly, and
1 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. I do
not know who it belongs to, or how
these dead men ever came into it's pos
session. But there is a curse on the
rtnff which has already cost the lives
Of eight men that we know of. No
n 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. 1t is going to be Eng
fish courts which will decide the own
ership Of this chest and it's contents
not Jim White. Are you with me, Lea
yord?"
( "Aye, aye, sir"
"And you, O1son?"
IT 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 We'll
point the bow toward port"
The morning of the second day the
speeding 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, I had told our
story to the port captain, and officers
of the marines had taken possession of
the vessel. That very afternoon the
five of us gave u testimony before
the maritime court, and were permit
ted to go free. Before leaving the
courtroom the judge spoke with me
privately.
"This is indeed a strange case, Cap
tain Hollis" he said, "and, perhaps,
the truth will never be learned, yet it
Is evident that you and your crew had
nothing to do with the death of these
men, or the possession Of this chest of
money"
"May I ask, Judge, If anything has
been discovered tending to explain the
voyage of the Rose of Casper"
Nothing satisfactory as vet. There
were no papers of value found in the
cabin-an excellent chart of the Lab
rador coast, a memorandum in French,
so discolored as to be almost unread
able, accompanied by a rudely drawn
map, and a list Of the schooner's crew."
"What was the name Of the cook?"
"He shipped as Gustave Mountain of
st. Clair. There is no such man known
In that village"
And the leader, CASTOR de Lys?"
1--WE find trace of him only for a few
months, Mr.. Hollis. Where he came
from, and whittier he went are thus far
unknown. CASTOR de Lys appeared IN
Placentia some two months since, &C.
cOmpanied by one Of the men who died
with him in the schooner's cabin-the
n dark-faced-like an Indian-and
sought among the fishermen there for
q certain type of boat. They were very
particular, stating they wished to leave
for a voyage Of three months, repre-
senting themselves merely as travellers
for pleasure who desired to cruise
along the Labrador coast. At last they
leased the Rose of Gaspe, from a man
of wealth, Richard Martin, who had