Meade County news., 1918-01-24

iSeS' why SlOuiu we ~ uTOuuu Ielllu
about it? I'm fer dividin' 1t up square
between the fiJe o. us-no, by heav-
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, Mr.. Leayord?"
l asked suddenly.
He lifted his eyes to mine in be-
wllderment.
II don't just know, sir" he STAN
mered. ut doesn't seem exactly the
square thing-is 1t, sir?"
mo, it's not" answered firmly, and
l slammed down the cover, locked 1t,
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 a 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 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
lish courts which will decide the own
ership Of this chest and its contents
not Jim White. Are you with me, Lea
yordT"
"Aye, aye, siri" s~sT
"And you, Olson?~
II suppose that's Hast. d." reluc-
family. II don't WAY: any trouble"
II thought :ot; now fail to, all Of
you, ezrd shake the reefs out of those
eJpsails. 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, had told our
story to the port captain, and officers
of tho marines had taken possession Of
the vessel. That very afternoon the
five Of us gave our testimony before
the maritime court, and were permit
ted to 60 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 1t
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 yet. There
were no papers Of value found in the
cabin-an excellent chart Of the Lab
rador coast, a memorandum m French,
80 discolored as to be almost unread
able, accompanied by a rudely drawn
map, and list Of the sehooner's crew."
"What was the name Of the cookY'
"He shipped as Gustave Montain of
St Clair. There Is no such man AnoWR
in that village"
"And the leader. CASTOR do Lysf"
1--WE find trace Of him only for few
months, Mr.. Hollis. Where he came
from, and whittier he went are thus far
unknown. CASTOR de Lys appeared In
Placentla some two months since, ac-
companied by one of the men who died
with him In the schOoner's cabin-the
one dark-faced-llke an Indlan-and
sought among the fishermen there for
a certain type Of boat. They were very
particular, stating they wished to leave
for voyage Of three months, repre-
senting themselves merely as travellers
for pleasure who desired to cruise