Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-02-28

lists. Why should we go around tellin'
about 1T? I'm fer dividin' it up square
between the five o. us-no. by heav-
ems. Iii count the girl for full
share-the six, and never sayin' nuth-
In about 1t 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-
wilderment.
Il don't just know, SIR" he STAN
mered. ut doesn't seem exactly the
square thing-is 1t. sir?"
mo, it's not" I 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-this isn't our gold. l do
not know who 1t belongs to, or how
these dead men ever came into it's pos
session. But there Is u 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 Tn 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
ershfp Of this chest and it's contents
not Jim White. Are you with me, Lea
yord?"
aye, aye, sir!"
Sand YOU, Olson?"
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 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 u 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 possession of
the vessel. That very afternoon the
five of us gave our testimony before
the maritime court, ind We're permit
ted to go free. Before leaving the
courtroom the Judge spoke with me
privately.
"This is indeed q 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"
"N1ay I ask, Judge, If anything has
been discovered tending to explain the
voyage Of the Rose of Casper
"Nothing satisfactory as yet. There
We're no papers Of value found in the
cabin-an excellent chart of the Lab.
rador coast, memorandum in French
so discolored as to be almost unread.
able, accompanied by rudely drawn
map and Il list of the schooner's crew.
"What was the name of the coolS?"
"lIe shipped as Gustave Montain 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 few
months, Mr.. Hollis. Where he came
from, and whittier he went are thus fan
unknown. CASTOR de Lys appeared in
Pucentia some two months since, ac
companied by one Of the men who died
with him in the schooner's cabin-the
one darll-faced-ike an Indian-ant
sought among the fishermen there fOl
a certain type Of boat. They were very
particular, stating they wished to leave
for voyage Of three months, repre-
sentng themselves merely as travellers
for pleasure who desired to cruise