Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-23
Book III
CHAPTER !.

drOS. SO we were soon under way, OUT
of the river, and heading north up the
western shore of the big monotonous
island. We had some fifty miles to
make before we reached its northern
extremity-and, all the way, we sell
dom had more than two fathoms OF
wnter, and the coast was the same in
terminable line of mangroves and
thatch palms, with occasional clUmps
OF pine trees, and here and there the
mouth Of creek, leading into duck
haunted swamps.
At last we came to little foam
fringed cay, where II was conceivable
that the shyest and rarest shell
would choose to make its home-a tiny
aristocrat, driven out Of the broad
tideways by the coarser ambitions and
the ruder strength OF great molluscs
that feed and VOW fut and house
themselves in crude conyolutions OF
uncouthiy striving horn.
IT was impossible TO imagine cay
better answering to my conchologists
description OF Short Shrift island. Its
situation and general character, too,
we found that ii answered in TWO i'm
portant particulars TO Tobias nara
tive. We found, as he had declared,
that there was good water there for
passing ships. Also. we found. in ad-
dition to the usual scrub, that cab
bage-wood trees grew there very plen-
tifully, particularly, as he said, on the
highest part of the island. So, having
talked it all over with Tom. 1 decided
that here we would stay for a time
and Try our luck.
But, first, having heard from the
sponging captain that he was en- route
for Nassau. / gave him letter TO
Charlie Webster, telling him of our
whereabouts, in case he should have
sudden need Of me with regard to To-
bias.
The reader may recall that Tobias
narrative in reference TO his second
pod" on one million dollars had run ::
ION the highest point OF this Shori
Shrift island is large cabbage-wood
stump, and twenty feet south Of that
stump Is the treasure. buried five Zee,
deep and can be found without diff
Guilty" But which was the highest
point: There were several hiliocks
that might claim to be that-all about
equal in height.
However, as the high points OF the
island were only seven in all, II was
no difficult matter to try them all out,
one by ono. ms We had plenty or time
and plenty of hands for the work. For
Of course, it would have been idle TO
attempt any concealment Of my object
from the crew. Therefore. / took them
from their she,l-gathering end, having
duly measured out twenty feet south
from each promising cabbage-wood
stump, set them to work. They worked
with a will. for l promised them q
generous share Of whatever we found
Alas! It was an inexpensive prom
Use, for, when we had duly turned up
the ground, not only twenty feet. but
thirty, forty and fifty feet. not only
south but north, east and west OF the
various cabbage-wood stumps on the
seven various eminences, We were
none of US the richer by single piece
Of eight. Then we tried the other cab
bage-wood stumps on lower ground
and any other likely-looking spots, till
after working for nearly fortnight
we must have dug up most of the
island.
And then Tom came to me With the
news that our provisions were begin
ming to give out. As 1t was, he said
before we returned to Nassau. We
should have to put In at Flying FISH
Cove-a small settlement on the lar
ger island some FIVE miles to the nor
'ard-for the purchase Of various ne
cessities.
"All right, Tom" said, II guess thu
game Is up! Let's start out tomorrow
morning. You may as well have you
sucking fish back, Tom," said
laughing In self-disgust. II shall hav'
no more need of 1t. am through
with treasure hunting"
"rd keep 1t little longer, sar," an
swered Tom; you never know"
had made up my mind to start OF
the homeward trip early the following
morning, but sopething happened
that very evening to change my plans
1 had dropped into the little settle
ment's one store, to buy some tobae
co, the only kind that Charlie Webste
declared at to smoke.
I stayed chatting with the store
keeper lean, astute-looking English
man, with the un-English name o
Sweeney-who made a pretty goo
thing Of selling his motley merhandis
to the poor natives, on the good oil
business principle Of supplying good
Of the poorest possible quality at tn
highest possible prices.
While he was attending q littl
group Of customers had wandered t
ward the back Of the store, curiousl
examining the thousand and one con
modities which supplied the strane
needs Of humanity here In this io'
corner Of the world; and, thus Occ,
| pied, was diverted by voice lii
sudden music, Z voice oddly rich an
Laughing and confident for such gril
and sinister surroundings. II was on
too. which I seemed to have heard b