The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-05-02


| her bones in this lone land, he quick
ened his pace and not much later ar
rived at her side. Curious to learn
bit about her history, he picked up
piece Of weather-worn board.
Digging few feet, he came across
an iron chest, rusty with age, and on
breaking this open, found it contained
great fortune in gold and precious
stones He excavated this treasure
and buried 1t, and figuring the lati-
tude and longitude, wrote 1t In his
own blood on the launch flag of the
Lion.
"Spurred on by the knowledge that
with the wealth that had come to him
almost with the suddenness Of magic
created gold, like Monte Cristo Of
yore the world would lie at his feet
could he once regain civilization, ne
resumed his pilgrimage with re-
rewed strength and hope. His had
been hard life, a life Of constant
danger and toll as he had faced the
oceans gales on moonless nights when
the spray swept the decks like gusts
OF shot, and ever his dream had been
to in some honest manner accumulate
modest sufficiency for his old age.
And now over night he had become
rich-nch enough to ransom a king
Planning, dreaming day dreams he
weaved and staggered northward.
after many adventures, the mate
got here to California. He was my
father"
Dick and Polly exclaimed their as
tonlshment, and the dying man con-
tlnued:
AT once he confided In me the secret
OF the treasure, and Immediately we
began our preparation to return and
exhume It, Knowing that we would
have to pass through a country that
was infested by bandits and blood
thirsty Indians, 1t was necessary that
we have force sufficiently strong to
successfully oppose any hostile party
which we might encounter. While a
dozen men would not have been too
many to make the expedition safe, of
course the more we took along the
more there would be to divide with in
the end, therefore we decided to 20
with the least number that might
hope with reasonably good luck to 90
through. After much thought we en-
listed six bold men and started
through Old Mexico to get the treas
ure. We were attacked by an over
whelming force Of savage Yaqui
Indians. We put up great fight, but
our ammunition gave out. We real
lied that the Indians would attack
again under cover Of the night and
decided to scatter In the darkness.
My father gave each of us piece of
the flag and babe us scatter and seek
shelter Ii the pieces were ever as
sembled, those who held them could
have another try at the treasure.
1.-THE Indians attacked sooner than
We expected, and it was each man
for himself. After many hardships,
i got back home. thought no more
OF the treasure. I thought the others
all had been killed. never heard a
word from any of them until today
when Scarface appeared and demand.
ed my piece of flag"
Did he get your piece Of flag, Cap
tain Ransome?" asked Dick.
Praise God, no." was the weak
reply, as he handed the bit Of cloth
to Polly, saying:
Take 1t, my dear, II is your for
tune"
She gazed at the old, faded bit OF
bunting in bewilderment. The words
Of her father had fallen upon her ears
much as come the voices Of people
to one who Is half under the infiu.
ence Of some powerful drug That
she was heiress to a fortune like this
seemed incredible, yet the Joy which
would have been hers at such pros
pect an hour before was now lost In
the grief which overwhelmed her,
knowing as she did that she stood in
the shadow of fast approaching death.
That her father had received q NOR
tai blow she could not question, yet
nothing remained but for her to re-
ceive II and preserve 1t carefully for
future action.
As she reached out her hand for
It, the shadow Of Scarface again fell
across the window. He saw the trans
fer Of the only key to the location to
the buried treasure, and CLEAN of
satisfaction shot across his SCARED
features. Taking a pistol from his
arm-pit holster he withdrew stealth
lily from the window.
Ransome was growing rapidly weak
er and Dick registered his impotence
at the failure of the doctor to ar
rive, not knowing that he and the
sheriff were speeding to the cottage
as fast as their car could be made
10 move.
The dying man regarded Polly with
deepest affection and then looked
searchlngly at Dick.
"She is all that I've got, boy, and
I am going to turn her over to you
In sacred trnSt IL Nnn are nnnd IN