Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-09-04


deprecating air. It's effect on George
was nil, except perhaps to further
deepen his sulks.
And this I did notice, after a while,
that my remarks to George seemed to
have set up certain sympathetic ac-
quaintance between him and my pas
senger, the shackly deckhand being APP
parently taken in as an humble third.
They sat for'ard, talking together and
my passenger read to them, on one
occasion, from piece of printed pa
per that fluttered in the wind.
The captain was occupied with his
helm, and the thoughts he didn't seem
to feel the necessity of sharing;
quiet, poised. probably stupid man, for
| whom I could not deny the respect we
must always give to content, however
simple. He was a sailor, and / don't
know what better to say of man.
SO for companionship was thrown
back upon Tom. felt, too, that he
was my only friend on board, and a
vague feeling had come over me that
within the next few hours might need
friend.
"Are we going too fast for fishing,
| TomW I asked.
"Not too fast for barracuda" said
Tom; so we put out lines and watched
the stretched strings, and listened to
the sea. After a while Toms line grew
| taut, and we hauled in a five-foot bar
racouta.
''Look !" said Tom, as he pointed to
little writhing eel-ltke shape, about
nine inches long, attached to the belly
of the barracuda.
"a sucking fish" said Tom. "That's
good luck" and he proceeded to turn
over the poor creature and cut from
his back, Immediately below his head,
a flat inch and half of skin lined
and stamped like a rubber sole-the
| device by which he held on to the
belly of the barracuda much as the
circle of wet leather holds the stone
in schoolboy's sling.
SNOW" he said, when he had 1t
clean and neat in his fingers, 1--WE must
hang this up and dry it in the north
east wind; the wind is just right
nor -nor'east-and there Is no mascot
like it, specially when" Old Tom
hesitated, with slyly innocent smile
in his eyes.
"What is it, Tom?" asked.
"Well, sir, meant to say that this
particular part of sucking fish, prop
erly dried in the northeast wind, is
wonderful mascot-when you're going
/ after treasure"
"Who said 1 was going after treas
ure?" asked.
"Aren't you, sah?" replied Tom,
"asking your pardon"
Lets talk it over later on, when
you bring me my dinner, Tom"
Later, as Tom stood, serving my
Coffee I took it up with him again.
"What was that you were saying
about treasure, Tom?" I asked.
well, sar, what / meant was this !:
that going after treasure is a danger
Gus business it's not only the
living you're to think Of Here Tom
threw careful eye for'ard.
1.-THE crew, you mean?"
He nodded.
''But it's the dead too"
"The dead, Tom?'
"Well, sar, there was never buried
treasure yet that didn't claim it's vic
tim. Not one or two either. Six or
eight of them, to my knowledge-and
the treasure just where it was for all
that. / das'say it sounds all foolish
ness, but it's true for all that. Some
thing or other'll come, mark my word
Just when they think they've got
their hands on it: a hurricane or a
tidal wave or an earthquake. And
well, the ghost laughs, but the treasure
stays there all the same"
"The ghost laughs?" I asked.
''Eh! Of course; didn't you know
every treasure is guarded by a ghost?
He's got to keep watch there till the
next fellow comes along, to relieve
sentry duty, so to speak. He doesnt
give it away. My no! He dassn't do
that. But the minute someone else is
killed, coming looking for it, then he's
free-and the new ghost has got to
go on sitting there, waiting for ever
so long till someone else comes look
ing for it."
"But what has this sucking fish got
to do with IT." And I pointed to the
red membrane already drying in Tom
hand.
swell, the man who carries this in
his pocket won't be the next ghost" he
answered.
''Take good care of it for me, then
Tom" I said, "and when it's properly
dried let me have it. For I've a sort
Of idea I may have need of it, after
ALL"
And just then old Sailor, the quietest
member of the crew, put up his head
into my hands, as though to say that
he had been unfairly lost sight of.
Eyes, and you too, old chap-that's
| ~s<-l 4