Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-12-09
CHAPTER III.
In Which We TAX. Shin o,e.

IN winch we axe snip Once More.
The discovery which-through my
friend the dealer In marine curiosi-
ties'-I had made, or believed myself
TO have made, of the situation of
Henry p. Tobias second pod of
treasure, fitted exactly with Charlie
Webster's wishes for our trip, small
stock as he affected to take In it at the
moment.
Short Shrift island lay few miles
TO the northwest of Andres island.
NOW Andres Is great haunt of wild
duck. not to speak of that more august
bird, the fiamingo. Attraction number
one for the good Charlie. Then, though
1t Is some hundred and fifty miles long
and some fifty miles broad at its
broadest, 1t has never yet, it is said,
been entirely explored.
Its center is still q mystery. The
natives declare 1t is haunted, or at all
events inhabited by some strange peo-
pie no one has yet approached close
enough to see. You can see their
houses, they say, from a distance, but
as you approach them, they disappear.
Here. therefore, seemed an excellent
place for Tobias to take cover in.
Charles duck-shooting preserves, end
less mari lakes islanded with man.
grove copses, lay on the fringe of this
mysterious region. So Andres was
plainly marked out for our destina-
ton.
Sailor had watched his master get
ting his guns ready for some days,
and, doubtless, memories stirred in
him Of Scotch moors they had shot
over together. He raised his head to
the night wind and shifted impatiently,
as though he already scented the wild
duck on Andres island. He was i'm
patient, like the rest of us, because,
though 1t was an hour past sailing
time, we had still to collect two Of the
crew. The two loiterers turned up at
last and. all prellminaries being at
length disposed of, we threw off the
mooring ropes and presently there was
heard that most exhilarating of sounds
pling of the ropes through the blocks
as our mainsail began to rise up high
against the moon which was beginning
to look out over the huge block of the
Colonial hotel, the sea wall of which
ran along Us far as our mooring. A
few lights In It's windows here and
there broke the blank darkness of its
facade, glimmering through the ave-
nues Of royal palms. am thus ex-
plicit because of something that pres
emily happened and which stayed the
mainsail in its ripping ascent.
A tall figure was running along the
sea wall from the direction Of the no
tel, calling out, little breathlessly, In
q rich young voice as 1t RAM
"Wait a minute there, you fellows
Wait minute!"
We were already moving, parallel
with the wall, and at least twelve feet
away from 1t, by the time the figure
that of a tall boy, contemplated and
picturesquely outlined In the half
light-stopped just ahead Of US. He
raised something that looked like a
bag in his right hand. calling out
Catch" as he did so; and, moment
after, before q word could be spoken,
he took a flying leap and landed
amongst us, plump In the cockpit and
was clutching first one of us and then
the other, to keep his balance.
''Did 1t, by Jove!" he exclaimed in
q beautiful English accent, and then
started laughing as only absurd dare
devil youngsters can.
Forgive mew he said, as soon as he
could get his breath, "but / had to do
1t. Heaven knows what the old man
will say"
you're something of a long jump p
said Charlie.
"Oh! 1 have done my twenty-five
and an eighth on q broad running
jump, but 1 had no chance for run
there" answered the lad. carelessly.
"But suppose you'd hit the water in
stead of the deck?"
"What of it7 Can't one swim?'
IT guess you're all right, young
man." said Charlie, softened; but
well, we're not taking passen-
gers"
The words had q familiar sound.
They were the very ones ! had used
to Tobias, as he stood with his hand ON
the gunwale of the Maggie Darling.
/ rapidly conveyed the coincidence
and the difference-to Charlie. 1t
struck me as odd, I'll admit, that our
second start, in this respect, should
be so like the first. Meanwhile, the
young man was answering, or rather
pleading. in boyish way:
Don't call me passenger; I'll help
work the boat. I'll tell the truth. l
heard-never mind how-about your
trip, and I'm just nutty about buried
treasure. Come, be sport. We can
LET the old guvnor know. somehow
and 1t won't kill him to tear his
hair for day or two. He knows l
can take care of myself"
"Well! said Charlie, after thinking
awhile in his slow way, well think II
over. You can come along till the
morning. Then l can get good look
Of YOU. If don't like your looks We'll
still be able to put you on at West
End. and If / do--well-right-ho
Now, boys" he shouted. Ego ahead
with the sails.
Once more there was that ripping
of the ropes through the blocks, as our
nainsail rose up high against the
moon and filed proudly with the