Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-11-11

senger. the shac1iy deckhand being ap-
parentiy taken IN as an humble third.
They sat forard, talking together, and
my passenger read to them, on one
occasion, from Z piece of printed pa
per that fiuttered In the wind
The captain was occupied with his
hesm. and the thoughts he didn't seem
to feel the necessity Of sharing; a
quiet, poised. probably stupid man, for
whom could not deny the respect we
must always give to content, however
simple. He wns sailor. and I 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
vague feeling had come over me that
within the next few hours might need
q friend.
Are we going too fast for fishing.
Tomr asked
mot too fast for barracuda" said
Tom; so we put ont lines and watched
the stretched strings, and listened to
the sea- After while Toms line grew
taut, and we hauled In a five-foot bar
racouta.
Look I" said Tom, as he pointed to
a little writhing eel-ltke shape, about
nine inches long. attached to the belly
Of the barracuda
"A sucking hsh |" said Tom. That's
good luck" and he proceeded to turn
over the poor creature and cut from
his back, Immediately below his head,
fiat inch and a 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.
"Now." he said, when he had 1t
clean and neat in his fingers, 1--WE must
hang this up and dry 1t in the north
east wind; the wind is just right
nor r'east-and there is no mascot
like 1t, specially when" Old Tom
hesitated, with slyly innocent smile
In his eyes.
What Is 1t, Tom2" l asked.
"Well, sir, l meant to say that this
particular part of sucking fish. prop
erly dried In the northeast wind, is a
wonderful mascot-when you're going
after treasure"
"Who said I was going after treas
ure?" / asked.
aren't you, sah?' replied Tom,
asking your pardon"
Lets talk 1t over later on, when
you bring me my dinner, Tom"
Later, as Tom stood, serving my
coffee took it up with him again.
what was that you were saying
| about treasure, TomT l asked.
well. sar, what meant was this:
that going after treasure is q 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, Toni"
"Well, sar, there was never q buried
treasure yet that didn't claim its vic
tim. Not one or two either. Six or
eight of them, to my knowledge-and
the treasure just where 1t was for all
that. / das'say 1t sounds all foolish
ness, but it's true for all that. Some
thing or other'n come, mark my word
just when they think they've got
their hands on 1t: hurricane or
tidal wave or an earthquake. And
well, the ghost laughs, but the treasure
stays there all the same"
'"The ghost laughs?" / asked.
"Ehl of course; didn't you know
every treasure is guarded by ghost?
He's got to keep watch there till the
next fellow comes along, to relieve
sentry duty, so to speak. He doesn't
give it away. My mol He dassn't do
that. But the minute someone else is
killed, coming looking for 1t, 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 / pointed to the
red membrane already drying in Toms
hand.
"Well, the man who carries this in
his pocket won't be the next ghost" he
answered.
'@Take good care of 1t for me, then,
Tom," said, 'and when it's properly
dried let me have 1t. For I've sort
Of idea I may have need Of 1t, 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-thats
| right. Tom and you and L"