Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-06-26

My language was more forcible than
classical-had quite a piratical flavor,
In fact and my friend Of 1.-THE wonder.
full works Of God" looked up with a
deprecatlng air. Its effect ON George
was NIL. except perhaps to further
deepen his sulks.
And this I did notice, after while,
that my remarks to George seemed to
have set up certain sympathetic &C.
.quafntance between him and my pas
senger. the shackly deckhand being APP
parently taken in az an humble third.
They sat fOr'ard, talking together, and
my passenger read to them, on one
occasion, from a piece Of printed pa
per that fiuttered in the wind.
The captain was occupied with his
helm. 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 was a sailor, and I don't
know what better to say Of man.
So for companionship I was thrown
back upon Tom. Il 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
a friend.
"Are we going too fast for fishing,
Tom7" I asked.
"Not too fast for a barracuda" said
Tom; so we put out lines and watched
the stretched strings, and listened to
the sea. After a while Toms lire grew
taut, and we hauled in five-fo0t bar.
racOuta.
"Look!" said Tom, as he pointed to
9 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,
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 a schoolboy's sling. i
'Now," 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 1t, specially when" Old Tom
hesitated, with slyly innocent smile
in his eyes.
s'What is 1t, Tom?" I asked.
swell, sir, meant to say that this
particular part Of a sucking fish, prop.
erly dried in the northeast wind, is q
wonderful mascot-when you're going
after treasure"
"Who said I was going after treas.
ureT' I 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, took it up with him again.
'sWhat was that you were saying
about treasure, TOMB" asked.
''Well, sar, what meant was this
that going after treasure is danger
GUS business !. It's not only the
living you're to think Of" Here Ton
threw careful eye for'ard.
"The crew, you meant"
He nodded. :. -
''But it's the dead too.'
The dead, TOMB"
@Well. sar, there was never buried
Il treasure yet that didn't claim its vic
tim. Not one or two either. Six OF
eight Of them, to my acknowledgement
the treasure just where 1t was for all
that. ! dassay 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 8
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 ghosti
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 no! He dassn't dc
that. But the minute someone else is
killed, coming looking for it, then he's
free-apd the new ghost has got tt
60 on sitting there. waiting for evel
SO long till someone else comes look
ing for It."
ssRut what hos +his e,,ct,,nc, Ash %,