The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-07-03


senger, the shackly deckhand being ap-
parently taken in as an humble third
They sat for'ard, talking together, and
my passenger read to them, on one
occasion, from Il piece Of printed pa
per that iiuttcrcd In the wind.
The captain was occupied with his
helm, and the thoughts he didn't seem
TO feel the necessity of sharing; D
quiet, poised, probably stupid man, for
whom l 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 HC:' companiouship I was thro wn
back upon Tom. / felt, too, that he
was my only friend On board. and a
vague feeling had como over me that
within the next few hours might need
a friend.
"Arc we going too fast for fishing,
Tom?" | asked.
mot too fast for barracuda" said
Tom; 50 we put out lines and watched
the stretched strings, and listened to
the sea-. After q while Toms line grew
taut, and we hauled in five-foot bar
racou,a.
Look !" said Tom, rs 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,
fiat inch and half of skin lined
and stamped like q rubber solc-ti.e
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 II
clean and neat in his fingers, tive must
hnng this up and dry it in the north
east wind; the wind is Just right
nor'-nor'caSt-and there Is no mascot
like it, specially when" Old Tom
heSitatcd, with slyly innocent smile
in his eyes.
what is II; Tom?" / asked.
"N"ll, sir, | meant to say that this
particular part of a sucking fish, prop.
"rly dried I'm the northeast wind, Is a
wonderful mascot-when you're going
after treasure"
"Who said was going after treas.
uref' l asked.
aren't YOU, sah?" replied Tom,
asking your pardon"
LET'S talk 1t over later on, when
you bring me my dinner, Tom."
Later. rs Tom stood, serving my
coffee, | took it up with him again.
"What was that you were saying
about treasure, Tom?" asked.
well, sar. what I meant was this:
that going after treasure is danger.
Gus business It's not only the
living you're to think Of" Here Tom
threw n careful eye for'ard.
"rhe crew, you mean?"
Tie nodded.
"l'ut it's the dead too"
"rho dead. TOm?"
"Neil, sar, there was never a buried
treasure yet that didn't claim its vic
tim. Not one or two either. Six or
eight Of them, to my knOwledge-nnd
the trcasur" just where 1t was for all
that. | daS'Say It sounds all foolish
ness. but it's true for all that. Some
thing or 0thcrll come. mark my word
just when they think they've got
their hands on 1t: hurricane or q
tidal wave or an earthquake. And
well. the ghost laughs. but the treasure
stays there all the same"
"Thc ghost laughs?" I asked.
"Eh 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
Civ" it away. My no! He dnssn't do
that. But the minute someone else is
Killed. coming looking for IT. then he's
frce-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.
"Wcll, the man who carries this I'm
his pocket won't he The next ghost" he
answered
"Takc good care Of 1t for me, then,
TNn," j said, "and when it's properly
dried let me have II. For I've a sort
of idea l may have need of Il, after
ALL"
And just then old Sailor, the duietest
member Of the crew. put up his head
into my hands, as though to say that
he had been unfairly lost sight of.
"ics, and you too, old chap--that's
right. Tom and you and l."
And then | turned in for the night.
Cio Be Continued Mex, Week)