Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-12-31
SPANISH
By
CAMILLA KENYON

CHAPTER xi.--continued.D

cave. while | get the chest out by
@a. When the chest is safely in the
cabin of the slcop-where 1t won't
master, I'm afraid--I will take the
Bags OF coin out by the land entrance.
I can't think of risking my precious
foubloons In the voyage around the
point.
"Of course | should have liked TO
get to the task today. but after the
krst mad thrill OF the great event was
over, | found myself as weak and I'M
neryed as a woman. So by a great
effort | came away and left my glori-
JUS golden hoard. Now | dream and
gioat. playing with the idea that TO
morrow | shall find 1t all a fantasy.
The pleasure of this Is, of course, that
oil the while | know this widest of
all Arabian fairy tales to be us real
as the most drab and sober fact of my
hitherto eolorless life.
after all. on the way back from the
ave Benny brought down a pig. So he
"a us well pleased with the day as /
am. Now | am sitting In the doorway
Of my cabin, writing up my journal,
and trying to calm down enough to 90
10 led. II II We're not for the swift
sadlng Of daylight, / would go back
10 the cave for another peep into the
rhest. But all round the island the
sea Is moaning with that peculiarly
melancholy note that M with the
falling Of night. The sea-hirds have
ing off IN troops to their nests on the
lifts. Somehow Il curious dislike.
almost fear. of this Wild, sea-girt, soil
fary place has come oyer me. | long
Cor the sound Of human voices. the
touch OF human hands. | think Of the
dead man lying there at the door Of
the cave, Its silent guardian for 80
bong. / suppose he hrooled once on
che thought Of the gold as | do-per-
AMPS he has been brooding so these
ninety years, / wonder IL he is
pleased that /, a stranger, have come
into possession OF his secret hoard at
asst
~Oh, Helen. turn your heavenly face
on me--be my refuge from these shud-
dering unwholesome thoughtsl The
gold Is for you-for YOU! Surely that
must cleanse 1t of It's stains, must
loose the clutch of the dead hands
.hat strive To hold it,
February II. This morning | was
early ut the cave. Yes, there it was.
she same wonder-chest that l had
dreamed of all night long. 1t was alb
surd how the tlghtness In my breast
relaxed.
Il began at once the work OF re-
moving the bags from the chest and
stacking them in the eorner Of the
cave. 1t was a fatiguing Job, | had
10 stoop so.
Il spent so much time unloading the
chest that before / was ready to go
for my boat the tide was up and
pounding on the rocks below the cave
L find that only at certain stages OF
the tide Is the cave a~pproachable by
sea. AL the turn after high water,
for instance, there Is such a terrific
mdertow that 1t sets up a small mael-
strom among the reefs lying of the
Island. AT low tide Is the time to
come.
February IL. Got the chest cut Of
me cav though 1t was a difficult job.
Luckily there was no sea, and | had
a smooth passage around the point.
laughed rather ruefully as ] passed
the Cave OF the Two Arches. To
think Of the toll | wasted there! l
wish Benny had encountered the fate
full pig a little sooner
Got the chest aboard the Island
Queen and slowed In the cabin. Not
room left to swing Il kitten.
In the afternoon began moving the
gold. Its the deuce Of "a job.
February IL, Been hard at it for
three days, Must of the gold moved
Have TO think, too, Of provisions aud
water fur the trip.
February 10, On board the Island
Queen. Have moved my traps from
the hut and am sleeping on the Sl0op.
Want to be near the gold. Tomorrow
l have only TO bring the last Of the
gold ~ahearI-a trlAing matter-and
shen 20 out with the ebb. T would
have got ai the hays on board today.
but | noticed o worn stretch in the
cable holding the sloop and stopped
60 repair 1t. l can't have the sloOp go
lug On the rocks IN case a blow comes
up tonight. There are emily about a
load and a half Of bags left In the
cave
"A queer notion seized me today
mhout the eruciix. when | was bring
kng II from the a X seemed TO
isoat into my brain-T can't say from
what quarter--shat I had better leave
che crucihx for Bin, 1t wasn't more
than he had a right to, realiy-aud
there is no virtue In a cross}h9nes To
make a mar sleep well.
"Of course | put the absurd idea
from me. and brought the crucifx
aboard alosg with the rest Of the gold.
shall be glad when I know that the