The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-12-16
(cHAPTER V-continued.)

(CHAPTER V-contlnued)
.
On this first day we gathered In the
cool of the afternoon about our table
of packing-boxes for an event which
even |. whose role was that Of Skep-
tic found exciting. Miss Browne was
at last to produce her map and re-
veal the secret of the island. So far,
except In general terms, she had inn
parted It to no one Everybody, In
coming along, had been buying a pig
in a poke-thOugh to he sure Aunt
Jane had paid for It, The Scotman'
Cuthbert Vane had told me incidental
iy. had insured himself against loss
by demanding retaining fee before
hand, Somehow my opinion, both Of
his honesty and of his intelligence,
had risen since knew this. As TO
Cuthbert Vane, he had come purely
IN spirit of adventure, and had paid
his own expenses from the start,
However, now the great moment
was at hand. But before II comes,
I will here set down the treasure
story of Leeward island, as gathered
IL later little here and there, and
pleced II together into a coherent
whole through many dreaming hours
In 1920, the city of Lima, in Peru
being threatened by. the revout IN
aries under Bolivar and San Martin,
cautious folk began to take thought
for their possessions. To send them
out upon the high seas under for
elgn flag seemed to offer the best hope
OF safety, and soon there was more
gold afloat on the Pacific tnan at any
time since the sailing of the great
plate galeons Of the Seventeenth cen
fury. Captain Sampson. Of the brig
Bonny Lass, found himself with a
passenger for nowhere in particular
in the shape of certain Spanish mer-
chant Of great wealth, reputed Gus
todian of the private funds Of the
bishop Of Lima. This gentleman
brought with him, besides some scanty
personal baggage-fOr he took ship
in haste-a great iron-bound chest
-Four stout sailors of the Benny Lass
staggered under the weight of It.
The Bonny Lass cruised north along
the coast, the passenger desiring to
out In at Panama in the hope that
word might reach him there of quiet
or times at home. But somewhere Oh
Ecuador on dark and starless night
she merchant Of Lima vanished over
boar,l--"and what could you expect
asked Captain Sampson. In effect
.'when lubber like him would stay
on deck in a galep" Strange to say
the merchants hody-servant met th'
fate of the needless also.
Struggling his shoulders at the care
iessness Of passengers, Captain Samp
sen bore away 10 Leeward island, per
haps from curiosity to see this oil
refuge Of the buccaneers. where tn
spoils of the sack Of Guayaquil wer,
said to have been buried. Who know
but that he. too, was bent on treasure
seeking? BE that as II may, the llttl
brig found her way into the bay on tn
northeast side of the island, wher
she anchored. Water was needed, an
there Is refreshment In trOpic fruit
after a diet OF salt horse and HARD
tack. So all hands had a hollda
ashore, where the captain did not dis
daln TO join them. Only he wen
apart. and had other occupation tina
swarming up the palms for coc'
nuts.
one fancies. then. a moonless nigh
crew sleeping OF double grog, gel
erously allowed them by the captain
A boat putting of from the Bonn
Lass in which were captain, mat
and one BIZ Halliwell, able seaman,
man OF mighty muscle; and as freigl
an object large. angular and pOnde
Gus. - that the boat Jagged heayil
beneath the rowers' strokes.
Later. Bill. the able seaman, grow
presumptuous on the strength
mis- excursion with his betters.
is word and blow with the ca
tain Of the Benny Lass. and Btu
conveniently disposed of Dead,
well as living. lie serves the purpo'
Of the captain. but Of that later.