Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-02-17
CHAPTER xI.-continued.)


Queen. This means that / shall have
to empty it and leave the gold in the
cave, while l get the chest out by
sea. When the chest is safely in the
cabin Of the sloop-where it won't
leave much room for Benny and his
master, I'm afraid will take the
bags of coin out by the land entrance.
can't think of risking my precious
doubloons in the voyage around the
point.
"Of course 1 should have liked to
get to the task today, but after the
first mad thrill Of the great event was
over, 1 found myself as weak and un-
nerved as a woman. SO by a great
effort 1 came away and left my glori-
GUS golden hoard. Now 1 dream and
gloat, playing with the idea that to-
morrow shall find it all a fantasy.
The pleasure of this is, of course, that
all the while 1 know this widest of
all Arabian fairy tales to be as real
as the most drab and sober fact Of my
hitherto colorless life.
after all, on the way back from the
cave Benny brought down pig. So he
Is as well pleased with the day as 1
am. Now / am sitting in the doorway
of my cabin, writing up my journal,
and trying to calm down enough to go
to bed. If it were not for the swift
fading of daylight, I would go back
to the cave for another peep into the
chest. But all round the island the
sea is moaning with that peculiarly
melancholy note that comes with the
falling Of night. The sea-birds have
risen from the cove and gone wheel
ing off in troops to their nests on the
cliffs. Somehow a curious dislike,
almost fear, of this wild, sea-girt, soli-
tary place has come over me. long
for 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 so
long. 1 suppose he brooded once on
the thought of the gold as 1 do-per-
haps he has been brooding SO these
ninety years! / wonder if he is
pleased that l, a stranger, have come
into possession of his secret hoard at
last?
"Oh, Helen, turn your heavenly face
on me-be my refuge from these shud-
dering unwholesome thoughts The
gold is for you-for you! Surely that
must cleanse it of it's stains, must
loose the clutch of the dead hands
that strive to hold it!
''February II. This morning was
early at the cave. Yes, there it was,
the same wonder-chest that had
dreamed of all night long. 1t was alb
surd how the tightness in my breast
relaxed.
81 began at once the work OF re-
moving the bags from the chest and
stacking them in the corner of the
cave. 1t was a fatiguing job, I had
to stoop so.
"I spent so much time unloading the
chest that before was ready to go
for my boat the tide was up and
bounding on the rocks below the cave
I find that only at certain stages of
the tide is the cave approachable by
sea. At the turn after high water,
for instance, there is such a terrific
undertow that it sets up a small mael-
strom among the reefs lying off the
island. At low tide is The time to
come.
February u. Got the chest out Of
the cave, though it was difficult job.
Luckily there was no sea, and had
q smooth passage around the point. /
laughed rather ruefully as passed
the Cave Of the Two Arches. To
think Of the toll / wasted therel
wish Benny had encountered the fate
full pig a little sooner.
SCOT the chest aboard the Island
Queen and slowed in the cabin. Not
room left to swing a kitten.
"In the afternoon began moving the
gold. It's the deuce of job.
February 49,. Been hard at it for
three days. Most of the gold moved
Have to think, too, Of provisions and
water for the trip.
February Is. On board the Island
Queen. Have moved my traps from
the hut and am sleeping on the sloop.
Want to be near the gold. Tomorrow
4 have only to bring the last of the
gold aboard-a trif1ing matter-and
then go out with the ebb. / would
have got all the bags on board today,
but l noticed a worn stretch in the
cable holding the sloop and stopped
to repair it. / can't have the sloop go-
ing on the rocks in case a blow comes
up tonight. There are only about a
Toad and half of bags left in the
cave.
ga queer notion seized me today
about the crucifx, when I was bring
ing 1t from the cave. 1t seemed to
float into my brain-I can't say from
what quarter-that had better leave
the crucifx for Bill. 1t wasn't more
than he had right to, really-and
there is no virtue in a cross-bones to
make a man sleep well.
"Of course I put the absurd idea
from me, and brought the crucifix
aboard along with the rest Of the gold.
/ shall be glad when 1 know that the
vines have again covered that lonely
looking gravestone from sight. I can't
help feeling my own glorious good for
tune TO be somehow an affront to poor
unlucky Bill.
Tomorrow one last trip to the cave,
md then hey, for home and Helen!"
The diary ended here.